Bubble Eye GoldFish, Fantail, Or Betta?

[fashionfobie]

I think it would be better to pick something like shrimp or snails. Betta are very hardy so are placed in a lot of bad situations, but ask the question: Will this fish thrive? or Survive?

Ideally you want your fish to THRIVE

 

[Mizzely]

What was said is that 5 gallons is ABSOLUTE MINIMUM for a betta. "Proper" would be 10 gallons or more

 

[Jas]

A life is a life, end of!

A human baby is no more important than a fish, bird or mouse. They are all living, breathing and feeling creatures. You see different fair enough but at the end of day who are you to say humans are superior? Why is a baby more important than a puppy?

I know A guy who has spent over $10,000 on 3 fish. Yet the one who he cared about, loved and actually had a bond with was a $50 flowerhorn.does that make him crazy, nah. If we go by your view than only celebrities should seek medical care since they actually have a net worth.

There is also a specialist goldfish vet who makes some really interesting videos. Goldfish are highly regarded animals in some cultures. (they're also a domestic type of carp to give you an idea of how big they get).

There is no true proper sized enclosure for a wild animal/ none domestic animal, they are not ours to torment. They have their own free will and no one can own them, that is a messed up human concept.

 

[charlieboy]

I get where you're coming from, a lot of people including me were taught by their parents to think of fish as objects. We are too caught up with life or ourselves to think about it properly.

Building an opinion for yourself takes thought and time. But when you take the time to think about it, it seems clear at least to me that a life is a life.

Yes, you may prefer animals that are cuddly. Yes, you might prefer to save a human baby over a fish if you had to make the choice, and I would too. But when you have the opportunity to save both, they both deserve it just as much as the other. If you can't get vet care right now for any of the animals you have right now, even a fish, that's fine, take care of them the best you can, but please don't take in another.

I don't know if you don't want to take the time to think or are scared to admit that you may be wrong, but it's an important process of building who you are as a person. If you really don't care about animal equality, then fine, work on yourself in another field. But if you do care at least a little and the reason you're still stuck on your opinion is one of the above, it might be time to get started and think for yourself... It's okay to change your mind. I used to be too caught up to think about it, I recognised my wrongs and changed. But it's your job to do so for yourself.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Revelth]

I'm going to have to agree with the above statements. When I was younger I had fish in absolutely terrible conditions, I assure you none of them lived longer than 6 months. These are fish that could have lived past 5 Years. I got my act togeather and now I have a few nice filtered and heated tanks.

I agree with @fashionfobie, an invertibrate tank might be better for you. Cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp are very cheap where I'm at so they might be a nice fit if money is the issue. A air pump and sponge filter are also recommended if you want to try to breed shrimp, which can be a very rewarding experience.

All in all, you already got your answer about goldfish and betta fish would be a really bad idea. If your not going to spend the extra 10 dollars in order to buy a ten gallon, or better yet, wait for a nice sale, than your probably not going to want to spend the extra 20+ dollars for the test kits required to check up on and maintain such a sensitive tank. Betta fish are hardy, they can survive for a relatively long times in bad water, but in a 5 gallong, without a more complicated and probably more expensive setup, that betta won't thrive.

I wasn't going to comment on your apparent lack of care for life but the way you worded things, it sounds like your treating fish as throwaway pets which is pretty offensive to a lot of fish owners.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I didn't see anyone else mention this but goldfish are SOCIAL animals and you cannot just get 1 and believe it will be happy. Goldfish need other goldfish friends, fancy fan tail or bubble eye or brain goldfish, it doesn't matter, they are social animals and need another goldfish with them I know you realize now that a 5g tank is too small for a goldfish but I didn't see anyone else touch basis on the social factor, and if others have, I apologize for a repeat answer.

As to vet care...well....Just ten-twenty years ago the idea of taking a bird to a vet was baffling for people to understand. Since the fish community is growing and growing, you'll see more and more people in general who are baffled that someone WOULDNT take their fish to the vet. Kind of like bird people imn 2019 vs bird people in 1999. Even now, we see people say "but I bought this stupid parakeet/finch for $20, why should I take it to the vet when I can spend another $20 and just replace it?" As if the animal doesn't feel pain and suffering just because a person put a $20 price tag on them.

