A new aquarium

Question
My name is Anthony and I am 9 years old, and  my mom bought me a 5 gallon
aquarium and I wonder what temperature I am supposed to keep it at. I have 6
fish and a shrimp. Thanks!!

Answer
Hi Anthony,
Well, 5 Gallons is very small and 6 fish is actually probably too much depending on what sort of fish they are.
Is it a tropical or coldwater tank? If you have a heater it probably is.
What sort of fish do you have?
If it is a coldwater tank, with goldfish (which actually need at least 10 gallons each) or minnows, it should be kept ar around 18 Degrees Celsius.
If it is tropical, depending on what fish you have, the temperature should be maintained at between 24 and 28 Degrees Celsius.
I will tell you, there is a lot more to fishkeeping than putting fish in a tank and hoping they'll live, if you really want to look after them you need to be looking at nitrite, ammonia, nitrate, pH, hardness, a whole lot of things that probably don't make any sense. If you tell me what fish you have I'll tell you what is best for them.
You should tell your mum (or mom for you) that fishkeeping is actually very hard and time-consuming, and if you want to keep more than just 3 or 4 fish you should be looking to buy a 15 Gallon tank or more. I know it is not your decision but it is really a lot of work. Don't think I'm discouraging you from keeping fish, you just need to have plenty time and do a lot of research.
Looking forward to hearing back from you,
Kathryn

P.S. If you want to email me instead, my email address is kathrynhaldane@yahoo.co.uk