Outrageously Overpopulated Fish Bowl

[MrNiceGuy]

this is not my work, im not going to go into detail but just know that ive explained thoroughly that this idea is insane and will never work.



anyway, the 2 and a half gallon fish bowl has

3 angelfish
2 white mountain cloud minnows
and 1 upside down catfish




the bowl is planted and has an undergravel filter pretty well established. the guy changed half the water before putting the angels in (he used the water from the pet store). however, it is very unlikely that another water change will be made for a very very long time (if ever). the bowl is somewhat heated by what is some type of reptile light that covers most of the top of the bowl.


So my question is how long do you think these fish will survive with these conditions? hes convinced theyll live a long healthy life. i wouldnt let this stupid idea bother me that much but it happens to be in my kitchen and i have to look at it everyday.

 

[bae1994]

i give a few days at the most that is insane id get the person to join this forum asap

 

[Wills]

Yeah agreed with Bae, man that is really harsh. Just out of interest what kind of background does he have to make such an educated decision? Has he ever opened a book or turned on a computer?

 

[bae1994]

im also quit confused as this tank had a betta in it yesterday

 

[erk628]

Yes get the person on here well help convince this person! Also saw you said it was "your" kitchen if that's the case I would say my house my rules get a bigger tank or take the fish back. Bowls should only be used for soup and ceral unless its like a 5 gallon bowl

 

[Wills]

Bowls should only be used for soup and ceral

Love that !!

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Yeah agreed with Bae, man that is really harsh. Just out of interest what kind of background does he have to make such an educated decision? Has he ever opened a book or turned on a computer?

this might surprise you but he actually claims to an expert. years ago he was really into the hobby and he has read what he describes as "many" fish books. its my father actually, he's the guy that originally inspired me to get into fish... but i've actually done some research on the topic. i've explained to him many times that he has some fundamental misconceptions but it always turns into the same redundant argument. So i try not to bring it up too often anymore I had to say somethin when he brought home 3 angelfish though, it was just too ridiculous. His rebuttals usually sound somethin like "what makes you think you know more than me? I've been doing this all my life". Then we just go back and forth... theres no getting through to him and i dont want to be too disrespectful to the guy, i mean, he is my father.

thanks for the input.


edit:
and by the way, the betta disappeared... so the angels were his replacement idea for the betta... and to respond to someone else, this is my fathers bowl and my fathers kitchen. his house, his rules.

 

[Jonty]

Tell him to search 'angel fish tank size' on google. Then look smug.

 

[Tolak]

Have dad hop on the computer, I'll bet he's around my age, give or take. The only way I could see sellable size angels in a bowl would be in a bowl show. Has dad ever shown fish?

Technology advances, the lag time between when books are written, published, and made generally available moves at a snail's pace compared to the internet. Your best chances of staying current these days is via the internet. I can grab some old books with outdated ideas that have been proven to be less than ideal.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Have dad hop on the computer, I'll bet he's around my age, give or take. The only way I could see sellable size angels in a bowl would be in a bowl show. Has dad ever shown fish?

Technology advances, the lag time between when books are written, published, and made generally available moves at a snail's pace compared to the internet. Your best chances of staying current these days is via the internet. I can grab some old books with outdated ideas that have been proven to be less than ideal.

yeah, i tried this too. he was actually, and still is, trying to convince me to get angelfish for my community tank. I explained to him that I have a 20 gallon long and angelfish need a tall tank. His response to this and pretty much all the fish facts i present him is "thats just ideal, they'll be fine"


but i really started this topic to ask you guys how long you think these fish will live... it might sound a little cruel but i'm hoping he fails miserably. if they die quickly maybe he'll change his ways.. and i wont have to look at this mini fish-holocaust in my kitchen.

 

[Tolak]

Depends on the size of the angels. Having a filter it could go for some time, provided you do a few large water changes weekly. Hope you have a real heater, angels like it warmer, 80-82F. They will grow slower in cooler temps, but since it slows their metabolism it makes them prone to constipation. You will want to avoid any high protein foods.

The larger the angels the shorter they will last.

 

[bae1994]

or if you have money buy him an upgrade

 

[Ryefish]

what an awkward situation I know what you mean when you say if they die quick then it might change his ways. As bad as it sounds, if it does happen then i hope it does change and he learns a lesson, although i doubt it will

 

[Assaye]

Jeez . . . what happens if you just say "Dad, angels can get to 10 inches tall! They physically won't have space to turn around!".

When my friends have butted heads with their elders, their main flaw is not using facts. They'll say "that tank isn't big enough" or "you need to cycle your tank" but they won't say "these fish get to x size and are highly active, therefore they need a bigger tank" or "if you don't cycle your tank, the fish will be exposed to ammonia with has been proven to cause gill damage and early death".

I'm sure you know how to talk to your dad, but just remember that you need to use facts and back them up. Why not get a really good species book that has sizes, necessary temperatures and tank sizes in it to show him? It's be a good book to have around anyway and you would also be able to hold it up and go "look, this guy has been keeping tropicals for 40 years . . . "

Also, have you tried printing out care sheets and leaving them by the bowl?

This is a really unpleasant situation. I really hope the fish will be OK and your dad will see sense but if that isn't going to happen, I hope they pass away quickly and painlessly. Maybe when they don't last more than a couple of months (or weeks), he'll see sense. Or maybe he'll just blame it on "bad breeding" or some other crap.

 

[kelly528]

test the ammonia tomorrow morning. Guaranteed it will be through the roof. Show the results to him and ask him if it was his original plan to clean the bowl every day