# 6 gallon eheim nano tank... what should I put into it?



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi All,

I'm looking forward to planting and stocking a 6 gallon Eheim nano tank that I got a little while ago, inspired by Atom's journal. I want to put it into my dining room, where it is replacing a 5 gallon Eclipse.

Have you any suggestions for inhabitants?

I have an similarly-sized 8 gallon Ebi with dwarf orange crayfish and 5 celestial pearl danios (galaxy rasboras) downstairs. For the dining room I think I'd like something less shy and more visible than the danios. 

Do you think I should just go for a betta? Or maybe some cardinal tetras? (Do cardinal tetras need more swimming room?)

All suggestions are welcome. I always enjoy the planning stage.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

You could always add a splash of colour with a saltwater nano??


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## Ebonbolt (Aug 12, 2011)

Or a shrimp tank 

Personally, I think cardinals would need at least a 2 foot tank. A betta would work for sure though.

A nano would be hard to do in such a tiny tank, but if you're careful, and diligent about maintenance, it can be done. Stocking choices would be very limited though: mostly inverts, and maybe a single damsel, though probably best not to have one.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

Same boat. I have a betta that's a family pet, he's moving into a Fluval Ebi as soon as the silicone on the background cures, still pondering what to put in there with him. I've had a bunch of great suggestions from the folks here, just not sure which one to go with... just now for sure I'd like it to be planted.

Interested to see what you end up with


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I just got some blue-eyed (or Gertrudes) rainbowfish -Pseudomugil gertrudae-
from Patrick. They are tiny, active, and the sparkle in their eyes just jumps out at you. Mine seem to stick to the top of the tank, so some dwarf cories and shrimp would be nice additions.


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## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

TomC said:


> I just got some blue-eyed (or Gertrudes) rainbowfish -Pseudomugil gertrudae-
> from Patrick. They are tiny, active, and the sparkle in their eyes just jumps out at you. Mine seem to stick to the top of the tank, so some dwarf cories and shrimp would be nice additions.


I second this, I have some gertrudae my 8g and though they are not at bright as say cardinals they are still pretty flashy and very active.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, everyone! I really enjoyed reading your suggestions. Tang daddy, I love to look at saltwater tanks but I think they are way beyond my fish-keeping skills, especially in a nano size. Maybe one day, when I'm smarter, braver and better-organized.

BelieveinBlue (great name!) I love shrimp and have them in almost all of my tanks, so I might put some into this one, depending on what else goes in there. I don't know what it is about shrimp that make them so appealing, but they are endlessly interesting to watch. I think they're quite intelligent. Thanks for the tip about cardinals needing a wider tank. I won't pick those.

Arcteryx, I might just end up with a betta. For me, bettas usually only last about three and a half years and then die suddenly, so I'm not sure that I'm very good with them. My harlequin rasboras, by contrast, were bought in 1998 (I still have the receipt). I love the way that bettas are so interactive and watchful, though. They're also very easy to see from across the room, and always gorgeous. So, maybe a betta is the right thing for this tank. I'll have to see how the filter's flow is on this Eheim nano tank.

TomC, that is a very intriguing suggestion! I've never heard of Pseudomugil gertrudae but I looked them up and see that even a 5 gallon tank is sufficient for them. I have 9 furcatus in my 22 gallon super long and they are quite gorgeous. They may be similar to the gertrudae but probably a little bigger. They're robust swimmers. I will definitely consider the Gertrudes.

So -- Gertrudes (if available) or a lone betta are my options, for now. Thanks, all!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Keri,

That's really good to know. I was replying to everyone else when your post came in and so I missed this. It sounds as though your gertrudae are happy in a small tank, and that's the main thing I'm looking for (happy fish).



Keri said:


> I second this, I have some gertrudae my 8g and though they are not at bright as say cardinals they are still pretty flashy and very active.


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## Keri (Aug 2, 2010)

Morainy said:


> Hi Keri,
> 
> That's really good to know. I was replying to everyone else when your post came in and so I missed this. It sounds as though your gertrudae are happy in a small tank, and that's the main thing I'm looking for (happy fish).


Yeah, I have a lot of plants (floating ones too) and they are always swimming in and out of them flirting with eachother.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy, 

Can't wait to see your journal for your tank! I like the idea of gertrudae as well! How about 3 sparkling gouramis or dario dario mixed with some chili rasboras?

Happy New Year!


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Gertrudae Rainbows and Sparkling Gouramis would indeed make a nice mix. Maureen if you like, you can swing by for some plants (on the house.... of course).

Best regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey, Atom and Stuart -- I don't know what sparkling gouramis are! I will have to investigate. They sound fascinating.

Stuart, thank you for your kind offer of plants. I would love to swing by your house just to see your tanks (plants or no plants). They're always gorgeous. Time for you to set up a webcam. I'm really excited about your 22 gallon super long adventure. 

And a big thank you to Tang Daddy (Chris) for giving me a lot of information about salt water tanks by phone. I never thought that I could even consider doing a salt water tank, but he gave me a ton of information and encouragement and the idea that maybe I could!


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

TomC said:


> I just got some blue-eyed (or Gertrudes) rainbowfish -Pseudomugil gertrudae-
> from Patrick. They are tiny, active, and the sparkle in their eyes just jumps out at you. Mine seem to stick to the top of the tank, so some dwarf cories and shrimp would be nice additions.


I'm assuming Patrick is one of the sponsors - which store does he run/own/operate/work for?

Thanks


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Canadian Aquatics
Canadian Aquatics
Canadian Aquatics - Aquarium Forum - Fish Forum - BCAQUARIA


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

How about Galaxy rasboras, Maureen? They look like a great little fish, extremely beautiful IMO.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Franck,

Thanks for the suggestion. I have galaxy rasboras in my Ebi and they are very pretty with the dark substrate. Their orange markings also go very well with the dwarf orange crayfish, something that I didn't even think about. (It's not like I pick fish for their colours) They pair well together.

