I want to get a fish for my boys that will be okay in a moderately sized fish bowl, is easy to care for, and wont die right away.
2006-09-13 02:28:35 · 26 answers · asked by eagfan5 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
A Beta, AKA Siamese Fighting Fish, is what you need. They are colorful, easy to take care of, they eat flakes, and you don't need an air pump. Just don't put 2 of them in the same bowl, because they don't call them Siamese Fighting Fish for nothing. Good Luck.
2006-09-13 02:32:39 · answer #1 · answered by Einstein 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
All fish, provided they're healthy when you get them, will live usually up to five years and older IF PROPERLY CARED FOR. Since you have a bowl, you will not be properly caring for any fish. Bowls are not meant for fish, period.
Get a small tank with a filter and a heater, instead. If you need to stay small, look into a 2.5 gallon tank, and get a betta and a couple ghost shrimp.
The only fish that can SURVIVE in a bowl is a betta, but it will not thrive. It will have a miserable life due to lack of heat (bettas are tropical fish requiring temps of around 78 degrees), lack of clean water (unless you're changing 50% of the water every other day to combat ammonia level buildup), and lack of filtration to provide a good biological filter. Get a tank instead. You will only shorten lives in a bowl.
EDIT: To you idiots suggesting goldfish, seriously, do some research. They simply cannot live for a long time in a bowl without adequate filtration, and they usually grow to be quite large. You need a minimum of 55-gallons at adulthood. Goldfish are huge ammonia producers, and there is no way you can keep up with the ammonia levels, short of doing daily 50% water changes which will only shorten your fish's life due to stress. Goldfish, especially, do not belong in bowls.
2006-09-13 15:12:21 · answer #2 · answered by birdistasty 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One Male Betta . It is a very hearty fish and beautiful to watch. They come in a variety of colors and do not need much water to survive in. Unlike a Goldfish that puts off a LOT of Ammonia, and needs about 4 gallons of water to live in and is considered a "dirty" fish. The Male Betta is colorful, and a sturdy fish. You may only have ONE male Beta in one bowl. Two in the same bowl will kill each other. And, of course, any fish needs care, or it will die. Do not overfeed. Only as much food as the Betta will eat in one minutes time is enough for one day. Have a little store bought rock at the bottom of the bowl so the waste product has a place to rest. You won't need to clean the bowl that often. However, every two weeks or so, you should do a partial water change. You can read up on this on the internet, or they can help you at any PetSmart or PetCo store. If you are using tap water, be sure to buy something to take the chlorine out before you put the fish in ..or ANY fish will die. By the way, Betta do NOT eat regular fish flake food like Gold Fish, They eat Freeze Dried Blood Worms. Don't let that freak you out. They come in a little can and look much like the flake food does. They are dead and dried out. Good Luck ! :)
2006-09-13 09:38:31 · answer #3 · answered by tysavage2001 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Note it takes a lot of work to support even the easiest of fish in a bowl. A bowl can generally only support 2 types of fish short term. Goldfish, and betta. Both of these will require at least weekly water changes.
Long term the goldfish will get to big, and produve too much waste. If your goldfish are dying in a week you most likely are massively over feeding, or are subject them to tempeture changes when you change the water. Honestly a goldfish need a 5-10 gallon filtered tank long term. In bowls goldfish rarely survive 2 years. In tanks they can live for over 10 years.
A betta will generally live for another 2-3 years in a 2-5 gallon bowl. He'll need weekly water changes, and you'll need to not over feed. Also he'll need to be kept in a warm room that stays in the low 70s to low 80s. If you are considering a betta please read Faith's betta talk page. (Note that Faith's betta are spoiled from birth.)
PS- If kept in a filtered tank betta are easier to care for and may live for as many as 4 years. (5 years is pretty much the limit of a betta's life span, and store bettas are 6 months to a year old.)
2006-09-13 12:05:06 · answer #4 · answered by Sabersquirrel 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
goldfish or guppies...I have had goldfish that lived for 3 yrs. but then it died:( You could also get minnows i know they die easy for some people but I had 3 minnows for 2 years... guppies are really easy to take care of... but they do need filters and a bubble making thing they have babies very easyone day there is two fish the next there is 30 but they are very small (the babies) the bigger ones are small but fun to take care of out of those three fish i would pick guppies(I love thier tails)your boys would have fun looking after them and they can live in a fish bowl...
2006-09-13 11:33:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
For me, having fish was a job when I began. It's all about the tank. Avoid salt water for kids. There are an abundance of informative guides on the subject. You'll likely have to educate yourself. It's pretty easy once you get it going.
2006-09-13 09:37:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Siamese Fighting Fish. Small bowl, cool to look at, slight danger factor for the boys [hahaha] and they are good keepers.
2006-09-13 09:29:47 · answer #7 · answered by PinkPrincessNerd 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Gold Fish
2006-09-13 09:29:24 · answer #8 · answered by telis_gr1 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Regards from Spain I knew a man who achieved 30 kilos slimmed in 4 months eating only 4 apples and 3 small tins of tuna a day.
2006-09-13 09:40:41 · answer #9 · answered by roger 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Betta
2006-09-13 11:21:57 · answer #10 · answered by sly2kusa 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