Mini tanks
- Mini tanks are not bad at all...now their are mini tanks in all shapes and sizes that come with under gravel filter systems and light built into the tanks cover. Having an under gravel filter system in these mini's is a plus so you dont have to change out the water just add.I use the instore drinking oe spring water in my minis so no chemicals are required and this has always worked for me. I only keep 1 male or female betta per 1 0e 2 gallon tank and they love it and are always colorful,and healthy and have great appitites. As far as being cruel if you do your research Bettas like smaller enclosures.If you are going to buy a mini tank I recommend 1 gallon or larger with a lighted hood(cover) and under gravel filtration system and these tanks are reaily available in any pet store or walmart.
- —Guest Scott
Equipment and supplies.
- I have been led to believe that fish will only grow as big as the amount of water in a tank or pond allows them to. In other words, if the fish are in a 50 gallon tank, they will grow bigger than if they are kept in a 20 gallon tank. Is there any truth in this?
- —Uhungu
So cruel!
- I can't think of anything that should be kept in a small aquarium, except maybe shrimp. Bettas (optimal 5 gal per fish - mine is in a 23 gal) and goldfish (optiimal 20 gal for first fish, 10 gal each additional fish) esp seem to be victims. They naturally live in bodies of water, even if shallow, still large. I don't understand why there is even a question of keeping fish in such a small space now that there is the internet and information available about proper fishkeeping. If you are interested in keeping a fish or any living creature, it is your responsibility to provide the best environment that you can. You want your pets to thrive, not just survive. Smaller fish such as tetras, platys etc also seem to be victims. They need to be in schools of at least 6, which isn't possible in a tiny cup or bowl. You'll never see proper, natural, interesting behavior kept in a limited space. What about filtration, heating? Not possible in a small "tank". These "tanks" shouldn't be sold!
- —BeavisMom
Small in size not effort
- I started a mini shrimp tank around 6-7 litres heavily planted with hang on filter light & heater at first I put in native Cardinia shrimp caught locally,during start up I did regular partial water changes every 2-3 days with tap water with Cycle used to de-chlorinate it,Algae was a problem at first & needed daily attention,after 2-3 weeks I added a few Cherry red shrimp & found that despite their bright red colour they were almost invisible amongst the plants & java moss,I added a pair of Endler's guppies a couple of weeks later & another 4 Cherry shrimp.the male Endler's showed brilliant colouration as soon as he was in the tank & it was only 3 weeks before I noticed 5-6 fry swimming around & 1 month later another 15-20 fry appeared & in no time I had 30+ fish & 10-12 shrimp.A couple of the Cherry shrimp were also heavily berried up with eggs & all in a 12" x 6" tank. I have found smaller tanks take just as much,if not more effort to manage properly than larger ones do.
- —Guest peneye
Whats all the fuss about?
- I have a 1 and half gallon filtered tank and so does my 8 yr old son and the water quality stays great. I do have built infiltration system for our drinking water so their water is filtered and I make sure to add conditioners to it. My bettas are so healthy and happy as compared to when I got them. All I have to do is a 25 % water change once or twice a month and vacuum the gravel and voila...simple easy and no dead fish. The key is being interested in the fish and not seeing the maintenence as a chore but a hobbie. Could make all the difference in healthy happy fish!! Remember fish arent just decor theyre real live creatures with feelings and little personalities too!
- —Guest Spearit
Mini care
- Daily water changes are a must but only around 10%. Since the water volume in the tank is small, large water changes can cause pH drop among other problems. One might also consider an invertebrate only setup as these guys are interesting to watch and clean the tank as a side benefit
- —Guest Fishboi
Good for a Bedroom
- When we moved into a new house, I got a new 2.1 liter tank. First I had at least 6 fish in it (bad move) and most of them were from the old 21 gallon tank we had to get rid of because it was to big, and they all died except for my angelfish (which is too big for a small tank, but good for a big one, which I learned the hard way, with my angelfish, Sphinx) This fish died later... This is when I learned I needed SMALL fish. I got guppies:) They seemed to LOVE the tank, and I started to get... Forgetful... People, keep on top of it when it comes to a small tank. If you can do that, you will have guaranteed success with your tank. I also have to say, research helps a lot when it comes to keeping maintenance and what fish you should get for your tank. Not researching was a mistake I made, and hope won't happen again.
