The Planted Tank Forum banner

Nanofish List (v1.0)

259K views 170 replies 98 participants last post by  TankDave 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Howdy!

In the course of researching this amazing hobby, newbies (like me) often ask the same questions over and over; among them, the question of "so what kind of fish can I put in my planted nano?" seems to come up quite a bit.

To that end I'd like to start an easily-referenced thread with lists of ideal species for nanos. Wherever possible, please provide both the common name and the scientific name. :icon_bigg

EDIT (8/31/10):

Click Here for Fishydaze's cleaned up, expanded, and most updated version of the list.
 
#113 ·
IMO regular Cories don't belong in anything smaller than a 20L tank- they need to be kept in schools and need their swimming room.

fishydaze- I wouldn't consider Pristella tetras suitable for a nano tank. I have a school of 15x in my 90gal and they get pretty large and bulky for tetras- the females are larger than my Rams. They're about the size of large adult Tiger barbs (and I mean full grown ones, not the size you'd find in a pet store). They also need plenty of room to school and swim, I wouldn't keep them in less than a 30gal.
 
#114 ·
I just came across this old thread in a Google search for something else and I didn't read the entire thread but from the 2nd post, with the list, I did not see Celestial Pearl Danio, formerly Galaxy Rasbora, which could be a newer species than this thread.

I would also like to point out a LONG list of fish suitable for 10G tanks, including stocking recommendations, which I have on my blog. I have updated it in the past year or so to add some other links to good info on this topic, but it may need some changes as well. Although I've been a long time member, I haven't really posted much so it says I can't add a link so just Google "GoldLenny Hailey's 10 Gallon Tank Stocking" (without quotes) and the link to my blog page should show up first.
 
#115 ·
Just came back after a long hiatus (became a new dad), and...

Wow!

Thank you very much Fishydaze for the great work on the Excel list. It's nice to see this project take on a life of its own without much prodding. Of course, I'm sure it'll wind up being a work-in-progress for some time to come, but if it helps us make better choices when stocking our tanks then it's absolutely worth it.

Cheers, all.
 
#116 ·
Alphacat!
Welcome back and Congratulations on being a new dad; The information on this thread has indeed been great for my nano tanks...and I very much enjoyed tagging along on your start-up work.

Lauraleellbp
I updated the information in the excel file regarding Pristella tetras. Thanks for giving your thoughts on the regular large size cories. I agree.

Goldlenny
Thanks for the info regarding your 'fish for 10 gallons' list at http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/03/haileys-10-gallon-tank-stocking-list.html
 
#117 · (Edited)
fish file list updated: message 98 this thread
 
#118 ·
Can we get the list of species back up here? The Excel thing isn't working on my computer.

I'm just looking for the species names, but if it were to be organized, I think the best way (on here, not on Excel) would be to catagorize the fish by type (livebearer, microrasbora, killifish, etc.) and put the species names in alphabetical order. Then list any specific problems for each fish. Example:
Livebearers:
Poecilia reticulata (Guppy)- Very prolific, will overrun tank without fry control, may be too large for very small tanks (<2.5g)
Poecilia wingei (Endler's Livebearer)- Very prolific, will overrun tank without fry control

And so on.
 
#119 · (Edited)
I loaded up the excel 97-2003 version, on message 98 of this thread.

I think once you open the file you will see that it is organize much as you suggest.

Each fish gets one row, names common and latin, length temp and dh stats, success in what size groups and tanks, and comments re nano issues gleaned from various sources.
 
#124 ·
Hey Jane
Sorry bout the links...Unfortunately, I can't get in to fix the links in others' emails. The one in message 121 works, but I know the one that got put in message 1 doesn't work.

You can just go directly to message #98 in this thread and the list files are attached there.
 
