which fish can i keep in a bowl, i do not want to buy a tank or an air pump.?

Question

also does anyone then with the answer pls help with what the fish looks like by providing me with a link to be able to look after it and know what it should look like, thanks! (Minimum maintainance prefered as it is for kids and they love fish and want to look after it themselves)

Answer 1

No fish should be kept in a bowl. They all need filters and most need heaters. As far as children looking after fish, unless they are very mature children and responsible, they should not be allowed to care for fish. Daily feeding of the proper amount and water changes every 3rd day are too much for children to cope with.

The argument made for keeping fish in a bowl or a vase is that pumps, filters, and other aquarium equipment, do not exist in nature. By putting the fish in what appears to be a natural environment the assumption is made that it is inherently as healthy as, if not healthier than, an aquarium. That simply isn't the case.

Many people have suggested bettas and it is true that in nature the betta lives in shallow rice paddies and swamps. However those waters represent a complete ecological system, which cannot be replicated in a small bowl or vase. Rice paddies are shallow but are still part of a much larger body of water that serves to dilute toxins. Scavengers and bacteria present in native waters break down wastes and render them harmless to fish.

In nature the betta lives on a diet that consists predominantly of insects and insect larvae. In fact, bettas contribute significantly in controlling mosquitoes that abound in their native habitat.

The betta's digestive tract is geared for meat. Its upturned mouth is designed to grab insects that have fallen into the water. Although they may be observed picking for morsels on plants and rocks, they are not bottom feeders by nature.

A diet consisting of vegetable matter may keep them alive for a while, but it is not natural or healthy. Over time they will slowly be starved of the proper nutrients, and more easily fall victim to disease.

Another factor that has been completely overlooked in the betta-in-a-bowl is the element of water temperature. The primary reason bettas in small bowls are often listless is because the water temperature is too low. Bettas are native to countries in southeast Asia such as Thailand (formerly Siam) where the climate is hot and moist. The ideal water temperature for the betta is about 80 degrees fahrenheit.

Although they can “survive” at lower temperatures, they become lethargic and may even refuse to eat. Unless you live in a very warm climate, the water in a vase cannot be maintained in the upper 70's to lower 80's. Subjecting the betta to cool temperatures is the same as if you or I had to live in a house where the temperature didn't rise above 60 degrees.

Lastly, there is the issue of how the betta breathes. Like other fish, the betta derives oxygen from the water. However, it also has special organ that allows it to breathe air directly. Its upturned mouth allows it to easily gulp air from the surface, and therefore survive in waters that are low in oxygen. If the lily vase is not properly set up, there will be insufficient open space at the top of the water for the betta to reach the air. As the oxygen dissolved in the water is used up, the betta will need to breathe air more often. Should it have trouble reaching the surface, it may become deprived of the oxygen it needs to survive.

The betta-in-a-bowl is clearly a popular fad, but it is neither natural nor healthy for the fish. A dog or cat owner would never consider shutting their pet in a small closet with minimal heat, food, and air.

The betta should not be treated any less humanely.

BTW, it is pronounced bet-tah, not bay-tah.

Answer 2

Honestly, I think a bowl is more maintainance then a tank. Even a gallon bowl is more work, you have to do partial water changes everyday or every other day, as opposed to a tank you only do partial changes with a gravel vacuum, which is much easier for a kid as oppossed to netting the fish putting the fish in a separate bowl. Dumping the water, having the a chance for decorations to fall down the drain, gravel breaking the disposal, etc. You can go out and buy a cheap tank and the kids actually can maintain that a LOT easier, plus there is more room for fish and decorations. As oppossed to sites, I would just check out walmart and find a suitable tank, 2.5 gallon bare minimum w/ heater and filter. For a fish, I would recommend 1 male betta and 3 ghost shrimp.

Answer 3

I am not sure what these people are going at. I've had a beta in a bowl for close to a year now. He does just fine, and to be honest, I only clean it about once a month, maybe twice. He is perfectly healthy. When I clean his bowl, I am able to just reach in grab him out with my hand. He sits on a table next to my couch. He will come to the front of the bowl when someone sits down. When I first brought him home, he came to the front to watch my son play with his big ball. It's almost like he is a social fish, and if he could talk he would. And now that I think about it, I only feed him every couple of days and he's still fine. You can get the plants that sit in the bowl, and they will eat the stuff off the roots as well. A beta would be fine.

