2.5 Gallon Fish Tank Stocking Ideas! 

Want to see other fish tank stocking ideas? Check out these videos: 10 Gallon Stocking Ideas: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zYlDbL-bSAU.html 20 Gallon Stocking Ideas: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H6jbUbwTUHc.html 55 Gallon Stocking Ideas: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7H8VFi6osKo.html Want to learn more about some of the suggestions featured in this video? Neocaridina Shrimp Care: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UI-eMm-1QvI.html Mystery Snail Care: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gWWx2JU_JEo.html Check out these cool fish room tours as well! Creative Pet Keeping: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gfeRvfxuWi0.html LRB Aquatics: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2PLGjz0XQR0.html

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

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. :)

Betta Endler Least Killifish Shrimp Snails

Anyone​ else getting the thanos vibe?

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.

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!

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!

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

The larger, the betta 😎 ... *exit the chat*

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.

Confession..... 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😉

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!🐟🐟🐟

I love Endlers, they are so adorable 💕

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

I sadly have always had bad luck with keeping fish alive and it makes me feel horrible! This video helped a ton thanks!

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.

Great video I really enjoy your content and you explain everything very well thank you I agree with about the Otos I have five currently that was all my LFS had (I plan on getting more) they are very active social little fish and really enjoy swimming in a group mine swim in the current and bubbles of the sponge filters very glade you mentioned them keep up the awesome work I have kept a single paradise fish in a 3 gallon as he was EXTREMELY aggressive he was much happier alone after being removed from two other larger tanks

These ideas are great I’m so going to use some in my vids

Good video👍 I really liked how you chose the stocking options😁 Personally i like the betta and endlers in a 5 gallon tank But 2.5 is also good

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.

Thank you for covering this!!!!!

I have a 3.5 gallon half moon and Bettas are my favourite fish. These look great a specially with live plants. 🤗

The blue shrimp is so pretty

Getting a 3 gallon tank with a single betta for my almost 3 year old for Christmas. She’s obsessed with my tank setup so it’s time to get her own. I’ll teach her to take care of it and she’ll be the coolest kid in school😌

Very nicely done, thank you...

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?

Love your videos! 👍

This is such a great video. I need one for a 3.5 gallon tank please oh please! I got a Back to the Roots 3.5 tank to grow micro greens and appease my son’s begging for fish. I hadn’t realized before binging on YT that 3.5 gallon was so tiny!

Wow! Thank u for this vid. I dont have many tanks and prefer nano tanks for now. My largest is 45 gal. I have kept fish, shrimp and snails successfully in 2.5 gal. I am current using one as a grow-out for my Sparkling gourami fry with some crystal red shrimp and amano. I have never had a problem with keeping it balanced and clean. I’m also that person tho that when I get home late from my second shift every night I like to pick at and spot clean all my tanks. 🤔The tanks are all lushly planted too. 💕🌱🐌🐠💕

Wow surprised you made this vid thanks👍

Maybe a dwarf African clawed frog..they like to chill and eat and need to be able to get to the top to breath..and stay farely small

Finally nice to see someone who is not over ridiculous and says a betta needs a 5 / 10 gallon tank minimum I have mine in a 3 gallon and he’s doing perfectly fine 👍 even a regular 2 gallon would probably be ok at least but I also don’t like seeing them in a small bowl or a 1 Gallon tank and I think a betta is a perfect choice for a 2.5 gallon with nothing else in it except 1 or 2 snails maybe (im no fish expert)

I have a 2.5 gallon tank, bought it just for plants without any fish in it but i never set it up😂😂. I have two 10 gallon tanks running along with a 25 gallon as well

I'm staring at your beard the entire time! The colors...

