How to Take Care of a Fish In a Bowl – Can You take care of a fish in a bowl?
The short answer is Yes, You Can!
With a note, only certain fish can live well in the bowl. Not all!
it must be a hardy fish, and proven strong to survive in all water conditions.
Many think that how to take care of a fish in a bowl is easy and requires minimal maintenance. In fact, it actually shows the opposite, it is more difficult to care for and the fish will die more easily.
As a beautiful addition to the room, a fish bowl filled with fish looks attractive and doesn’t take up much space, unlike a bigger aquarium.
Therefore, even people with no experience caring for fish become interested in adding this item to their room. However, it’s not as easy as it seems. It takes experience and knowledge to make a room look beautiful with a fishbowl, while keeping the fish in it healthy.
Considerations
Here are some considerations for not keeping fish in the bowl.
1. Unstable Water Parameter
Due to the small size and minimal water volume, the water parameters in the fish bowl become more unstable, unlike in wider media.
In the short term, the water parameters still look good, but in the long run, the water becomes more volatile, which causes stress to the fish.
Actually it is possible to maintain the ideal water parameters in the fish bowl, it just needs extra filtration.
The problem is, what kind of filter can be used for fish bowls?
2. Lack of Oxygen Level
Another bad idea in take care of a fish in a bowl is the lack of oxygen levels. That’s because the surface area is narrow, so gas exchange is also minimal.
In addition, many cases of fish suffocate and even die, because oxygen cannot diffuse into the water quickly.
If you insist on taking care of a fish in a bowl, then you should use an aerator for additional oxygen.
Although there are some fish that can live without the help of an aerator, but if you to take care of a fish in a bowl, it’s a must!
Related: Why Do My Fish Keep Dying? Top 6 Reasons & Solutions
3. Difficult to Filter Water
As discussed in the first point, since the average fish bowl size is small, what kind of filter machine can fit into it?
Most filtration machines sold in the market are large. Even if the machine can fit into the fish bowl, it will take up a lot of space, right?
In fact, with a small volume of water, it requires very good filtration to maintain water quality.
One of the reasons why the small volume of water requires good filtration, is the problem of fish feces. Feces that accumulate in the water over time become ammonia which is bad for fish health.
You should also consider food debris that falls to the bottom, these nutrients will dissolve in the water and are just as bad for your fish. Unlike the media that can contain more volume of water. The larger the volume, the level of pollution does not really affect the water quality, except in the long term.
That’s why good filtration is even more important for small tanks.
4. Not an Ideal Place to Live
Yups, because the size is too small, so for some fish bowl is not an ideal home.
Fish are living things that also need space to move freely. If space requirements are not met, most likely the fish will be stressed, susceptible to disease and growth will be very slow.
You need to know, stressed fish will likely also jump out of the bowl!
Perhaps for some aquatic plants, the fish bowl can be quite an ideal place. Some fish, such as bettas and other types of plecos, may still survive because they are known for their incredible adaptability.
So, taking the above points into account, Can you take care of a fish in a bowl? The answer is yes, it can, but it is the worst possible option!
There are many negative impacts for fish if they are kept in a small place.
If you assume they can live, it’s possible for fish to survive, but for how long? Are they comfortable? Can they grow to the fullest?
Related: GloFish: Ultimate Care Guide
How to Take Care of a Fish In a Bowl
After you have considered the points above, and still insist on taking care of the fish in the bowl, you should follow the guidelines below.
1. Choose Hardy Fish
You can choose hardy fish that can survive with less oxygen.
Some of them such as:
- Bettas
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Plecos
- Small catfish
- Goldfish (with caution)
If you put betta in, do not mix with other fish. Leave him alone in the bowl. Likewise with catfish, they are quite aggressive.
2. Provide Sufficient Oxygen
You need more oxygen supply. You can get it from the aquatic aerator. But if the oxygen is too intense, it will make the water foamy, and the water flows. Some fish don’t like flowing water.
You need to adjust the aquatic aerator to suit the character of the fish and the size of the bowl.
3. Do Water Changes Frequently
You can change the water every 3 days. Replace the water with new water that has been set aside overnight. This is to make the pH of the water more stable.
Don’t change the water completely, just 20 or 30 percent at most.
Clean the dirt that has accumulated on the bottom and stuck to the glass bowl.
4. Don’t Put Too Many Decorations
Remember, your bowl is small! Don’t make it worse by adding a lot of decoration.
Too many items in the bowl will overcrowd and stress the fish. Maybe if you just give a stone for cover it’s fine.
Related: True Freshwater Bumblebee Goby Fish Care
Well, those are some considerations of keeping fish in a bowl, and how to take care of a fish in a bowl if you insist on doing it.
Related: How to Take Care of Betta Fish In a Bowl
