What kind of fish can i keep in a small aquarium without an air pump?

Question

I am thinking about buying a small aquarium (either around 1.5 - 5 gallon) to put in my dorm room. I know you can keep bettas, but i was wanting something else. What type of fish can you put together in a community aquarium? I know i can't have more than five fish with a 5 gallon tank.

Answer 1

With a five gallon tank you could have two pairs of guppies, or a Betta and a pair of killifish http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1745 .
A

Answer 2

Goldfish are very messy fish and can grow quite large that is why they need a minimum of 10 gallons each for fancy and 20 gallons for single tailed. They can live 20+ years but most people only have them for a year or 2 because they slowly kill them by keeping them in something too small and don't keep up with the water changes needed.

I agree with the person that said get a 10 gallon tank, for the cost of a 5 gallon you can get a 10 gallon and be able to keep more fish, whatever size tank you get though you need a filter. An air pump isn't a must but it is a good thing to have, it also makes the tank look nicer. You can keep pretty much any small tropical, like guppies, platies, or even a sorority of female bettas but if the room the tank will be in gets too cold then you will also need a heater. You can get something like white cloud mountain minnows if you don't want to use a heater though.

Answer 3

If you are wanting a fish other than a beta, I would recommend getting an airpump and small filter. They really dont cost that much and in the long run you will save money because you are gonna lose fish pretty regularly without them. You can actually buy a 10 gal setup fairly inexpensive (around $50) that will have everything that you need. Some good beginner fish are tetras, guppies, and mollies. If you are looking to have pretty fish with some variety, I would recommend some mollies and guppies together. They are both inexpensive, get along together just fine, dont require a whole lot of special care, and reproduce nicely in captivity. As far as the tank goes, if you really need a smaller tank, get like a two gallon tank SETUP, that comes with the pump, and put you a couple of guppies in there. No more than two. I hope this was some help, good luck :)

Answer 4

This question arises all the time with customers who use small tanks as nightlights. We recommend one male Betta, one albino Corydoras, and several dwarf frogs if there is a lid on the tank. No heater or pump is needed. Feed freeze dried blood worms once a day or alternate flakes on every other day, only what can be consumed in 3-5 minutes. General rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon of water. Put a fake plant in for the Betta and frogs to sit on. About every 3-4 weeks, vacuum 1/2 the gravel without stirring and remove 1/4 water. Then add new water. Use Stress Coat or Start Rite to rid chlorine and to renew bacteria. We do not recommend goldfish because they get too large and most all other tropical fish need a heater and air pump. Enjoy the small tank.

Answer 5

I work in a pet store and agree with Karri G. Guppies, mollys, tetras, are all good starter fish. The only problem is, when you start getting into tropical fish as such, you tend to need a heater. As for the girl who said that she doesn't recommend bettas because you have to clean their water every week, well this is necessary for all fish. A 25% water change is supposed to be done once a week. If you are looking for something that doesn't require a whole lot of equipment I would say stick to goldfish, however, they are a very dirty fish and the water change is more crutial. I would suggest reseaching freshwater aquariums and how to maintain them because it is not as easy as people think. They require a lot of time and maintainance. You should also test the PH, Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite at least once a week as well. If these levels are off, you can kill off your tank. Not only that, there are water treatments such as aqua clear, cycle, etc. which should always be used for maintaining your tank. Good Luck.

Answer 6

How about a Japanese Fighting fish? Now you can only get one but they can live in even small little bowls, they don't take up much room . You only need to clean the water about every 4 weeks and they can live for a long time, I had one that almost lived 3 years. They also can come in a whole bunch of nice colours. Gives you an option other then plain old gold fish.

Answer 7

Betta fish can live that way - one to a bowl/tank. My kids have one and it does just fine. Have to change the water in it's tank periodically and the water must be treated with a solution found at pet stores. Very easy to do.

Answer 8

I raise fish,and 32 can live in 5 galloon tank,get u some guppies,mollies,snails,frogs,turtle,beta,goldfish,small pond fish,tank cleanners.

Answer 9

Goldfish eventually die without an air pump. I had 3 and they all died so I'm assuming it's because I didn't have a pump.

Answer 10

I was going to tell you betas but get a couple of gold fish or go to the pet store or better yet call the pet store and ask them what they recommend.

Good luck on your studies and don't get distracted. Whatever obstacles out there you'll overcome them but don't ever quite college. You'll be finished in no time!