I am considering getting a 5 gallon tank to stock with natives. I don't know for sure what I would stock it with, but I was thinking possibly a pirate perch. Would a single pirate perch work in a 5 gallon if I provided plenty of plants/cover for it? If a pirate perch would not work, what natives would do well in this tank?
Thanks in advance.
5 gallon stocking
Started by
Guest_Pumpkinseed_*
, Jul 05 2012 01:53 PM
7 replies to this topic
#2
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 02:46 PM
A single pirate perch could live in a five gallon set up... but I am not sure how much fun you would have with that tank... I woundn't recommend it. Pirate perch are very still and secretive... it would be a lot like having a tank full of plants.
Pygmy sunnies would be better... or pygmy killies... or some people like bluefin killies (I dont, long story)... or heterandria (again, I dont like em, but plenty of people do).
Or even better, if you want to go for one fish... one American Flagfish (Jordanella) in a five gallon planted tank would be very nice.
My wife kept a few Fundulus cingulatus in a 6 gallon eclipse tank for a little while, until the one male got all dominant... then she kept one very happy, feisty, large, F. cingulatus for a few years after that.
Pygmy sunnies would be better... or pygmy killies... or some people like bluefin killies (I dont, long story)... or heterandria (again, I dont like em, but plenty of people do).
Or even better, if you want to go for one fish... one American Flagfish (Jordanella) in a five gallon planted tank would be very nice.
My wife kept a few Fundulus cingulatus in a 6 gallon eclipse tank for a little while, until the one male got all dominant... then she kept one very happy, feisty, large, F. cingulatus for a few years after that.
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#3
Guest_Orangespotted_*
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 03:38 PM
I think it would be prudent to mention that the pygmy sunfishes, while gemlike in color and very petite, require live foods at first and never eat anything more prepared than frozen foods - this might be a factor in your decision (also wanted to add a bit about pygmies since I know a certain someone who will definitely post here about them soon 
). If you don't mind about something like that though, they are a perfectly sized option, and on top of those I would like to add that some of the various darters are lovely looking and would happily reside in your tank given that there is a bit of flow. Make sure to peruse around the forum and look at pictures and species accounts in order to get some good ideas for what you want to try out.
Feel free to ignore the following if you are an experienced fish keeper: is it at all possible for you to get a larger tank? While it is possible to find fishes that would fit comfortably in there, your selection is limited and small tanks are more difficult to keep healthy and running than larger tanks.
Best of luck!
). If you don't mind about something like that though, they are a perfectly sized option, and on top of those I would like to add that some of the various darters are lovely looking and would happily reside in your tank given that there is a bit of flow. Make sure to peruse around the forum and look at pictures and species accounts in order to get some good ideas for what you want to try out.Feel free to ignore the following if you are an experienced fish keeper: is it at all possible for you to get a larger tank? While it is possible to find fishes that would fit comfortably in there, your selection is limited and small tanks are more difficult to keep healthy and running than larger tanks.
Best of luck!
#4
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 04:16 PM
Thanks for the replies!
I have heard that pirate perch like to hide a lot, but I for some reason I am interested in them. I am still considering a pirate perch, but I would like a Flagfish if I decide against the pirate perch.
I have heard that pirate perch like to hide a lot, but I for some reason I am interested in them. I am still considering a pirate perch, but I would like a Flagfish if I decide against the pirate perch.
#5
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 05:10 PM
The pirate perch's maximum length of about five inches long makes it, in my opinion, too large for a five gallon tank.
I don't really understand the draw of a five gallon aquarium. For me, a lot of the joy of keeping fish is watching them go about their normal business without really changing their behavior much by being in an aquarium. My Elassoma gilberti (gulf coast pygmy sunfish) live in a 55 gallon planted aquarium. I feed them live microworms and grindal worms that I culture. They are born in the tank, grow up stalking live food, mature, begin to claim their own territory if they are male, woo females, spawn, continue doing so, and live to old age. The only difference between them in my tank and them in the wild is that the food never runs out and big fish don't eat them. They fall in love, have kids, and grow old together (okay, maybe I'm personifying them a little bit) all without really missing out on anything from the wild.
