2.5 Gallon Fish Tank Stocking Ideas!

Hello Everyone,
In this video we discuss fish that may be a decent fit for a 2.5 gallon fish tank. There are a lot of challenges when trying to stock a 2.5 gallon fish tank. We need fish that are both small and not super active. In this video we discuss fish that meet both those criteria.

Thank you Kasia from Creative Pet Keeping for the endler footage! See her fish room below!

Want to see other fish tank stocking ideas? Check out these videos:

Want to learn more about some of the suggestions featured in this video?

Check out these cool fish room tours as well!

For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics

Thanks for watching!

[PrimeTimeAquatics]

Want to see other fish tank stocking ideas? Check out these videos:

Want to learn more about some of the suggestions featured in this video?

Check out these cool fish room tours as well!

[MrFrogOfficial]

Obviously five oscars, seventeen comet goldfish, three male betta, and a blue tang.

[rolicaaquatics]

Kudos for this great video. I think it's safe to say that 2.5G ends up mostly in the hands of beginners. A lot of other channels just say, NO to 2.5G right off the bat and that doesn't help the beginners at all. This video informs them of reasonable options and it's great to see. Well done. We both know that if beginners get to enjoy their 2.5G, they'll soon be getting a 10G or bigger and they will catch the bug like us. :)

[grayorca]

I impulse bought a female betta with a 2.5 gallon BettaBow (sparsely decorated, one hiding spot). A few years later, she's still here, though I recently upgraded her to a 6.5 with a trio of corys and now she occasionally schools with them. This video definitely helped lay out the options for what I can do with her old dwelling, thanks!

[augieroncaglia]

Betta
Endler
Least Killifish
Shrimp
Snails

[amandawitherspoon]

Right now I have 3 2.5 gallon tanks with rescue bettas in them. I didn't originally plan to start getting fish, but they were all near death in tiny cups and I had to try to save them. All are happy and healthy now and will have bigger tanks as soon as I can afford the tanks. Planning on getting each of them a 10 gallon. I didn't know that bettas were so active and social. I really enjoy having them.

[Ourfrenchiegirls]

I have the same size tank and kept my Betta in it for a bit before upgrading him. He was quite content and happy in the 2.5 though😉

[ACockatielsSong]

I kept a betta in a 2.5 g. tank for years and he was the best and first fish I didn't kill. I also kept a mystery snail with him. It was fun just watching the fish swim around and the snail go back and forth. Good ol' days, hey?

[allipatton]

2.5 gallons is so much better than the cups they're living in/sold from. You're improving its life significantly even with just 2.5 gallons. So if you pass up a betta in a cup when you "only have have a 2.5 gallon", it's really a shame. Put the betta in a nice 2.5 gallon and let it have a better life. Any gallon(s) are better than 12 ounces.

[nathanial_summers]

A great alternative to shrimp or snails in a tank that size would be a small group of Thai micro crab (Limnopilos naiyanetri) only grow to around 1-1.5 cm so great with nano fish.

[mellewedin]

I will tell you right now. This is from my own experience. I have 11 bettas. They all are in tanks that no less than 1.5 gallons to 6.5 gallons. It depends on thr betta. My king pkm loves his 2 gallon. I had him in a 5 gal. He chewed his fins. I tried fixing water flow, nothing. I lowered the water, he didnt like that at all. I put him in a 2 gallon hospital tank and he was happier than a pig in a pile of donuts. Not all bettas like big tank. There isnt much you can stick in a 2.5 gallon. Maybe a small group of fry. I normally use smaller tanks to heal my sick and broken fish. I even have a sparkling gourami in a 2 gallon. All my tanks are planted tanks, they all have pothos and other fast growing plants as filters. I heat with room temp. I also use sunlight for their lights. I have happy healthy bettas.

[Fabled]

2.5g tanks are more hassle than enjoyment and for the same price you can buy a 10g that has more options for fish. That being said they're great for hospital/nursery tanks.

[thassadub]

I’ve been keeping freshwater/saltwater/coral tanks for about 5 years now. I’ve had many different size tanks from 5 gallons to 100 gallons but never something this small until now. This video helped a ton, I have a lot on knowledge on fish keeping in general but this is a very tricky subject within the community and it’s hard to find solid info on it. I’m glad to have found someone willing to give their educated opinion, Thank you!

[BertShackleford]

My Fluval Spec 3 is the most successful tank we own.

Everyone usually complains about how hard nano tanks are to maintain. I will capitulate that the initial setup and stabilization process was tedious. But once the tank reaches the optimal balance, then it's just a matter of 70-80% water changes twice a week. Which, by the way, is incredibly easy when you're working with tanks less than five gallons. That's the scheduled water change for all our tanks which happen to be nano tanks (5 gallons or less).
The following tanks are all heavily planted.

Fluval Spec 5:
• 11(?) Celestial Pearl Danio _Danio margaritatus_ (It's difficult to get an accurate count given how quick they tend to be.)
• 4 Dwarf Anchor Catfish _Hara jerdoni_ (They are the coolest fish you never get to see.)
• Pink Ramshorn Snails.

Fluval Spec 3:
• 6 Chili Rasboras _Boraras brigittae_
• 3 Female Celestial Pearl Danio _Danio margaritatus_ (The remainder of the recent brood which will remain in the Spec 3 until the _Apisto Project_ is fully operational. Then all CPD's are being housed with the new _cacatuoides._ The Spec 5 is at its stocking limited IMO.)
• More Pink Ramshorn Snails.

Some other great options for nano tanks would be the *Scarlet Badis* _Dario dario, _ *Celestial Pearl Danio* _Danio margaritatus, _ any of the _Boraras_ family with the *Chili Rasbora* _Boraras brigittae_ being the most vibrant IMO, *Green Neon Microrasbora* _Microdevario kubotai, _ *Ember Tetra* _Hyphessobrycon amandae, _ *Dwarf Anchor Catfish* _Hara jerdoni, _ *Rosy Loach* _Petruichthys sp. "Rosy", _ one or maybe a pair of *Sparkling Gourami* _Trichopsis pumila, _ perhaps a single *Pea Puffer* _Carinotetraodon travancoricus_ and lastly a select few species of killifish could also work in nano tanks.

We when started our foray into the nano tank realm. We initially started out with the Scarlet Badis _Dario dario_ and we have been a huge fan of them ever since. They [Scarlet Badis] are incredibly interactive and intelligent mini cichlid. But alas, we parted ways with them because acquiring a female Scarlet Badis is nearly impossible. So we've moved on to _Apistos._ Hope this helps some of you along the way.

Keep up the great work my friends.

*EDITED for double spacing.

[MrAqua-eimb]

The problem is, once you decorate the tank, it's no longer 2.5 gallons.

[jawjagrrl]

I had a single betta and a nerite snail and he did great. Really wanted shrimp and got for a 5, but that chill betta that loves with chili rasbora went mad! So they moved to the 2.5, and the betta in there got his own 5 with kuhlis. So the 2.5 is now just shrimp and bladder snails and is a lot of fun to watch in the kitchen throughout the day. Squish a few tiny snails on the front glass and it's like a mini shrimp buffet.

[frankdiscussion]

I keep two male Betta's in separate 2.5 gallon tanks and they're doing just fine after a year. Just do regular water changes and keep the tank water clean just like any other size tank.

[Flower-wpyw]

Thank you for making this video. As a beginner I bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium but in the future I want to buy a bigger one. For the moment I want to learn how to handle with environment and how to make my fish happy. From the shop they recommend me the sword tails fish for this type of fish tank. Thanks again for your hard work!🐟🐟🐟

[teaandbrandy]

You could probably keep a single sparkling gourami, scarlet badis, or 1-2 pygmy sunfish in a 2.5. Also the best cleanup crew for any tank, but especially a nano tank is "pest" snails (MTS, ramshorns, bladder snails).

[tristambre]

I have a peaceful betta, a endler guppy, three pygmy corys and a bunch of shrimps in my heavyly planted 2.5 gal. and everyone is doing great and living well together ! ^^