Assassin snails bumblebee

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Well I would only buy 1 small fish. As it happens 1 gallon was no good for shrimp. I had some die and these all happened after water changes. I was told by someone on here you can maintain a 1 gallon tank for shrimp but I won't do that again.
Pet stores are full of tanks that small?

It isn't even just a gallon, it's a tall gallon, so the horizontal swimming space is almost nothing. Putting a single chili rasbora in there would be cruel even if it wasn't cold and it wasn't a schooling fish.

Yes, stores sell tiny little tanks all the time. That doesn't mean they're good for fish, or allow them to live long, happy lifespans.

If shrimp can't survive in a gallon, how is a fish meant to? No filter, no cycle, how will they get oxygen with no surface disturbance? One drop of ammonia will create a huge impact with less than a gallon to dilute it (jug isn't filled to the top, and has substrate and items in that displace water, so it's even less than a gallon).

@Byron , @Ch4rlie , @essjay perhaps you can explain this better than I can.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Why even bother keeping fish if all you're going to use is a 1 gallon 'tank'? Just seems pointless to me

 

[snailaquarium]

It isn't even just a gallon, it's a tall gallon, so the horizontal swimming space is almost nothing. Putting a single chili rasbora in there would be cruel even if it wasn't cold and it wasn't a schooling fish.

Yes, stores sell tiny little tanks all the time. That doesn't mean they're good for fish, or allow them to live long, happy lifespans.

If shrimp can't survive in a gallon, how is a fish meant to? No filter, no cycle, how will they get oxygen with no surface disturbance? One drop of ammonia will create a huge impact with less than a gallon to dilute it (jug isn't filled to the top, and has substrate and items in that displace water, so it's even less than a gallon).

@Byron , @Ch4rlie , @essjay perhaps you can explain this better than I can.

There is nothing to explain to me I agree Ideally the bigger the better... I am specialising in smaller tanks for people with little space in terms of my channel.

Well there's no substrate at all at the moment. The reasoning for looking for a fish was that it seems a little empty without something more interesting than snails and moss balls. As for one gallon, YouTube is full of videos of Betta fish kept in smaller tanks than this. The so called Nano Tanks look ludicrous to me and they have half the space my 1 gallon has.

 

[snailaquarium]

Why even bother keeping fish if all you're going to use is a 1 gallon 'tank'? Just seems pointless to me

Its an interesting decorative conversation piece...

 

[Ch4rlie]

1 gallon is only 4 litres, this is an extraordinarily small tank.

Would be cruel for even a single betta splenden to be in this tank, never mind anything other fish specie.

Be a bit like trying to put a Great Dane into a cat cage and expect it to be fine.

Even small species of fish like chilli rasboras will not do well in this small tank, as well as any other small species for that matter need space to swim in, this is an important factor for the well-being for fish.

I would always maintain that the minimum sized tank for Chilli rasboras is to be a 10 gallon tank, that’s 10 times the size of your tank.

Boraras brigittae – Mosquito Rasbora (Rasbora urophthalma brigittae) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

And for a betta splenden the minimum tank size being a 5 gallon tank.

The reason your shrimp died previously is probably because there’s no filter or flow going into that little tank as well as it being unlikely to be cycled.

Shrimps require an established tank to flourish in and that means a cycled tank at the very least.

Even though this is a very small tank it does mean you may be able to keep a couple of shrimps and maybe a small snail or two with some plants, a simple sponge filter or one of those tiny penn plax filters with a small air pump will do the job nicely of filtering the tank and aerating the water column.

And yes, some substrate would be good not least for the plants but for the snail/s and shrimps too.

But due to the small amount of water, you have to keep a very close eye on the water parameters as there is very little, if any, room for margin of error.

Probably best to keep that tank as a plants only tank or better yet get a larger tank.

I’ve no idea why stores sell these “tanks” to people probably knowing full well it’s pretty much a useless tank for fish, pure profit or greed of the seller is the point imho.

Some of these YouTube folks who do these videos are even worse than some of these stores selling these tanks to be blunt!

Sorry these are probably not what you want to hear but even experienced keeper would think twice before even considering buying one of these tanks.

Edit - you posted your last message just before I was finished and am glad you are aware but I will still keep my post up just in case other folks who may be considering doing something like this may learn something at least.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

There is nothing to explain to me I agree Ideally the bigger the better... I am specialising in smaller tanks for people with little space in terms of my channel.

