Any fish for a 3 gallon?

[Justnotrook]

I’m getting my mother a 3 gallon kit for her new office, but she says she wants fish. Already told her I’m pretty sure you can only fit shrimp or snails in there, but she wants a fish. I’m wondering if there are any tiny nano fish that can somehow fit in the tank and live comfortably?

[Sora]

The only fish I can think of that would do fine in a 3 gallon would be one Betta fish, otherwise probably just shrimp and snails.

[CoryWithAKatana]

Betta fish need at least 5 gallons of water to be happy. Im not sure about 3 gallons... Shrimp kinda need an established tank to thrive. But snails you could do. Some snails like rams horn snails get pretty colors like bright orange, or some mystery snails look nice. 

[Tony s]

On 10/4/2024 at 8:41 AM, Justnotrook said:

I’m getting my mother a 3 gallon kit for her new office

Do you already have it or is it too late? Maybe you can upgrade to a 5? If she has space for a 5, a single showy betta would be a great gift 

[mynameisnobody]

Shrimp

[Tony s]

I know, they make all kinds of cool looking tiny tanks. It’s not until later you figure out they’re not worth it because nothing fits 

[Sandrock14]

On 10/4/2024 at 9:28 AM, Tony s said:

Do you already have it or is it too late? Maybe you can upgrade to a 5? If she has space for a 5, a single showy betta would be a great gift 

I second this, if possible upgrade to a 5 or 10 gallon. She would love a single betta. They have so much personality and they are interactive.

 

https://bettasquadusa.com/collections/male-bettas

 

Bettasquadusa has a good selection of bred Bettas and really good reviews

[knee]

Heterandria formosa / least killifish. There’s also another fish called indostomus paradoxus/crocrodilus but only get this fish if you’re willing to culture live food for them because they’re a micro predator and will not eat pellets/flakes

Edited Friday at 03:33 PM by knee

[Littlefish]

Pygmy sunfish, scarlet badis. A number of fish naturally don't move much after claiming a "spot", similar to a clownfish in saltwater.  My percola clown used a frogspawn as a host, and never really moved from it's polyps.

Edited Friday at 04:02 PM by Littlefish

[Littlefish]

Also, i would keep up to 3 purebreed (small) male endlers in a planted 3g.

[Whitecloud09]

Colorful kinds of different varieties of shrimp. Blue and red types would pop. For a fish, I would not put anything in a 3g. Not even a betta to be honest. 5g tank is much better. Or maybe a 10g, depending on the circumstances.

[quikv6]

I think it can depend on the footprint of the tank, which I don't believe have been mentioned above. Water volume is just a part of the equation. What are the tank dimensions?

[Justnotrook]

On 10/4/2024 at 4:43 PM, quikv6 said:

I think it can depend on the footprint of the tank, which I don't believe have been mentioned above. Water volume is just a part of the equation. What are the tank dimensions?

I’ll just send the link: https://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-including-Self-Cleaning-Substrate-Beginners/dp/B0D1QYL57Q

[Justnotrook]

Still maybe gonna get the 3 gallon, but I found a relatively affordable rimless kit that is 5 gallons. It is the petco imagitarium brand, and They worked really well in previous planted tanks.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/4/2024 at 9:44 AM, CoryWithAKatana said:

Betta fish need at least 5 gallons of water to be happy.

My betta was so upset in a 5 gallon, he was always chewing his tail off. He stopped doing that when I moved him to a 10gallon.

Maybe kuhli loach for a 3 gal.

Also worth mentioning that water chemistry takes drastic swings in smaller tanks. Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? Here’s a video just in case.

 

Edited Friday at 11:49 PM by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[MWilk]

Scarlet Badis is about the only fish I could see in a 3gal. 

[JMC]

I am keeping two male guppies in a small tank. They were too aggressive with the females so I put them in there “temporarily” almost a year ago. They are doing great.

 
I know every fish would do better in a bigger tank, but with the correct maintenance the volume of a tank isn’t as important as we make it out to be. Meaning 2 male guppies in a 10 gallon tank that you way over feed and never do water changes on could be worse then a 3 gallon. 
 

Just my 2 cents 

[quikv6]

There is actually a 3 gallon long tank that I've seen online that was said to be 48x4x4. I can definitely see way more options for fish in a tank like  that verses the one that is linked above.  

With that said....if I'm going to devote 4 feet to a tank,  it's gonna be a 75 or 90 gallon.  

[mynameisnobody]

@quikv6 if I walked into a house and saw a 4” tank going for 4’, I would immediately assume they like to toss money down the drain. Aesthetics and vanity can be huge marketing scams. 

[ethangoldberg]

For a 3-gallon tank, you're pretty limited in terms of fish because it's a small space, but there are still some cool options.

1. Betta fish: Probably the most popular choice for a small tank. Bettas are colorful, have loads of personality, and are pretty low-maintenance. Just make sure it’s one Betta per tank—they don’t play well with others of their kind.

2. Snails: Not technically fish, but a great addition to a tiny tank. Nerite snails or mystery snails are fun to watch and help keep the tank clean by munching on algae.

3. Shrimp: Ghost shrimp or cherry shrimp are super small and add a fun, active vibe to the tank. Plus, they’re good at keeping things tidy.

4. Small invertebrates: If you're open to something different, some people go for tiny crabs or dwarf frogs. They don't need tons of space and add a bit of variety.

Edited yesterday at 01:04 PM by ethangoldberg

[Justnotrook]

On 10/4/2024 at 5:45 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

My betta was so upset in a 5 gallon, he was always chewing his tail off. He stopped doing that when I moved him to a 10gallon.

Maybe kuhli loach for a 3 gal.

Also worth mentioning that water chemistry takes drastic swings in smaller tanks. Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? Here’s a video just in case.

 

Yes. I wouldn’t be a fish keeper without it. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/5/2024 at 11:33 AM, Justnotrook said:

Yes. I wouldn’t be a fish keeper without it. 

I never know who’s experienced and who’s new here on the forum, so apologies!

[Justnotrook]

On 10/5/2024 at 10:20 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I never know who’s experienced and who’s new here on the forum, so apologies!

It’s fine.