Danios Not Eating?

[three-fingers]

How are you supposed to know if they are unhappy though? Other than being unhealthy or not eating (both of which are likely future scenarios in their current surroundings), how can you tell when you keep them in a bowl?

In normal circumstances, in a large tank, a danio that doesn't swim all over the tank, but rather either stays in a corner (similar or larger in size to your bowl) or hovers anywhere in the water not moving would immediately be considered by most people to be unhappy and/or unhealthy.
This is because it is an danios nature to be very active fish, something they cannot do in your bowl...

Anyone on here or other forums who has owned danios will confirm this, as will the vast majority of books and websites...

I can think of tonnes of fish that are better suited to your bowl, but none other than a betta that could live happily in it. Why don't you just buy a mini heaterstat though? Or even use some sort of reptile heat lamp to heat it, and regulate temperature using a thermometer? (possible cheaper option than heaterstat, but obviously not as good).

 

[ChrisNfish]

Ok, I may be somewhat new, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, guys. I've read that if you're going to have fish in bowls, it is safe to do 100% water changes because you do them often, and because the water going in is quite similar to the water going out. I use Prime to dechlorinate the water, and I age my water overnight as well, so it is always the same temp going in as it is coming out.

If the fish become inactive, or begin lounging often on the bottom of the bowl, I simply will find them a new home. It won't be that hard. What do you think I am? Some kind of monster? I'm not going to wait until they look as though they're dead and say "oh gee, this isn't working." Please don't think I can't tell the difference between an active fish and inactive fish. If they're zipping around as they have been since day 1, then I'll keep them. If not, I won't.

I respect your points and your right to disagree with me, and I see you are passionate about fish. I intend to work my hardest to keep the fish happy.

 

[three-fingers]

Ok, I may be somewhat new, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, guys. I've read that if you're going to have fish in bowls, it is safe to do 100% water changes because you do them often, and because the water going in is quite similar to the water going out. I use Prime to dechlorinate the water, and I age my water overnight as well, so it is always the same temp going in as it is coming out.

Agree with you 100%.

If the fish become inactive, or begin lounging often on the bottom of the bowl, I simply will find them a new home. It won't be that hard. What do you think I am? Some kind of monster?

Nope, simply ill-advised, most people are in at least some subjects when it comes to fish keeping, but especially people who are relatively new to the fishkeeping

I'm not going to wait until they look as though they're dead and say "oh gee, this isn't working." Please don't think I can't tell the difference between an active fish and inactive fish. If they're zipping around as they have been since day 1, then I'll keep them. If not, I won't.

I respect your points and your right to disagree with me, and I see you are passionate about fish. I intend to work my hardest to keep the fish happy.

Your attitudes mainly right, but unfortunately you don't appear to have the experience to be able to judge weather a zebra danio is happy or not. To differentiate between a happy and unhappy zebra danio is not exactly difficult, but is not as easy as you are making out.

If you were to put your danios in a larger tank even for a few hours, you would see a difference. I'm afraid to say that you aren't going to be very happy with what people are going to say about how your keeping your danios on here (or any fish forum for that matter), so unless you decide to accept the advice various other members have already given you, I'd keep your fishkeeing methods entirely to yourself when asking for help in the future .

 

[ChrisNfish]

I appreciate your thoughts, and I understand that relatively new people to fish keeping make mistakes. I also am an avid reader, and a careful observer. My knowledge won't end here, I can guarantee you. I have spent my life teaching myself new things, and it has come with great rewards.

I figured my stance on keeping the fish in the bowls would be the oddball out, but it isn't as though I haven't done reading already. There are examples of setups like mine, being successful. If there weren't, I wouldn't have tried it in the first place. I don't expect everyone to jump up and down and congratulate me or think me fabulous. However, please respect and understand that I am not some sort of evil person, and that I will continue to read and learn about the danios, far far beyond one thread on one messageboard.

 

[Thirdfloor]

 

[littlest]

You talk a lot about learning, reading, educating yourself on this subject, yet you seem reluctant to learn from the people giving you advice here. There is a great wealth of information and advice from experienced fish-keepers on this site, and listening to them will only make you a better fish-keeper with happier, healthier fish.
People aren't getting anything out of disagreeing with your set-up, they are only concerned about your fish and want to help you to look after them properly.
If you really want to learn, there is no point in ignoring the advice you don't want to hear. You'll get nowhere that way.

On a side note, if you hear conflicting information about whether a set-up is OK or not, it's best to assume it is not. It's less risky to your fish that way. Until you have a lot of real, actual experience, I really think you should listen to the people here.

 

[ChrisNfish]

I *just met* the people who are giving me advice here. I don't know anything about them. I'm not saying they aren't experienced people. I'm saying I don't know anything about them, and I've met a lot of people on message boards who claim to be experts and yet are not. The people who wrote the articles I read claimed to be experts, too. I'm not asking you all to show me your credentials, but understand my point of view. I just arrived here. You are all new faces to me.

I am sorry if I seem unwilling to learn. That's really not the case. I'd just like to be given the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps I am a person who *could* be a good judge of when a fish is not feeling its best? I just felt as though everyone was jumping on the bandwagon against me. I have educated others before on subjects they may not fully understand. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt in many cases. Sometimes they did make mistakes, but it improved their overall knowledge.

 

[littlest]

I understand it is unpleasant when a lot of people post telling you are doing it all wrong, and I understand that this can make you defensive, or felt ganged up on, and it can be very off-putting, but I am confident that nobody is saying these things for fun or to cause offence. Their intentions are good.

It's a fair point that you don't know the experience of the people posting, so why not stick around, talk to people on the boards, seek out danio owners and hear their experiences. Even if they aren't "experts" there are a lot of people on here with more experience than you and you can gain some valuable knowledge from them.

I would point out that people have given reasons for why your set-up is not suitable, such as the fact danios need the swimming space, the size they reach and the fact they are schooling fish. People haven't just posted that it is unsuitable and not bothered to explain why.

And although you *could* bea good judge of when a fish is not feeling its best, because of your inexperience you don't know whether you are or not, and it was pointed out that the reason it would be hard to tell if they are healthy and happy is because the set-up is so small, not because of any fault with yourself.

 

[ChrisNfish]

I appreciate you taking the time to understand my viewpoint. And I will be around to read. I am happy to watch and learn from experienced people. That is why I come to forums, why I read books, and why I usually end up trying new things.

That said, are there ANY fish that anybody can recommend for a 2 gallon bowl? The room temperature tends to stay between 68 and 73, pretty much all year round. The building is older and sometimes the heat is cantankerous, so once or twice it has been down to 65, but on the whole, it is the above described temperature, most often.

 

[Thirdfloor]

I think you should really weigh your desire to have at work agains the kind of life your fish will have. No fish will really ever live happily or comfortably in a 2 gallon bowl with no filtration or reliable heat. Even bettas should have at least a 5 gallon home. Maybe go for a hermit crab?

 

[Musho3210]

Danios are river fish, rivers have strong flows and LOTS of oxygen.

Unfiltered bowls have no flow, and low oxygen. There, are you happy now? Your danios ARENT happy. It is the exact oposite of there natural environment


Say if a guppy gets fat, hides a lot, and grows a big black spot on its butt, is it happy? (i only want HIM to answer)


Cant you get a tank at your own home?