Betta, dwarf frog, albino cory, & neons

[amy84]

yes, i want to put them together. i just bought a 5 gallon acrylic hexagon tank yesterday, mainly to give my Betta a little more space (whether he needs it or not). plus, i think we can all agree that bowl/vase water is a pain to change all the time.
anyway, i have a dwarf frog & my Betta in the tank now, and they seem to be cool. i want to also get an albino cory catfish and maybe like 3 or 4 neons. my question is- is that a problem? one chic at the pet store didn't mention anything about problems, but another said that the frog, catfish and neons need a heater, and that i can't put one on an acrylic tank (which i understand). but will the fishies/froggy really live uncomfy or die if i don't have a heater, or will they be fine? also, my tank came with equipment like the bio-wheel filter and stuff, but do i need to get one of those in-the-water-bubbler things to keep air in the water or something for the fish with gils? thanks to anyone with answers and/or comments.
BTW, how do you go from Junior Member to regular Member, and what's the difference?

[Fishfirst]

1. All fish have gills
2. A group of Neons need about 10 gallons to thrive
3. Cories do best in groups.
4. yes they do need a heater 76-78 degrees
5. The dwarf frog is pretty sensitive so I would get a bigger tank than that.
6. its a pretty big bioload for that size of a tank
7. it'll be pretty crowded in that little tank

I wouldn't do it. At least not that many fish. You might be able to get a snail, and maybe the dwarf frog if you get the heater, which as far as I remember its fine to put one in an acrylic tank.

[amy84]

the girl at the pet store said a heater on an acrylic tank is a fire hazard bcuz if the acrylic melted, the heater could plop into the water, still plugged into the wall. that couldn't be good. i wonder if it's possible (can anyone confirm that?), but i'd rather not risk it.
i actually read a little about dwarf frogs today, and most sites portrayed them as not too picky or sensitive about their conditions. i don't know, a lot of opinions & supposed facts seem to clash, don't they?
i'm sure a large school of neons needs more than 5 gallons, but do you think just 3 need more than 5? and i know they're better in schools probably larger than just 3, but it won't hurt them. the same with a lone cory. don't a lot of people on Fish Forums have just 1 cory? i guess without a heater tho, it doesn't really matter.
grrr...someone tell me something i'd LIKE to hear.

[Lydia]

i had one lone cory for a while and he was fine (until he got killed by one of my fish ) i think it would be ok just to have one cory....but i am certainly no professional....i really dont know about the neons though.....i know what you mean about wanting good news.....when i first got here my fish were dying and all some people would tell me is "you shouldnt have those fish together" or "the pleco will get too big for that tank" you got to get used to it, though.... [schild=18 fontcolor=0000FF shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]live and learn![/schild]

[Lexus]

Neons are to be kept in schools, 6+. They are also very sensitive to water conditions.
Cories need to be kept in schools of the same species, one would be very lonely

5g is probably just good enough for a betta and frog
If you must add something, add a small algae eater such as an otocinulous
Nothing more. 5g isnt alot of space

You do not need a air bubbler, as the filter will provide enough surface agitation for them to get oxygen

to become a reg member you need to post 30 times.

[amy84]

thanks Lydia.
and thanks Lexus for your help as well.

[osteoporoosi]

Grogwaste is indeed toxic to fish, I recommend not to put a frog into a tank that size.
The waste irritates fishes gills and their protective slimelayer.
Corys in groups, 6 or more.

[MB75]

Neon tetras in groups of at preferably at least 6-8, corydoras in groups aswell (threesome is not a group, really).
In nature cories live in loose groupd of hundreds of the same species, and neontetras in groups of thousands of the same species, so 1-3 is really very little. ****

BUT your tank will not fit them all, so maybe rather leave them in a store than make them live unnaturally in too small groups in too small space, right?

And the frog waste will quickly spoil the water. It is toxic to fish and in that small space it happens quickly. ****

[Lydia]

i guess none of yall noticed but she said the frog died....sorry

[Lexus]

Sorry about the frog You could try 3 cories, but make sure you do frequent water changes and feed them their own food.

[osteoporoosi]

as said,corys prefer to be kept in groups of six or more, but they wouldn't fit in your 5g tank.

[Lexus]

they "prefer" it but it is not necessary, 3 is better than just 1

[MB75]

Hmm, I would say 0 is better than just 1-3 cories... why take any at all if you cannot give them proper companion and room? I am sure everyone wants to keep the fish the best possible way, and sometimes that is leaving them in the pet store.

[Lexus]

true but in most cases people buy them anyway... so in saying that 3 is better than 1 if you have to have them

[duckdog2]

I heard somewhere that a general rule for overcrowding is 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water. And remember you're going to have less than 5 gallons after you add the substrate, ornaments, etc.

[Lexus]

Good point Duckdog! Stick with just the betta!

[HobieDude16]

my 5gal has a flying fox, a black shark, and a peacock eel.... and thats it, and they're doing fine.... no more fish will go into that tank though, it would become overcrowded.... my 10gal has 2 dwarf frogs, and ive had no problems with them yet (but one other fish did die in that tank, but i dont think its cause of the frog)

[20gallonman]

Wow, did anyone actually read the part about the heater??? If the lady at the fish store said that you can't have a heater on an acrylic tank because it will melt, you need to find a new fish store. You can get a submersible heater at almost any pet store for 10-15 bucks, and no, it will not melt your tank!! I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this! As far as your fish go, you may want to get a heater just to keep the temperature stable between daytime and nighttime temp. changes.

[shev]

my 5gal has a flying fox, a black shark, and a peacock eel.... and thats it, and they're doing fine.... no more fish will go into that tank though, it would become overcrowded.... my 10gal has 2 dwarf frogs, and ive had no problems with them yet (but one other fish did die in that tank, but i dont think its cause of the frog)

THat tank is too small for those fish, black sharks get to 2 feet, spiny eels to 10 inches.

[Caitlin Rose]

Don't have a poor little cory all alone! Definitely no less than 3, these guys are very social fishies! And once you get a few you will want more anyway, these are the sweetest little fish! You should get a 10 gallon for the neons and cories. Both of these fish live in schools and while one would *survive* in proper conditions, it would be a sorry fish. Unhappy fish are more stressed and unhealthy so only keep single fish if they like to live that way in the wild.