is okay to keep a BABY calico fantail in a 1 gallon tank until it gets bigger? I hav one and its a little one. it has plenty of space in its 1 gallon tank so far. is that okay? and is it okay to not hav an air pump if ur fish has a lot of space in its tank? and why do people say that it will die soon even though i had it for a while without a filter and no air pump? (and zoe, i know u will get this as of all of my questions :))
2006-12-02 14:24:15 · 5 answers · asked by ? 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
If a calico fantail is a goldfish (and I think it is) then yes, you can keep it just fine this way.
Just remember.
The more room they have to swim, the faster and bigger they grow!!!
Good luck
Steve
2006-12-02 14:28:07 · answer #1 · answered by Steven Keith 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hehe yes I've been spending a lot of time on here lately ;) Sorry if my answers get tedious.
Your baby fantail will be okay for a little while in a 1 gallon. The problem with keeping baby fish in small tanks 'until they get bigger,' is that they may just not grow, and will instead be stunted, shortening their lives.
Your goldfish has lived for a while because it is a goldfish, and goldies are very resilient (despite all the abuse they endure, they can live for several months in a fishbowl, where other fish would succomb to stunting and ammonia poising).
The other problem is that people who say "I'll get a new tank when it gets bigger" oftentimes don't get a new tank. Other expenses come up, they lose interest in the fish, whatever, and they just never get around to it.
I would say that if you keep up with frequent (2-4 times per week) water changes of 50-80%, and minimal overfeeding, your fantail would suffer not ill effects for another month. After that, he really ought to be in a bigger tank, 20 gallons if he's going to be the only fish.
Air pumps aren't really necessary, it depends on the size of your tank - for example, "tall" tanks have a smaller surface, allowing for less gas exchange, thus benefiting more from an air pump. No tank will suffer from an air pump, it really oxygenates the water which is very helpful if you're overcrowding your tank a little. However, I wouldn't recommend one for a 1 gallon, it would agitate the water too much, probably.
2006-12-02 22:31:23 · answer #2 · answered by Zoe 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
"BABY" or not, the guideline is one SLIM (like a neon) inch per gallon. This is where you START in determining tank size. It accounts only for bio-load. You also have to figure in other characteristics, activity level, territorial habits, whether it's a schooling/shoaling fish (which need to live in groups of 4 or more) etc.
A goldfish is a FAT FISH, so one gallon per inch for this fish is not enough. I would say 3 gallons per inch. You have to consider how messy this fish is. It produces prodigious amounts of waste. And I highly doubt that yours is only one inch long.
It will SURVIVE in one gallon indefinately. Probably for all of it's shortened, stunted life (goldfish, when well-kept, can live 20+ years and grow to 6 to 12 inches in length).
But a child could SURVIVE in a closet, and a dog could SURVIVE in a crate.
This is supposed to be your pet.
Is mere SURVIVAL all it deserves?
2006-12-03 00:58:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, if it is in a smaller tank it will not grow to full size, you will need to change the water more often, and you should have a filter/pump
2006-12-02 22:29:11 · answer #4 · answered by pghpanthers2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they need 1 gallon per inch of fish, so if it's gonna be 3 inches when it is full grown, you really need at least 3 gallons.
2006-12-02 22:32:39 · answer #5 · answered by rhino_man420 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