My galaxy rasboras are a little shy and it may be because there are only 5 of them in the tank. I am thinking of moving them to a longer tank and getting about a dozen more. I wonder if they'd like that?


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I like the combo of gertrudes and sparkling gouramis!

How about ember tetras? I don't know much about them, but they seem colourful and small enough. Are you still keeping killies, Maureen? I would've recommended Lampeyes, but I found mine really aggressive towards each other. I started with 6 and now I have 2. They all started disappearing after the dominant female killed off the lone male. 

Galaxies are indeed beautiful. I would have kept mine if they weren't so shy. Hopefully the bigger tank will make them less nervous instead of giving them more places to hide.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

hi, Atom!

I don't have killies anymore, except for one female northo. I used to have aphyosemion primigenium, which were very peaceful and they seemed to thrive in a small tank. They kept having babies, so there were juvenile fish of all different sizes with them all the time.

Later, Scholz gave me some northos, and they were gorgeous but the males seemed only to be able to tolerate males who had always been in their tank. They did very well with endlers, though.

Ember tetras? I don't know these fish at all! I've just looked them up and learned that they don't mind a small tank. An excellent suggestion, thanks!

TomC and a few other people suggested Gertrudes, but Canadian Aquatics seems to have sold out their supply. I don't know how common those fish are. I have furcatus in another tank, which are similar, but too big and active, I think, to enjoy a 6 gallon. (Edited to add: I notice from their website that AW has Gertrudes.)

How is your Eheim nano doing? Are you keeping a journal for it? How does the filter sound?



Atom said:


> I like the combo of gertrudes and sparkling gouramis!
> 
> How about ember tetras? I don't know much about them, but they seem colourful and small enough. Are you still keeping killies, Maureen? I would've recommended Lampeyes, but I found mine really aggressive towards each other. I started with 6 and now I have 2. They all started disappearing after the dominant female killed off the lone male.
> 
> Galaxies are indeed beautiful. I would have kept mine if they weren't so shy. Hopefully the bigger tank will make them less nervous instead of giving them more places to hide.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

My Eheim is going okay. The filter is running well. It was quite noticible at first, but since I've moved it to another location and cleaned out the filter it's a lot quieter. Still not enough for me, but tolerable. 

I am finding that my vals keep breaking off at the mid point and tops. Always scooping out bits and pieces. I wonder if it's the light or not enough nutrients. They are still spreading light weeds, but it has thinned out since I first planted them. 

Right now I just have my CPO, 2 Amanos in there. I was thinking about moving my Betta in there, but I'm afraid he will kill my CPO! He killed the amano in his 2 gallon the other day. I had one lone lampeye (dominant female) survive so I moved her into the ebi. I was thinking about getting 2 or 3 sparkling gouramis in there, but I heard they are vocal. You know how I am with noise! So I'm debating right now.


What did you decide on your eheim?


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Atom,

Vals never do well for me, either. I don't know why. I hear they are indestructible for other people. For me, the tops get mushy. I have some corkscrew vallisneria in my Ebi at the back now but it's mostly hidden by other plants. I'll probably take it out as it keeps dying back and floating. 

What's a CPO?

I saw sparkling gouramis at Aquariums West the other day. Very cute! I didn't know that they make a noise. That would be interesting. I hear that they like very still water and might be good with pygmy corydoras. 

My Eheim is still in its box, waiting for me to make a decision. This week, I'm rescaping and restocking my 36 bowfront as the inhabitants that I've been babysitting have gone back to their real home. I'm going to put a group of phantom red tetras into it. I might end up setting the Eheim up over the next few days, too, if I can settle on a substrate. 

My Ebi is doing fairly well these days, with galaxy rasboras (celestial pearl danios), dwarf crayfish and some pygmy corydoras. The rasboras are shy, though. I am thinking of moving them into a tank that doesn't have a background, so that I can see them better; but on the other hand, maybe that would be mean? I'm shy, too, after all.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Mushy is the right term to describe what happens to my valls. They continue to spread, but eventually the tops break off. I tried corkscrews in the ebi and they melted in two days.

CPO = Cambarellus Patzcuarensis "orange", which is the sceientific name for the orange dwarf cray  Thinking about moving my cray into the ebi and moving my Betta back into the eheim. I moved him out because he was chasing the lampeyes, but now that they are gone I think I might move him back. I wonder if the cray would be okay with the Betta? I know he killed an amano in his 2 gallon before so I don't know if I want to risk my cray. I'm quite attached to him.

Excited to see what you end up doing with yours! Ember tetras are small and might look good with the orange cray and some cherries? I've always wanted to do colour themed tanks.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm really glad that I have an Ebi (8 gallons) and an Eheim (6 gallons) to play with, because it's so-o-o-o-o hard to decide. I thought that I had everything figured out for the Ebi (Cambarellus Patz...whatchamacallits, lol, plus galaxy rasboras) but I really love the pygmy corydoras in there, too, so I'm going to set up the Eheim soon and shuffle fish. As well, I have the 12 gallon Eclipse, which is really good for helping me find just the right combination of nano-tank dwellers; I might move the CPOs into that tank because there's a bigger footprint and more interesting terrain for them to play on.

I will definitely look into Ember tetras and Gertrudes...


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm late into the game, but I'd love to find out what you decided on in the end!
I just started with a 6g and I went with some ember tetras and an amano for now.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

tang daddy said:


> You could always add a splash of colour with a saltwater nano??


i agree with this its not that hard to start up salt


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