There was 99 comments so I wanted to make it 100

Actually it all depends on the keeper. One might have budget for a larger tank but there are people who doesn't have, there are people who has a big space to put a larger tank but some only have small space to accommodate, some people wants to have tons of fish but some just like to have a single pet. So there are several instances to consider why a fish keeper wants a 2.5g and are frequently make fun by those who have larger tanks.

My betta lives in a 2.5 gallon on our night stand. He does very well in it, active and healthy. The downside I see to it is it can be difficult to find a heater and filter that fits the tank without taking up a lot of room. I ended up going with a mini sponge filter and a tetra preset heater. No complaints and like you said, I do water changes with a gallon pitcher and a mini syphon. Only takes a few minutes but I do water changes way more frequently and in larger volume than the rest of my tanks to ensure the smaller body of water stays clean.

Nano tanks are my specialty. They do require a fastidious amount of maintenance. You simply do not have the luxury of being lazy and skipping a day. Meticulous attention to detail is an absolute requirement. Don't expect to go on any extended trips for more than 48 hours either or you _will_ return home to some sort of problem (usually just an algae bloom if you're lucky). When choosing plants for nano tanks, make sure they are the appropriate size. Nothing with large stems or leaf structures. You want to look for plants that are tiny-very small. Plants such as Anubias nana 'petite', any _Bucephalandra,_ Crypt parva/lucens/lutea (in order from smallest to largest - I wouldn't recommend going any bigger), Giant Baby Tears _Micranthemum umbrosum_ is a good stem plant and adds some bright green color, Dwarf Water Lettuce for floaters, Scarlet Temple for some red color and other various plants considered to be tiny/very small. Pygmy Chain Sword _(Helanthium tenellum 'green')_ and _Marsilea hirsuta_ seem to be the only two carpeting plants that work in our nano tanks. All of these plants thrive well in our tanks without the use of CO2. To simplify - when looking for nano tank plants you generally want to search for species that stay under 10-12 inches in height. That's usually a safe guideline when trying to sort through the numerous amount of aquatic plants from which to choose. I know it can be overwhelming at times especially when starting your endeavor into nano tanks and adjusting for the size difference. Nano tanks require a closer look at the microcosm - you basically have to think in miniature. These are just a few of the nano tank plant species that I have had great success without the use of CO2. I perform a ~70% water change twice a week and dose ~3.25ml of Easy Green/Iron/Carbon with each water change. Once they become established and stable, it's really only a matter of constant water changes at least twice a week and spot checking anything that may arise between tank days. However, please be prepared for a turbulent startup. You will definitely experience at least two algae blooms in the process of setting up your nano tank. Keep persevering and the reward will be tremendous. Feel free to ask any questions. Stay classy my friends. EDITED for double spacing.

I often tell people - Imagine dropping one drop of food dye into a full bath tab. Then imagine dropping that same drop into a mug! The smaller amount is obviously affected WAY more and that can be a problem with small tanks. When things go wrong, they can go wrong VERY quickly and with big consequences.

I use mine as a quarantine/hospital tank... works very well.

Another great vid! Lots of good info with pros and cons. I keep a few tanks and have 2.5s. It’s planted Diana Walstad style. I also use a small sponge filter. Parameters are always good and the shrimp and fish I have in it are healthy and active. I used to keep some Chili Rasboras and Somphongsi rasboras in it. I now keep Sparkling gourami fry and a lone Rasbora fry in it with Crystal Red shrimp and all are thriving. I use a turkey baster to clean it and do water changes just once a week along with the other heavily planted tanks. The tank doesn’t really require a lot of time from me but when I come home from my 2nd shift it’s therapeutic for me to kind of pick at it 😆

I saw my first 5 gallon saltwater fish tank yesterday , it was very well done and had only a few tiny fish . I couldn't imagine all of the work to keep it so clean and in the right parameters .. But the whole store was meticulously kept.

Love your videos!!! They are all so very well thought out and you explain everything so well but leave it for the viewer to see if it will work for them. Thanks for all you do for the hobby!!!

I have a 2.5 betta tank and it’s brand new no fish yet. I have a 5.5 betta tank and it has one betta and a snail. I have a 10 gallon betta tank with one betta one snail and a small school of kuhli loaches. I have a 55 gallon tank with an angel fish, a trio of mollies, a school of green neon tetras, a school of cherry barbs, and a school of corydoras. I love my 2.5 and 5.5 gallon tanks best. They’re beautiful, you can put it anywhere you like, it can house my favorite type of fish, and planting it to look nice is much cheaper than planting a 10 gallon.

i've found a love for fish recently so I got a 2.5 gallon tank to put my two little endlers in there. I love them so much, if I can find room for a bigger tank I'd love to upgrade soon and get some live plants going!

