Many aquariums claim they are the best 5-gallon fish tanks. But, it’s hard to sort them out when there is such a big choice available.
If you go to this site there is help for you. They have dived into the world of 5-gallon fish tanks and done all of the research. It means you can more easily identify the tank for you and your fish.
What they have done is narrow down the field to a list of Top Picks, which identifies what they claim is the best six they could find.
Five-gallon aquariums are the smallest tanks recommended for keeping fish. But, because of their size, they need to be given much more care and attention in terms of maintenance than many larger tanks. This is due to the fact they contain smaller amounts of water. With less water, ammonia and other toxins can easily build up quickly. This can be very toxic for fish.
So, when you choose to keep your fish in a small tank, be aware that you should be carrying out more frequent, weekly water changes and monitoring the water parameters extra carefully.
Most tanks measure 16” x 8” x 10” in size. With the size of a 5-gallon tank, expect to only be able to kee limited numbers of fish. Indeed, one of the common options people choose is to only keep snails or shrimps.
There are some fish species that people recommend as suitable for 5-gallon tanks, but they would do better in larger tanks. What you don’t want is fish that are too active or grow too large. Nor is it sensible to choose fish that can’t handle unstable water quality. When stocking a 5-gallon tank, make sure you avoid this type of problem fish.
Don’t be fooled by fish size either. Even really tiny fish like the dwarf Rasbora need more space than can be found in a 5-gallon tank if they are to thrive.
Goldfish require 20 gallons of water because they are highly social. Common goldfish get big and can measure as much as 14”! These beauties need at least between 40 and 100 gallons per fish. Common goldfish will never do well in a 5-gallon setup.
It’s not wise to select active schooling fish either. These include the white cloud mountain minnows, celestial pearl danios, and zebra danios. If they are schooling fish they want to be surrounded by many companions. It is what reduces their stress levels. In a 5-gallon tank, there would just be not enough room. Plus, this style of fish would lack the area that they need so they can swim properly.
If you think dwarf pufferfish would be suitable, think again. They are very sensitive to fluctuations in water quality and they easily suffer boredom. To give them a good life they do best in a 10+ gallon tank and prefer multiple hides and lots of decorations to explore. If you want to get two puffers so they keep each other company you need to be looking at a 15+ gallon tank.
As you can see, a large number of popular fish that people often recommended for 5-gallon tanks are not a good idea.
