If You Must!
Here, for those of
you who can't resist, are some thoughts on keeping fish in bowls.
DON'T!!!!!
Even in a bowl, fish
need some security. Always have a 1" layer of gravel in the base. This not
only gives the fish a reference point, it also provides a base for friendly
bacteria which help dispose of fish wastes. Some sort of ornament or plastic
plant will also help the fish by providing a little bit of shelter.
Never keep more than
one goldfish in a bowl. They do not get lonely and if you feel that your fish
MUST have a friend then get a tank and filter. Ideally each 1" of fish
should have 30 sq." of water surface - and goldfish can grow to
10-12"!
There is in fact ONE bowl that I feel is an
acceptable home for fish. It’s called the Biorb, it holds thirty litres of water and
has a built in filtration system.
Bowls
and unfiltered small tanks require 50% water
changes weekly. The water should be de-chlorinated and conditioned (normally
one product) before being added to the tank or bowl. It should also be left to
stand so that the temperature is equalised. If the bowl or any of the contents
need cleaning it is best to remove 1/2 the water and the fish, then clean the
bowl and/or contents using the remaining water. Never use untreated tap water
as this contains chemicals like chlorine to kill off biologically friendly as
well as unfriendly bugs. Using 'Cycle' or some other biological booster or
culture will also enhance the missing bio cycles like the nitrogen cycle.
Bettas are TROPICAL
fish. They should ideally be kept at a steady 75F. Very few bowls can provide
this.
There are a few
semi-tropical fish that will survive lower temperatures. White Cloud Mountain
Minnows, Zebra danios and Bronze cory catfish will generally be fine as long as
the temperature does not drop too low. These fish all prefer to shoal though -
again a tank is a better option.
Be very frugal with
feeding your fish. Never give it more than it will eat in two minutes, once a
day.
Be aware that bowls
have very small volumes of water and so are subject to much greater variations
in conditions than larger tanks. Do all you can to minimise this.