Great video! Thanks for sharing

Great info! Thank you!

Well thought out and presented video. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

Another good use that I currently use a 2.5 gallon for would be a brine shrimp hatchery. My 2.5 gallon sits right next to my 20 long guppy/community tank and i use it to hatch brine cysts to feed the guppy fry.

i kept a single pea puffer in a 2.5 gallon once, was VERY hard. It is however a perfect shrimp or dwarf crayfish tank.

Very nicely done. Like the grow out idea!

Great subject! 👍

Love the video ❤️

Thanks for sharing. I've used for a hospital tank for betta, although it has been used to treat a sick zebra danio as well guppy.

So true......on the cons

Thanks for sharing! But i don't like those size tanks, I prefer 5 gallons and up

Good concept for a video!!

Wow!!! Super helpful!!! Thank you :)

I use one of these as a hospital/QT tank. Main advantage is it's super easy to do daily water changes if you don't want to maintain an empty cycled QT tank 24/7 or need to dose meds that would mess with a cycle. It is hard to dose meds correctly without a gram scale though! Most med directions assume you're working with 10gal per dose so you'll need to divide everything in quarters.

I love my ten gallon kit tank for starting!

Hi Prime Time, @ 2:40, Fish flashing on the right side. Just FYI. Thanks for a cool video!

Enjoyed it.

Hi I picked up a 2.5 and I put java moss at the bottom nutriance sand small piece of wood with a nice piece of anubius nano and some floaters and crystal red shrimp

Great video!

Quarantine and grow out, yep. 👍💕👍

I do have couple of 2.5 tanks. I’m keeping shrimps and their doing pretty well.

Very beautiful your guppy. Very good comments.

I have a 2.5 gallon tank that I've used for a hospital tank for betta, although it has been used to treat a sick zebra danio as well. My biggest gripe with it is that the glass lid does not leave a gap for a nano heater cord or an air line for a small sponge filter. May try and cut it down a bit or make one out of acrylic.

Smallest tank I was every able to keep going well was a 5 gallon. I ended up using a sponge filter, the tanks built in filter and a small heater. It housed 3 GloBarbs for several years but it was a freaking pain. I can't imagine going smaller then that for a full time setup.

Oh wow that's a beautiful guppy tank I think that's going to be my next project a 10 gallon tank filled with guppies of various kinds I have a 6 gallon tank with a beta who actually likes my guppies and they do very well together

Im planning on using my 2.5 gallon just as a planted tank.

I love nano tanks but I would opt for the top fin 3 gallon because it’s takes almost the same space and you can hide all your equipment.

I love those Rhinogobius!! Question: How do you get rid of string algae (both the thin soft kind (15g) and the thicker wiry kind (40g)) in a planted tank? The thin kind I pull out every other day - it gathers on roots. The thick kind attaches itself to leaves and doesn't pull off. Dosing Easy green per instructions and using Fluval 3.0 lights at 45%. Cut back on lighting and fertilizer? Add Amano shrimp - 1 for every 3 gallons?? Growing S. octopus, various anubias, Java Fern and Java moss. Suggestions? Solutions?? This is why I always give up on planted tanks - and I've kept fish since the 1970s!

I have 6 nano tanks, all under 5g, as well as my larger tanks. I have a male betta in 3 of them, one is home to an african dwarf frog and 2 are empty, in case of emergencies. Here in the UK we don’t have a $1 sale anywhere. I do a 50% water change on all my nano tanks a week. They are have anubias, java ferns and floating hornwort plus have internal filters and heaters. As well as the regular water changes, I dose with Seachem Prime every day. I’ve never had a problem with water parameters.

I like small tanks because my kid can interact with the fish more like feeding since i can put the tank in a spot that is eye level with him.

My 2.5s one is planted tank with pea puffers and shrimp. The other as you said , I use as a birthing tank for my live barers

I literally just purchased a 2.5 today on sale for 8 bucks for a planted female betta setup. The #1 drawback I'm finding is that I'm pretty much stuck doing a DIY lid. I'm not the best DIYer and the only lids sold for these are either screen tops (reptile type) or 1 piece glass lids that don't quite fit right. Even the matching brand didn't fit when I tested it in the store, as it was off by about 1/8" I have a lot of experience with nano setups, so I already know exactly how to manage everything... except that pesky lid issue. I'm not an open top kinda fish keeper.

I think it's the best tank for office.

I have a Aqueon 2.5 gal betta bowl I'm looking for a good heater any recommendation thanks in advance.