- —Guest Saph
Small Tank=Large & Frequent Water Change
- I have a 30 L tank. I keep in it 30 fishes!! It's not a very bad idea to keep a small tank,all you have to do is to do very frequent water changes.I have 6 Guppys, 2 Sharks, 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Rosy Barbs, 4 Plecos, 2 Platys, 2 Swordtails, 4 Zebra fishes, 2 Pencil fishes. All that I do is 50% water change everyday. I have a 300 L filter which works very well.
- —Guest 28 FISHES
Good for me
- I had a one liter tank and I had one betta fish, and I believe he was pretty happy. He lived 4 years until he died and on the forth year, that was when I moved him to a five gallon. So I think mini aquariums aren't bad, but you have to clean them a lot.
- —Guest Jessica
Small aquariums work for me
- I have one Half-moon Betta, and until very recently I had him in a 1 gallon tank, and it was at around 72 degrees. He loved his tank. He was very happy in it, and he never looked pale (a sign of stress). However, if you want to keep a small tank, water changes are key! I changed 30-40% of his water weekly, and every 4 changes I cleaned the gravel. Recently, I moved him into a two gallon tank, and I have to say that he likes this one even more (he grew out of his old one, so now he has more space). My advice? Weekly (if not more frequent) water changes. Watch for any change in behavior (such as sulking on the bottom or not eating), and if these happen, either change the water or lower/raise the temperature (It got too hot in his tank last night, so he sulked all night) Keep the water temperature above 70 (at least for Bettas), but don't go crazy. 72-74 degrees works perfectly well. And keep an ammonia detoxifier on hand. Ammonia can build up rapidly. Enjoy your small tank!
- —Guest Moony
Mini Tanks Not for Everyone
- I have to be honest, I use to keep my Betta in a mini tank. Then I ventured into other freshwater fish and realized that I was killing my fish in those things! They have a purpose, like when you bring home a new (small) fish and need to quarentine them for a few days or have fry you want to keep separate from bigger fish. My betta LOVES living in his 10 gal tank, with live plants, caves, heater and filter. He even has tank mates, 2 small corydoras and 2 African Dwarf Frogs and they all seem to get along just fine. I have even housed my adult Gold Barb with him after she got beat up by my Chinese Algae Eater. But as soon as she was better, back into the 40 gal tank she went. i have my mini tanks still, but mainly they are used for transporting new fish, raising shrimp and my mollie fry. And I always use a mini heater and mini filter now. But never again wil they be a permanent home for any of my fish! Fish need more room than these mini tanks permit. But thats just my opinion!
- —marcie90405
Nice in small spaces
- I have a lot of experience in tropical and cold water fish keeping and at present I am starting up a small aquarium. It is a 21 litre (4.62 gallons) and I am planning to have a few fancy guppies or pygmy puffers in it. I did have a 16 gallon and a 25 gallon but I needed to move into a the small room due to family growth and the boys having to share the big room. I t is more time consuming to take care of a smaller aquarium, as I found out in the past, but the efforts are worth it. It may not be able to house big fish like gouramis but in my opinion, a couple of small active fish look a lot better than one large fish sitting in the middle of the tank all day doing nothing.
- —Guest Angie 001
Aqua Babies by PhD in Aquaculture
- As far as I know mini aquariums started with Aqua Babies, and Aqua Babies was invented by a woman with a PhD in Aquaculture. Her critics do not have near her level of knowledge.
- —Guest Richard Bruce
small aquariums
- Small Aquariums can be difficult to maintain PH level, if you have to adjust PH to suit what fish you can keep, then maintaining water-quality can be a problem to bigginers, large aquariums are easier to maintain
- —Guest nicholas(Aquatics Manager)
Handle with care.
- I'd say the biggest mistake people make is putting goldfish or just too many fish in these small tanks (like they see on the pictures). Like the article says, the water will become toxic and kill your fish. Yes, people need to educate themselves, but the people working at pet stores ought to be better informed so that they can point potential new owners in the right direction. I was so ignorant that I didn't realize I was ignorant, and no one ever questioned my setup! At least I know better now! People just don't realize the limitations of these tiny tanks when they buy. You really don't have many options with them - a betta, or a couple guppies, that's it. I'd recommend that any new fish owner go with a 10-20 gallon tank, MINIMUM, unless he/she fully understands the limits of a ~3-gallon tank and plans to stay within them. In some ways, a micro tank can be much more challenging than a large one.
- —MedicatedMind
