Hypothetical 5 Gallon fish?

[_cpate3_]

Hypothetically, if I were to get a 5 gallon tank setup (21in long) for my girlfriends birthday who’s never had the space or money to get one… what would a stocking list look like?

She told me “I’d want the cutest fish ever” but I’m not sure what that means exactly

They mostly want inverts and no corals since it’s their first tank. So a cleaner shrimp, and snails and maybe some sexy shrimp or an anemone crab. I just am curisous as to what fish (if any) would be fine in a 5 gallon thank

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You should plan on sticking to the small goby species such as trimma, eviota, yasha, clown (goby, NOT a clownfish), etc.

 

[littlefoxx]

You should plan on sticking to the small goby species such as trimma, eviota, yasha, clown (goby, NOT a clownfish), etc.

Agreed, clown gobies are ADORABLE

 

[_cpate3_]

You should plan on sticking to the small goby species such as trimma, eviota, yasha, clown (goby, NOT a clownfish), etc.

How about a tailspot blenny? Max of 2” and plenty of character

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

How about a tailspot blenny? Max of 2” and plenty of character

As long as that's the only fish, sure.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Barnacle blennies are cute too

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Hypothetically, if I were to get a 5 gallon tank setup (21in long) for my girlfriends birthday who’s never had the space or money to get one… what would a stocking list look like?

She told me “I’d want the cutest fish ever” but I’m not sure what that means exactly

They mostly want inverts and no corals since it’s their first tank. So a cleaner shrimp, and snails and maybe some sexy shrimp or an anemone crab. I just am curisous as to what fish (if any) would be fine in a 5 gallon thank

I've had a Greissenger Goby in a tank half that size for several months and he seems to be just fine. Since he eats copepods I just dose a little phyto at night to feed the pod population so I don't actually feed the fish anything. No crabs though because they might eat him. He certainly qualifies as one of the coolest fish out there imo regardless of size!

 

[KrisReef]

Pods, & pipefish! Or their cousin the C-hoarse!

 

[duckman]

biota small mandarin dragonet. Eats pellets and since they come so small from biota is perfect for a small tank. But comes with the caveat of feeding him a couple times a day until your pod population grows to sufficient amount

 

[_cpate3_]

biota small mandarin dragonet. Eats pellets and since they come so small from biota is perfect for a small tank. But comes with the caveat of feeding him a couple times a day until your pod population grows to sufficient amount

I’ve heard pods can’t grow to sufficient amounts in such small tanks and I wouldn’t want that fish to starve they’re too beautiful

 

[_cpate3_]

biota small mandarin dragonet. Eats pellets and since they come so small from biota is perfect for a small tank. But comes with the caveat of feeding him a couple times a day until your pod population grows to sufficient amount

Also wouldn’t worrying about pods be hard for a first timer? Mandarins are one of my favorite fish I would hate to give it to her and then it starve because of a lack of pods

 

[Propane]

Green banded goby.

 

[littlefoxx]

Also wouldn’t worrying about pods be hard for a first timer? Mandarins are one of my favorite fish I would hate to give it to her and then it starve because of a lack of pods

Agree with that, my guy picks at pods all the time and even then I dose just to make sure he has them!

 

[duckman]

Also wouldn’t worrying about pods be hard for a first timer? Mandarins are one of my favorite fish I would hate to give it to her and then it starve because of a lack of pods

That’s beauty of biota mandarin because they do eat pellets and wont have to rely on poss. If she has access to reef nutrition pacpods, she could also feed it a squirt of the pac pods 2-3 times day.

I can tell u its possible for 5 gal aquarium because i own a 5 gal eshopps deskmate with a biota mandarin feeding pac pods.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I feel for every success story involving a mandarin in a tiny tank there are likely 100x as many less spoken stories during which the fish didn't last very long.

 

[NotReefsafe]

I've had a Greissenger Goby in a tank half that size for several months and he seems to be just fine. Since he eats copepods I just dose a little phyto at night to feed the pod population so I don't actually feed the fish anything. No crabs though because they might eat him. He certainly qualifies as one of the coolest fish out there imo regardless of size!

Can you go more in depth about the care of your greissenger?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Can you go more in depth about the care of your greissenger?

He honestly doesn't require much...he eats copepods which I introduced naturally with a few pieces of live ocean rock and I maintain the population by dosing phyto every night. They don't eat near as many pods or grow as big as mandarins.

 

[NotReefsafe]

He honestly doesn't require much...he eats copepods which I introduced naturally with a few pieces of live ocean rock and I maintain the population by dosing phyto every night. They don't eat near as many pods or grow as big as mandarins.

What else is in the tank?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

What else is in the tank?

He's the only fish because it's only a 2.5 gallon. I like adding mini Scolys and other small LPS once in a while as well as bumblebee snails for color and just little things like that.