Properly Running A 1 To 1.5 Gallon "bowl"

[JMatthew]

My wife and youngest wanted me to set up a mini-tank that we got for free from some people we bought a larger tank from. This tank is only about 1 to 1.5 gallons maximum and come with a sort of underground filter system which runs purely off an small airator.

I need to know what sort of proper maintaince should go into this taking care of this small of a tank. Would I simply add all new water everytime I do a water change? Should I do the water change weakly as I do with all the other tanks? Anything else anyone would be able to concieve of would be appreciated!

 

[kelly528]

Ohh my friend you have certainly thrown a gauntlet for yourself. Lets hope it's a 1.5g because there are no heaters on the market made for 1g tanks. Cleaning depends on what you are stocking it with... I would advise you cycle it. And as far as stocking it goes here are your options:

Without heater:
-Snails (don't be put off-- there are some absolutely stunning varieties out there!)
-Dwarf shrimp (You'll want to start off with cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp... most others are finicky about water quality, which is hard to maintain in such a small setup)
-Mosquitofish ( They males are quite tiny and they tolerate coldwater conditions well)
-Plants

With heater
-Betta (although the tank is a little on the small side for him )
-Endler's Livebearers
-Maybe a single guppy
-Any of the 'without heater' options.

When stocking, please consider the fish's environmental requirements, for example neons, although small, are out of the question because they need to be kept with at least 5 other buddies.

Good luck! I am a huge fan of nano tanks and am sure you will enjoy their unique challenges

 

[Yanks15]

I would add that if you go without a heater, this is still no place for a cute little goldfish. Just figured I'd mention it if you didn't know already.

 

[Curiosity101]

That tank isn't big enough for even one fish.

It's suitable for perhaps a couple of shrimp and/or a snail, along with some plants. But that is all.

If you wanted shrimp then you would have to create some sort of home-made sponge filter and cycle it. Then I would recommend daily water testing for the first week. Just to make sure.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi JMatthew

If you can fit it with a cover, it would be a good home to an African Dwarf Frog. It won't need a filter or heater provided your home is reasonably warm all year round.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

My wife and youngest wanted me to set up a mini-tank that we got for free from some people we bought a larger tank from. This tank is only about 1 to 1.5 gallons maximum and come with a sort of underground filter system which runs purely off an small airator.

I need to know what sort of proper maintaince should go into this taking care of this small of a tank. Would I simply add all new water everytime I do a water change? Should I do the water change weakly as I do with all the other tanks? Anything else anyone would be able to concieve of would be appreciated!

Is it a tank or a bowl? I have a betta in a 2-gallon bowl with a hydro-mini 7.5w heater and that keeps his temp. good.

If you don't cycle it, you'll have to do daily or every other day complete water changes. I recently moved that betta bowl from my son's bedroom to my bathroom and every morning, I scoop my betta out into a cup, dump ALL the water and then fill it with new (conditioned) water and adjust the temp until it's back to what it was before THEN put my betta back in (usually put him in the cup, do the water, take MY shower, then stick him the bowl). May sound like a lot of work, but it only takes about 10 minutes!

Keep in mind the less gravel the better because that can take up otherwise usable space for the water.

Oh, and a female betta with shorter fins may be better!

 

[JustFrozen]

good advice from guppygoddess.

a few years back someone at my work was handing out bettas because they were used as table decorations at her wedding

needless to say, the vast majority of them ended up dying (that others had received).

i kept mine alive for over 3 years doing exactly what guppygoddess described: constant 100% water changes (i had a very small tank and no filter). if the tank is 1.5 US gal, then at least there is a little bit to move around, obviously not ideal, so i would trade it in for a 5 gal like i did with that betta of mine, or a 2.5 at least, but if you can't then you can at least get by for a long time if you keep up with the work. also the suggestion to put minimal extras in the tank is good - try to maximize swimming space but still have something so its not completely empty.

honestly there's tremendous debate about what size is min for a comfy betta but there are far worse things than a 1.5 that are very common. if you want to feel good about it, just consider it temporary housing and carefully upgrade when u find a good deal on a 5 gal

 

[waterdrop]

One thing you could consider is just going out and grabbing a 5.5g as that doesn't take up much space and is about the smallest you can put a little 50w heater and mini-HOB on. You can use a glass top and put a table lamp over it. Its better for a few fish and it gives your children a little more room to decorate and do various things. Just a thought.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

An option for a very small tank like that would be the shrimp, already mentioned or some Heterandria formosa. The Heterandria are very small but are "real fish" for a kid to look after.
Here is a picture of one of mine, blown up about 5 or 10 times its real size. An adult female like this is less than an inch long.