adrianb

Hi.
We are trying to have 1-2 fish in a fishbowl just as a little pet. However, the Guppies we buy seem to last a few weeks an then die. We don't want to go to the expense of an aquarium, and simply want fish in a fishbowl.

Each time the guppies died, it was the morning after we changed their water, but we had changed it before (weekly) and everything was just fine.

Any advise?

Thanks!
Adrian

ShaynaB

Unfortunately, fish bowls aren't really the best places for fish. (Kinda ironic, seeing as that's what they're made for...) Guppies really need to be kept in a filtered and heated aquarium.

Did you treat the water before you put it in? That could be another problem, along with the bowl.

Welcome to FishLore!

krazykid933

Fish bowls are a relic of our past, but if you prefer to use one try goldfish. Tropical fish usually need more care. Put one gold fish in it and make sure to use a little pea gravel.

ShaynaB

Goldfish also need a filtered aquarium! They get really really big! (True, though, they're not tropical fish, so they don't need a heater.)

krazykid933

But, goldfish like Rosy Reds (usually used as bait) usually stay small. Daily water changes will work for it.

adrianb

The bowl has gravel, a little fake plant and a turtle statue in it.... Yes we got these drops and put it in... when changing the water, we would put a cup of old water with the fish in the bowl for about 3 hours to try to get the temperatures the same before dumping them back in.

What i don't understand is:

a) they seemd to be fine... happy as anything, eating at feeding time every night, playing, etc etc

b) we've changed the water before the exact same way and they've been fine.

We really do like how guppies look / act and neither have an interested in goldfish. IF there is any way to make this work we'd like to..... any other advise would be appreciated.

Lucy

Hi adrianb welcome to Fish Lore

I'm sorry for the loss of your fish. Unfortunately, a fish bowl isn't a healthy home for fish.
What size bowl do you have?
When fish poo, it turns into ammonia which is toxic to fish. In a small bowl, ammonia builds up quickly.
You also have to be sure to treat your tap water with a water conditioner that removes chlorine that's in your tap water....
chlorine is also toxic to fish.
Guppies and other tropical fish need a warm consistent temperature.
It's near impossible to maintain that in a bowl.

Here's a link to read that explains it better:
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm


Aquariums don't have to be expensive. Walmart has a 10g kit that runs around $35.00-$40.00. To keep tropical fish you would also have to add a heater. You can also keep your eye on Craig's List and Freecycle. You can usually pick up a bargain, or better yet free.

The initial expense is well worth the price and health of your fish.

Here are a few things you can read that I hope you will find helpful:
READ FIRST: Freshwater Beginner Important Topics

Good luck.

ShaynaB

That's true. Rosy Reds grow to only around 2 inches so I've been told. Also, I think they're a type of minnow, not a goldfish!

Miscommunication! Sorry, I usually think about the big bubble goldfish when I think of goldfish! hehe

adrianb

No idea how big the bowl is in galons... i'd say its about the size of a basketball, maybe a bit smaller?

Its blowing my mind a bit that fish shouldn't live in fishbowls...... whats up with that?

ShaynaB

I agree with Lucy. Craigslist is an amazing place to get a used aquarium! Just make sure it's in good shape.

Also, sometimes fish don't have any "symptoms" before they die. They just up and die.

ShaynaB

Like Lucy said, fish bowls are too small and they accumulate fish poo too fast, creating too much ammonia which will kill the fish. Also, it's really hard to keep a bowl heated to the correct temp.

krazykid933

Could you invest in a small betta tank? Like the five gallon plastic ones. You can usually find them under $15 with a filter and hood light. You can find great ones at yard sales, flea markets, etc. And you could get a mini-heater if you need one. (I don't use my heater at this time of year.) But, if you absolutely don't want a small tank try just one guppy and use a water conditioner.

I found one of these at a yard sale for a buck!



I gave it to my aunt for her betta.

Lucy

Ya gotta love how they show all those fish in the tanks in those ads.....soooo deceiving!

Wish I could find such a good deal.

ShaynaB

That's an awesome deal... I have the same 5 gallon and I thought I got a good deal at Walmart! HAHA

You know, I heard someone at Petsmart talking about how many fish they could put in their tank because of the picture on the outside of the box. I just shook my head because it was a store employee...

adrianb

Well guys, thanks for all the help -- i guess its just not meant to be At least we know why now...

krazykid933

Come to think of it I wish I still had that tank... I need to set up a QT.

Lucy

Don't give up so quickly, it sounds like you'd really enjoy fish keeping. Just keep your eye out for a bargain. The right thing will come along.

Devon

Putting fish in a bowl as their permanant home is rather cruel... especially since like others have mentioned here, guppies like warmer water and it's hard to accomodate a heater in a bowl (plus, it looks ugly, and I assume you like the idea of a bowl for the aesthetics as much as anything.) Unfortunately, fish aren't decorations -- they're living creatures with a need for space and comfort like anything else.
Do your pretty little companions a favor, please, and give them an aquarium, even a small one.

tzqng8

Like others have said, a bowl just isn't the place for a fishy, crazy as that may sound to you now. Stick around here long enough and it won't! So, either run away fast or stick around and get a new family.

So, here are some links to help, if you are interested in keeping with the hobby:

Get yourself a nice little tank. This 6.2g from PetCo gets rave reviews around here (and it is even on sale through today!). That kit comes with all kinds of stuff. In addition to that, if you want to keep tropical fish (Guppies included), you'll need a little heater. This one from Drs. Foster and Smith would do well in that tank (the 25w will be fine in that tank).

So, for $65 you have the whole setup bascially. All you'll need are the fish, their food, and some water conditioner. BAM!

COBettaCouple

Fish bowls are a relic from the past. They're just sold now, along with the super tiny betta containers even though they're too small and mean death to the fish -- profit, pure & simple.

Probably the cheapest way to setup a tank is to get a 10g tank kit. Usually, just the heater & aeration will be missing from one of those, as far as hardware goes.

john&jen

Keep a heater in mind too! The Wallyworld 10 gallon kit is about $20 without heat or aquarium grade gravel...not HomeDepot gravel! If you dont want heat or goldfish...look into white cloud minnows.

john&jen

By the way...
About 6 months ago my wife allowed me to get the 29 gallon Walmart starter set up... I now have SIX tanks in the house!

Barbrella

To me, fishbowls are like small cages at zoos - archaic and inhumane, from an era when people didn't know better.

They're much better used to put, say, some pretty shells, flowers, some stones/sand and candles or to turn into a cactus garden!

COBettaCouple

Fish bowls may not mean CERTAIN death, which nobody has said they do, but they do mean death to most fish.

Trio123

ok, deleted. I was just telling my experience and saying what people do when I said that a bowl was a death trap for a betta. Other fish are irrelevant as I didnt say anything about them. I thought that new people might be scared away from the forum by what I thought was an extreme statement. I appologize for apparently offending you that was not my intention... it was more a statement about human pschology... and how I try to sell 10 gallon tanks rather than bowls.

ps I agree Barbrella

Barbrella

Well, if someone really likes the looks of a bowl, get a really big one - around 5 gallons.

Then you need a filter and heater for tropical fish since they cannot tolerate 100% water changes and need steady temps. Nano-fish like Celestial Pearl Danios, Axelrodi reisei (Ruby tetras), sparkling Gouramis or Dwarf blue-eyed Rainbows are a few that come to mind. There are also super-small rasboras (cant' think of the name at the moment!) One betta alone, perhaps with a snail, could also be kept.

A cover of some sort it also needed, since most fish can and do jump. A light is a good idea if there are real plants. There are some desk lamps that can be used for this.