Fish Tanks Sizes: 5 Gallon Fish Tank
March 20, 2011 by Cass
Filed under Fish Tank Tips
This is the third post in a series about fish tank sizes.
The five gallon fish tank or aquarium is still pretty small. This is the size most often found on one’s desk or in a child’s room. They come in different shapes and just like the bowl they can be made of glass or acrylic. The good thing about this size tank is that you can normally purchased them in kits with everything you need to get started. Unlike fish bowls they are large enough for more than one plant, a hide away for fish and they come with equipment to control the temperature. When you look at the other varibles they are very simalar to the fish bowl:
Your skill level -Again, this tank doesn’t require a lot of skill because there won’t be any exoctic fish in this tank. Starter kits will walk you through the setting up the filter, mini heater and any other items that come with the kit. Just like the fish bowl you will need some cultured gravel.
Type of fish you would like to keep – Although goldfish can grab some oxgen form the air like Betta’s this size tank is still not suitable for goldfish. Some people jsut don’t realize how big or fast a goldfish can grow. Again I would recommend getting some white clouds. Betta’s would do well in this tank since you can now control the temperature. Some people keep guppies in this size tank. There are also some types of dwarf shirmps, frogs and other species that can live in this size tank, but this blog is about fish so I won’t go into details about them.
Number of fish you want to maintain – The 5 gallon tank is suitable for one Betta fish, a couple of plants, a hide away and a snail. You can now have about five to seven White Cloud fish (which some people mistake for goldfish) a couple of plants and maybe a couple of snails.
Amount of work you are willing to put into maintaining your tank – You still need to perform a 25 to 30 percent water change on a weekly basis. It may vary a little, just keep an eye on the amoina and nitrate levels. Again, if you purchased this tank to teach your child how to take care of a pet, it is a good choice.
Your budget – This is also an inexpensive tank to purchase and maintain. Depending on the style and theme of your kit you can expect to pay anywhere form 40 to 90 USD. Be sure to include the food and bottled water as ongoing expense.