My fish:
I do understand how you are attached to your species, the pirate perch. I have favorite species too, so I get that. If you really want to see pirate perch as they behave in the wild, then the best idea is to design the aquarium around the fish. The tank size and everything about it depends on the fish you want to house there. A five gallon tank would not let you see all of the behaviors the fish displays in the wild. What is the habitat of the pirate perch in the wild? Planted? Fast flowing? Caves? Open swimming area? Rocky bottom? Clay/soil bottom? How do pirate perch attract mates and spawn? If you really do want pirate perch, then design a home for them that would suit them well.
If it's the five gallon aquarium that you like (not the pirate perch) then there certainly are a number of species that would live out one life cycle happily in it. I compiled a list of some 30+ one inch fish here: http://www.ratemyfis.../topic4764.html which includes our native Elassoma species, Heterandria formosa, Leptolucania ommata, Etheostoma tippecanoe (rare, should be left in the wild), Etheostoma microperca (also rare, leave in the wild). Tiny fish tend to have short lifespans. If they're not breeding, then after a year or two there aren't any fish. So it's really more about the sustainability of the colony than individual fish. I'm not sure if 5 gallons is large enough for the colony of fish living in it to be genetically diverse enough to be sustainable. But it might work for a short time. I don't know, I haven't tried it.
I don't really understand the draw of a five gallon aquarium. For me, a lot of the joy of keeping fish is watching them go about their normal business without really changing their behavior much by being in an aquarium. My Elassoma gilberti (gulf coast pygmy sunfish) live in a 55 gallon planted aquarium. I feed them live microworms and grindal worms that I culture. They are born in the tank, grow up stalking live food, mature, begin to claim their own territory if they are male, woo females, spawn, continue doing so, and live to old age. The only difference between them in my tank and them in the wild is that the food never runs out and big fish don't eat them. They fall in love, have kids, and grow old together (okay, maybe I'm personifying them a little bit) all without really missing out on anything from the wild.
My fish:
I do understand how you are attached to your species, the pirate perch. I have favorite species too, so I get that. If you really want to see pirate perch as they behave in the wild, then the best idea is to design the aquarium around the fish. The tank size and everything about it depends on the fish you want to house there. A five gallon tank would not let you see all of the behaviors the fish displays in the wild. What is the habitat of the pirate perch in the wild? Planted? Fast flowing? Caves? Open swimming area? Rocky bottom? Clay/soil bottom? How do pirate perch attract mates and spawn? If you really do want pirate perch, then design a home for them that would suit them well.
If it's the five gallon aquarium that you like (not the pirate perch) then there certainly are a number of species that would live out one life cycle happily in it. I compiled a list of some 30+ one inch fish here: http://www.ratemyfis.../topic4764.html which includes our native Elassoma species, Heterandria formosa, Leptolucania ommata, Etheostoma tippecanoe (rare, should be left in the wild), Etheostoma microperca (also rare, leave in the wild). Tiny fish tend to have short lifespans. If they're not breeding, then after a year or two there aren't any fish. So it's really more about the sustainability of the colony than individual fish. I'm not sure if 5 gallons is large enough for the colony of fish living in it to be genetically diverse enough to be sustainable. But it might work for a short time. I don't know, I haven't tried it.
Edited by EricaWieser, 05 July 2012 - 05:26 PM.
#6
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 07:09 PM
Would the 5 inch max size make it unsuitable for a 5 gallon aquarium even though it mainly hides under vegetation? If pirate perch grow too big, I will look into a Florida Flagfish.
#7
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 07:12 PM
Yes. And American-Flag fish (jordanella floridae) have a violent spawning ritual that is not conducive to a 5 gallon tank.Would the 5 inch max size make it unsuitable for a 5 gallon aquarium even though it mainly hides under vegetation? If pirate perch grow too big, I will look into a Florida Flagfish.
Look at how much space they use in the wild:
#8
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Posted 06 July 2012 - 08:56 AM
After thinking about it I think that I will just go ahead and get a 36 gallon tank, which I was planning to get after the five gallon tank. That way I could have more stocking options, and the fish would be happier.
Thanks again for all of the replies.
Thanks again for all of the replies.
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