What is the best kind of fish to keep in a college dorm room?

Answer 1

Bettas!Bettas, or Siamese Fighting fish are the best fish to keep in a dorm, as they are usually well tempered and they dont really care about their surroundings.

Bettas are the best fish to keep in a small environment, because they're labyrinth fish (they have primitive lungs that allow them to breath regular oxygen if there's not enough in the tank).

Most pet stores sell male bettas for about $3 each --- you should only put one male in a singletank. Bettas should be kept with a small heater, as they are tropical fish and require temperatures between 80 and 86 degrees. A filter will help keep your desktop aquarium clean, and that way you will only need to do partial water changes (about 10 to 20 percent of the total volume) about once every week.

The smallest tank that a betta could comfortably live in is a 1 gallon. Keeping it in anything smaller is cruel, because it does not have room to move around, even though it may be able to obtain sufficient oxygen. The preferred tank size for a single betta is between 1 and 3 gallon tank,but putting it in a 3-5 gallon tank makes them even happier. If you have enough room to accomodate a filtered, heated 5 gallon tank you can think about having other fish with your betta, such as small guppies or endler's livebearers, shrimp or small tetras such as ember tetras. These add movement and interest. Note, however, that some bettas do not tolerate tankmates. It depends on the individual temperament of the fish.most beta will live with smaller fish that have little color and short tails.

From experience:I just purchased a betta fish but I have had others in the past. You can buy all different kinds of tanks for them for $20 or less and they require very little maintenance. They also now sell this spherical tank that comes with a light and would look very nice in a college dorm room without worrying about taking up space. Water only has to be changed once a month and feeding them is a breeze. Bettas are tough to kill...even for me!I have found though my beta fish are still alive and flourishing even when I neglect it. These are really wonderful pets and I would recommend them to anyone. ...though you can take good care of them.Although I'll agree that betas are very hearty fish, that doesn't mean keeping them in a tiny bowl with dirty water will make them happy.Betas thrive with more room to swim, as well as with warmed water (around 70-80 degrees). My beta was especially happy when I put guppies in the tank; he herded them around and became more colorful by the day. So, yes, betas are a good college fish, but if you want a really beautiful one you should take good care of it! Don't rule out goldfish?Goldfish are also a possibility of fish that you can keep in your dorm. goldfish need very little care just change the water and feed them 3 a week and they don't need a certain temperature. Though they do need a pump.

You cannot put a goldfish in a one-gallon fish bowl, and expect it to do well. If it does well, it will quickly grow too big for a fish bowl. Goldfish are suitablefish only if your building a single fish tank of 10 gallons and up.

So to sum up...A betta is the only fish that should really be kept in a bowl. Goldfish require an air source, such as an air stone, and at least 10 gallons of water per fish. Therefore, even for the smallest goldfish, you will need a 10 gallon aquarium. Bettas are originally from areas with low water levels, so they adapt best to being in bowls. Just remember to keep males separate and keep females in small groups (in appropriately sized bowls depending on the number of females). Also, make sure you change about 25% of the water once a week, or at least every other week. Don't forget to add dechlorinator to the fresh water if you are using tap water. AnotherAnother great type of fish is a guppy. They can be in a smaller aquarium and don't require a lot of specialized care. My experience with guppies is that they are quite hardy and can last a long time. If you r interested in breeding them as well, it is quite easy to do. Guppies are live-bearers, so you don't have to worry about them laying eggs; but if you're not wanting the hassle of taking care of the babies( other fish find guppy fry a nice snack), then you may want to stick to buying males. They are much prettier, but I have had a couple of aggressive males!! Sometimes you can accidentally buy a pregnant female if you are buying from a generic tank. Once inseminated, female guppies can have up to six batches of babies! Overall, I think that for an easy, low-maintenance, breed of fish, the guppy would be a good choice! :) And AnotherIf you have the room, there are several fish that could work in a college dorm. While I agree that bettas are the best choice, some people don't have the same tastes. A 10 gal aquarium (the typical beginner's tank) can house a small school of several types of tetras or raspboras. Five or 6 cardinal or neon tetras, glowlight tetras, or harlequin raspboras should do nicely. You could also have a small group of livebearers. Guppies, platys, and swordtails are all small, hardy, and come in many different colors. Try going for a male with 1-3 females, depending on tank size. Be careful though. Livebearers are notorious for breeding like rabbits. If you don't stay on top of them, chances are fry will be eaten. But if they find a good hiding spot away from the parents, you may have an overpopulation problem.