#127 ·
To add some data to the list: I've got three male black bar Endler's in my 2.5 gallon. They've been in there for a few months and are doing excellently. Full colors, no health problems, no aggression, very active. I started out with four Endler's, but one of them did what Endler's do best and committed suicide within the first two weeks. :( Fixed that problem by rigging up a tank cover, and I have had no issues whatsoever with the remaining three, which are all healthy.

The tank is low light (10 W), filtered with a Red Sea Nano, and fairly heavily planted. The Endler's tend to lurk in the thicker crypt/java fern growth and rush out to beg whenever someone walks by the tank. They do not appear to be eating the Red Cherry Shrimp babies, or if they are, they aren't doing a very thorough job of it.

Based on my experience, I say: Endler's can do okay in a stable planted tank as small as 2.5 gallons. Go for same sex only, lest you want hundreds of fry. Limit is probably 3-4 individuals for a tank that small. Males do particularly well and are strikingly colored.

Jenna - for a 3 gallon and below tank, I would check out bettas (splendens plus a few of the other species including simplex), Endler's or guppies, and shrimp. I have had success with all of those species in tanks ranging from 1.75-2.5 gallons.
 
#129 ·
Hello TsuRyuu- Thanks for the info, and for giving such good specifics on what tanks work for Endlers. I will slip it into the table this weekend.

Hello Jenna- Sorry you are having trouble with the table.

Unfortunately, when most people in the thread or online reported on fish that did well in 10 g or less, they weren't specific about the tank size that was successful for them. When they were, I noted the successes in three tank size categories in the table: 2.5g-5g, 5g-8g, 8g-10g. The few that were specifically noted as successful in the smallest range: pygmy killifish, betta, dwarf mosquitofish, and peacock gudgeon. Most of these aren't really 'common', though :)

But a number of the fish listed in the table, ones that are not identified as schoaling, would prob. do well in your tank. It is a list of small fish. Frequent water changes and having a filter (TsuRyuu notes a Red Sea Nano filter on the 2.5 g described) reduces risk. Please read the last column in the table for behavioral or technical details that would be important (like, "males only" or "eats plants"), and explore online further about any species.

I agree with Tsuryuu's recc: A few male Endler's Livebearers would be happy in a small tank. Alternatively, a Betta is really beautiful in a planted tank, and can be pretty interactive (always comes and stares out at me when I sit to look at him). And, its sorta nice to know that 3.0 gallons will always seem spacious to a Betta (given they are usually sold in one cup of water). Commonly available and sturdy options.

But: celestial rasboras..emerald dwarf rasboras...pygmy gouramis...dwarf molly...otocinclus are possibilities.
 
#130 ·
Thank you Fishydaze! The trouble I was having was actually opening it. Hopefully I'll soon have that bug fixed and it will work for me. Its frustrating because the computer is less than a year old. (sigh)

I appreciate all the info! I thought I was set on the 3-4 Endler's males. But every time I think of those Bettas in those tiny bowls and I bleed for them. I volunteer in animal rescue so getting a Betta out of one of those bowls seems like rescue work to me. :D Besides, they are easily available, and simply GORGEOUS fish!
 
#133 ·
Adonis Tetra

I discovered some Adonis Tetra (Lepidarchus adonis) in one of the show/display tanks of my LFS and promptly threw out my other ideas for stocking my new 5 gallon hex.

The full grown fish is tiny, tiny (as in about 2 cm) and it's coloration is transparent with a little oval silver stomach. The google images simply don't do them justice. The ones I saw were quite transparent, except that some of them had a few small surface black markings on them.

I watched their behavior in the (rather large) show tank, and they kind of darted around, but rarely more than a few inches in one direction, then another direction, and so on, so I don't think they would particularly need the swimming space of a big aquarium.

I plan to put a small school of these in my 5 gallon hex when they get them in again at the LFS (with just shrimp for tank mates).

Can you believe that someone actually came in the evening before I was going to buy them and cleaned out their remaining stock? And it's not like they're popular, well known fish, either. I can only imagine the look on my face when they were all gone after I looked to make sure they had them the day before. :(
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top