Small fish tank for office...??
Right, I posted something similar on a fish hobbyist forum. Big mistake, lemme tell ya.Immediately got people calling me a fish murderer and whatnot...
I'm looking to get a small fish tank to keep at the office, either for me or my boss. Fish are a proven stress reliever, and plus I just love them in general. Had a few growing up and it was grand.
Any recommendations? Something lower on the maintenance scale (so, no salt water fish), and something that can live happily in a smaller tank (of course I wouldn't get a small glass fish bowl, but I have seen some nice small square plastic tanks).
I was thinking one goldfish... but... apparently just one needs quite a lot of space to swim around?
I was also thinking fancy guppy, buuut... they don't seem to live as long as other fish.
Finally I was thinking of just one of those small shark-looking things, black with red fins. I don't know what they're called, have never had one before, but they're kind of like a cleaner fish that you might have in addition to something else.
Meh I dunno. Any suggestions?
You're thinking too much
I had a medium size tall round bowl, and for over 7 years, had two goldfish and a guppy in it...
They died and now I have a small rectangular one with two goldfish and a guppy...
They look at me every morning, feed meThey sit by my computer where I work...
Nutrilising the water is important and in addition, I always add fresh plants they get oxygen from that and love it...
Do we not realise that in order to find a soul
It doesn't happen over night
if truth were to be told.
Like everything in life that's hard to achieve
you must believe!
Depending on the size of the tank you're getting, I would say a betta, swordtail, or platy would be a good choice. They do well living in a small tank alone. Other species prefer to live in a medium to large community aquarium. You can also get a few smaller schooling fish like tetras or fancy guppies... they have a shorter life span but if you mix males and females they will probably breed and keep producing more fishies to replace the ones that die of age.
The shark-like fish you are thinking of is probably the Red-Tailed "Shark" (it's actually called that because of it's body shape, not related to actual sharks). They prefer a community aquarium and feed mostly on algae, so the tank would need to be medium sized and near a window with live plants in it so the tank would produce the algae to feed it. If you're getting a small tank, a goldfish isn't a good idea. They eat a lot, therefore poop a lot which produces ammonia in the tank and quickly makes the water dirty (which is why they require more space than other fish). So unless you are prepared to clean the tank every other day, I would stay away from goldfish. As for the size of the tank and what fish to get, a good rule of thumb is one gallon of water per inch of fish (body length).
A reputable pet store should be able to help you pick the right species of fish that would do well living alone or with a small school. Most likely they will push you towards getting a male betta since they are low maintenance and generally are kept solitary, but there are some other species that do ok living alone.
Thought I'd also mention a few most common fish owner mistakes to avoid: overfeeding (most fish only need to eat every other day), not varying the diet enough (don't feed the same type of food all the time, it leads to malnutrition), and getting lazy about cleaning the tank (unfiltered needs cleaning once a week, filtered needs at least a 50% water change every 2 weeks and a complete cleaning once a month).
I know that's a lot to think about, but good luck!
How can you see where you're going if you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder? –Naughty Ninja
Thanks guys, great advice!
CW how often do you clean your tank? When I had goldfish (in quite a large one), I used to have to do it once a week or so.
I've thought about betas but they look SO miserable in the pet stores, just sitting there at the bottom of the tiny cups they keep them in. One of my friends ended up getting one and keeping it in a small tank (like what I'm considering), and you wouldn't believe how the poor thing livened up now that it had some room to swim. I wonder if they'd all be like that?
Would a red tailed shark get along with a beta?? Hmmmm....
Also, live plant might be interesting.. I had one once though and the "plant food" I was instructed to feed it ended up making the fish ill. I guess all plants are different though and I may have just gotten the wrong type...
LOL of course the poor bettas are miserable in those little cups, it would be like you having to live in a closet. Yeah they tend to get much happier once they find a suitable home.
The red-tailed sharks require a medium sized aquarium with lots of hiding places, but can be aggressive toward other fish. A male betta of course can't be kept with other male bettas, but they can do ok in a community aquarium, so it's possible they could get along. Male bettas have been known to attack any fish that looks similar to a betta, and they will attack a female as well if it's not in "breeding mode". Female bettas can be kept with other females and in a community tank. Most aquarium plants do just fine with a little sunlight, but don't overload the tank with them. I would say just one plant in a small tank.
How can you see where you're going if you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder? –Naughty Ninja
Well I have a filter on mine, my rectangular bowl would be ruler length x 3/4 ruler length. The goldfish are only like 2 inches long, thought I would mention that
I would clean possibly once a month due to adding in the chlorine drops to the water but I'd top it up as it started to go down, adding again some drops.
Bascially if stuff floats and it's starting to go clowdy me, clean
I HATE the small cups, I've seen it, but i think a live in plant, they roam around, seem to be happy, adds to it
Do we not realise that in order to find a soul
It doesn't happen over night
if truth were to be told.
Like everything in life that's hard to achieve
you must believe!
I own 3 Betta boy's and I have 2 of them in small 2.5g. tank's. I absolutely love the 2.5's, they are small and easy to clean...and for an office I think those would be ideal.
And for easy fish, one Betta...they basically need the 2.5g tank, water conditioner, water and water change's twice a week for that size tank.
Oh almost forgot the most important...Betta's are tropical fish so they need a heater to heat the water to 80F.
If ever u need help to take care of ur finned friend, feel free to message me!
So glad to be able to help a potential fish owner!
Yeah... I really hope you're not keeping the male bettas in the same tank together, and if so, I can't believe they haven't killed each other already. You can keep female bettas together, but not males.Originally Posted by Shadow_Kat
I've been a fish hobbyist for about 10 years. More than one fish of that size in such a small tank is overcrowding. The general rule is 1 gallon of water per inch of fish (body length), with the exception of goldfish that need much more than that. While bettas prefer water temp between 75 and 80°F, they do fine in temps as low as 65°F. Room temp is just fine, so there is no need for a heater as long as the tank isn't in a drafty area.
Potential owners should do research on proper care and habitat before buying a fish or any other animal.
How can you see where you're going if you spend your whole life looking over your shoulder? –Naughty Ninja
I have 3 tank's, one 5g. and 2 - 2.5's. They each house a Betta...no I would never put male Betta's in the same tank.
I am a member of a Betta Fish forum too, and the smallest tank we recommend for them is a 2.5g's.
And sorry to disagree but they do require some type of heat source, they can survive in 65F water but they'll be sluggish (like u see them in the pet store cup's), if u want them to live long and happy live's they need that 75 to 80F.
I don't wanna start a dispute I just wanna give proper care fact's on the fish I love.
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