# How Should I Start Fishkeeping Again?



## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

So, I quit fishkeeping for awhile because my fishroom setup died off awhile ago. But I want to go back to fishkeeping (other than Jimmy, because I've had him this whole time, I've had him for over 2 years). The only thing is, we recently moved in with my step-mom and step-sister, and they live in a small ranch house, so I need a small tank, and my dad and step-mom prefer I don't even get something with a filter, air pump, or anything that uses outlets (Jimmy is at my mom's house). So my fish options are quite limited, because in these living conditions it will probably be a fishbowl or one of those little betta kits (of course, I won't put an actual betta in there).

So what I've been thinking of is two setups, which I will explain:

*Setup 1: Shrimp Tank*

This setup will probably be in one of those little betta bowls (about 0.5-1 gallon), but I can try to make it a bit bigger if necessary. This setup will be stocked with most likely two dwarf freshwater shrimp. My LFS (Aquarium Adventure) carries glass shrimp, red cherry shrimp, tiger shrimp, and I think amano shrimp sometimes. But since the RCS and I think the Tiger Shrimp will breed more easily, I'm thinking about going with the glass shrimp. This setup will most likely be planted, with either java moss or a marimo ball (probably a marimo). Substrate will be gravel, but I can make it bare-bottom if needed.

*Setup 2: Snail Tank*

This setup will probably also be in a "betta" tank. This setup will be the same in terms of substrate and possibly planting, but will have one mystery snail or a couple of ramshorns or pond snails.

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Sorry this was so long, but I want to make sure I'm making the right choice for my fish. I guess a couple of white cloud minnows or a feeder guppy could go in something 1-2 gallons, but it would be a little bit cramped and I don't feel comfortable putting those two species in something without a filter or aeration. I'm leaning towards the glass shrimp, because I don't have the best luck with snails (they last a couple of months then die and pollute the water in my experience). Please feel free to give advice on the setups. Thank you.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Tiger shrimp don't really breed that easily...they are one of the harder species to breed, I think. I would second the glass shrimp idea, as they have a better tolerance of unheated water.  A soil-based planted bowl could be lovely.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I don't know how to do it, you'd need to do some more research, but you could keep 2 dwarf puffers in a 4-5 gallon. Of course you'd need a heater, they're the only fish I know other than betta that do well in a small tank..

I think it'd be cool if you bred RCS and did planted bowl set ups. I would try selling them in a classified, or even at a flea market, with a little instruction book and a small pack of food. I think that'd be really popular with people, you could make some money even. It's something I've had in the back of my mind for a while.


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## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

Olympia said:


> I don't know how to do it, you'd need to do some more research, but you could keep 2 dwarf puffers in a 4-5 gallon. Of course you'd need a heater, they're the only fish I know other than betta that do well in a small tank..
> 
> I think it'd be cool if you bred RCS and did planted bowl set ups. I would try selling them in a classified, or even at a flea market, with a little instruction book and a small pack of food. I think that'd be really popular with people, you could make some money even. It's something I've had in the back of my mind for a while.


Don't worry, I've been researching this, actually. I just came here for some extra help, as internet research can be quite conflicting at times. I would breed RCS in multiple bowls, but my dad and step-mom will probably only let me have one or MAYBE two setups (It will most likely be one). If I could do that, I think that would be really cool, though. About the puffers, we almost literally don't have space for a 5 gallon, I think the only places my setup could go is in my brother's and my bedroom (we share a room there), which is really small, or the kitchen counter. Some people put fish tanks in their bathrooms, but I think that's just weird (and I'm worried that the fish would be breathing in some rather foul air :-? ). Those two places I mentioned are rather small and won't be able to fit anything past a 2.5 gallon probably.


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## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

Bombalurina said:


> Tiger shrimp don't really breed that easily...they are one of the harder species to breed, I think. I would second the glass shrimp idea, as they have a better tolerance of unheated water.  A soil-based planted bowl could be lovely.


Oh, okay, I thought that tiger shrimp were like RCS in terms of breeding. But I'm leaning towards the glass shrimp also. The only thing is, it might not be soil-based because I already have gravel and my dad will not want to spend money on soil substrate when we have a bag of purple gravel already.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

If you have soil in your garden that isn't chemically treated or has any added stuff, that should work, I think.


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## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

Bombalurina said:


> If you have soil in your garden that isn't chemically treated or has any added stuff, that should work, I think.


I'll have to ask my step-mom if it's chemically treated, then. They're trying to get rid of this briar patch that's in our backyard, so maybe I can be spared some soil. But, if there is fertilizer/chemicals in it, then I'll just have to use the purple gravel or make it bare-bottom. I don't know if purple would really fit in with glass shrimp and live plants, though, so it may be bare-bottom with lots of plants.


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## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

Here are the tanks I'm thinking of using for this setup. Which one do you think I should use?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147144&lmdn=Fish+Aquariums+&amp;+Bowls

This one is a 0.5 gallon bowl

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3441530&lmdn=Fish+Aquariums+&amp;+Bowls

This is a 1 gallon glass bowl

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11051818

This one is a 1 gallon plastic corner-shaped aquarium.

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Remember, it's just glass shrimp and live plants going in the tank/bowl. I'm not putting bettas, goldfish, etc. in any of these. That would be kind of cruel. I'm leaning towards getting one of the bowls. The bowls have a more sophisticated look for a planted nano. Please respond, I'd like to hear your opinions on this shrimp setup. :thankyou:


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I'd go for a 1 gallon glass bowl. I think it'd be a classic look, which I love as well.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I second that. The bowl is classy. Bare bottomed with java moss would look really nice.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I third the 1g classy bowl with bare-bottom and java moss with shrimp


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## GuppyBetta (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks guys! I think I will do what you guys are recommending. So my setup will most likely be a 1 gallon glass bowl, bare-bottomed with java moss, a marimo ball, and two glass shrimp. Then again, marimos are really expensive at my LFS ($25 USD), so it may just be the java moss.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

You could get something like water lettuce or duck weed to throw on top. It's a pest for most people, but it wouldn't be too big a problem in a bowl


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