Plants for a 5 gal nano

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
Hey guys! I'm getting a 5 gallon fluval spec next week and am going to do a bunch of small fish but also densely and I mean DENSELY plant it. I'm fairly new to plants, I planted my 30 a few months ago and it's really been a learning process so far but I'm still not the best at it. Luckily a guy I met at my LFC that owns an LFS is an expert on plants and nano setups so hopefully he can help guide me. But anyways for plants I'm open to suggestions but I want them to be moderately hardy, I was thinking things like anubias, crypts, mossballs, sag, and definitely some hornwort. The fish in the tank will be a few different things but I think the centerpiece will be either an apisto or a few pygmy sunfish so what plants will they do best with?
 

lmt6600

Piranha
MFK Member
Oct 29, 2010
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Nunya
Planted Nanos are fun. I have one of those aqueon evolve 8. I have small driftwood, some moss balls, anubia Nana

Heres pics, I have some neons and few shrimp.
uploadfromtaptalk1396813514158.jpg

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divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
stick with low light plants since I think the stock light on that isn't very powerful

also, I don't think a single apisto would be small enough for a 5 gallon
Probably not but I didn't have my heart set on them, so probably one or two pygmy sunfish as the centerpiece maybe with a killifish and does anybody know of a small catfish or two that could go in this setup? I know cories could but are there any synodontis species, auchenipterids, or maybe a tiny pleco that Would do well?
 

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
No synos need bigger tanks. How about little kuhlie loaches? Get three.


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Kuklies can go in a 5!? I was thinking catfish since they are my favorite type of fish, maybe a trio of otos which I know are in the same family as plecos but are they actually considered plecos? The guy had two little white synos about 0.75" in a 3 gallon planted nano at his shop but they are probably growouts, just thought I'd ask incase there were dwarf synos or something like that.

Also, what plants of the ones I mentioned do well in low light?
 

HybridHerp

Fire Eel
MFK Member
May 18, 2012
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New York
all of the plants you mentioned do fine

I hear pygmy sunfish are hard to keep though, definitely hard to find. Pretty sure they require live food.

I think khuli loaches might be a bit large for a 5 gallon, if I were you, I'd look into pygmy cories as they would be a better fit. Idk much about killies either, but I do know those are also kind of a specialty fish (or at least people keep them like a specialty fish). I will say though that I am partial to nano-sized fish like micro-rasbora and super small tetras like ember tetras, as well as pygmy gourami and endler guppies.
 

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
4,795
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Pittsburgh, PA
all of the plants you mentioned do fine

I hear pygmy sunfish are hard to keep though, definitely hard to find. Pretty sure they require live food.

I think khuli loaches might be a bit large for a 5 gallon, if I were you, I'd look into pygmy cories as they would be a better fit. Idk much about killies either, but I do know those are also kind of a specialty fish (or at least people keep them like a specialty fish). I will say though that I am partial to nano-sized fish like micro-rasbora and super small tetras like ember tetras, as well as pygmy gourami and endler guppies.
I've done research on pygmy sunfish, they do fine in frozen and my LFS has them all the time so that's not a problem. Killifish I don't know much about either but I know some are us natives so maybe I'll try a florida native nano planted tank (that's a mouthful) with pygmy sunfish, florida flag fish, and hornwort. Just brainstorming ideas nothing is for sure as if yet.
 

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2011
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Denver, CO.
The stock light for the Fluval Spec V is alright, I mean yeah you can grow a few different species of plans. But, most people who have the Spec V go with either a Finnex LED fixture, or a Current Satellite + fixture so they grow almost any plant they desire. If you're like me, and don't have excess cash to go spending on a top of the line light fixture, then I would go with the Finnex LED, like the Finnex Planted+.

As for plants, well that pretty much depends on the lighting for the tank....
 
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