Do You Think That Tank Under 5 Gal Should Be Banned?

[babybell911]

I'd go with No too.
I agree with all the comments especially about the wrong advertising I've seen some beautiful nano's and pico's on this forum so keep em I say. But maybe we should start a movement against picturing goldfish and such on small aquariums... How do you start a movement?

 

[00mitomk]

becosue people dnt have the room for huge tanks and tbh any enjoyment out of fishkeeping is better than none !

miles

 

[flamingonhot]

There are some fish that need to be kept in small tanks. Good quarantine tanks, etc. They provide many uses. All in all, if you ask me..i'd say talk about the ethics of small tanks is actually the most annoying and worst things about them. They are there for a reason, and if a person uses them the wrong way, it's their fault.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

I vote no, they should not be bannned for several reasons.

Good as a quarintine tank for small fish
Good in case of an emergeny
suitable for bettas
good for fry tanks
good for some small reptiles
good for mice (just guessing)
probably suitable for some guppies

You also have to think that even though it's called a FISH tank does not only mean it is good for fish. For instance although they usually don't have a filter or heater doesn't exactly mean they need one. If 5 gallon tanks were banned inless heaters and filters were included then people that kept mice or something like that would have to go out and spend more money on equitment that they don't need. I think if people are going to purchase an animal, any animal not just fish they should do there reasearch and realise that they need a filter and heater and find out all the neccisery equitment to make there new animals happy and healthy.

 

[Ami]

No, for the myriad of reasons people have mentioned above.

It's not the size - it's what you do with it that counts

 

[Tolak]

Many breeders use 5 or 2.5 gallon tanks to hatch out angels, 1 gallon wide mouth jugs are used as well.

I just used a 2.5 to hatch out some corys, I used it as a med tank years ago fro platys, and it saw service as a quick bbs hatchery. Ignorance is no reason to ban things, I can think of someone doing something out of ignorance & ban nearly anything.

Even if you did ban them resourceful people will find a way around it.

 

[Gankutsuou]

woah now, my 1.55 gallon cost $25 and came with a filter. I'm certainly impressed with it, and it's more than enough space for midnight. It also has room and instructions for a heater and what kind, but did not come with it, so certainly it suggust that some fish need heaters, and you should get one for the tank if you get such fish.

 

[chibi]

I think we should put packets or information on the boxes explaining what you can and can't put into small tanks. Many people are inexperienced, and I'm sure if 95% of purchasers knew that they couldn't put oscars in their 3 gallon, they wouldn't. There's always that 5% (or even more) that don't care, but I'm trying to be optomistic.

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

I voted no- I don't feel like anyone has the right to tell me what I can and cannot do, nor do I feel like I should be able to do that to someone else.

 

[Dragonscales]

Another reason which hasn't been brought up yet is using one as a terrarium - to house plants in. Alot of people would be stuffed if 5 gals and under were banned and they were trying to keep carnivorous plants.

 

[Mr Miagi]

I voted No. How could you ban under 5 gallon fish bowls/tanks. Ive seen countless Mini Planted tanks, and marine Nano's/Pico's which are done very well. A couple that come to mind are George Farmers Little planted (that was under 5 g's right?) and Wuv's Pico Reef. Plus, how would all the betta lovers go? It aint gonna happen, and nor should it. Rather than limit what tanks we can have, LFS's should institute some Species Identification Labels, and care sheets.

 

[OohFeeshy]

What tank size a fish should be in is down to the carer. Balas, for instance, although on a much larger scale, illustrate this. Some say anything under 8x3x3 wouldn't be good for a shoal of adults, whereas others say there's no reason they shouldn't be fine in, say, a 4x2x2. In the marine world, if you visit a pico reef forum, many people keep fish in their picos whereas on this forum you'd probably get shot down in flames for keeping a fish in under 5g. Vast amount of difference in opinions. Most of my tanks are under 5g- betta tanks, 'planted' tanks, attempted breeding tanks, tanks I set up just because I could. As long as there's plenty of filtration (or alternate ways of getting rid of waste) and enough space, then whatever floats your boat. It's no more cruel keeping a betta in an unfiltered 1.5g with regular water changes (when the betta has been raised from a fry in something cup sized) than it is to keep, for instance, a fish wild-caught from a river in a tropical 10g community tank with low current.

 

[TammyLiz]

I voted no. OohFishy's point about the balas is a good one. To protect balas it would be silly to say noone could buy a tank smaller than 300 gallons, since there are other species of fish that do fine in under 300 gallons.

I have several planted tanks under 5 gallons. I love tweaking things over an inch and making a big difference in the way the aquascape looks! There are fish that do well in less than five gallons, bettas for one (although I know some would disagree, I think mine are happy in 2 gallons as long as they are in a high traffic area of the house--they like to see me and each other ) and I don't see a problem with a small school of microrasboras in a little tank, either. Its when you stick something like a goldfish or a bala (I've heard of tale of a bala in a 5 gallon tank before ) that the problems arise.

All this has been said of course but I thought I'd explain myself personally.

 

[pj1blue]

I voted no as I'm sure many of us do not have a massive house and may have the aquarium in a bedroom (I have mine in the front room of my flat).

I would have bought the largest tank I could of but then I'd not have room for anything else.

As a newbie (parents kept fish over 15 years ago) I need help and advise with certain things BUT I know they are a living things so have pride in keeping them healthy.

What I don't agree with, is people buying a small bowl/tank and then leaving the fish to it and wonder why they die! My work colleage's mum bought a small bowl with supposedly 3 fancy goldfish - now there is one...... even though I'm a newbie - I told him about water changes but they'd rather watch tv!!

 

[lljdma06]

I voted no, simply because I see the use for tanks under 5 gallons. They make really good homes for certain fish. I especially enjoy planting these little tanks and the challenge of their care. I agree, however, that tanks should have labels explaining what fish are suitable for them. I also tend to not like pictures on tank boxes that show 5 goldfish crammed into a 5g tank. It makes for a bright picture, but that's not how you care for a goldfish. I think you'd sell just as many 5g and cause a lot less headaches if the box had a picture of a planted nano with a shoal of galaxy rasbora. Now, that's inspiration and entirely doable.

llj