I also would put wild guppies on that list, just like endler's and least killi they stay small and do great on grazing on detritus, and even hair algae

Super cool video bro

Next video idea - how you keep that badass beard trimmed so neat! 👌

I have two 2.5 gal tanks with a male betta in each. The only issue I've had so far was with female bettas. My first female betta was a glo betta & she was doing great until we lost power for a couple of days. She stopped eating & died a day or two after the power came back, while my male veiltail did fine. I then got what I'm thinking was a failed sorority sister (the pet store tried to start one & she ended up back in a cup). I brought her home & she was doing awesome & then one morning I woke up to find her doing a t-pose & that was it. T.T I now have another male veiltail in that tank & he's doing great too. He's a lot more peaceful than my red male, who's always flaring at his reflection, the silly thing.My newer one, who's blue, loves to explore his tank. I have heaters in both tanks & I use a sponge filter. And for extra "filtration" (for want of a better word), I have moss balls in each tank. I still have the tiny .25 gal bowl I got my first betta in as a pet when I was a little, that I keep pieces of moss ball in it as well as a .5 gal bowl that has more moss ball pieces & a couple of tiny invasive snails in it. I still can't believe they sold us such a TINY tank for a betta & that was some 25 years ago. What's even worse is they still sell those tiny things for bettas & they're barely bigger than the cup the poor fish came in. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to make a video about nano tanks & what you can keep in them! :D

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.

Interesting have a 15 inch cube tank with a betta and 6 ember tetras never had any problems fingers crossed.

Endlers are fantastic! ❤

I ❤️ your fish room ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

I need to move to a Lodge at 46 because of my heart condition and diabetes. I have been fish keeping for 24 years and can’t imagine my life without wet pets, but any tanks have to be under 5 gallons. This is a helpful video. I currently have a 3.5 gallon planted half moon tank with Orange Sakura shrimp. I have a 20 gallon nano fish community and an African dwarf frog in the tank. I’m looking to get another 3.5 gallon aquarium with a 3 male guppies with a African dwarf frog. Or a female betta and a nerite snai. I’ve found that a female betta has nice color and are more peaceful

Thank you as I will probably will be returning my comet and get a few guppies as my comet will soon outgrow my 2.5 gallon tank.

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).

I was wondering if I could use my extra 2.5 gallon tank.. its so small so I wasn't sure if fish were going to be happy in there.. I'm keeping my eye out for a 30 to 40 gallon tank, something around that range. I already have a 5 gallon beta tank with some aquatic plants and it just makes me want more lol.. Thanks for sharing! Its always such a pleasure seeing you🐟🌿 Love learning from your channel

Being in hot tropics, with temps of 25-35 C ranges, a friend staying in a small flat bought a 3 gallon tank for her kids - this list would be great for her tank... No need for a heater, she's also left it mostly bare- only 3 white pebbles with a normal filter on top lid... A small plastic plant kept behind the tank- it's all quite cute... Kept in middle of hall with only partial indirect sunlight or room lights so no algal bloom.

Thank you this was very helpful! I would like to take over the material my father in law has, he stopped his hobby a while ago... I’m not sure about the size of his tank for now! I can’t get it right away, I’m preparing first but it’s a bit difficult without seeing what I will be working with... so I’m preparing for any eventuality 😅

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.

Betta in 2. 5g is no problem! I have 5x 2.5g for bettas and I never saw any problems! Also co2 costs are really low

So I have a a 2.5 gal planted tank. I’ve had it for 3 years now. It comfortably holds 3 small fish, and a mix of a few shrimp and snails with no water problems. Currently there are 3 tiny flame tetras in there and they are awesome. I also had a 10 gallon during this time and it was so hard to care for, it was so heavy. Some people are just not going to be able to care for a larger tank. And I’m really done with people at pet shops fighting me over this. :(

I have an old 2.5 from a kid I found and I just use it for a quarantine tank for whatever fish I need to use it for.

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 ! ^^

I have a betta in a 2.5 gallon with a bonsai tree. It’s been living for a year now.

This is such a cool video - remember those "Aquababies" that they used to sell? A 2.5 gallon tank is certainly better than those!

Good ideas Jason for someone looking at that size tank. Personally I prefer 10g and above cause of possible water parameter changes in a tank this small. Are you going to GWAS meeting tomorrow?

I loved this video! Very very informative! How about stocking options for 5 gallon tanks? I loved how you considered the swimming behavior of the fish as well as the size. Everyone says that I could keep neons in a 5 gallon, but based on their swimming behavior, I don't think it would be a good choice. I'd love to know your thoughts!

