Advice for Bowls

By: Mooloolaba Pet Centre

Many bowls are too small to keep fish. However, if you decide that a bowl is perfect for you, then there are a few steps you can take to ensure that your bowl is kept in the best possible conditions, and your fish is happy and healthy.

 

The Fish

There are not many fish that live happily in bowls. The most suitable is the male Siamese Fighting Fish. These fish need to be kept separate from each other, as two males will fight. You can occasionally keep one male Siamese Fighting Fish with several small fish such as White Cloud Mountain Minnows or Neon Tetras, however you need to be careful - Siamese Fighting Fish can sometimes be territorial, and may chase and attack other fish. Note that Neons, being a tropical fish, will need a heater in winter and will benefit from filtration.

 

If you prefer to keep goldfish in a bowl, small fantails are best, as they are quite hardy and do not need quite as much swimming room as some of the other types of goldfish. Do keep in mind though that goldfish can outgrow the bowl, and may need upgrading to a larger aquarium. The myth that fish will only grow to suit the size of the bowl is just that - a myth. Provided that you keep the water quality high, fish will continue to grow.

 

The Bowl

There is a large selection of bowls available, and the type and shape of the bowl that you choose will greatly affect the health of your fish.

 

The best bowls to choose from are those that have a relatively wide opening. This means that more water is exposed to the air, thus allowing for greater diffusion of oxygen into the water. Try to avoid the tall, narrow bowls, as even though these sometimes have large volumes of water, the smaller opening means less oxygen is able to diffuse into the water.

 

The size of the bowl is also very important. In order to house one Siamese Fighting Fish happily, a minimum of 5 litres of water is recommended. Small goldfish will require at least 10 litres of water. If you choose to have more than one fish, a larger volume of water will be required.

 

Do you need a filter?

The design of many bowls means that it is impractical to put in a filter. However, if you can, a small airstone connected to an air pump will greatly benefit your fish by providing additional oxygen into the water and preventing a surface ‘scum’ developing.

 

If you do wish to add some filtration to the bowl, there are several options. Small undergravel filters, which are connected to external air pumps, are available, however in order for these filters to work properly they need to be able to sit flat in the bottom of the bowl. Also available are small internal power filters. See our filtration page for further information on the different types of filters, or alternatively we can advise on the best suited to your bowl.

 

What else do you need?

In addition to the bowl, other items that you will need include:

• Chlorine neutraliser - This is required to remove chlorine from tap water. It is recommended that you use one that has added chemicals to remove excess ammonia from the water (ammonia is excess fish waste products).
• Aquarium salt - all fish will benefit from the addition of aquarium salt into the water. This has a conditioning effect, as well as aiding in disease prevention.
• Gravel - There is a large selection of gravel types and colours available for bowls. Choose one that isn’t too coarse, as coarse gravel can cause food to become trapped in the pore spaces, thereby polluting the water. Also, do not use shell grit or crushed coral in freshwater, as this can alter the water chemistry.
• Decorations - No fish likes swimming in a bare bowl. The addition of plants and/or ornaments will greatly improve your fish’s well-being. Note that live plants may only have a limited life span in bowls due to the low light levels that many bowls receive. For this reason plastic plants are often better suited.

 

Setting up the bowl

Setting up a bowl is very easy. First, wash the gravel to ensure there is no dirt or dust in it, then place it in the bowl. Fill the bowl with water, measuring how many litres you put in as you go. Add the recommended dosage of chlorine neutraliser and aquarium salt, and put in any decorations that you have purchased. Then you are ready for the fish.

 

Float your bag of fish on the top of the water for about 10-15 minutes before letting it out into the water. This helps to reduce stress on the fish by equalising the water temperature between the bag and the bowl.

 

Feeding

Feeding will depend on the type of fish chosen. Generally, fish will require feeding on a daily basis, at the same time each day. Make sure that the fish eats everything within a couple of minutes. Some fish may benefit from smaller feeds twice a day. If you are keeping goldfish, bear in mind that they will always act hungry. Remember that the more you feed, the more waste the fish produces, and the quicker the water quality in your bowl will deteriorate. Talk to our staff for the best food and feeding method for your fish.

 

Bowl Maintenance

Aquarium maintenance for bowls is very easy. Just change about 10% of the water daily, which in most cases is a cup or a litre of water a day. It is much better to change a little bit of water more often than a lot of water less often. Due to the small volume of water in bowls, it doesn’t take much for it to become polluted, so smaller water changes more frequently are recommended.

 

Try not to change all of the water at once unless really necessary, as this will stress your fish unnecessarily. If you get a build up of waste products on the bottom of the bowl, this is usually a sign that you are feeding your fish too much food.

 

Finally, do not forget to add the chlorine neutraliser and aquarium salt each time you add fresh water to the bowl.

 

The Biological Side of Bowls

Fish produce waste products, mainly ammonia, which needs to be broken down in the water before it reaches toxic levels. This is done by beneficial bacteria, which live in the gravel. These bacteria break down the ammonia into nitrite, which is still toxic to fish, and then into non-toxic nitrate.

 

One of the major problems with small bowls is that the level of ammonia can build up extremely rapidly. This is probably the biggest cause of fish deaths in bowls. By doing regular daily water changes, you will dilute out any ammonia which may be starting to form.

 

Once the bacterial population has established in the bowl, it is important not to kill it. This means not cleaning your bowl too thoroughly, and not cleaning the gravel. If you look after these beneficial bacteria, then the bacteria will look after your fish by eliminating the toxic ammonia produced by your fish.