# Tankmates in a 5.5 Gallon?



## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

Right now I have a half-moon (probably rosetail) betta and a nerite snail in a 5.5 gallon rectangular tank with a hydor theo 25 watt heater and a TOM internal mini filter. I have live plants in the tank as well, but because I recently switched from my old 2.5 gallon to this 5.5 gallon, the tank looks pretty sparse. I also have some bulbs (water lily, water onion, and something else I can't remember the name of) in a vase, waiting for them to sprout. If any of these bulbs sprout and don't rot, I'll add them to the tank, too. I'm thinking of adding some moneywort, which I've heard grows pretty quickly.

My question: what other tank mates could I potentially add to this tank? I originally upgraded to a 5.5 gallon because I thought a 2.5 was too small for a betta and a nerite together, but now it seems like a 5.5 gallon has more room than needed for them. So could I add some shrimp, fish, or possibly some ADFs? If not, that's fine, but I'm just curious if it's possible. It would be really cool to have a tank mate for my betta that's a little more active than a snail.


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## pfenty (Apr 15, 2014)

I would just say get 2 more Nerite snails and let your Betta enjoy his room 
I have 4 Bettas and they each have there own 10 gallon tank. I could never put another fish in there with them. But I do have a Nerite snail or two and 5-6 Armano shrimp in there with them. You'll see a happier betta


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## SpinToWin (Oct 19, 2014)

I think a betta and a snail is about the most you could put in a 5.5 gallon
Little critters like ADFs and Otos that you could add really need to be in groups that would be overstocking in a 5.5gal (According to AqAdvisor)
You can always add plants! Fish love to swim/hide around them and snails will eat the decaying plant matter, and they can really liven up a tank


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## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

I'm planning to add more plants, whether or not I get tank mates. I've been reading that you can pretty much add as many ghost shrimp as you want without there being too much of a bioload, and that they even help keep your tank clean. So I was thinking of maybe getting three of them, but I'd add more plants and hiding places to my tank first. Would this be a possibility?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

One Nerite in a 5.5 is plenty both because of the bioload and available natural algae. If you get Ghosties get 10-12. They aren't very hardy because they're treated as "feeders" so the mortality rate is high even with the best of care. Also, they do better in larger numbers.

You could also do a couple of African Dwarf Frogs in the 5.5. Their bioload is minimal. I fed HBH Frog and Tadpole Bites and the occasional frozen bloodworm or Tetra ReptoTreat. Betta aren't fond of Frog Bites so there's no problem with the Betta pigging out on them.


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## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

I was considering ADFs too, they look really cool. I knew they had to be in groups, though, so I didn't know if that would be too much, considering what I already have in the tank. It's nice to know that I could get a couple if I decided to, though!

Right now I think I'll just work on adding more cover to my tank. My new hood just came in today, so my plants have their fluorescent lightbulb back. I also am considering buying one of the cichlid stone packs from Underwater Galleries, so I can use one of the medium caves in my tank. My sister just got a betta recently, so she might pitch in and we can just get the 3-pack with one small and two medium caves. 

While I'm doing all of that, getting things set up, I'll do some research on ADFs and ghost shrimp. At this point I'm kind of leaning more towards ghost shrimp, since they seem to be a little easier to care for, but I don't think I know enough about ADFs yet to completely rule them out. One thing I am concerned with them though, is whether or not they breed easily. I don't think I could handle a ton of tadpoles at random times.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

First, Congratulations on the Photo Contest win!!! Woo hoo!! :-D

I doubt the ADF would breed and even if they did the eggs would be gobbled up really fast. Just make sure you're looking at African Dwarf and not African Clawed Frogs.


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## IntrovertEJL (May 30, 2014)

Thanks!  When I saw Edmond's picture on the front page, I had to do a double take. "Wait, I know that fish!"

And as to the breeding question -- thanks, that makes sense. It's nice to know that won't be a problem.  I've also heard about the differences between ADF and African Clawed Frogs. I'm pretty sure our Petsmart only carries ADFs, though. They look too skinny to be ACFs.


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## NorthernLights (Mar 2, 2012)

I would suggest you consider a mystery snail. They move very quickly and are quite interesting to watch, and come in many colors.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I always forget to mention when discussing ADF bioload that theirs (according to several frog forums where I lurk and some blogs) is equivalent to that of a large Tetra.


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