# Small community tanks?



## sheridan (May 13, 2014)

Just a general question, does anyone here have a little community tank? Like under 5 gallons??

What have you got in it?
Plants?

Feel free to post photos, I would love some ideas.


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

It's a bad idea to have multiple fish in anything under 5 gallons, some people have a betta and a snail, others have a betta and 1-3 cherry shrimp, maybe even a betta with an African dwarf frog, but community tanks need a lot of room for fish to run and hide from each other


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## MameJenny (Jun 11, 2012)

I'm not sure if you would consider them community tanks, but I have a couple of heavily planted small tanks. My 3 gallon has a betta, a zebra nerite, and a black mystery snail. My 2.5 gallon has a betta and a black mystery snail. They all get along great.  I think that tiny tanks can't really be used for multiple fish. There might be a few nano fish that you could have in one, though...


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## sheridan (May 13, 2014)

I kind of forgot to clarify myself :/ 


What OTHER kinds of fish do you keep without a betta in a tank under 5 gallons... Like a few neons, etc. 
Or does anyone keep another fish alone?? 

Sorry!


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

I bet you could keep a guppy, a few danios/shrimp, and a nerite or something like that--just guessing here, don't actually try that without research. But I'm sure there are combinations that are doable.


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## sheridan (May 13, 2014)

Yeh, I was thinking of just having it nice and planted across the bottom, and keep some neon tetras in there alone, with perhaps a little bristlenose or cory.. OR keep a betta alone in there. The only problem with the betta part is that the outflow may be too strong. 

Does anyone here have a tank smaller than 5 gallons with no betta? Post photos!


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## Freedom (May 17, 2009)

Before you do anything along this line, please refer to seriouslyfish.com and read up on the fish you think you want to keep.

Neon tetras need a school of at least 8 and preferably 10 to feel safe, and thus be happy and healthy. Doesn't matter that there is nothing else but plants in there with them. Each profile on that site will give you the minimum number of fish needed, the minimum tank size, habitat and lots of good info.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-innesi/


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## sheridan (May 13, 2014)

Freedom2b said:


> Before you do anything along this line, please refer to seriouslyfish.com and read up on the fish you think you want to keep.
> 
> Neon tetras need a school of at least 8 and preferably 10 to feel safe, and thus be happy and healthy. Doesn't matter that there is nothing else but plants in there with them. Each profile on that site will give you the minimum number of fish needed, the minimum tank size, habitat and lots of good info.
> 
> http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-innesi/



Thank you heaps!


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## Freedom (May 17, 2009)

Also, keep in mind that the larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain, and the less work involved. Of course this depends on the bioload from stock, and the live plants you have in there.

I have a 37 gallon and a 50 gallon. I do a 20% water change once a month, and only open the filter 4 times a year. My betta, Midnight, is in the 37 gallon.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Freedom2b said:


> Also, keep in mind that the larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain, and the less work involved. Of course this depends on the bioload from stock, and the live plants you have in there.
> 
> I have a 37 gallon and a 50 gallon. I do a 20% water change once a month, and only open the filter 4 times a year. My betta, Midnight, is in the 37 gallon.


+1 except I have a 4 gallon 1 gallon bowl (temporary) 10 gallon and a 40 gallon I also have 4 empty tanks ready to be used hehe! But I do 50% water changes every weekend for my fish it's a hassle but worth the effort!


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## Freedom (May 17, 2009)

I test water parameters twice week; I should have included that in my prior post.

A 50% water change in a 40 gallon is a LOT. If it works for your stock, great, but that is not usual.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Hehe I do 50-75% because I have goldfish haha sorry I forgot to mention that lol (fancy goldfish to be specific)  I like all my tanks clean and spotless lol  I also have. 3 filters runnin on my 40 gallon


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## Freedom (May 17, 2009)

Well YE-AH, saying you have GOLDFISH is important, lol. I did keep saying, depending on stock, bioload, lol.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Lol sorry I didn't see what you said bout bio load >__<


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## ZZD (Jan 13, 2013)

I had a Bumblebee Goby by itself in a .75 planted tank. He was kind of special needs and so freaking tiny! I didn't realize he wasn't going to get any bigger than that when I got him! Now it just has some plants and tiny snails.

I have a 3g that I am planning to make a tiny shrimp tank once I get my bettas and their crews moved up the next steps. I did have my timid betta in a 5g with a nerite and some ghost shrimp. I didn't get my panda garras until I moved them all up to a 10g though. Even in my 10g I felt the filter had a strong flow so I put a plastic bottle baffle over it and the Pandas love to hang out in it. Everyone thinks I am crazy for have a 10g for 3 smallish fish (and planning to move them to the 29g and add only 2 more fish), but I have never really liked the aesthetic of a lot of fish in a tank so for me anything under 5g would have one fish and some inverts.


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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

I do 50% WC once a week, because I does fertilizer in my tank daily (PPS-PRO method). I also have 5 neon with 3 glow light tetras and they school with each other just fine.


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