I have a 7 gallon biorb tank with live plants,heater and 1 male betta. Water parameters started to go wrong in about one month after adding the fish, since then(4 months already) it kept on fluctuating, with ammonia spikes, even though I was making 30% water changes weekly and changing the media filter 3 to 4 weeks. Meanwhile my betta got finrot, and I was treating him with Pimafix and Melafix. Also added aquarium salt at every water change, lately I started to add live bacteria which would kill ammonia, but didn't work. All I saw was that water parameters got better only for 2,3 day only after water change. Now I bought 2.5 gallon tank where I placed my betta, the heater and the filter which came with it. I already made 100% water change after 3 days, and I plan to do after 3-5 days because I don't want my fish to die. It looks like your doing an amazing job here. Any advice for me?

Love your content...I have a Fluval Spec 3 ...Ive been a long time fish keeper w/various kinds of tanks. The tank is "overstocked"..however the tank is super heavily planted..prob 15 plants..like narrow leaf java..anubias nano petite...anubias coffefolia..dwarf tiger lotus...and water wisteria..so you can see there is a lot of "relief" in the bio load dept..the tank is high flow thanks to Fluval stock pump and I have 4 neons, a mini cory, 3 rasboras ..a fancy guppy, a nerite snail . I do weekly 40 percent water changes and have in the 2yrs of this tank going...never an algae bloom..have only had to scrape the glass once. So..It all depends on how one sees the stocking formula w/a sense of balance in a planted tank...You can "overstock" w/more small fish than normally suggested. Just keep a great balance going. I wouldnt suggest that kind of formula to a newbie hobbyist but it can work.

I had a 2.5 gallon which I had a fish in for 3 years I have now moved him into a 12.5 gallon

I put tadpoles in my 2.5

I have 2 2.5 Gal acrylic Tanks, one Aqueon kit & One Top Fin kit, for a male and female Veintail Bettas. I test the tanks once a week and perform a 10% water change weekly and a 25% change every 2 to 3 weeks. One tank is planted and has seachem substrate, anacharis and anubius and the other has black gravel with some anacharis in it. I've noticed the planted tank gives me the least worries water parameter wise. Since it was established over a month ago it has never gone over .25 in ammonia and Nitrates never pass 10PPM. Its only tank mates are a Nerite and Bladder Snail (Snail came with a plant. Not intentionally placed). Both tanks are slightly modded (Added filter pre sponges, small coarse filter sponge and diy extra small media bags with fluval ceramic cylinders inside). I did have to cycle both tanks with the fish that's in then. I hope you make a video on 3.5 Gal tanks next. If you do I think I know how to almost instantly cycle the tanks. I got a new 3.5 Gal that I set up two weeks ago for an African Dwarf Frog and I used a whole bottle of Tetra Safe Start (The 4 fl oz small bottles you can get for $6 at Walmart not the SafeStart Plus) and my tank cycled in less than 72 hrs. Reason I know this is because my Tap water has .5 Ammonia coming out of any tap or the hose. It had .5 PPM water when it was set up but 2 days later when tested it went to Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 and Nitrates 10. Have you ever heard of this happening to others?

What about fry? Can you keep them on there until they are big enough to be put back into their normal tank?

How can I get a cover for this thing. I can't find any locally. I currently have a betta in it.

I just bought a 2.5 gallon tank that comes with a divider and a filter. When I got home and put my betta in I felt so sad because it isn't moving around much and now I want to return it because it looks so small! I paid 20 for the tank! Then when i went back to the store i saw a 10 gallon starter kit includes heater, filter, fish net, and everything you need. SOon i started regretting buying the small tank... because i still had to buy a 15 dollar heater for the small tank!!!! ugh! Now i want to go return it because i feel i got screwed with buying such a small tank, i have a 3.5 and 10 gallon tank already, so thats why i went with the small tank but now i want the 10 gallon lol.. what should i do?!??!?

Can I ask your advice? I'm interested in getting into aquascaping, and was thinking about getting a 2.5 gallon kit to just do plants and shrimp and maybe a snail. I have very limited space in my apartment and am not interested in caring for fish yet anyway, I just want to see if I can maintain the plants and shrimp. Is this feasible for a total beginner?

would only work with a shrimp or two

I grow my plants submerged with shrimp in this tank before they go in my bigger tank

13 bucks??? I paid $19.99 plus tax. 🤷‍♂️ I just recently bought one for my 2 little ones. We're definitely beginners so this really helped a lot. I'm sure eventually we'll move up but I'm letting them enjoy the moment for now. According to our local pet store, they said no more than 2 fish in a tank that small.

Would this be suitable as a bare quarantine tank for a pair of ram cichlids?

