What kind of fish can live in a fishbowl and survive without a filter or heater or anything?

Question

I am thinking about getting a betta, but now I'm not so sure if my bowl is big enough..I don't know how many gallons of water they need, and I'm not even sure how much a gallon is!! And are bettas easy or hard to take care of? How do you care for them? I don't want my future pet to die!!!!!!!!!

Apparently keeping goldfish in a bowl is really bad for the fish...I found this out AFTER I kept my goldfish in a bowl. =( Jees.

Answer 1

a gallon is the same size as a gallon jug of milk or water. I think if you start with a betta in a gallon you are fine. most larger fish bowls sold in stores are a gallon or more. i get 2 1/2 gallon tanks at petsmart for 10 dollars. they are cheaper than most bowls. if you want to expand it you can get a top with light for another 12 dollars at a later date. you do want to keep a cover over your betta because some do jump. you can make one out of plastic needle craft canvas you can get at walmart or a craft store for 30-40 cents. i don't filter or heat them either but the house usually in the 70s -- i live in florida. my bettas are quite happy with 2 1/2 gallons.

i think one of the big problems is when you get a betta it is seldom healthy -- they come with diseases so try to look for a healthy one -- they will hold their fins high and look attentiive if you jiggle the little cup some.

I think they are easy to care for -- just keep them in something fairly large and change the water once a week. feed them a couple times a day and you are set.

it helps to brush up on common betta illnesses -- there are maybe 8 so you don't need a college degree and most are curable with some meds from the pet store.

Answer 2

You shouldn't keep ANY fish in a bowl without a filter or heater. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean it's good for the fish. Lots of people can't keep fish alive for very long.

Bettas and goldfish are actually the worst fish in bowls. Bettas require warmer water than most tropical fish so they need a heater even more. Goldfish grow very large and produce a lot of waste so they need a filter even more, and you really shouldn't keep them in anything less than about 10 gallons per fish.

Bettas are pretty easy to take care of, but yours will be more active and colorful and live a lot longer if you keep it in a proper tank rather than a bowl. Also, you're a LOT less likely to have to come back here asking about ich, fin rot, infections, etc.

You can buy a 5 gallon tank for not a lot of money, especially if you avoid the kits. They're expensive and include a lot of stuff you don't need. All you really need is the tank, filter, heater, gravel, plants (silk look better than plastic), some water conditioner, test kits, betta-specific food, and a siphon to clean the tank with. Try logging on to www.aquahobby.com -- you can get a lot of questions answered there by people who actually care about their fish and know what they're doing!

If you want to put stuff in your fishbowl, try just growing aquatic plants in there. You could keep change in it...

Answer 3

Without question, bettas are the best fish for a fish bowl. They are air breathers, so filtration isn't necessary. They can be kept in very small amounts of water (I worked for a place that sold them in 8 oz. cups - this isn't inhumane, by the way. Obviously fish are happier with more room, but Betta splendens does just fine in very little water). The bigger a bowl you have, the better. I'd try to get at least a gallon bowl for one male (the males are the ones you most often see for sale; they're the ones with the brighter colors and the longer fins). Ask at your fish store, and they can show you how big a gallon bowl is. If you want to spend a few more bucks, you can get the tabletop-type aquarium with a cover and light, and some of them have a filter. But none of that is absolutely necessary. Bettas are pretty durable fish. I had a friend who had a male betta jump out of her aquarium and partially dry out on the floor. Once she dropped the fish in the toilet, he began swimming around! She netted him out, and he lived for a few more months in her tank. The biggest thing to keep in mind when caring for a betta is to make regular partial water changes. I recommend changing a third to a half of the water weekly (because of the small size of the tanks they're usually kept in). Always use a dechlorinator (see your fish store) on the tap water, and make sure that the new water is the same temperature as the old (leaving the water out in a container that's never had soap or anything in it is best for this). Then siphon out the old water and add the new (a fish store can demonstrate this). Try not to net the fish; leave him where he is. Handling fish is very stressful to them. Bettas are fairly short-lived for tropical fish - usually a year to a year and a half seems to be about as long as they live. And keep him by himself; he will be happiest that way (well, as happy as a fish can be). Good luck!

Answer 4

Goldfish need a large tank with a filter. They don't live long in bowls because they produce ammonia and it makes the water toxic.
Bettas can do OK in a bowl, but without a heater they won't be as healthy and they won't live as long.
Nothing else can survive in a bowl.

Answer 5

A friend of mine has a betta living in a fairly small bowl with a live plant on top, the fish is healthy and has lived quite a long while. and just measure a gallon of water from a gallon of milk its not hard.

Answer 6

A Betta would be a good choice. They are extremely easy to care for. All u have to do is feed them once or twice daily, and clean their bowl every few months. I'm sure the bowl is big enough, because they can survive in those tiny cups they are sold in for weeks. As long as you don't get two Betta's, and remember to feed them your new pet should be as happy as can be.
Good Luck!! :P

Answer 7

Bettas and Goldfish...

They are easy to care for. Give them a nice space, some betta food daily and change the water every few days, depending on the bowl size and you are good to go.

Answer 8

Bettas do pretty well without any heater or filter, if you want it to live longer you might want to get a small filter. I have had many betta fish and all of them that had a filter have lived longer than the ones that I had without a filter.

Answer 9

A Beta is a pretty easy fish to care for as long as you give them the proper food and keep them clean. However...the male Beta's are gorgeous with their colors but you can only put one male in a bowl because they are very agressive and will fight other males. They can live in just a few cups of water if need be and require no air or heat. A Goldfish or a Catfish can live without air or heat as well only they aren't near as pretty as the Beta's. Good luck with your new pet, whatever fish you may choose that to be.

Answer 10

Goldfish, black moores (Siamese doll fish), and betas all do well in a bowl with no heater or filter. Betas require a tank that is about the size of a peanut can on up...the larger the tank, the more active the fish will be. Don't get excited, as betas tend to be lazy. They can eat a flake food diet and you can treat them with freeze dried shrimp (from any pet store) to make their colors brighter. Do not put more than one beta in a tank, even a female with a male, they are very territorial.