aquarium question

[elegy]

are there any fish that can live (appropriately) in a 3 gallon fishtank other than a betta?

right now i have a betta in a 2.5 gallon minibow in my kitchen, but i saw a really neat 3 gallon fishtank at the store today, and i'd love to set it up in my bedroom, but i don't know what to put in it other than another betta, and that's kind of boring.

 

[MaloreyAnimal]

Nope. Too small for a Betta even in my opinion.

 

[Doberluv]

I wouldn't recommend using anything smaller than a 10 tank for most tropical fish. I am not sure, but I don't think there's a filter made that would work with a 3 gal. tank. When you get into a larger tank and more fish, you really need a filter and a heater. Guppies and betas don't need a heater as long as it's room temp. But it's really hard to manage a tank without a filter imo. You'd have to change the water too often for their own good. Anyhow, even if there is a filter etc for a 3 gal, I think that's just really small. I wouldn't go smaller than a 5 gal, preferably a 10. But whatever you decide, best of luck.

A long time ago, I did have a 5 gal. for just breeding guppies. Then I had a 10gal as a hospital tank and 30 gal to move them into when they got big enough.

 

[elegy]

i have a 29 g and i'm trying to rearrange furniture and come up with somewhere to put it. curse my small and inconveniently designed house.

that'd probably be the best choice to cure my fishtank itch. at least it's big enough to put a happy little school of something in.

i've never had trouble with bettas in this little tank. it did come with a filter, but the current it creates is too strong for a betta, so i don't run it. it's heated and planted (mostly java ferns) with a couple snails, and seems to do ok.

 

[Dizzy]

How about sticking something other than fish in it?

 

[elegy]

ok, furniture rearranged, 29g fishtank on its way to being installed.

so let me rephrase the question

if you had a 29g tank (gently planted), what would you put in it along with a little clan of otos? because otos are so freaking cute and i must have them.

 

[PlottMom]

I think I had my otos with mollies, and some neon tetras...

 

[SmexyPibble]

Ottos, mollies, tetras, and guppies. I love dojo loaches, but they get big so a 29g would only suite them for a while.

 

[Doberluv]

I just took down my 29 gal. I had pladys, several different tetras, including neon. I prefer the Cardinal tetras, but they're harder to come by. I had a plecostomus. (loved him) and a leopard catfish and some other kind of cat fish. I love the fancy guppies. Mollies are pretty, but I found some of them to be aggressive. Same with sword fish, some gourmis. If you're not sure, talk it over with the fish store person, if they seem to be knowledgeable.

I think it's lots of fun to try and save some babies from the live bearers. The guppies and pladys I had most recently were all bred in my tank. It's fun to see what you can make happen with a few different looking guppies. And even the pladys come in more variety than they did when I was a kid and had fish.

Whatever you get, add the more aggressive ones later and don't get them all at once....let your tank cycle for a time and make sure everything's okay. Have fun! I know how frustrating it can be sometimes with a small house. I happen to have a fairly good sized living room and managed to get my tank in there and my piano to boot. LOL.

 

[elegy]

i'm lucky to have a really nice fish store within reasonable driving distance (though not that convenient). knowledgeable people with a huge variety of fish (and plants!)

last time i had a gourami, a school of serpae tetras, and some khuli loaches.

i'm kind of kicking around the idea of an african butterfly fish, but they're not necessarily flake-eaters. we'll see.

 

[*blackrose]

As for the Betta - I'm not sure about other fish, but I have an African Dwarf Frog in with mine and they get along great. The only problem I am having is that Sin, the betta, eats all of the bloodworms up before Jean-Claude can get to them and I have to scoop Jean-Claude out of the tank and put him in his own container to eat, or else he can't find the food. This can be avoided by teaching the frog to eat from your hand or from a turkey baster, but I don't enjoy hand feeding and I don't have a turkey baster. LOL

I am going to set up a large Kritter Keeper and turn it into a frog tank and move Jean-Claude over and give him a buddy or two. That way I don't have to worry about starving froggies.

