5 gallon tank fish: Intoduction

Owning a five gallon fish tank is a very effective way to enjoy the hobby of aquatics. 5 gallon aquariums are a great way to relax and can be placed in many different places. 5 gallon tank fish are some of the most enjoyable fish to watch and care for. Due to their small size low maintenance, many breeds that are suitable for 5 gallon tanks can be put in schools for added enjoyment. I have been cultivating a five gallon tank for several years and I would like to convey some of the things I have learned along the way.

If you are new to the hobby, or are an established hobbyist wanting to design a smaller version of your larger tanks, there are several things that you will need to know. The first thing that you will want to do is, decide what you want to place in the tank. Will it have live plants? If so, what kind? What kind of lighting will you need? What type of scavengers will you have? What kind of filtration will you use? What kind of décor will be present?

Once you decide the key factors of this, you can make an educated decision about what to by at the fish store. 5 gallon tank fish will need adequate hiding places and a good water supply. I recommend a back mounted filtration system for water purity and cured drift wood for décor and hiding places. If you decide to plant the tank, plant very heavily with fast growing plants. 5 gallon tanks often are susceptible to early stage algae blooms that can cloud the water and cover all the surfaces of your aquarium. An aquarium that is planted heavily will not have any free nutrients for algae to use, as they have been taken out of the water by the plants. It will take some time for the substrate to form enough nutrients for the plants to grow extremely well.

The water purity will take several weeks to balance out and be safe for all breeds of fish. As time goes by, bacteria begin to grow in the gravel and filter media that remove fish waist from the water, making the water safe for fish to breath. It is important to use fish that are less sensitive to these unfiltered waters to break the tank in. It is also a good idea to select fish that will consume algae from the plants, but will not harm the plants themselves. My favorite break in fish are black mollies, they will consume most algae types and are very hardy. There are many fish that will serve this purpose, but these are by far the most cost effective. In order for these fish to be good house keepers, it is important to feed them very little flake food. There are many types of plants and many types of fish and other aquatic species that do well in a 5 gallon tank.