My guppy is pregnant, I thought I bought all males... I only have a 2.5 gallon tank for her right now and she hasn’t given birth yet. If she does, I want to keep some of the fry if they are females with her in a tank that will be 3.4 gallons. Would 3 guppy’s and one snail be too much for a tank that size?

Personally I wouldn’t go less than 10 gallons. Very limiting otherwise

How do plants factor into the 2.5 waste issue?

I have 3 rasbora in my 2.5g

I was thinking about buying one of those as a plant QT tank but they're more expensive than 10 gallons!

I added a 2.5 gallon tank. Added a female betta and a nerite snail with a few petite Anubis. It's going well. But that's my seventh tank. It's not much work.

I have one and like you stated I only use it for a hospital or QT tank when needed and take a sponge and from another tank. Otherwise, I think they are useless..

2.5, 5, or 10 gallon are all going to cost you about $50 minimum by the time you get a heater, lid, pump/filter/powerhead, light etc. Unless weight or space are a huge issue there's no reason not to go with a 10 gallon even for 1 betta, like he said it will make the water quality much easier to maintain and you have a lot more options as far as fish go.

Added around 6 cherry shrimp in a 2.5; now I have around 80 do I gotta start selling

I've been using one as a shrimp tank for a while. My marine aquarium is so much easier.

any advise anyone can give me is appreciated so i got a 2.5 gallon tank about 3 weeks ago. originally had 3 guppies and a snail in it however i kept having issues with the guppies and had to keep replacing them water tests i’ve gotten done have all been good besides some high ammonia, at which point i got an external 1-3 gallon filter for it to go along with its built in filter. still had problems and guppies kept dying, so i returned the guppies, cleaned the tank and redid the water with conditioner and now have a beta, and a snail. hoping this works out, but any advise for someone just starting to get into owning fish? i’m hoping in a year or 2 when i have my own place and can afford it to get a much larger tank but want to learn how to keep things going good in my tank before doing anything like that

My first tank was a 15g And I just bought a 20g

when you get a 2.5 gal you usually get it as a kit for 20-25 bucks.

I don’t think a 2.5 is a good idea for a novice fish keeper but it could be a great challenge for an experienced hobbyist. My wife bought me a really cute 3.4 gallon bend corner tank. I watched this video and a few others for some ideas. I am going to try to carpet it with Monte Carlo and used dwarf pennywort and micro sword for texture, maybe some red root floaters. Once it’s running nicely I might stock it with some of the species I breed. A few blue dream neocaridina and either my lone peacock gudgeon or 6 CPD’s. The shrimp and CPD’s don’t need a heater so that’s a plus. It will either be in my kitchen or my office at work. Tiny tanks between 2.5 and 5 gallons need regular maintenance more frequently but I wouldn’t say they are impossible. I do agree with most that a 10 gallon tank would be an ideal “nano” tank size because a 10 gallon tank can be cheaper than a 5 or 2.5. Plus even the smallest equipment such as heaters and filters can easily work for a 10. My kids SA Puffer is in a 10. While I wouldn’t have bought this 3.4 on my own it is cute and I’m up for the challenge. I also thought a Scarlet Badis would be a nice option as a centerpiece fish for such a small tank. It’s not black or white if a 2.5 is good or bad. It’s your knowledge, experience, and hard work that would make it right or not. Thanks for this and your other videos. It’s good to have someone posting contend from the Chicago burbs!

This is the only size my mom would allow me to have

Sometimes the equipment for a very small tank, like a 2.5 or 5.5 can actually cost more than those for a 10 gallon. Most of them are marketed for Bettas, and I've noticed that the price increases exponentially any time a manufacturer puts the word "Betta" on any product. I recently saw a package of what couldn't have been more than a cup of black "Betta sand" - nothing special about it, just plain black sand - selling for $9.99. No. Just no. A tank this size is where sponge filters really come in handy. They are available in truly tiny sizes, and with a control valve, the flow of water can be fine-tuned to a much greater degree than with some of the other filters I found when outfitting my smallest tanks. At least that's been my experience, which is admittedly limited. 😊 It is absolutely more difficult to do *anything* with something that small. I've just scaped one of my 2.5 tanks (the other is a holding place for plant trimmings at the moment), and cleaning it without destroying the scape, not to mention cycling the thing, may end up curing me of aquariums. Not really, but it is seriously not easy. Seriously.