ADFs really like to be in pairs or in large groups, and that could be a problem in a 2 gallon...2 ADFs and 1 Betta in a three gallon might be a bit too much of a bioload, but if you kept the water clean enough I think it would work.

I'm trying to figure out how to stock my 10 gallon tank once I move the frog over to his own place, as one betta in a 10 gallon seems a little odd. I think I might get some Kuhli loaches, but I'm not sure if the tank will be big enough...? Anybody know?

 

[Romy]

If you still wanted something in the small tank I think Dizzy's idea is awesome.

There are some very beautiful invertebrates. Cherry shrimp are gorgeous, and bamboo shrimp are pretty rad too.

 

[elegy]

you know what make me ridiculously happy? snails. i have no good explanation for this, but i think they're adorable.

 

[Doberluv]

But snails can be a real pita. They multiply like rabbits and when they die, toxins are released. When there are a lot, it's no good for the fish. I had a problem once with snails. That's why I bring that up.

 

[Doberluv]

As for the Betta - I'm not sure about other fish, but I have an African Dwarf Frog in with mine and they get along great. The only problem I am having is that Sin, the betta, eats all of the bloodworms up before Jean-Claude can get to them and I have to scoop Jean-Claude out of the tank and put him in his own container to eat, or else he can't find the food. This can be avoided by teaching the frog to eat from your hand or from a turkey baster, but I don't enjoy hand feeding and I don't have a turkey baster. LOL

I am going to set up a large Kritter Keeper and turn it into a frog tank and move Jean-Claude over and give him a buddy or two. That way I don't have to worry about starving froggies.

ADFs really like to be in pairs or in large groups, and that could be a problem in a 2 gallon...2 ADFs and 1 Betta in a three gallon might be a bit too much of a bioload, but if you kept the water clean enough I think it would work.

I'm trying to figure out how to stock my 10 gallon tank once I move the frog over to his own place, as one betta in a 10 gallon seems a little odd. I think I might get some Kuhli loaches, but I'm not sure if the tank will be big enough...? Anybody know?

Kuhli loaches are pretty small. The general rule of thumb is a 1 inch fish per gal. of water. Remember your gravel, rocks, plants, heater and filter tubes displace some of the water so you don't really have quite 10 gal. of water. Bigger fish produce more waste and use more oxygen. When setting up a 10 gal tank, I wouldn't start out with more than about 3 fish until you see how everything regulates. I think larger tanks are much easier to maintain and provide a better environment for the fish. But a 10 gal. can be done...it's just a little limiting.

 

[*blackrose]

Kuhli loaches are pretty small. The general rule of thumb is a 1 inch fish per gal. of water. Remember your gravel, rocks, plants, heater and filter tubes displace some of the water so you don't really have quite 10 gal. of water. Bigger fish produce more waste and use more oxygen. When setting up a 10 gal tank, I wouldn't start out with more than about 3 fish until you see how everything regulates. I think larger tanks are much easier to maintain and provide a better environment for the fish. But a 10 gal. can be done...it's just a little limiting.

I did some research last night and it seems like there is a lot of different opinions on Kuhli loaches in 10 gallon tanks (some say the bioload they give is very small, others say they need more room, etc., etc.). I think what I am going to do is buy 4 Kuhlis. If I need to upgrade to a bigger tank, I have a 20 gallon that my mouse is currently residing in and since she is a senior critter and not very active anymore I can just swap tanks should the need arise. So I'll have 4 Kuhlis and 1 betta in the 10 gallon. I just need to buy more plants and hideyholes for the Kuhlis to feel at home. But first I'm going to set up my ADF tank. That should be fun.

 

[Zoom]

Stop making me want a fish tank again!

 

[elegy]

i loved my khulis. they are such cute little fish.