What fish could live in a 1/2 gallon tank with no heater or filter? I might be able to get an airator. Thank you and i only plan on having 1 fish in there. also, i won a goldfish at a festival and it lived for a few days then died what was i doing wrong?
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None. You perhaps could keep a snail or two and that would be it. All fish need filtration & aeration and alot of them require a heater as well.
jlk was correct. Certainly no fish will live well or for very long like that. It is common belief that goldfish can live in a bowl or other small container with nothing but water. This is the absolute worst living condition for them. They are large and messy so filtration and ample room are a must. I am sorry this happened to you and your fish. In the future, try to research any pet you buy. I know the goldfish may not have been planned and was a hard lesson in fish keeping. I think most of us have done something like that at one time or another. I know I have. While you are researching fish, you really should look up the nitrogen cycle. It will save you tons of money and heartache if you get this done correctly. It isn't hard. It just takes time.
A betta they can breathe without a filter and little maintenance
Hi!
I really would not put any fish in a 1/2 gallon bowl. A few ghost shrimp or snail, maybe, but no fish. As Megham mentioned, it is a common thought that goldfish can be done that way, but because of their size and huge amounts of waste, it is suggested that a single goldfish be kept in a 20 gallon tank with a lot of extra filtration.
BigChiquita is right that a betta can breathe from the surface. Bettas are anabantids, meaning they have a special organ called a labyrinth which helps them to take in air at the surface. They should still have some kind of water movement, as well as filtration and a heater. I still would not put a betta in anything less than a 5 gallon tank.
If you are wanting a single fish, I would do a male betta in a 5 or 10 gallon tank with a filter and a heater.
I agree with Megham.Comet Goldfish can grow to about 1 foot.
you can keep bettas in tanks that small, but i would reccomend at least a 2-3 gallon tank, since you're trying to keep it simple and small. If you throw an external filter on the tank, a small plant that suits this environment, and some topsoil (see next paragraph for soil info) covered by a layer of sand, the tank should take care of itself pretty well. I say an external filter becuase the flow of water will keep the tank well-aerated for a betta, which really doesn't need aeration...
For topsoil and sand, soak pure top soil or topsoil peat moss mix in a 5 gallon bucket with enough water to cover the soil and have 2 or so inches extra water in your back yard. wait 6-12 hours. scoop off the scum and floaters with a sieve. Add this to an EMPTY dry new tank. Clean out the bucket, fill it with as much regular sand (no chemicals added) as was topsoil in the bucket. now rinse under a hose several times (6-10) until there is no more color in the runoff water you're pouring out. Slowly add this sand over the topsoil in the tank. I reccomend added a large piece of slate or a plate at this point to your tank and pouring water onto this surface. The soil/sand mix will definitely be cloudy for a few days, but it's worth it in the end. ultra low maintenance. if you add plants, i would reccomend making sure you learn how to remove snails from them before adding them to the tank. If the tank will be near bright light for 8-10 hours a day, it's good without a light, if it's not, then i would reccomend a small LED lamp or a cover lamp, just to keep your plants growing. Read up about the Nitrogen cycle on this website, don't add any fish to the tank until your water is tested at your local pet shop and they tell you it's good.
if the goldfish was a feeder goldfish than dont be sad it died they usually do
I know my friend has a half gallon tank with a betta (it's actually very happy) and it's lived for nearly a year now, she also doesn't really take good care of it. but i wouldn't suggest it too strongly because i've had a betta in a one gallon twice and they both died within a year. snails are a good idea, they're also more entertaining than you think
Goldfish are actually pretty much the 'dirtiest' fish there are - releasing more waste than anything else. So they DEFINITELY need filters. Also, they start small, but tend to grow REALLY large.
The only thing I can think of that would have a chance of living is a betta. Even then, I think it's mean to have them in only a 1/2 gallon - people do it, and some keep them in even smaller spaces, but I would at the very least get an airstone. I had a common betta in a 1 gal tank with some fake plants and an airstone. He spent a LOT of his time sitting on the leaves with his face in the bubbles. He JUST passed away after 7 years, and might have lasted even longer had I been a bit better about doing his water changes. Even so, I think he lived a pretty decent life. Even in his old age, he was very spunky and active.
i have 3 betta's and they all live very happily in a 1/2 gallon with just gravel and a plant. with weekly full tank cleanings. they are almost a year. i have had them live like until the betta was 10 yrs old. he died of old age. some pple say that they can't live like that but, they can.
by the way i wanna add that you should be VERY careful to keep the temprature 72 to 82.please vote up!
Nothing except shrimp or snails can live in 1/2 gallon.
Please do not think of putting any poor fish in a 1/2 gallon tank with no heater. It is WAY TO SMALL FOR ANY FISH.