Answer 4

For few days, they may like it, but for a long time it is not good, as the fish need a filter and oxygen and the bowl is not big enough to put all these equipment in.
You better buy a small tank, equipped with all, you can find in fish shops and buy few plants, too. Goldfish are cold water fish, so they don't need heating system. But some gold fish can grow huge, so ask at the shop for smaller species and buy only 2-3 for the small tank, as they may grow. The other freshwater fish are tropical fish, so need heating.
If you have a tank equipped with everything, it needs minimal maintenance, but in a bowl it is no space, no oxygen, you have to change the water after few days without the filter, and to treat the tap water every time you change it, as fish don't like the chlorine and metals from the tap water.

Answer 5

Please do not try to keep a goldfish in a bowl, it is NOT a proper house for a goldfish, PERIOD. Do not take the advice of any one on this board, or Petco that tells you its ok. They will suffer until they die. A betta is the only fish I can recommend for a bowl BUT you will have to take care of its environment. That means changing his water once a week and rinsing the bowl well. I wouldn't recommend tap water, you will have to buy spring water (my personal choice). Get a book about the betta when you are at the pet store. Fish of any kind are exotic pets and you will need to have a little basic information if you want the fish to be happy and healthy. Keeping fish is a hobby, you must enjoy them and want to see to their well being, not just have a decoration on the counter. Fish keeping is interesting and challenging as well, no matter if you have a gallon bowl or a 15,000 gallon pond.

Answer 6

You Need To Move Them To A Filtered And Oxygenated Aquarium. It Would Need To Be An Absolutely Brilliant Filter As Goldfish Are Very Messy. And, By The Way, All Fish Need Oxygen To Breathe Underwater!

Answer 7

NO FISH IN BOWLS !

If you really want MINIMUM maintenance then buy a 5 gallon tank, a small filter and a male betta. If you live in a cold region you will need a heater too. Your kids will thank you, you will be happy and, most of all, your FISH WILL BE HAPPY.

It's really not that much expensive and you can enjoy it for 4-5 years.

Answer 8

The only fish you can have without a filter is a betta. Any other will die from lack of oxygen. Bettas are tropical fish though so you need to keep the tank around 75-85 degrees or the fish will die.

Do not get a goldfish. They require daily water changes in a bowl and will quickly outgrow the bowl and need a tank.

Really no fish will live more than a few weeks in a bowl without a heater or filter. You can listen to others who try to tell you differently, but it will disapoint your kids to see their fish floating!

Answer 9

I would suggest a betta. The males are the prettiest. They can be kept in a small bowl. I know that the experience that I have had is to keep them in a desk top aquairum. They seem to do better with some airation -they tend to be a bit more active. Noramally they don't require a heater as long as room tempt is about 74 degrees. If you keep your house colder I would suggest a container that can handle having a heater. Also don't place the fish near a window or door way since drafts can chill the water.

They only require to be fed once a day and cleaning of their bowel or tank only needs to be done once a week as long as you are not feeding them too much.

They also come in many colors. Normally you cannot add them to a tank with other fish. Basically a loner since they can be aggresive with other fish. I know that my kids have loved theirs over the years.

When changing their water make sure that you keep at least a gallon or two of pretreated water on hand so that way the water is the same tempt as the room tempt water that they are already in. Also keep a little bit of the old water since this will have some of the bacteria in which you will need to help maintain a healthy living enviroment for your fish.

Answer 10

fish are not minimum maintenance creatures. and bowls do not provide adequate homes for them. sure bettas survive in bowls, even goldfish can, but thats not to say they are thriving or living their full life expectancy. you could keep a dog in a cupboard, over-feed it and clean it out once every 2 weeks, and it would survive, but it wouldn't be happy or healthy.

if you want your kids to learn about fish properly, invest in a real tank, with a heater, and a filter, and set up a nice tropical community, you'll find yourself watching that more than the telly.

it will be far more educational for the kids, and even for the adults in your household. if you want your family to learn about pets and animals, you might as well do it properly!