Well there's no substrate at all at the moment. The reasoning for looking for a fish was that it seems a little empty without something more interesting than snails and moss balls. As for one gallon, YouTube is full of videos of Betta fish kept in smaller tanks than this. The so called Nano Tanks look ludicrous to me and they have half the space my 1 gallon has.

YouTube is full of people doing all sorts of idiotic and cruel things. I don't think it justifies being cruel as well.
Those nano tanks that are a gallon a less look ludicrous to me too. But if you think they look ludicrous, why would you want to put a fish in something so small?

You can do what you want, I can't stop you. Those little jar ecosystems can be cool, but I've only ever seen ones where people put snails, shrimp or something like daphina in them, not fish. To do it is inhumane, and to encourage others to do it, with no consideration for the needs of the fish, is even worse.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Its an interesting decorative conversation piece...

- "Isn't that fish a bit cramped in that vase?"
- "You would think so wouldn't you? But YouTube is full of videos showing fish in tiny tanks, so its ok"
- "ahh, gold old YouTube!"

 

[snailaquarium]

But if you think they look ludicrous, why would you want to put a fish in something so small?

Nano tanks I am thinking of are half the size of the drinks dispenser I have.

1 gallon is only 4 litres, this is an extraordinarily small tank

It is not too small to keep a fish in it. I had a goldfish for like 4-5 years when I was a young man and its design was very popular. I don't think there is any less water in this drinks dispenser than the tank I had back then.

The reason your shrimp died previously is probably because there’s no filter or flow going into that little tank as well as it being unlikely to be cycled.

Well it had a small pump and filter, however, in terms of cycling it had moss balls, it was established so would have bacteria and to be honest the whole 'cycle your tank' thing in my opinion from a practical point of view is a joke, ammonia is turned to nitrates, nitrates are turned to nitrites and nothing gets rid of nitrites so YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WATER REGARDLESS.. All they (people who make videos about how you have to 'cycle your tank') are doing is EXACTLY what I was doing as a 11 year old, which is emptying out old dirty water and replacing with fresh water from the tap.. The shrimp died after water changes so I think its the size that is the issue.

Shrimps require an established tank

Well my aquarium was established and I had a shrimp that did last several months - like July 2019 or so to late February this year..

Anyway, I posted on Rachel O'Learys YouTube channel a question for small fish to go into a one gallon tank and she replied with like 5 different fish and she clearly knows what she is doing when it comes to fish keeping from I can see so I don't see why I can't have a fish in this...

If not a fish or shrimp what else looks interesting for a one gallon tank?

 

[EllRog]

If not a fish or shrimp what else looks interesting for a one gallon tank?

A bunch of flowers, especially as the sole purpose is for decoration. Fish are pets, not decorations

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Nano tanks I am thinking of are half the size of the drinks dispenser I have.



It is not too small to keep a fish in it. I had a goldfish for like 4-5 years when I was a young man and its design was very popular. I don't think there is any less water in this drinks dispenser than the tank I had back then.



Well it had a small pump and filter, however, in terms of cycling it had moss balls, it was established so would have bacteria and to be honest the whole 'cycle your tank' thing in my opinion from a practical point of view is a joke, ammonia is turned to nitrates, nitrates are turned to nitrites and nothing gets rid of nitrites so YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WATER REGARDLESS.. All they (people who make videos about how you have to 'cycle your tank') are doing is EXACTLY what I was doing as a 11 year old, which is emptying out old dirty water and replacing with fresh water from the tap.. The shrimp died after water changes so I think its the size that is the issue.



Well my aquarium was established and I had a shrimp that did last several months - like July 2019 or so to late February this year..

Anyway, I posted on Rachel O'Learys YouTube channel a question for small fish to go into a one gallon tank and she replied with like 5 different fish and she clearly knows what she is doing when it comes to fish keeping from I can see so I don't see why I can't have a fish in this...

If not a fish or shrimp what else looks interesting for a one gallon tank?

Since goldfish can live for 15-20 years, that's like getting a dog and claiming you looked after it brilliantly because it died when it was two.

Which fish did Rachel O-Leary suggest for a 1 gallon vase? Would love to hear this list!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nano tanks I am thinking of are half the size of the drinks dispenser I have.



It is not too small to keep a fish in it. I had a goldfish for like 4-5 years when I was a young man and its design was very popular. I don't think there is any less water in this drinks dispenser than the tank I had back then.



