Paradise fish in a goldfish bowl

T

toffee

AC Members
Oct 30, 2005
58
2
8
Currently got a paradise fish in a 2g goldfish bowl with a big java fern. No pump, no filter but water gets changed every 3-4 days. And the water temp is, well, room temp, ie upper 60s or lower 70s day time and 50s nite time.

The paradise fish is doing quite well, despite the small bowl and lack of 'friends'. He colors up few times a week, mainly in 'old water'. After water changes, it takes about 2 days before he colors up again.

Shall I get him a friend?
 
I would say a big no. Also a paradise fish will get far too big for a 2 gallon bowl. They get bigger than bettas. A 5 gallon tank is really the min, though 10 gallons are best. While they are tolerant of lower water temps, letting the temp get into the 50's at night is a bad idea. I would suggest not letting it get lower than 70F,
 
No you can not get him a friend. its to overstocked. he needs a filter,and a heater, and a bigger tank.. what kind of paradise fish is it??? Some of them get big and need a minimum of 10 gallons, and you can keep only one in a 5 gallon with a filter and a heater.. and if you keep him there you need to do water changes daily or every other day..
 
I second everything TKOS said. But I will emphasize the NO part.

Further, fish don't get lonely.
 
Angel_Keeper said:
No you can not get him a friend. its to overstocked. he needs a filter,and a heater, and a bigger tank.. what kind of paradise fish is it??? Some of them get big and need a minimum of 10 gallons, and you can keep only one in a 5 gallon with a filter and a heater.. and if you keep him there you need to do water changes daily or every other day..
Click to expand...

Paradise fishes are not tropical fishes, they came from southern China, (Hong Kong etc), winter temp around 40 deg, so I don't think heater is necessary, in fact, they don't do too well in the typical tropical temp.

As for filter, there are ample substrate and big plants in the bowl. Ammonia, nitrite are zero, and even nitrate is pretty low at 40 ppm. I am doing water changes every 3-4 days, which somehow stresses the fish. I am planning to reduce that to once a week or so.

I think paradise fish can grow to 4", mine is 2.5". Until it out grow the bowl, I am thinking of adding a female. When they out grow the bowl --- there is a pond and a 180g for them to relocate to :)
 
It seems like you already know what you plan to do. Are you really open to listening to what we are saying?

If nothing else, a male and a female in that tight of spaces will likely not get along.

Further, there is just not enough room. Period. There is no "buts" about that. 2.5" is STILL too big for a bowl, even if it's not full size yet.

Nitrate at 40ppm is considered on the high side, not the low side. You want your nitrates to basically never go above forty, preferably under 20, closest to 0 as possible.

Reducing your water changes is just plain foolish, I'm sorry. In a tank with no filter that's just asking for trouble.

Paradise fish are notorious jumpers, too, and most bowls don't have any covers.

Here is an excerpt from Mongabay which is very reliable:

"20" (50 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L) is adequate for smaller fish. Full grown specimen need a larger tank with a minimum size of 24" (60 cm) or 20 gallons (75 L). Provide retreats for the female. The tank should be well-vegetated. Fish prefer large tank with lots of open swimming area. A partial cover of floating plants is beneficial to aide in bubble nest building. The Paradise Fish is an well-known jumper, so the tank should be well-covered. "

I do think 20g is on the high side for an adult...but surely a bowl is too small. Especially considering there is no good reason to use one when you can get a 5g tank for about 5$ at Walmart.
 
Last edited:
It's already been said, but NO you should not add any more fish to that bowl. Even if you decide to get an actual aquarium for the fish (which I hope you will), keep in mind that paradise fish are semi-aggressive and tankmates should be chosen wisely.
 
Your right about paradise fish not needing a heater they have been found as far north as russia where it gets hella cold.
Like any fish they are stressed by sudden temperature changes though, which may be happening when youre doing water changes. It pays to let the new water sit for a while so that its temp is near that of the bowl esp in winter.

2.5g without a filter is way too small for one 2"5 paradise fish let-alone a pair.
Iv got a 2" paradise fish in a well filtered 7g and I think that it is too small for two.
 
I don't believ that I said they were tropical fish. I believe I said that they do best when the temp is stable and not in the 50F range. 70F is better for them.

And if you seriously think that 2 fish of that size can do well in that bowl you are deluding yourself and don't really care to hear the truth. Like all anibantids they will fight in close quarters. They are loner fish. Sorry to say that.

Why did you ask a question if you didn't want to here an answer that was different then what you were thinking?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom