# GUPPIES-- Will this work? ALSO-- BETTA



## Guest (May 9, 2006)

I was wondering if I could get a few guppies and put them in a bowl. The man at the pet store said that they didn't need a filter.


Also,
I was at a pet store and there were all these Bettas. I saw one I really liked, but the water was really gross. It was all yellow and brown. Do you think if I went back I could get it for free, or a discount?


Thanks,
Tessa.


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

in a bowl? are you serious? dont do that....

and no i doubt they'll give it to you for free, but hey if you want to ask knock yourself out.


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

They need some form of aireation. Bettas can survive in a bowl because they have the ability to breathe from the surface. Even if you had a way to put oxygen in the water, no filter = PROBLEMS.


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## Guest (May 10, 2006)

Bettas can survive in a bowl...but I wouldn't keep them in a bowl. I think bettas deserve a bigger tank...like atleast a 5g. I moved my betta guy to a 10g and added a school of Harlies, and he couldn't be happier. He makes me a bubble nest every week.

I could survive in a closet for the rest of my life...but I don't want to.

And certainly don't keep guppies in a bowl. The LFS worker is giving out some terrible advice. Don't listen to him anymore.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You could keep them in a bowl, if you're willing to change the water three times a day and keep it under a lamp thats on 24-7., but the fish won't be happy. People alway assume small containers are easier, but its just the opposite. Get and cycle a 20 gallon tank, then you can have a variety of fish and observe some behavior other that just "pacing the floor" of a an isolation cell. You can use a 2 gallon bowl for a weekend show or quarrantine or medication, but at least get a sponge filter.


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## Alin10123 (May 22, 2005)

If you do get a filter, make sure the output end of it isn't so strong that it moves the water noticeably. Bettas dont like fast flowing water. They like it where it's more calm.


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## Guest (May 12, 2006)

So, I can keep a Betta in a bowl? I have a 10g, and I want a 20g, so when I get the 20g, I can move the Betta to the 10g.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

You can keep a betta in a bowl, but what kind of bowl is it? is it like a candy dish bowl? or what?


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## Guest (May 15, 2006)

I just got a Betta. I moved him into a bowl, about 1.5-2 gallons.


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## FortWayneFish (Mar 8, 2006)

I'm not going to argue but this is my opinion ........

Ok now I don't see no reason why Guppies can not be kept in a bowl. Guppies are small fish and live in mudpuddles that dry up after the rainy season in the wilds. Most of these mud puddles have no flow, or airation to them unless its raining or a wild animal steps in the puddle. look at any Successful Guppy Breeders fish room..... they don't have 5 gallon fish tanks for there fish, a lot of them still use MASON JARS.. 

As far as Bettas , in the wilds they live in Giant Rice patties but very seldom move more then a few feet one way or another there whole lives. The males stay Put while the females venture around looking for mates.
Most Betta Bowls( 1.5 gallons ) will work just fine for bettas, they will also work great for white clouds and guppies. 

Stocking levels need to be minimal and 1-3 fish 
the nice thing about whiteclouds and guppies is that they do not REQUIRE warm water aslong as the water stays warmer then 60*f your ok.

A bowl with a wide opening would be better then a bowl with a wide mid section and narrow opening. A wider opening will allow for more air surface for your fish to breath.

As far as comparing a human in a isolation cell and a fish in a bowl... look in our prisons, we do it everyday.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

Yeah compare fish to criminals:roll: . They can go in one but THEY WONT BE HAPPY.


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## Guest (May 15, 2006)

I think I'm going to go with Fort's advice. Fort has helped me before, I'm going to try putting guppies in a bowl. I'll tell everyone how it turns out. x'] Thanks for the help!

-Tess


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## pureplecs (Jan 25, 2006)

I agree with FortWayneFish.

Guppies (not your very fancy pure bred sp.) are very hardy and can live a long time out of what our idea of "ideal" would be. I'm not saying it is good to do this but it is possible, I once syphon cleaned a guppy tank into a bucket and put the bucket to the wayside... weeks later I found out that I apparently had sucked up some babies and they were THRIVING ... no filtration, no flake food, no heater... but... I wouldn't do that on purpose. The betta would be fine in a bowl, just know that whatever size bowl you use should dictate how often you do water changes (ie. the smaller the bowl the more frequent the water changes). They do not need a 10g fully filtrated tank. IMO/IME

The silver dollars are definitely too big for your tank, will they let you trade?


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## Guest (May 16, 2006)

Uh... What Silver Dollars? I think you are on the wrong post... Do you think it would be okay to leave my two Leopard Danios in a 1g over night, for my female Danio to lay eggs? Should I bring the male with her? They LOVE eachother, so I really don't want to split them up.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

Nevermind wrong thread.


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## Guest (May 16, 2006)

Danios don't even belong in a 10g tank...they are far too active. I really don't think they need to be in a 1g. IMO no fish belongs in a 1g anything.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> I'm going to try putting guppies in a bowl.


 good luck with this, but don't ever miss a water change. I thinks bowls are way more work than tanks and there is no margin for error, if the temp drops to 40 in your house overnight or you get called away for a week, the fish in a heated tank are fine, but the ones in bowls get sick or die. As for replicating bad conditions that exist in the wild, nine ouf of ten fish in the wild don't make it a year. Do you want to console a newbie who has named every fish and sent pictures of the "grandchildren" to her parents. We should get everyfish the best enviroment we can. Professional guppy breeders are ruthless, the cull massively and mail fish to shows not expecting them back.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> Guppies are small fish and live in mudpuddles that dry up after the rainy season in the wilds


 I think he means killies, they lay eggs that hatch when the rains return, this would never work for livebearers. If you must keeps guppies in bowls, get an airpump, airvalve and a sponge filter for each http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=32907;category_id=1725;pcid1=2885;pcid2=


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

I agree, emc7. 

Even if you start minimally with one or two guppies in a bowl, if they are not the same sex, you will soon have way more than an unfiltered, unaerated bowl can handle. Even though, these are fairly hardy fish, it is sometimes difficult to handle them when doing 100% water changes.


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## Guest (May 20, 2006)

Are killies air breathers?


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Sponge filters are good for Bettas. Only thing is my boys don't nest when there is any surface disturbance, which is a bit sad because I miss seeing those nests.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> Are killies air breathers?


 I don't think so, there are just very small fishes. AKA http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=2 recommends aeration or filtration, but a filter might be a piece of filter floss or sponge on a little tube with a an air line. These are beautiful fish that can breed in 2.5 gallon tanks and have their fry raised in plastic shoe boxes. Killie breeders often do 100% water changes rather than cycling such small tanks. Drawbacks of killies: they jump, many are so small they must have live food, Many (like the mud puddle ones) have a short life spans (months). Advantages: beutiful color, don't need much space, can buy eggs through the mail.


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## Guest (May 21, 2006)

They aren't really that small. I saw these green ones that were about 2 inches.


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