# any suggestions for a 2.2 gallon tank...seriously



## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

kids each have one and they've had tetras and guppies in the past but have been dry for a year. any suggestions???


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

Bettas.....


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## JacobF (Aug 21, 2009)

Shrimp.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i have a beta in mine


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

I think a 2.2 gallon is too small for any type of cichlid for sure. I suppose you could use it for fry temporarily, but even that's pertty confining. Plus, keeping the water pristine would be a challenge in that size a tank. I'd go with the other suggestions and put a betta in there. There are some gorgeous ones out there, although they are not very active and exciting fish. They could probably put a couple of those teeny aquatic frogs in there that you commonly see at pet stores. Or maybe a firebelly newt or salamander. Not sure on the requirements of those guys, but it might be fun set up.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i had frogs in there at one time and they would always climb out...so a single betta??? can anything else go with it or is the one betta all


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i have like a dwarf lobster in mine as well, just to keep the bottom clean. seems to be working out


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

the lobster as well as the betta?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

yeah, they have been for a while and seen to do fine, very low maintenance


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

White clouds, mosquitofish (Heterandria formosa), a pair of killies, a pair of honey gouramis...


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Sparkling gouramis. :thumb:


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

apple snails and/or trapdoor snails...got two in my bathroom right now. piece of lettuce a day keeps em happy.

or just breed pond snails as treats.

for the fish not the children.


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

steelers fan said:


> i had frogs in there at one time and they would always climb out...so a single betta??? can anything else go with it or is the one betta all


Yeah, you can only do one betta. They aren't called Siamese fighting fish for nothing! Most commonly, you only see males at the pet store. They are the more showy sex with nice finnage and come in lots of colors and types. If you put 2 males in together, they will fight to the death. If you put a female in with the male, they have a very unique way of breeding, and often the female ends up in pretty rough shape afterwards. You can't keep them together permanently. They need to be kept separate when not breeding. I kept bettas when I lived in an apartment and bred them a few times. I lost a few fish in the process though cause they are so rough on eachother. But one male to that size tank is good and they don't require a lot of special care. Just keep the water clean and feed sparingly and they are pretty cool pets. You could keep some small dither fish in there with the betta. They are pretty docile in a community tank. How bout a cory or small catfish or some type. I would advise against most tetras and barbs with the betta though cause a lot of them have a tendency to be fin nippers. But a couple of leopard or zebra danios or similar fish would be OK.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

What are the dimensions of a 2.2 gallon tank/bowl/large jam jar?

I can't seriously contemplate keeping anything as a wet pet in a container that small. I've thought about keeping a betta in a 7.5 gallon tank, but just can't bring myself to keep a fish in such a small tank.

So I keep cherry shrimp instead. All you need is a mossie log or stone and a sponge filter, and away you go.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

DeadFishFloating said:


> I've thought about keeping a betta in a 7.5 gallon tank, but just bring myself to keep a fish in such a small tank.


I've bought a 15 gallon full setup for someone one christmas for their betta, I hated seeing it in a betta bowl. :lol:


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> I've bought a 15 gallon full setup for someone one christmas for their betta, I hated seeing it in a betta bowl. :lol:


Nice one *dwarfpike*. :thumb: Would it be possible to keep a male and female in a 15 gallon tank? Certainly would be able to add some White Cloud minows.

We have a LFS here that specialises in Bettas (and apistogramma and other dwarf SA cichlids - LFS heaven) FISHCHICK AQUATICS. If you scroll down towards the bottom, there are a lot of YouTube vids of her bettas. She has some very nice ones.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Would need multiple females to take his attention away from any one. Bettas can be as bad as male cichlids sometimes.

I got her harelquin rasboras instead, she loves copper ... so it seemed like a good fit.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

its not quite a bowl. not sure of the dimensions...they are packed away. but picturing them i would say 12-14 inches long x 8-10 inches deep x 14-16 inches tall. they do have filters on them...


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i just looked in the library and it says a 2.5 gallon tank is 12x6x8 inches...thought these were a bit bigger. i do remember the kids receiving them as christmas presents years ago and remember it saying 2.5 gallons on the front of the box...maybe after work ill break them out and take actual measurements


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

seahorse


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

the tank is 10.5 inches wide x 7 inches deep x 9.5 inches high. is that still a bowl by betta standards. i owned a betta when i was younger maybe 15 years old...it was in a very small bowl. i am 37 years old now much more knowledgeable and have owned and cared for fish now for around 10 years, but only cichlids ...mbuna, oscars, and some tangs, oh yeah and the occasional swordtail or guppie in my kids 2.2. all of my tanks since have been at least 29 gallon and i just have these tanks sitting around


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

male and female fiddler crab! i just got a few there nifty


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

seahorse...stop it :lol:


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

We had our Betta in a 20 gallon tank with white cloud minnows.... they were pretty cool. I hate seeing people keep bettas in those tiny little cups..... Sure they CAN live in something that small, but should they HAVE to?? I say no.


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

it because of mis-information given no fish should be kept in something like that


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

this is by no means a little cup. no its not a 29, 10, or even a 5 gallon but not a bowl either. these tanks have a great little filter thats pushes alot of water as well. are you trying to tell me that one fish cannot be kept in these tanks...i think this has run its course. thank you all for your replies i appreciate them as always. can a mod close this thread please, thank you.


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

No dont close it, i want to see what you decide to put in it.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

dwarfpike said:


> Sparkling gouramis. :thumb:


 :thumb:


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

I never said a Betta couldn't stay in one of those tanks.... I have had a couple myself..... I was just saying a Betta should not live in those tiny cups at the pet store...

Don't get your panties in a twist and tell us what you are putting in those tanks!!


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i dont know what to put in it...like i said theres been guppies in there as well as those little frogs and some swordtails without incident. so there are fish that can live happily in these tanks. *** been so tunnel visioned with cichlids that *** lost touch with the rest of the fish world. i thought gouramis got too big for a tank this size...i thought they usually grow to 5ish inches. i should clarify what *** kept in there all at once...2 guppies, 1 swordtail and a wild crayfish. at another time 3 1 inch frogs that same darn crayfish and a cory.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Gouramis come in all shapes and sizes, from 10" snakeskins to 1.5" sparkling gouramis, and lots inbetween. (note: since kissing and false giant gouramis are in differant families, I didn't include them. Those false giant gouramis actually get 2ft)


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

huh...so just one sparkling gourami or just one betta or could we do a sparkling gourami and a betta or can we do a sparkling gourami and a couple neon tetras or a betta and...


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I would do 2 sparkling gouramis or 1 betta. I don't really like schoolers in something that small, but if I were to try it I'd only do _Microrasbora_ or _Boraras_ species.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i think i may do a single betta or two sparkling gouramis :lol: i think maybe because your the only one who gave me a specific numbers. of course it comes down to taking the kids to the lfs and letting them see these fish. my lfs is pretty good but they do have their bettas in those little cups so i think once my kids see them in there bettas will probrably be the choice. it will probrably be for christmas so i can still entertain ideas. for now i will put their filters on my tanks and get them up to speed. thank you all again for your time and thoughts.


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

its my opinion that bettas cant live in small tanks, 
sure they can but are they happy? 
put a betta in a 20 gallon and one in a 2 gallon......

see which one moves, which one has colour..... which one is not STRESSED.

you over reacted at a comment made on a forum based on my own opinion, and experience. 
you, my good sir,
need to relies this... 
are you going to be happy in a jail sell your whole life...? 
i think not.. 
im not saying it cant be done im saying IMO i think it is inhumane.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

If you can find a _Betta imbellis_ or _B. smaragdina_, they would work even better. They are smaller and more colorfull than _B. splendens_.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

> you over reacted at a comment made on a forum based on my own opinion, and experience.
> you, my good sir,
> need to relies this...


im not quite sure what you mean but...okey
thank you for your input


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

steelers fan said:


> I've been so tunnel visioned with cichlids that I've lost touch with the rest of the fish world.


There are fish besides Cichlids?...


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## skeeterbird (Oct 28, 2008)

My daughter just upgraded to a larger tank so I have a small tank to fill. I'm deffo going down the shrimp route. Gonna have it next to my bed (hence my question about a very quiet filter in the equipment section :wink: ) so I can watch them at bedtime.

I couldn't go down the better route as I just can't bear to see any fish in solitary whether it's because they fight or not.


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

steelers fan said:


> this is by no means a little cup. no its not a 29, 10, or even a 5 gallon but not a bowl either. these tanks have a great little filter thats pushes alot of water as well. are you trying to tell me that one fish cannot be kept in these tanks...i think this has run its course. thank you all for your replies i appreciate them as always. can a mod close this thread please, thank you.


im sorry but when i read this i thought you were being rude, because of answers you dont want, im sorry i miss read your tone.

mabee you should go with the shrimp.

you could get away with a few bumblebee gobys but they are a brackish fish.


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

shrimp, 4 or 5 white clouds, 4 or 5 celestial pearl danios, etc...

there are quite a few nano fish you can keep in a tank that small, just be sure to keep on top of the maintainance


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