In the market for a fishie...

[flautist]

I have a half-gallon bowl Just sitting there, taunting me... nothing in it. So, I need to get a fish. I would rather not get a goldfish, but that's all that I can think of that would be okay in the conditions of that bowl. It would have to be room temperature water.. probably hovering around 73-75 (it's a warm room) but sometimes we open the window and the water temp can get as low as 65 (though that's extreme). I would rather have fresh water fish, as I have never delt with salt-water fish before, and I want something fairly easy to take care of, as I am still trying to learn all I can about my little betta buddy. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to fish... the only ones I know anything about are bettas, and that knowledge is very recent. Should I just get a goldfish, or do you all have any other suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

It shows that you are a complete newbie.

Don't worry, we have done much worse. I, personally, killed 14 fish over a period of a week when I first started.

Very few fish can live in small containers. The only fish that can survive for a while are anabantoids, fish that breathe surface air (can, but would prefer dissolved O2 in the water). Goldfish require low temps and lots of room. they get big and make a lot of waste, killing themselves when confined to small spaces.

Do not get any fish for that bowl without researching a bit first.

It would take a really long time to explain all of this to you. .::sigh::.

For the moment, knwo that the onyl fish that has a chance in there is a betta. Even then, you would have to clean the water frequently in order to keep nitrogenous wastes from building up and killing the fish.

You need to look up cycling and research stock before proceeding. Look at other posts on cycling and post your own questions. You should get lots of info that way.

 

[Streetracer]

For a half gallon bowl I would fill it with gravel and plant a bamboo shoot but NO FISH.

 

[flautist]

Okay, I know a betta would have no chance in that bowl... I learned that the hard way. The temps are too cool, and the space too small. Bettas have to be kept in warm water... 78 is ideal, and they shouldn't be kept in anything less than a gallon.

I have a friend who has a goldfish that she has kept healthy and happy in a half gallon bowl for three years... she bought it at a chain store, so there's no telling how old it was when she bought it.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I suppose that is quite possible. they are resilient fish. But since their max size is 8", they would be cramped in teh bowl. And if tehy didn't grow on the outside, their organs would continue to grow, eventually killing them.

As for the betta not working, I would think that they should be able to survive those temps. These guys can live through temperatures of over 10 degrees, and major temperature changes are commonplace in the tropics. I, personally, have had no problem with my tanks at around 74 degrees.

 

[Opcn]

not 8"its 12" for commets 14" for sarrosa comets and shubunkins and atleast 10" for all the fancy types, and 3 years isnt that good as far as keeping a goldfish alive, if its not at least 25 when it kicks off something is very wrong seeing as how they regularly live till 35 (yes there are many 35 year old fish).

I agree with streetracer, that bowl would make a plant alot happyer than a fish, if you really wanted something aquatic you could keep a mangrove tuber in there for a few years probably Read up on cycleing and stunting as those are two things newbies are always misinformed about, You wont be a newbie forever and admitting it is the first step towards makeing a change for the positive

 

[NinjaSmurf]

A betta would work in there, but you need to do water changes every other day, or every day depending on how poopy it is. I've kept them in this size before I knew any betta, er better, and it worked.

And the cold thing, yeah, I ah... left my bettas outside on the porch to get some fresh air and sort of forgot them overnight.... Lets just say they gave me a heck of a shock when I came out and suddenly remembered they were there and found them all laying on the bottom of the bowls. Luckily, they all lived and were fine but that was pretty scary.

 

[Opcn]

Its really a case of "You could but shouldnt" so I really must stress no.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi flautist

I would be more concerned about the temperature fluctuations than even the small size of the bowl. This kind of stress could result in the fish getting Ich or bacterial infections. I can't think of any fish that would thrive under those conditions.

A goldfish is really too big a fish for that size container. Your friend might have kept one alive for a while, but in the long run, it is a lot of work and the fish will still be stunted. A goldfish is actually a rather large fish and it should have about 5 to 10 gallons of water to grow properly.

If you could move it to a room with a more stable temperature, and cover the top, I would suggest an African Dwarf Frog. They are cute little creatures that do well in a small amount of water. Here's a link with information about them:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=18252

 

[Ben]

what about a ghost shrimp?

 

[sylvia]

You may want to read the link in my signature about cycling.

As for stunting - what basicaly happens to a lot of poor goldfish (and other fish kept in inadequate space) is that they are put in a 1/2 gallon bowl when they have the potential to grow to a foot in length and are then expected to live for a few weeks when they should realy be alive for over 25 years. Fish release a kind of hormone into the water which keeps them from growing larger than the tank they are in - HOWEVER it isn't as good as it sounds... The fish stops growing on the outside and it looks generaly healthy (goldfish are very hardy fish) but the organs in its body do NOT stop growing. Eventualy the organs in its body are too large for it... and you can imagine the slow painful death they then suffer.
Your friends kept a small goldfish for 3 years in a bowl. But goldfish are very fast growers and would be several inches long within those 3 years if well looked-after and would live into their 30's. As such, your friend's goldfish was obviously stunted and suffered a death caused by its organs being crushed within its own body... They probably didn't know any better because unfortunately many people don't research their chosen pets until something goes wrong - sometimes they don't even realise something's wrong - because they expect the local fish store to have all the answers. Well, unfortunately again, the LFS doesn't have the answers in most cases and often mis-inform their customers.
Well the point of all that was basicaly to say that a goldfish ISN'T an option.

Now - inhabitants for a half-gallon coldwater bowl are rather limited. A betta is not a good idea - though it might survive the question is whether it would thrive - and it wouldn't. If you could put it in a warmer room, a shrimp, a snail or an african dwarf frog would be ideal. The snail and shrimp would be ok in slightly lower temperatures as well, provided you choose the right species.

The key is RESEARCH. Asking here is a great start. Good luck!

 

[flautist]

yeah, I know a betta wouldn't be a good idea... I have one, but not in that bowl. He's in a one gallon mini aquarium, and it has a light that is pretty good at keeping the water warm. It has never dipped below 75 degrees in his tank as long as that light is on.

I have heard of African Dwarf frogs... are they hard to take care of? If I get one, how do you all suggest I cover the bowl? It's a regular fish bowl... with a little lip at the top, so it doesn't have a lid.

I will look up some info on them on my own, to... I owuld just much rather have your advice, as I don't much trust the info I find on the internet... I have seen plenty of sites that say a betta is just fine in those little vases with the plants... and that's just not true.

 

[sylvia]

I've never kept the frogs so I'm not sure about how they are to take care of but many people have had success with them. They like blood worms from what I've heard I think there is a thread in the DIY section about covering bowls... not sure though. I suppose you could use a piece of cloth and a rubber band