I keep a single male pea puffer and a few rams horns in my 2.5. Puffer keeps the snail population to a in check. More frequent water changes help a ton with not overloading a small tank and filter. Not necessarily “to small for fish” just require more diligent maintenance and observation :)

I just don't think 2.5 gallons should be a full time home for any fish, but these are some great suggestions if someone is going to insist on using them

I have a 10gal with a betta and two mystery snails. At first, my boy did nip at the snails a little bit, but now they've offered a source of entertainment. I have had many instances where I have watched my betta follow my snails around the tank, trying to swim as slowly as they slide, and slowing himself down when he realized he was outpacing the snail. He watched his snail buddy get an air bubble trapped in his shell from climbing up the bubble tube, resulting in him floating on the top of the tank, and now the betta stops the snail from going up the tube. It's been amazingly entertaining and the most fun I have had watching my tank.

Fantastic video on a nano tank! thanks

I was given a 2.5g tank from my cousin who had quite a sad setup that her fish jumped out of. I set it up with a better filter and a heater and plants and put a betta in it recently. He seems happy enough but I’d like to upgrade him to a bigger tank eventually.

I had 2 platys as a kid and one day they breed and I had little orange babies. That was my childhood stand out fish.

I just purchased the fluval 2.6 gal tank and was hoping to use it to move a 4-5 swordtail fry to grow out before putting back into the larger tank. Is this ok or will it stunt their growth? Love your channel ty!

I had betta fish that were gifted to me by someone who had kept two females in a 1 gallon tank with a divider. No decorations or plants or anything, just some substrate. Very sad. The owners got bored of them, so I took them off their hands. I quickly moved them to individual one gallon tanks until they got used to the idea of having decorations and silk plants. Then upgraded them to 2.5 gallons. Eventually, 10 gallon tanks. But the 2.5 gallon was a useful intermediate step for adjusting the betta to more and more space and having more and more plants and decor about them.

4:55 what is that tall green stem plant in the background? It's really nice and also the one at 8:19

I have had the same beta in a 2.5 and I’ve had home for 2 years and counting

Helpful

I keep 2 mystery snails named Pedro and Maria in a 2.5 tank. I just threw in a hiding spot, sand, some fake plants and they love it

I moved my Betta to a 4 gallon and she's always been a small Betta, but I felt like she needed more stimulation and I plan getting her snails.

Just watched this video. 👍 I was thinking about ember tetras. Maybe 5? They are so tiny... Black background, black sand /fine gravel and green live plants... Perhaps? 🤔🤗

I have 3 ember tetras with ramshorn snails in a 2.5 gallon. Seems to be working fine.

Good video

First of all I have 2 and 1/2 to 4 gallons. Got to say awesome tank

Once you get a well balanced tank, and figure out neo shrimp, its so easy to take care of them the problem becomes them breeding too much. Even without food or water changes or anything added other than light and heat, I have a 2 gallon cube thats going wild with shrimp breeding even after a year.

I'm late to this but i think a 2.5 is ok for a betta BUT if you do get a 2.5 then don't over-decorate and skape the tank. leave it simple but sweet, couple of plants and a hide. I'm thinking of getting a 2.6gallon for a betta if i can find a portrait 5 gallon i would get it in a heartbeat but they don't sell portrait tanks anymore. Mine is going to have a couple of moss balls a plant or 2 and that's about it. if you put too much its no longer a 2.5 its less

Jason, you are brave posting about a 2.5 gallon tank....i find it annoying that "the internet" just says its plain wrong, when my fish think it isnt.....have 3 happy 1-2 inch fish in my tank.... they swim about top to bottom, play with each other....just look like really happy fish. Yes its higher maintenance as u have to do regular water changes....but the tank is small, so its a few pints out and a few in once a week and a quick sponge clean (yes a full clean every few months).....theres a definite witch hunt vibe from some people on the internet when it comes to smaller tanks in my opinion.