Most of my birds were free and I have cockatoos. I have had other parrots; amazons, cockatiels, variety of finches, lovebirds and budgies, and many were free. Just because they were cheap, doesn't mean they don't deserve adequate care (housing, food, vet care).

I personally don't like the idea of spending money on vet care for a fish, BUT that is why I do not have fish. I LOVE fish, they are beautiful. Fish tanks are BEAUTIFUL. But they are high maintenance and the idea of somehow transporting a fish - in water - to a vet, just seems like a hassle. So I do not have fish. I do not want to be a bad pet owner if I cannot or will not take proper care of them if they get sick.

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

@Bokkapooh The only sickness my past Goldy's or Bettas have ever acquired is ICK. Which I've treated with ICK medicine. But yes I'll admit, some of my goldfish have died of overfeeding. They would always beg for food. Twice as much as a Betta would. Had a hard time denying them.

 

[Zara]

yes I'll admit, some of my goldfish have died of overfeeding.

If you cannot keep a goldfish alive, you are not fit to own any animal.
Even a small child can manage to care for a goldfish.

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

@Zara I disagree. My 33 year old sister works long hours, comes home very tired, her fish gets fed once a day but still manages to die. She's had more than one betta and the majority have died. Yet her two Rescue Cats are still happy and healthy.

 

[taxidermynerd]

I'll just leave this here- Granddad was a lungfish who was part of the original collection at the Shedd Aquarium. He was alive since AT LEAST 1933, and he was euthanized in 2017 after a rapid decline in his health. He was around for a long time, he was at least 84 when he died. Just goes to show that fish can (and do) live long lives. An Era Passes with Granddad | Shedd Aquarium

 

[Revelth]

@Zara I disagree. My 33 year old sister works long hours, comes home very tired, her fish gets fed once a day but still manages to die. She's had more than one betta and the majority have died. Yet her two Rescue Cats are still happy and healthy.

Your sister may be able to care for her cats extremely well but she should not keep buying fish if they keep dying in her care. There could be a multitude of problems besides feeding. Proper Filtration, tank size, heating, and water parameters for example.

 

[Jas]

Water quality testing kits are essential. Ammonia is deadly. Was there a lot of substrate and did you syphon it regularly? If not ammonia and co2 build creating pockets that can kill your fish once disturbed. Water changes are a must but no more than 75%. An established tank usually only needs. 25% once a week (depending on stocking of course)

Did you both feed your fish flake food? It is a very poor diet and the fish has to eat a lot of it to get some nutrition. Pelleted and live (unless its herbivorous) are the best way to go.

Don't rinse out filter in clean water it kills the bacteria. Which you need to break down organic matter produced by fish and rotting food/plants.

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

I agree, she shouldn't. But it is what it is, you know? At the end of the day, we do what we can do. edit::Mine were fed flakes and floating pellets, but they preferred flakes

 

[Mizzely]

Fish are not beginner pets. Yes it's the age old stereotype that if you can't keep a fish or plant alive, then you shouldn't have kids or other pets. That is WRONG. And I'm sorry but basing the success of someone on past failures is also wrong. By that decree I should not have any birds due to my tragic losses. In many ways fish are HARDER to keep than many mammals. We have to terraform a part of our home to their exact specifications. It's like putting them in a spaceship and YOU'RE the environmental control.

 

[Mizzely]

Anyone who keeps replacing fish without seeing why they are having issues is just making more animals suffer needlessly.

 

[Jas]

. It's like putting them in a spaceship a

They're in a reversed submarine!!

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

None of my Personal Bettas have ever died. They were re-homed .

 

[Mizzely]

They're in a reversed submarine!!

Yes!! Better analogy, I was just thinking of Star Trek

 

[Jas]

Yes!! Better analogy, I was just thinking of Star Trek

Intergalactic fish tank theme !!

 

[Zara]

None of my Personal Bettas have ever died. They were re-homed .

Most animals in your life have either been rehomed or killed by you.
Maybe you should come to the conclusion that pets are not for you?