Too much money for one fish?

[Tuppu]

Hi guys. I've been reading random forums and some of you guys are crazy fish lovers. I see you all as the guy from deuce bigalow: male gigolo. hehe j/k.
My question is am i spending too much for my fish? I have a 3 gallon tank with one super cute neon dwarf gourami. After buying the tank, gravel, decor, filters, food, ph tester, ammonia tester, nitrate tester, alge remover, etc, i've noticed my wallet feeling alittle lighter than normal. Am i going too crazy with commercialized products or are all these things necessary? My second question is, what do i use to clean my plastic plants, rocks, etc? and lastly, would i need a siphon with a 3 gallon tank? thanks.

 

[wrs]

well it would be better if you had a bigger tank, so you could have more fish. but i do think that its alot of money to buy all that stuff just for one fish.

btw dwarf gouramis need at least a 10 gallon tank.

 

[Riley]

well yes i would say a small siphon wouldn't hurt but it isn't really needed right now cause you only have one fish.But if you do stumble across one thats cheep it wouldn't hurt to buy it. For cleaning the plants and stuff i wouldn't clean them when you clean your tanks anless you have alot of algae on them because theres bacteria that grows on them that you need to keep cycling your tank enless your going to have live plants. And for the testers its good to have them handy but i don't no about your pet store but i can just go down to mine and get my water tested for free but everything else sounds good

 

[Daveo]

i think that you should have put your money into a bigger tank rather than a 3 gallon

I have a 3 gallon tank with one super cute neon dwarf gourami

That is really small 8)


Daveo

 

[Pixie]

I agree if you have already bought all that extra stuff you might as well spend the $10.00 and get a 10 gallon.

To clean algae from plants and other things soak them in a bleach solution ( I use a five gallon bucket and add 1/2 cup bleach and then fill the bucket with hot water) for an hour or two, then rise them well and soak them again with clear water and a lot of AquaSafe or Stress Coat to remove the chlorine from them. You don't need a siphon with a 3 gallon, you can just clean it by the sink, that is what I do.

I agree that your gouramis needs a bigger tank, it also would be happier with some more of it's own kind, preferably one of the opposite sex

 

[Tuppu]

I would loved to have gotten a bigger tank, but unfortunatlly i'm at school, and there isnt too much space in my room b/c of all the... books........ yea... thats it. books. However after i graduate, i'm going to get a much larger tank where i can have a community of friendly fish. But for now b/c of the fact that i'm pretty new to fish, I think this is a good way to start. Anyhoo.. about the cleaning, would i just use tap water and my hands to clean the plants and stuff or would i need some cleaning solution? Also, b/c i do have a 3 gallon tank and not the recommended 10 gallon, would the fish be stressed? what would happen?

 

[Pixie]

Don't use any cleaning solutions! Just plain water will work. Make sure you use a water conditioner to remove the chlorine and stuff and to have the new water the same temp as the old. When I clean my small tanks I fill a large cup with tank water and put the fish in there. Then I rinse the rocks with warm water to remove the waste products. Then I refill it 1/2 way with clean water the same temp as the old and add the water conditioner. Then I put the cup of water with the fish in it back into the tank and then finish filling it. As for your fish getting sick or stressed it probably will be fine as long as the tank stays clean, he just won't be too happy.

 

[SailfinGirl]

I wouldn't have thought that a dwarf gourami would have found a 3gallon tank way too stressful as they are anabantoids. They might find it a little uncomfortable, but it sounds as though the tank is a temporary measure.

Although, I would recommend getting a Siamese Fighter (Betta splendens) instead. Some people on here keep them in 1 gallon tanks, so you won't get too much stick for putting them in a 3 gallon.

GL!