Well it had a small pump and filter, however, in terms of cycling it had moss balls, it was established so would have bacteria and to be honest the whole 'cycle your tank' thing in my opinion from a practical point of view is a joke, ammonia is turned to nitrates, nitrates are turned to nitrites and nothing gets rid of nitrites so YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WATER REGARDLESS.. All they (people who make videos about how you have to 'cycle your tank') are doing is EXACTLY what I was doing as a 11 year old, which is emptying out old dirty water and replacing with fresh water from the tap.. The shrimp died after water changes so I think its the size that is the issue.



Well my aquarium was established and I had a shrimp that did last several months - like July 2019 or so to late February this year..

Anyway, I posted on Rachel O'Learys YouTube channel a question for small fish to go into a one gallon tank and she replied with like 5 different fish and she clearly knows what she is doing when it comes to fish keeping from I can see so I don't see why I can't have a fish in this...

If not a fish or shrimp what else looks interesting for a one gallon tank?

Hmm, are you sure about all your points?

Well nano tanks are considered to be tanks between 3.5 to 25 gallons / 12 to 50 litres.

Google nano aquarium and most of not all resulting tanks will be within that range.

Goldfish, require a minimum of a 25 Gal/ 100 litre tank.

Goldfish For Beginners

Types and Sizes of Common Goldfish Breeds First of all, never underestimate the size of fully grown goldfish. There are no 'dwarf' breeds of goldfish, whatever 'the man in the shop' might say; even the smaller 'fancy' types have the capacity to grow to a good six inches/15 cms in length...

www.fishforums.net

Cycle your tank, you state-

'cycle your tank' thing in my opinion from a practical point of view is a joke, ammonia is turned to nitrates, nitrates are turned to nitrites and nothing gets rid of nitrites

Am afraid it’s ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrates. And plants can consume nitrates, but we do water changes to reduce nitrate as well to be on safe side so that does the trick for most of us.

Seems our ‘cycle a tank’ article pretty much wrong on all points according to you.

Can you please show me your backup information for this, perhaps with website links and research papers by scientists into that for me, I’d be very interested in reading this.

Oh dear, and our cycling article was written by a very experienced keeper, twotankamin, who had researched for years extensively the science behind all this and I even helped him write up articles on the fish in cycling articles too.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

Rachael O’Leary, I actually know of her and I have a book signed by her personally, I’ve read this book as well, have to say I actually disagree with her on quite a few species recommended tank sizes, so, am afraid she does not hold much water for me, pardon the pun!

The shrimp died after water changes so I think its the size that is the issue.

Hmm, so by your own words that a shrimp is too small for a one gallon tank and shrimps are smaller than most, if not all, specie of fish and you’re still asking for what fish would fit in a 1 gallon tank.......

 

[snailaquarium]

Ideally the bigger the better however I'm struggling to see how the aquarium tank industry can be wrong in creating so many small tanks if the result is death of the fish life...

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Ideally the bigger the better however I'm struggling to see how the aquarium tank industry can be wrong in creating so many small tanks if the result is death of the fish life...

What fish did rachel suggest? Genuinely curious. are they all cold water?

 

[Wills]

Ideally the bigger the better however I'm struggling to see how the aquarium tank industry can be wrong in creating so many small tanks if the result is death of the fish life...

Unfortunately you are crediting the industry behind our hobby with too much here. There are tons of unsuitable products for pets of all kinds out there (carcenogenic dog food for example).

The great thing about this forum is that over the years these discussions have been had multiple times and multiple times someone thinks they can do it differently and set up the tank and then eventually the problem happens and they learn the lesson the hard way.

I sort of think if you can’t accept the advice you’ve been given so far all I can do is wish you luck and be hopeful that you will have a back up plan when things do start to go down hill.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Ideally the bigger the better however I'm struggling to see how the aquarium tank industry can be wrong in creating so many small tanks if the result is death of the fish life...

Because unfortunately, many people see fish as decorative objects and not animals that deserve care. The law is very slow to catch up...

Life in a goldfish bowl earns protection from laws on animal rights

Their three-second memory means they are unlikely to remember whether they have been badly treated by their owners. But the humble goldfish is to be afforded new rights that could leave people who fail to cater for their pet fish's needs - including changing their water regularly - facing...

www.independent.co.uk

But hopefully one day manufacturers will no longer be able to sell undersized fish tanks with a picture of a goldfish on the box and a message saying 'just add water'