Need 3 gallon purchase advice quick!

[Smaug21]

Ok, on my lunch break i was zooming around and i found a petco around here. I don't normaly like petco, but i had 2 hours to kill and thought i'd go in and compare prices on stuff. This petco was actually pretty good, while they have fish a bit to crowded, and have some saltwater fish in too small of tanks, in general stuff was pretty clean, but thats beside the point. The thing is, i found a small tank, can't remeber the name of it now, but i think it was a PICOTOPE 3 gallon tank, or after looking at fosters and smith it might be a DECO kit 3 gallon.

Looks sorta like this even if this isn't the right brand

The thing is, they had about 4 of them in the clearence for 15$!!!!

I'm not normaly up for these really tiny tanks (i can handle bigger and they give you more options for stocking and decor), but thats what i was thinking about geting for a christmas present for my brother. He dosen't really have any experience with fish before, and i think something this little would work wonderfull.

My question is...can you acutally put anything beyond a beta in one of these small tanks? If you can, do you need to do anything with them beyond stock, just to have a couple of freshwater fish? And are they even worth anything, i see a few of them with the reef stuff, but they are all really REALLY experienced reef guys. I'd love to buy one for him, but if you can't put any fish in it, the thing is worthless. Looking forward to your responses.!

P.S The reason i need it quick, is cause i want to go get it in about 2 or 3 hours, i'm afraid if i wait till tommorow they will be all out. And also, the tank is normaly listed in there at about 30$, so it's basicly half-off.

 

[Sicklid]

I'd say a Betta, or Paradise fish is about it... Definitely not able to keep the tetras that are in the picture in there.

 

[jamesrm]

If your getting tank for someone new, I would seriously consider getting a 20 gal or larger. They cost more, but are MUCH more forgiving to learn with. The swings and cycles are much easier to catch and control in those tanks for a novice as compared to a 3gal.

Just my 2 fins.

 

[Smaug21]

If your getting tank for someone new, I would seriously consider getting a 20 gal or larger. They cost more, but are MUCH more forgiving to learn with. The swings and cycles are much easier to catch and control in those tanks for a novice as compared to a 3gal.

Just my 2 fins.

Yeah generaly speaking i know thats the case, but i'm not certain if my brother would even setup a larger tank. He lives in a fairly small apartment and is pretty picky.

Beyond that, even a cheap kit for a 10g tank costs 50+ these days (especially if you want a good light + filter) i'm not willing to spend that much (poor college student) just to try to get someone into the hobby. My thinking is, even if he dosen't end up likeing aquariums, and i can't get him interested, then atleast no one will have been out a bunch of money, and the smallest possible number of fish have been hurt in the process.

Don't tell me that none of you have ever tried to get someone else interested?

At any rate, back to the topic at hand!
When i was younger and going threw middle school and beyond, Guppies were the fish of choice for really small tanks. Why don't i see them on here more? is there something about guppies that i don't know, or is it that they are just considered bad fish to keep? I can't find the info i'm looking for, but it seems to me that guppies are really small, not very fast swimers (i.e. why tangs or those tetras need bigger tanks then their size would suggest), and aren't the waster producers that goldfish are.

Maybe i'm missing something, but maybe you are right about what to keep, but if thats the case, then why the heck do they sell so many of these things?

Edit...scince i have too!!!!

Bah, i may give up on this, i've been searching on and off all day and i can't seem to find a single thing beyond a betta that you can keep in a tank of this size, at the very least i'm gonna put it off till tommorow and see if someone on here can find something for me!

 

[fish_4_all]

I don't see why 3-5 neons wouldn't fit in a tank like that. Even shrimp would work well in there if the population is controlled. As far as your brother being a newby big time, I don't know if this is the best starter or not. I know I wuld use it as an egg tank for my BN if I ever get them to breed and I had one.

 

[Mosaic]

The problem with guppies is they reproduce! But a few males may be ok.
What's wrong with bettas? For someone who's never kept fish before, these guys are great! They have tons of personality. You'll be sure to get him hooked.

 

[JustOneMore20]

What's wrong with bettas? For someone who's never kept fish before, these guys are great! They have tons of personality. You'll be sure to get him hooked.

I agree! People think bettas are so boring and do nothing, but my betta Charlie is such a cool fish. When I walk up to the tank, the other fish swim around begging for food, but Charlie slowly swims to the front and kind of stares at me like he's greeting me. He'll be hiding in the plants and then see me and head for the front. He's a great fish!

If your brother doesn't really like fish yet, getting him that tank and a betta would be great. The more fish you have, the more you have to check the parameters and do water changes. Overstocking that small of a tank would be heck. And it could mean he gives up. Getting him a betta will slowly get him into a "fish keeping" routine. A betta would be more forgiving if you went a couple weeks without a water change. Yes weekly would be best, but a betta would be forgiving if someone missed a week. And with only one fish in the tank, it wouldn't send the nitrates or cause a mini-cycle if he started out with every 3 week or so water changes. That one comes with a small filter, which is great and helps even more.

See if you can find a really nice Crowntail betta. They are gorgeous and maybe they would make your bro more interested in keeping fish.

 

[Esra]

I'd go with a betta and maybe a nice bright snail or something.

The bettas are really easy to keep and very fun.
plus they encourage the new user as they're easy and low maintenance.

If you get him something that requires effort he could easily just give us.

Nice little setup for a betta though, haven't seen any like that where i am.

 

[Smaug21]

Meh i had to give up on this idea, i went back yesterday and relized they we'rent what i posted at all...they are like some generic brand...and only 1g..

Beyond that, they only had one left this morning and it was pretty beat-up, so i was worried that it would be broken.

But the responses are informative if i ever do try to get him into fish. Thanks for the help guys.