New FishTaker - Bowl as aquarium

Hi, I am into new hobby, taking care of fish (first time newbie). I do have a guppy fish (i think, the one with colorful vibrant tails - male, and female with white vibrant tails), but they died.. :cry:

I wanted to know how to take care guppy fish (or other fishes) in a fish bowl. I think most of you are taking care of fish (professionally and out of habit) on an aquarium.

Advise me please if I'm doing right:

I changed the water once a week, since the water is getting dirty frequently. Before I change the water, I let the tap water settle for an hour before putting in the fish and completely wash the bowl. THen put back the settled water with the fish on the bowl.

The food is the one recommended by the shop to us. The small bits (smaller than the regular food of a goldfish for example) that also has vitamins to enhance the color of the fish.

Any tips or resources please? Thanks.

PS: The size of the bowl is wide but small and has few rocks. The water I use is a tap water that only reaches half and a few below level of the bowl. The bowl is a little more small in height. And the rim is smaller than its body.

 

hi i wouldn't do 100% water change only half the water each time you do a water change

 

Instead of trying to keep guppies in a bowl, which really isn't appropriate for them, try one betta.

Get some water conditioner to add to the water when you change it, and like suggested, don't change 100% and don't clean everything each time you change the water. You're removing all the beneficial bacteria that help to break down waste products.

Be carefull how much you're feeding. Just a tiny pinch is all you need. No more than the fish will eat in a couple of minutes. Leftover food will quickly foul the water.

 

Bowls are totally unsuitable for the vast majority of fish (and if it's less than 2 gallons than it's not suitable for ANY fish). Bettas, african dwarf frogs, a couple species of shirmps, and black mystery snails can be kept in bowls with frequent 100% water changes (like every 2 - 3 days), but the bowls need to be NO LESS than 2 gallons (which is more than what most "fish bowls" are) and really, they would live a much better life in a filtered, properly cycled aquarium of at least 5 gallons.

Do your fish a favor and just don't keep them in a bowl.

-Chelle

 

A bowl is extremely unsuitable for any kind of fish except a Betta. It is improper for goldfish because of their acidy poo, and a Betta would do great in the bowl if it is 100% changed once a week. A guppy or any fish besides a Betta will not survive long in a fish bowl.

 

How large is it when you say its small?
Do you have a running filter?


My advice to you is get a small fish tank, most fish wont survive long in small bowls, unless its a beta of which those i wouldn't even recommend in small bowls, people just keep them in there due to how hardy they are. If you want to keep a few guppies i suggest trying out a 10 gallon, have five or so in there with a proper running filter, instead of letting the water stand try some water conditioner, i've found that letting the water stand doesn't always get rid of all the toxins found in the water, as well some areas the water tends to "go off" and become useless and unhealthy. Do you by any chance have any testers? at your local fish store you can find many types of testers, try some of them out to check your PH levels and so forth. Another factor for the fish dying my guess would be stress related, but thats just a thought.

Hope that helped =]

 

orirunaway, is the tap water in your city chlorinated? If yes then you need to get dechlorinator solution.

If you just want to stick to the bowl, then a male betta (less action) or a pair of Black-skirt Tetras (more action) is suitable. Try not to do 100% water change. Wash the bowl with the fish inside before you drain out the water. Siphon out the dirt in the bottom using a one-centimeter diameter tube. The job will be easier if you do not have decor stones at the bottom. Decor stones are not for fishbowl anyway. Drain out the water until the minimum level where the fish can breath and pour in clean water slowly.

I prefer an established tank than a fish bowl because I can keep other less hardier fish and the water will not get cloudy easily (which means less water change).

 

An unfiltered bowl is totally unsuitable for blackskirts and especially a 1 gallon bowl (I'd even be hesitant to put them in a filtered 10 gallon tank - they may only get 2", but they really should be kept in groups).

And although a betta can survive in an unfiltered tank, a 1 gallon really isn't suitable (it's too small to cycle, and you'd have to do 100% water changes every day too keep the ammonia down and that can be very stressful for the betta).

Cloudy water isn't the only reason for doing water changes (although it is an indicator that there is something VERY serious wrong with the water quality). Clear water doesn't necessarily mean clean water.

-Chelle

 

Hi Chelle. I know those (water quality/volume, community fish) too. It is just that I have different approach on guiding friends who just want to start this hobby. First I will see what they have. For example if they already have a small bowl, I cannot just tell them to get a bigger tank. Then I tell them what they will want to do for now. For example most beginners want to see that the fish survive and the water is not cloudy. If I tell them about all the taboos in this hobby, I am afraid I will spook them away. As they delve into it more, they will want to do more and I will tell them more. Pardon me please.

 

That's one of the most irresponsible things I've heard in a long time.

So you tell them to put fish in the bowl that can't actually survive in a bowl. Yeah, that's good advice. :roll: Let them throw fish in a little bowl, then watch the fish die from lack of oxygen and ammonia poisoning (black skirts can NOT survive in an unfiltered tank/bowl). I'm sure having a bowl full of dead/dieing fish is going to make them want to stay in this hobby. :roll: You're setting them up for disaster and a bunch of dead fish. I'd rather see someone not ready to take on the responsibility of keeping fish spooked away from the get go when they hear the truth then be given a bunch of band advice and them spend a bunch of money and kill a bunch of fish before they get fed up with the hobby.

-Chelle

 

Hi Chelle. You should visit some of the breeders but for your information these places are usually highly classified. When cost is concerned, everything is operating at the bottom line where the fish can survive. That is why some articles recommend to have a quarantine tank of new fish that we buy so that any germ from such cost-conscious environment will not be introduced into our established tank. There are even breeders playing God by breeding Frankenstein fish, like blood parrot, where a lot of antibiotic and hormone are involved.

Of course we must not be like them. My bottom line for beginners are higher than them, and yours is higher than mine. Black-skirt is very forgiving on the water quality although less quality can shorten its lifespan. If we start spooking beginners away with all the strict requirement for the fish to live at its max lifespan, I think many fish forums will not survive as there will be less people in this hobby. I was a a beginner myself who was the worst among beginners 20 years ago.

Please do not say that I am the most irresponsible. That kind of statement is very heavy. Such expression is not suitable for any 'forumosphere' (that's the word that I invented, keke) and will spook people away.

 

It's not just about water quality (although that's a HUGE part of it). Blackskirts cannot live in a bowl of water and I still stand by my statement that it is irresponsible to suggest that someone throw them in a bowl.

And quite frankly, I don't care if I "spook" off a newbie by telling them the truth. I'd rather be honest and possibly have them learn to do things right than give them false information and help them mistreat/kill living beings (which, btw, are totally dependent on us humans for their well being).

So you'd rather people take poor/improper care of their fish and have them die young? The whole goal of keeping fish (or any animal for that matter) is to keep them in such an environment that they thrive and live to their full potential. Anything less is abuse.

Would you give advice on the cat forum with the goal of helping someone have a cat live for just 2 years? Or on the horse forum, would you tell someone living in an apartment to go ahead and get a couple horses. It may not be ideal, but if that's all you have, it should be fine. Who cares if they don't live very long.

-Chelle

 

As quoted above, nope, I do not tell everyone the minimum requirement. I only talk about the minimum requirement in front of new hobbyists depending on where they are now. That is how I teach people. The same thing applies when I teach calculus. If I know that the student is not calculus-savvy, I don't jump straight into it but I start out with simple math first. This is a forum. It is an interactive place where I can understand the person's need before telling the solution. If I will write articles in future, of course I will write them as strictly as you are because I don't know whom the readers will be (articles are not interactive). I will read more articles like this:
http://www.tipskey.com/petting/freshwat ... _guide.htm

 

But you're not giving them correct/good advice even based on what they have. You told the original poster to put some fish in a bowl that have absolutely NO place in a bowl.


-Chelle

 

Hi Chelle, I surrender. :y_the_best:
Thank you for your patience in guiding me.

 

do the opposite.