REALLY low maintenance fish for my dad?

HI guys

I think all this fish talk is getting my dad thinking that he'd like fish again but as, when I was little, he was the primary carer to the fish, he's still got a nasty taste (no pun intended) in his mouth. So he just told me that he wanted a goldfish in a bowl. I told him to please not have his goldfish in a bowl and he just won't take no for an answer. He's under the impression that goldfish is really low maintenance - which it kind of is, but you still need to vacuum and do water changes weekly and you need to use conditionned water and you need a reasonably big tank - none of these things he is ready to do.

Any suggestion for a fish that is really really really low maintenance so I can steer him clear of that goldfish idea?

 

Is he on a well or a municipality's water supply?
Is his water naturally hard or soft?
What is his average pH?

When Dino was teaching me about fishkeeping one of the first lessons was about keeping fish that thrive in the water you have normally. It cuts down lots of maintenance, and keeps the water as close to natural as possible. (Not having to pump it with the chemicals.)

Perhaps if we can find fish that thrive in your dad's water perameters, and if he keeps the tank well UNDERstocked with enough plants he might be able to loosen up on the length between water changes.

Lol, try to convince him a heavily planted tank with few fish makes for AWESOME games of hide-and-seek, which the fish love.

 

u could try some livebearers there low maintence fish

Peace Out Callum!

 

Three spot gourami they are great fish will eat anything in the tank there water conditions only need to be wet

 

why not a female betta? one tank, one fish, she will interact with him( so he will see the point in fish keeping) and not the constant finrot worry!

 

gouramis are good mine interacts with me and is basicly a tank when it comes to water conditions

 

Is he on a well or a municipality's water supply?
Is his water naturally hard or soft?
What is his average pH?

When Dino was teaching me about fishkeeping one of the first lessons was about keeping fish that thrive in the water you have normally. It cuts down lots of maintenance, and keeps the water as close to natural as possible. (Not having to pump it with the chemicals.)

Perhaps if we can find fish that thrive in your dad's water perameters, and if he keeps the tank well UNDERstocked with enough plants he might be able to loosen up on the length between water changes.

Lol, try to convince him a heavily planted tank with few fish makes for AWESOME games of hide-and-seek, which the fish love.

I'll second that! Even if its not heavily planted, having fish that can live with what type of water he has is a good option and will make maintenance easier.

 

white cloud

 

Good questions these, and good points. Never thought of it that way (for low maintenance, look at fish that are real close to your average parameters).

I'll bring my test kit next week to test their tap water.

Is he on a well or a municipality's water supply?
Is his water naturally hard or soft?
What is his average pH?

When Dino was teaching me about fishkeeping one of the first lessons was about keeping fish that thrive in the water you have normally. It cuts down lots of maintenance, and keeps the water as close to natural as possible. (Not having to pump it with the chemicals.)

Perhaps if we can find fish that thrive in your dad's water perameters, and if he keeps the tank well UNDERstocked with enough plants he might be able to loosen up on the length between water changes.

Lol, try to convince him a heavily planted tank with few fish makes for AWESOME games of hide-and-seek, which the fish love.

 

Thanks you guys and gals. All very good suggestions. I'll mull it over and then try to approach him.

 

remember the stuff-a-person-in-a-box technique. or just put 100 people in his living room.

 

Low maintenance fish for a fishbowl is deffinitely Guppy.

 

Oh yeah, good one. Doesn't help that my cousin has this really happy 9 yr old goldfish in a tiny fishbowl and I have to admit, he looks happy! Argh!

remember the stuff-a-person-in-a-box technique. or just put 100 people in his living room.

 

what about a 5 gal. with some ghost shrimp and guppies/female betta ?

 

Oh yeah, good one. Doesn't help that my cousin has this really happy 9 yr old goldfish in a tiny fishbowl and I have to admit, he looks happy! Argh!

remember the stuff-a-person-in-a-box technique. or just put 100 people in his living room.

wave a couple of fish sticks in front of him and wipe that smirk right off his little face!