new to fish

Question
I am planning on getting a 5 gallon tank and am interested in getting danios, I hear they are very easy to keep. How many can I get? I do not want them to breed so can I get all females or all males? Or will that cause problems? I have read that danios do not need heaters as they can thrive in temps in the lower 70's to high 60's. What is your opinion about getting a heater? Are danios more susceptible to certain types of diseases?  Any information you have will be great!


Answer
Hi Ally;

Danios would work in a 5 gallon with no heater. You could put 3 or 4 in there are as long as they are the smaller types. It's hard to tell sexes when they are young but even if they breed it's really not a problem. They are egglayers so the eggs would most likely be eaten before you ever see babies, especially in such a small tank. Here is a page with several of them. Just click the picture to read more about each one;

http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/list.aspx?term=danio

Just keep in mind that your new tank needs to break-in before you can have a full population of fish in there. This break-in period, also called "Cycling" or "New Tank Syndrome" takes several weeks to complete. You add one small fish and his waste will get the tank started. Here is a link to my article on new tanks to help you know more;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Danios aren't more prone to diseases than any other fish really, as long as you keep their immune systems healthy with proper maintenance and good diet. Once your tank is through the break-in period, maintain your tank weekly by replacing 25% of the water so your fish stay healthy.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins