# My 3 gallon low to no maintenance bowl. (Shrimp or Betta?!)



## narhay (Feb 28, 2007)

Very nice. I went looking for a bowl today and winners, bed bath and beyond and zellers didn't have anything. Instead they had Christmas decorations. Wal-mart is my next stop.


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## keilatan (Jan 22, 2011)

I was so tempted to start building a shrimp bowl yesterday. I'll live vicariously through you, instead.


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## thefisherman (Oct 15, 2011)

i would throw the shrimp in there, especially if the betta is used to bigger tank. i've got an emmersed bowl atm, i plan to flood it next week. 


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Depending on how aggressive your betta is (see if he flares up at his own reflection repeatedly) I don't see why you can't get ghost shrimp and a betta. With a no maintenance tank you'll need a lot of plants -> cover for the shrimp anyways!


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## Ozydego (Aug 29, 2011)

The betta is going to produce a lot more waste than the shrimp and if you are going to add the betta, you will need the shrimp in there first to seed the tank to get the natural biofilters in place, adding the betta too early will make it a high maintenance bowl with daily to EOD water changes for at least a month or two... I finally have my natural biofilter set up in my 1 gallon bowl after almost 2 months and finally can go 4-5 days w/o a water change and I only have RCS, I would discourage a betta for at least a month or to so the bowl can mature.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Betta's breathe air though, so there's not THAT big of an issue with bad-ish water quality.


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## Ozydego (Aug 29, 2011)

they have a labrynith organ that can pull oxygen from the air, so they can live with low oxygen conditions for longer, but oxygen is not the issue, its the ammonia that will burn the gills...


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

my vote goes for the shrimp and not the betta. low maintenance = shrimp or just plants. no fish.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

My betta is living with 7 ghost shrimp in a 10 gallon :O they get on fine, i just wasn't sure who i was going to move to the bowl. I think i'll move the shrimp, but then i feel like the 10g is just too much for a single betta. I don't even know why I got a betta in the first place :S


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

maybe put some fish into the 10 for the betta's company. stuff like otos and cories.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

shrimps...but forget about ghost shrimps...there are lots of other options that are much better looking..


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Not where I live. 

I mean, one scummy LFS sells Cherries but I vowed to never go there again... *shudders* unfortunately they're the only LFS that sells Rummynoses too so ugh... I might have to do it again soon. Too cold to ship any livestock right now, especially with how unreliable Canada Post is. :/


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

I think your are pushing your luck with a Betta and the shrimp. I think you are going to find what works in 10g might not work so well in 3g. 

There's a big difference between surviving and thriving.


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## pagemee (Nov 29, 2011)

Jaguar said:


> My betta is living with 7 ghost shrimp in a 10 gallon :O they get on fine, i just wasn't sure who i was going to move to the bowl. I think i'll move the shrimp, but then i feel like the 10g is just too much for a single betta. I don't even know why I got a betta in the first place :S


My betta got along with a group of 5 neon tetras, a oto, ghost shrimp just fine in a 10 gallon. I suggest you move half the shrimp to the bowl and stock your tank more with plants and fish. :icon_idea


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

DogFish said:


> I think your are pushing your luck with a Betta and the shrimp. I think you are going to find what works in 10g might not work so well in 3g.
> 
> There's a big difference between surviving and thriving.


Oh i wasn't going to put them both in the bowl lol, it was one or the other and I was just asking for opinions on which.

Ive heard a lot of people recommend neons with bettas, might try cardinals instead.. not sure yet


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Planted today since that gorgeous chunk of wood FINALLY decided to sink 3 months later.

Not much going for the aquascape, some willow hygro in the back, anubias in the wood, pygmy chain and crypt wendtii red and parva in the front.


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## tenzero1 (Nov 29, 2011)

Should look pretty good when it all grows in!


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

awesome. maybe lower the water level a bit once the shrimp are in and also add floaters.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Yup, nothing going in it for a while though


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## MitchellLawson (Nov 8, 2011)

I had a bowl and had a bit of DW coming out the top of it and my shrimp climbed out. Just a warning!


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

you sure it climbed and didnt just jump out? they jump out more if the water level is up to the rim or is high in general.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Oh oh! I did the first water change in this bowl today. Yeah. I kind of forgot about it. I was looking around the living room today and was like oh - the water is so full of tannins I can't even see through it, I should probably change the water.

So I did. Nothing really exciting or interesting happened. Everything was growing fine in the coffee water.


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

that looks really good!


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I wish I had a good camera, that piece of wood is so unique, can't get a good pic of it though


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