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The only reason I add this one in here is because many of us start with small, small tanks.  I, myself, started with a one-gallon tank I thought a Betta Splendens would be good in.  I know a lot more about tank size and fish now, and wouldn’t recommend putting almost anything in a one gallon tank.  Rest assured, my Betta, Shim Sham, didn’t live in that tank his whole life, either.  He finished out his life in a ten gallon tank all to himself.  That aside, for those who have small tanks, here is some information on what to have in a five gallon tank.  I am advising a tropical fish tank that is heated and has a filtration system.

A) 1 Betta Splendens.  Don’t believe the store owner who claims that a betta will do fine in those tiny Betta Bowls they sell in every pet store.  A Betta needs room to explore, water filtered and changed, and heat.  Betta splendens are, after all, tropical fish.  Many people also boast having multiple Bettas, each in an individual vase.  Aside from what we’ve already discussed, this is also a bad idea as a vase often has a limited surface area at the water’s surface.  Bettas are labyrinth fish, and need to be able to gulp water at the surface.  Bettas should not be housed together – not even female with female.  But don’t worry about that with a 5 gallon tank.  You only have room for one Betta, anyway.

B) 1 Dwarf Puffer.  While you can have this little fish in bigger tanks, they need five gallons per puffer and plenty of places to hide.  That’s why they do good in a five gallon tank – they don’t need to have a whole bunch of friends, they are content in their solitude.  Dwarf Puffers, also known as Bumblebee Puffers and Green Pea Puffers, are a freshwater puffer and should always be kept in a species only tank.  Puffers are aggressive fin nippers and very territorial.  Do not keep them with snails or shrimp you intend as pets, as that is a puffer’s natural food source, and they have a way of putting away a large snail in such a small body.

C)  2 African Dwarf Frogs.  Not exactly a fish, I know, but neither are the next selections. As amphibians, the African Dwarf Frog needs air to breath, so it shouldn’t be kept in a tropical fish tank with a swift current, powerful filter, or one that is too tall to get to the surface for air.  African Dwarf Frogs are a member of the family Pipidae, which live their entire lives underwater.  You’ll have to do more research if you plan on owning this particular pipid, but generally, you can keep a single frog in about 2.5 gallons of water.  Make sure there is nothing in their environment they can get caught on, as there have been horror stories of owners coming home and finding their frog drowned after an decoration in the tank shifted and caught their foot.

D) Finally, invertebrates are not a bad choice for a small tropical fish tank.  Animals like shrimp or snails do well in small tanks.  Snails can carry a large bioload, so the Inca Snail, a larger variety of aquarium snail, should be kept solitary in a five gallon tank.  But Red Cherry Shrimp have a low bioload, and it is said that about 10 can live per gallon of water.  You may think that invertebrates are hardly interesting, but snails can be fascinating to watch, and a rather calming pet to have, while shrimp are usually quite active and entertaining to watch interact with their environment.