New Person Needs Input

[StraightAddicted]

First Off Hello Everyone!! This is my first post on this site and I have to say that I love it.

I have set up a small 2 gal decorative bowl that has a Peace Lily currently with roots in water (only an inch in the water). The lily is looking great for the first week since I've put it in, gets alot of indirect sunlight. The bowl has no heater, filter, cover, or fish... just water and sunshine. I can not set up a tank due to its not my electric bill since it is her house. And I would love to set up my 55g I have laying around, but I would get a beating. Which I do not want

The question I have-- I was doing this bowl with Peace Lily for a betta for my girlfriends daughter to enjoy. I was debating on putting a different type of fish, something small of course that would not grow?
I dont have a problem with doing daily water changes to help against waste management. Also, I do have small air stone pump I could set up to provide more oxygen in the water. But I dont know how this would affect the Peace Lily if at all?

Last but not least, if I do the preferred Betta, would a sand substrate be better or gravel?

Thank You All For Any Upcoming Insight

[plecomanpat]

personally I would stick to just the betta...reasons being that 2 gallons is awfully small and keeping any kind of stability would be virtually impossible, also betta can survive in an almost oxygen free bowl...being able to take gulps of air at the water surface.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Welcome, StraightAddicted (to love, to fish, both?). Good to see you are straight in at least one sense - you do not want the beating

I wish I could help you but my experience has nothing to do with small fish and tanks. Guppies and small cories and otos, if you wanted a catfish, come to mind. Rosey reds (popular feeder fish)? Tadpoles could be interesting to see develop (may try to walk away even before they are frogs).

Alabama should be pretty warm, no? If a heater was needed, it'd be tiny. Sand would probably be better - will give you more of the biofilter area than gravel in such a tiny setup since you have no filter running. I imagine between an air pump, heater and a filter, the electric consumption would be 5-10 Watt. Of course, before you introduce any fish, you might wanna cycle the tank. I'd not think air bubbles would hurt the lily but I know none of that as I only grew lilies (water) outside in Rochester NY.

I'd advise to wait until an expert makes fun of my advices and gives you more solid suggestions.

[donpetty]

I was wondering have you considered any of the dwarf Shrimp species that are now available?
The Neocaridina Heteropoda var. (Red) are fantastic, the Cherry shrimp are inexpensive and would be fine in your nano tank you could have several and they are easy to feed and care for.
Regards,
Don

[StraightAddicted]

Thanks for the input, I am currently letting the tank cycle and have checked everything. There are no nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, and PH is low at 6.4 because of purified water I used. My tap PH is 7.2 so I could add a little to bring it up or use some PH up. I will continue to let the tank cycle for another week to be on the safe side since you cant rush perfection haha.
I could do a tadpole since when it grows, I could put it outside near my pond, but I dont really care for frogs to much. A rosey red feeder fish would get to big for the tank.
I have thought about the shrimp idea Don but i do not have a lid on the tank, so I am afraid it will crawl up the plant roots and out of the tank. Ive watched them swim at LFS but never owned one. Honestly, do you think it would?

[donpetty]

I have several 10 gallon (US) tanks for dwarf shrimps and dwarf Crayfish
these tanks are powered by air stones,and sponge filters. I use sand for substrate
and java moss for plant cover.
I find that the shrimp are undemanding and are very interesting to watch.
I also have a few species in a several of my Cory breeder tanks with no issues.
however, on tanks were there are HOB (hang on the back) filters; occasionally I find a shrimp, who committed Harikari!

I was told on the shrimp forum that the shrimps like to swim up the current from the HOB filters and that they occasionally end up out of the tank.
As I said; I have not seen this in the open top 10 gallon tanks.
I guess you could acquire a "jumper" but with the type of small Nano tank you are thinking of, with the plant above it covering a lot of the opening, it is unlikely that the shrimps would crawl out unless the water quality is very poor.
good luck!~
Don

[2wheelsx2]

I was wondering have you considered any of the dwarf Shrimp species that are now available?
The Neocaridina Heteropoda var. (Red) are fantastic, the Cherry shrimp are inexpensive and would be fine in your nano tank you could have several and they are easy to feed and care for.

Problem is in a bowl that size they wouldn't last a week against a Betta. Notorious shrimp hunters. Even full size Amanos would get their legs picked off when I had a Betta and those were 2 cm in length.

[donpetty]

I agree 100%
I was suggesting going with small shrimp, rather than getting a Betta to go into the Nano tank.
(As the Betta are very common)
I was not suggesting that the Shrimp be tank mates (dinner) for the Betta.
Sorry! Clarification needed.
Don

[racoll]

The bowl has no heater, filter, cover,

Please don't take this the wrong way, I really am not sure why a fish deserves to be abused just because it's a Betta?

They may be tolerant of low oxygen levels, and do well in smaller tanks, but they won't last long in this kind of setup. They need really warm water (>28C) and require warm, humid air to breathe. They will also not appreciate the inevitable pollution in basically a vase with no filter.

[donpetty]

No offense taken,
I keep several Betta myself.
I keep mine in 4L Chemistry Beakers.
I use a small amount of gravel and a Java fern.
I change 100% of the water every two weeks using aged
tap water and have done so for a long time.
I feed my fish alternating brine shrimp and black worms
as well as a Betta flake which I hand feed to control waste.
I have friends who keep and breed Betta's, in similar set ups.
I am in no way belittling Betta's or the quality of life they should receive.
However;
I do not think that they make good companions for schooling community fishes.
They do not seem to appreciate flowing water, and other fishes tend to nip
at them. If your experiences have been different. That's great.
Kindest Regards,
Don

[StraightAddicted]

Racoll, I obviously would keep ideal water parameters with twice a week water changes. Also, the Peace Lily I have will help break down waste. And not having a heater is not a necessity where I live since water temperature never drops below 70. Dont get me wrong, I would love to have a 100g tank for a betta to live in paradise. The fact is I do not have this option, so I will make the best life possible for the option I have.
I did not mean of mixing a betta with shrimp. I meant getting just one shrimp, or one betta for the bowl. I would do similar to what you do with your betta Don. Give it a balanced diet of insects, brine shrimp, flakes.
If I go with just a simple dwarf shrimp, I will change my gravel to sand so it will be more delicate on its legs. Also, I need to look into more of their diet and specifically what they like.