One Gallon Tank BAD?

[Mikeski]

My girlfriend just purchased me a 1 gallon fish tank. I have bought a 1 and 1/2 inch long red headed fan tailed goldfish. The tank also has gravel and an under ground filter with an air bubbler.
I was wondering if this is a very cruel and bad set up for this type of fish?

 

[Maillis]

I'm no goldfish expert but most people recommend 10 gallons for a single goldfish because of how big they get and the amount of waste they produce. In a tank like that you're better off with a betta.

 

[mhaynes01]

i have to disagree a 1 gallon should not be used for fish period!

2.5-10 gallons is fine for a betta

10- whatever thats bigger than 10 gallons for goldfish

 

[Endgame319]

IMO a 1g tank is be fine for a betta, although it would help to get a small heater to get the temp up to 78. Other options are ghost shrimp, african dwarf frogs, or fry. Definately too small for a fantail, they grow to 10".

I keep my betta in a 1g hex on my desk, and give him 70% water changes every week. I also had two ghost shrimp in there, but my betta got hungry

 

[Devilishturtles]

Welcome to AA Mikeski!

Definitley see if the lfs where you got the goldfish will take it back. Either that, or get a larger tank, atleast a 10 gallon. Goldfish get huge and are ENORMOUS waste producers.

A betta would be ok in a 1 gal. tank w/ heater as endgame said. Good luck with it.

 

[An t-iasg]

I would not put a heater in a one gallon tank or bowl. The smallest heater I know of is a 25 watt heater, for a 5 gallon tank. I used to see some 15 watt heaters on the web, but I haven't for awhile. Please do not use a 25 watt heater in a 1 gallon bowl or tank. If you put a 25 watt heater in a one gallon tank, you'll heat the water up way too fast and too hot.

I used to have a betta in a 1 gallon bowl, and I put him in a 5 gallon tank with a 25 watt heater, after the bowl temperature fluctuated too much and he got sick. Although he is in fishy heaven now, I could tell that he liked the 5 gallon tank much better than the bowl.

 

[mhaynes01]

I dont agree because; that is just torture but is thats what you do thats what you do

 

[Endgame319]

An t-iasg - the 25w heater in my 1g works great, its a visitherm deluxe so it was a little on the expensive side, but it keeps the temperature stable.

mhaynes - You can keep your bettas in whatever size tank you want, but a 1g is not torture. He has plenty of room to swim around, and with such a small brain, I dont think they ever get "bored". What IS a bad idea is 3 koi in a 60g pond. Koi can grow up to 3 feet and need plenty of swimming space and a pond of at LEAST 500g.

 

[Atlarge]

Owned.

Dwarf puffer?

 

[jsoong]

Mikeski.

Just to repeat what others had said - a 1 gal is not good for any goldfish.

From your post, I gather that the red head fantail you got miught be an red-cap Oranda. These are rather more delicate than the common fantail & will not do well during the cycling process. <PS - if you don't know about cycling, please read about that in the articles section. That is the most important part of keeping fish IMO>

You'll need to do daily water changes just to keep that fish alive for more than a few days or weeks. (I'd say at least 50%) So, if you want to keep that fantail, I would suggest getting at least a 10 gal, 20 is prob better.

 

[Mikeski]

thanks everyone for the helpful advice, i think i'll return it and get a betta, if i can keep that alive then mabee in a few months i'll graduate to a 10 gallon.

 

[Devilishturtles]

mhaynes, I'm wondering if you know the background and history of a betta fish? They are native to rice patties in the middle east. These are usually nothing but puddles for most of the year. Granted these "puddles" do get larger at some times, a bettas natural habitat is shallow, small confines. Their native water quality is stagnant, murky waters. None the less, I keep mine in a 5.5 gallon tank, a one gallon is not "torture" as you put it. Many people will say that a betta should be kept in larger tanks, but regardless, the one gallon is livable. Now keeping the goldfish in the 1 gallon, that would be torture, but not the betta fish.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Mikeski, just read your post. The saying is, a larger tank is easier to care for than a smaller one. This is true. A 10 gallon tank with good filter and larger space, will be easier to care for then the 1 gallon with the undergravel, and space for only one fish. It needs to be cleaned more frequently, levels such as nitrate, nitrite, ammonia levels rise faster. Just something to think about I guess, don't think that a 10 gallon is hard to care for, and IMHO you have just as good luck with it as you would the 1 gallon, and be able to keep a slight variety of fish.

 

[sofia]

If you keep a betta in 1g...70% water change a week is not enough...you should do water changes more often...and as for "small brain" comment you would not believe how intellectual they really are!

 

[mhaynes01]

thank you sofia

 

[Mikeski]

Thanks again for the info. It is nice to see that everyone here cares so much about fish. At the pet store they told me that a one gallon tank would be fine for any fish of an inch in lengnth.
Also, every pet store that i have been in sells betta's in small glass bowls that they can barely swin in which they beleive is fine for their health. It is interesting to see that the pet stores point of view is a lot different from everyones here.

 

[Endgame319]

sofia - it is a filtered established tank. 70% a week is enough.

 

[sofia]

not in my opinion....as having more than 200 bettas...i think i would know what iam talking about.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Woah....let's not start a flame war....

Everyone is entitled to their opinion yes, and no matter what someone says, some people's minds are not gonna change. So, let's not all gang up on endgame and dis him for having a betta in a 1 gallon tank. I personally, would like mine in a larger tank, but a 1 gallon is fine for a betta.

And I have to ask you sofia, since you have 200... do you clean all 200 of yours, atleast 70% once a week?

 

[patryuji]

Just put a ghost shrimp or two in the 1Gallon tank and call it a day!

Perhaps you should get a larger tank since it will be easier to maintain. You could get a 10 or 20 gallon tank and put a few fish in there of varied qualities and designs. Maybe the 1Gallon would be an okay hospital/quarantine tank for one small fish since you'd be doing 40-50% water changes everyday on a hospital or quarantine tank anyways.