what's the best fish for my sons 2.5 gallon tank?

Question

my son's fish died about a week ago. we brought the fish in april, a betta fish. he was very upset when it died (he's 5 and it was his first pet). i cleaned the tank a few times and changed the filter. i also made sure the fish was not being over or under feed. im pretty sure it was the heat that caused the fish to expire. this time around i plan to buy a couple of fish maybe 4. do you know of any that will last for a while? they should also be pretty to look at. help

Answer 1

I'd reconsider a putting 4 fish in the tank. A 2.5 gallon tank can hold 2-3 very small fish. A betta is an extremely hardy fish compared to anything else you can get. The only thing is they prefer temps around 80, but they survive into the low 70s. Other than goldfish (too small of tank), guppies, and minnows. Your going to need a heater to keep things in the high 70s.

If you betta died from too much heat reconsider any fish. Bettas can happily take temps to 85 for their entire lives. This will kill most fish in a few days to weeks. Most other tropical fish top out at about 82, and cold water fish like goldfish in the mid 70s. (Of course most fish can take 4-5 degrees above their ideal range for a while if the change is gradual.)

Also keep in mind anything other than a goldfish, and betta needs a filter. So pretty much at minmum you need either a heater, or filter. For most tropical fish you'll need both.

Answer 2

When you cleaned the tank did you take out all the water? Did you make sure to use a water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines and did you make sure that the new water that you put into the tank was the same temperature as the water the betta is in?

You could have also bought a fish that was sick too. Stay away from fish from walmart and some of the other big chain stores. Find a small locally owned fish store that knows about fish and takes good care of their tanks.

For a 2.5 gallon tank that has a filter, i would get 2 african dwarf frogs, and 2 male guppies(males only because in that size tank you do not want babies plus males have color and long tails). Not all at once but i would gradually add one each week. Or i would go with a single male betta. As someone already said they have a lifespan of 3-4 yrs.
For maitenance i would do a 30 percent water change weekly. Never go past 50 percent and vacume the gravel with a mini siphon that you should find at most petstores. It says the mini siphon is suited to tanks 2-5 gallons.

In a small tank such as that you are severly limited for fish.

Answer 3

Goldfish grow up to a foot long, the fancy varieties get at least 6". Your tank is not big enough for goldfish. They are also very dirty. They will die after just a few months in such a small environment.

There are very few fish you can keep in something that small. Honestly the Betta is probably the best choice. You could do dwarf gourami- the are also labrynth fish.

If you do community tropical than the rule is 1" of fish per gallon. I would not put more than two inches worth of fish in there. You may be able to keep a pair of guppies, mollies or platys but they should really be kept in nothing smaller than a 5 gallon. They will probably die very young.

Even the small schoolers like neons, danios and tetras get to be an inch as an adult. You are supposed to keep them in at least groups of three- so you really don't have room. Neons would be your best bet they are the smallest- but they are also the most delicate. Chances are they wouldn't survive if the betta didn't.

The tank you have is made for bettas. You should look into getting him something bigger or just get him another Betta.

Added- do not get an algae eater. they get too big for your tank. If you don't give a fish the room it needs then you will kill it.

Answer 4

Do NOT get a pleco, or a goldfish. They WILL out grow your small tank. the best fish would be 2 or 3 neon tetras or 1 or 2 platys. If you can afford it I would recommend getting at least a ten gal. because the water conditions will be more stable and so will the temperature. Also let your tank run for 2-3 days before adding fish and make sure you have it somewhere out of direct sunlight. Sunlight will make algae grow and warm your water. Remember the general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. So when you go to your local pet store make sure to check the adult size of the fish you plan on buying. Good luck, and have fun!

Answer 5

For a tank that small, I think another betta is your best bet. Gold fish are dirty fish and keep your tank messy! If you want more than one fish, a couple of tetras or danios would probably work. Just be sure to not overstock the tank. Smaller tanks are harder to keep clean and healthy than larger tanks. Also, you may know this already, but never completely empty your tank. Always keep 75-80% of your water in order to avoid an ammonia spike which can kill your fish.

Answer 6

A graumie is a very hardy fish we have one who's nearly six! They come in a few colors such as blue they are pretty and some are friendly. And an algae eater of some kind will go well with it. Also put a stick on temperature gage on the tank if it's getting too hot you can add some ice or scoop out some water and replace it with cooler water. 68-74 is good they will eat less if they're colder but it's not as bad as over heating. Good luck

Answer 7

Don't get a goldfish, it will outgrow the tank and you will end up with a 35 gallon tank you had to buy to keep up with the goldfish. (I started with a 2 gallon, now I have four goldfish in a 35 gallon.) I would try a Paradise Fish, but I killed one of those too. Goldfish don't die though, but you will have to buy a bigger tank. Betta fish only live about two years, btw.

Have all these goldfish pushers actually had a goldfish in a 2.5 gallon tank? It will outgrow it in about 6 months. They require 5 gallons of water per fish, look it up.

Answer 8

goldfish are the best. they are cheap and if one dies you can replace it. for that small of a tank dont go with more than 2.

when you clean the tank dont use soap or chemicalls as the residue with still be on the glass.

look up "cycling" or aquarium cycling for the water. you have to do this or the fish could die really fast. it takes about 1-2 months. it will give you the fish you can use, like a beta that is a hardy fish that can start the process fast.

Answer 9

In my opinion, a betta is the only fish that can live happily in a tank that small.
Someone mentioned a pleco, but I totally disagree. They are too messy and most if not all grow too large for a 2.5
It'd be nice to keep a tetra because of its size, but they really need to be kept in a school. Same with Corydoras.
Sorry, but the only answer is betta.

Answer 10

1 Gallon of water per inch of fish is the standard. A beta is probably best for a tank like that. Maybe you should add some plant life to aid in the natural filtration.