How do you go about cleaning the 2.5 gallon? I have 2 that have sand and gravel with live plants and 1 betta. I do small water changes but it’s difficult to get to the substrate. Any suggestions?

Hey man i want to ask you a question. So i have a 2.5 and i want to know the most diverse community i could put in there. So can i put like 3 endlers and 4 least killifish and a shrimp or 2? Or is each example a stock. And does the clean up crew work well with the fishes amount you provided?

Thanks want to start a 20 gallon community tank and need smaller fish to do it

I have a 5.5 gallon box as a guppy nursery. I put the fry in there until they are big enough to take out. Right now I have 22 little fry, each one is like a millimeter long

nice work... please do a video about killifish

What's your recommendation for number of nerite snails in a 2.5 gallon tank? Is it also just one, like the mystery snail?

I have a 3 gallon aquaponics tank with a betta and the plants filter the water insanely well. Was doing water tests daily and the plant and bacteria systems were just sucking out all the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Never got a test that showed more than trace amounts. I want to move my betta to a bigger tank but I’m wondering if you think I could stock the 3 gal with half a dozen zebra danios given the reduced bioload from the plant root filtration? Or will the zebras become too aggressive in that small of a space?

What about the chilliy Rasbora? They are super tiny! Is that a good choice? I've seen them & I feel that it may work great but I would really like to know if they can go in a 2.5 gallon aquarium.

I have a juvenile koi betta in my 2.6 gal panted tank , had him since he was a tiny fry he is doing amazing I know it is not the best tank he is pretty small, due to him being only 3 months

Thank you! Because other channels will say that you need at least 5 gallons for any fish. But beginners usually start with 2.5 or 3 gallons. And when their told that, they just quit, or get a goldfish, because nobody else with help them! But you just saved a lot of people, because they get a Betta, and then a year later, they will realize they should get a 5, then they get a 5!

Hello Jason ! I have a question about PH. My tank is cycled and parameters are perfect. But yes my tank is over stocked! My problem is the PH is always decreasing and trending to low. Do you have any suggestion how to keep it around 7.0 ?

Hi I saw you at the last fish swap meet are you going to go to aqushela Chicago

Excellent video. I wish this was around when I began in the hobby a few years ago--so much incorrect information available on the kinds of fish that would be good for this sized tank. I have two of these kinds of tanks at home and my biggest success has been with pseudoluminatis and snowball (dwarf) shrimp. I like how this video addresses that some very small fish really need a bigger tank to match their swimming ability and energy, too.

Have my Fiances Male Betta in a 2.5 gallon for now, as long as i keep up with his water changes, hes a happy boy, swims up when you have a finger and loves feeding time, will eventually upgrade him, but hes just a small lad at the moment

Do you have heaters in your 2.5 gallon Bette tanks? I have a 2.5 that stays at 72 degrees. Is that too cold for a betta?

Do you think a small group of hara jerdoni (dwarf anchor catfish) would work, they're very inactive and max out at like less than an inch. I'm not going to try this it is just a thought!

As far as I know 2.5g was specifically made for 1 single betta it's a decent size for them instead of a cup or bowl and it's for beginner since it's affordable and easy to clean. Now my 2.5g is just a hospital tank and a spare tank (temporary) for un planned fish that save from someone and from a local fish store.

Came across a 2.5 gallon tank that has been set up and planted as of today. My plan was to put in a snail (turns out one hitchhiked on one of the plants), a couple cherry shrimp and a couple endlers... I saw somewhere else that endlers are very active swimmers and 2.5 might be too small, was wondering if anyone had any advice on this?

What size filter should I use for starting my new 2 and a half gallon tank, and where can I buy one?

I know they’re a tad bigger, but I’d like to do a micro native tank. You think ghost shrimp would be too big, and do you think they’d prey on least killies?

Another great video mate personally I wouldn't keep such a small tank but my old lfs like 10 years ago had a pair of pygmy sunfish in a 2.5 no heater no filter but had it heavily planted (we use to joke that was enough plants for a 10 gallon) floaters carpet bunch of stems plants and guppy grass they actually would breed and he would sell the fry