On my Betta "rack " i use 2.5 gallon tanks . I have a hanging outside filter and a heater on each tank. I have a Rack that has 4 - 2.5 gallon tanks on it. i use one 36 inch Led light for them . What i do is rotate a Male betta in my 120 gallon tank and they each get a couple weeks in the big tank. It makes me sick to see betta's keepers putting a male in those tiny bowls i know its accepted but it bothers me. I change a big gulp glass's worth off Water 2 times a week in each 2.5, when i feel its time to do more of a cleaning I i put the betta in one of the other empty cycled tanks. On this rack i always keep a piece of cardboard between the males so they dont always shadow box the other. I also keep a guppy in eash tank along with some guppy grass. Each 2.5 has its on filter and heater . Im blessed that our city water is good and my Betta's look great. And i think its awesome to see my guy swimming in the 120!!! They love a big tank!!!

I have 100 gallon tank full of fish, so this is not my first rodeo. I bought a 2 1/2 gallon tank for my granddaughter before looking at your video, thinking it would be easier to maintain because it’s small and she is Young. My older granddaughter who is 20 years old has had a beta fish that is two years old and survived in a teeny little jar, with very little water changes missing feedings half the times etc. etc. I purchased at expensive beta fish for this 2 1/2 gallon take it did not live past 24 hours. I took it back and purchased another beta fish for the 2 1/2 gallon and it has died also. I have had this little 2 1/2 gallon tank with a hood filter on it no heater running for about a week before adding the fish. Tell me why I cannot get a betta to live All Items were washed cleaned rinsed before putting in the tank, gravel etc. cannot understand why I cannot get want to live. The beta was added to the tank in a correct manner making sure that his water temperatures were the same and a little of the water was added to him every 10 minutes before putting him in the tag. He was in the store in a cup smaller than a coffee cup.

I had a fluval spec 5g tank given to me. I found it worthless being a malawi cichlid keeper. Always select largest tank possible.

I already bought 2.5 gallon tank before I saw this video... 🤦‍♂️ Its the only size could fit on my 20 sqm apartment... 🥺😭

My guy does okay in his 2.5 gal. Anubis and gator skull he chills in. But he's a filled out half moon. :/

I don’t have a 2.5 and don’t plan on getting one. It’s hard enough to find a lid and light for my 5.5 and in the end that tank really just became a quarantine.

If you've purchased one of these and aren't experienced enough and want something to do with it, as well as want to keep something non aquatic, I'd reccomend garden snails, just make sure you do your research and you should be good! :)

Metric please

I have three 2.5 gal tanks, one for each of my daughters... for the love of fish do not but these things. They're just to small for bettas. Odds are you're going to upgrade anyways so don't waste the money. If money is tight buy online and get a bigger one for cheaper.

👍😁

The pet store keeps betas in a 6oz size cup. I would say 2.5 gallons is a oasis.

He looks like thanos

$7.99 At petco

Instead of recommending a 10 gallon tank, why not recommend a 5 gallon tank? Not much size and price difference between 2.5 and 5 gallon tank, even considering water change. I can chuck 5 gal tank anywhere in my office with a small pail and gravel vac. Please add plants in your tank. Go for guppy grass, hornwort, marimo moss balls and floating plants. You simply need to add $10 more into your first time aquarium budget!

It's a quarantine tank or a shrimp tank. That's all.

While all points are valid, this video fails to take into consideration that not everywhere in the world is like America with the dollar per gallon sale. In Australia where I currently am, a 10 gallon kit can easily set you back $200-$300 for just the tank, filter and usually poor quality LED light (in comparision to a less than than $100 2.5 gal) and there's no such thing as a dollar per gallon sale here. Not to point fingers but American fishkeepers really need to start taking this into consideration when giving advice or reccomendations. For most of the world, it's not as simple as, "oh, go to Petco and get a 10 gal for $10" cos for most of the world, a 10 gal kit is expensive and not something someone can go out and buy because someone on the net suggested them to do so. As an Aussie fishkeeper, it makes my blood boil when the whole $1/gallon sale thing is brought up in conversations about tank size cos while it may be a valid thing in America, it certainly isn't the case in other parts of the world.

There were 124 Comments. I want to make it 125! 😊😊

I just won’t do it, regardless of why. Imagine living in your bathtub for a week, pooping in it, dropping waste food in it-your skin sitting in your own filth and also being forced to take it in internally for that week until someone changes the water (if they get to it that week). Could you stay healthy long term? Happy that way for long? The same is true for fish. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should or that it’s right. And surviving isn’t necessary thriving. My bettas are so much better and more active in ten gallon tanks now because even five wasn’t great for them. I could see the problems with it. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to upgrade when everyone has Facebook and there are local selling groups with constant aquariums being listed for a fraction of the price-that clean up fine with hot water and vinegar. Make an offer, sometimes they take it.