What can I put in a goldfish bowl?

[allyn.girl]

Hi! So I’m fairly new to the whole fish/aquarium world and have a question. Is there any fish/shrimp/water critter that I could keep in a goldfish bowl? I know that goldfish bowls are not ideal for most fish or aquatic animals, but I really want an aquatic pet that is fairly small and easy to care for but also fun to have. Currently I have a 2 gallon planted tank with 3 Nerite snails, but would like to have a goldfish bowl or another smallish tank for another critter. Any suggestions?

 

[Autumnsky]

By Gold fish bowl are we thinking a traditional 1 Gallon size literal bowl with no filter?

 

[libertybelle]

A small filtered tank wouldn’t take up much more space than a bowl and would be way better for something like a few small shrimp. They’re very active and won’t mind being a bit cramped.

Shrimp wouldn’t mind the small space but are sensitive to water parameters so a bowl with no filter or top would cause issues both with cycling and with evaporation causing swings of tds which could mess with them.

The thing is nothing is going to be easy to care for in a bowl. (Except maybe plants/ moss ball)Water parameters will always be on edge and you’re kind of setting yourself up for failure.

You want easy? Set up a 5-10 gallon with a single betta and a couple nerite snails. Snails will control algea and the bioload will be so small water changes will be minimal compared to needing them every day or two in a bowl.

 

[Yohance]

Honestly no fish can live in a 1 gallon bowl, but what fish are you trying to buy or looking at? I would advise You to at least to start of with a 5 gallon or a 2.5 gallon tank with 1 betta fish, a 1 gallon bowl is too small for fish, even those small fish you see at those pet stores. That tank for them is like you living in a box for your whole sure you will live if you have food but you will not be happy in that box, same for the fish sure they will live but they won’t be happy, that would be animal cruelty!

 

[libertybelle]

Well they did ask about shrimp or other critters so while I maintain that a bowl ecosystem would be much more difficult to keep healthy then your standard 5-10 gallon betta tank, I think there are probably a few things that could work.

A planted bowl with a few dwarf shrimp. Oh... I wonder if you could do sea monkeys or Triops, like get sold in science kits for kids!

Again though; anything you try to keep healthy in an unfiltered bowl is just going to be so much harder than if you’d gotten relatively small filtered tank. So if creativity is what you’re after then by all means buy a kids science kit and go to town.... but if what you’re really after is an easy pet ... then what you really want is an understocked filtered cycled tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

And as an example I found 6.6G cube at the Habitat for Humanity store for about 15 (can't remember exactly right now) with substrate and rocks and a few fake plants and a light.

And a Fluval Spec V like new from Goodwill on sale for $7.50 Including the light and sponge.

Each small, taking up very little room on a night stand or desk and one came with a built in filter and the other a Fluval or Aquaclear 20 fit right on and was an ideal filter for a small tank allowing a safe and stable tank for the inhabitants!