I just started a 5 gallon tank, what do I do now?

Question
I bought a 5 gallon tank and had it running about April 17th. I've added almost several fish.I have a big kong shell in there and a fake plant and I have gravel stones with stones and crystal rocks from pet smart. I have some Mollies/ Ballons and Dalmation version, female betta and another kind I can't remember what it's called. Anyway, when I bought all the fish, didn't relize their couldn't be that many in the tank. I figured, I would give it a shot to see what happens and get another tank, if they were acting arressive. However, they really don't seem to be acting aggressive, they just swim around fast all over the place. So I hope it's ok I keep them in the same tank. I plan on eventually getting another anyway. I was told at the pet store, that the mollies have babies every few weeks..Is that true? Do you think if theres a lot of fish in the tank, that the mollies won't breed or be able to have the babies?
I'm not sure what the process would be. I do want them to have babies, and I would get the other tank. Also, how often and how much should I be feeding several fish, they always go crazy and act hungry when I'm around the tank. Is that normal? Or am I not feeding them enough. I usually feed them 2-3 x per day with 2 pinches of flakes and 1 small pinch of granuals for the betta.
Also, I asked 2 different pet places, on since I just set up my 5 gallon tank on the 17th of April, I added the Cycle and stress coat as directed. Do I need to add anymore of the stress coat/ cycle each week? When should I start doing water changes and how much would I remove? and cleaning the tank? How long do you wait, when you start up a tank and then at what point do you do things differently with the cleaning and water changes? with several fish in the tank. Can you clean tank while fish are in the tank, or do you need to put them in a bowl, while your cleaning?

Answer
Hello,
Mollies are livebearers, which are known for their prolific breeding, but in a tank that size they are unlikely to do so, although there is still a chance. However, if you want them to breed, they will need a tank of at least 15 Gallons, hard, alkaline water, good filtration, suitable tankmates and a properly cycled tank.
5 Gallons is very small for nearly all fish, including Mollies, which can grow to 5 inches in length. I recommend taking them back to the shop while you cycle the tank. Cycling the tank, the Nitrogen Cycle, Ammonia Cycle, Break in cycle, Nitrification cycle, whatever you want to call it. Basically, you need to add pure ammonia to the tank. The ammonia will rocket, and lower, then the nitrite, and eventually the nitrate. You can then do an 80 percent water change. When the ammonia and nitrite are 0.0, and the nitrate is under 20ppm, the tank is safe for fish.
I highly recommend buying a larger tank, as there are very few fish you can have in a 5 Gallon tank. A betta and a few Dwarf Corydoras are really all you can have in a tank that size.
Feed the fish just once a day, with a pinch of food. Don't worry about them being underfed.
When the tank is cycled and set up, do 20 - 30 percent weekly water changes. So you never have to take the fish out of the tank.
If you have any more questions about anything at all, please ask.


Good luck,
Kathryn