Fish for Small Unheated Aquariums and Goldfish Bowls
Filed under: Aquarium Fish Tanks andFish Tank Design andFreshwater Tropical Fish
Certain fishes are often kept in bowls or small plastic aquariums that lack heating and filtration equipment. The fish most often kept in this way include goldfish, bettas, white cloud mountain minnows, and danios. Each of these fishes have different pros and cons when it comes to keeping them in this fashion.
Goldfish, Carassius auratus: Superb in Large Unheated Aquariums
Goldfish grow. Common goldfish can grow up to approximately 12 inches in length which is larger than some of the containers the juveniles are kept in. They also produce a good deal of waste as they grow. Fancy varieties usually stay smaller than common goldfish, but their fancy fins are inclined to develop finrot in dirty water. This makes the lack of a filter problematic.
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White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Tanichthys albonubes: Good for Small Unheated Aquariums and Large Bowls
White cloud mountain minnows prefer lower temperatures than most tropical fish and for this reason they are often kept in unheated aquaria. Their natural temperatures are 64-71F. They are very small fish, staying under two inches in length. However, they do school so is important to provide enough space for at least a couple of fish, preferably more. Fortunately their small size means that two or three can be kept comfortably in a 2 or 3 gallon aquarium. Of all the fish discussed here, these are probably the best for a large unheated bowl or small unheated aquarium.
Zebra Danio, Brachydanio rerio: Not Ideal
Most danios are small, the zebra danio being 1¾ inches in length, and they are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. Their natural temperature range is 64-75F. However, they are fast swimmers and like to school which makes keeping them in a tiny aquarium