Justnotrook Posted Friday at 12:41 PM Share Posted Friday at 12:41 PM 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sora Posted Friday at 01:39 PM Share Posted Friday at 01:39 PM 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryWithAKatana Posted Friday at 01:44 PM Share Posted Friday at 01:44 PM 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. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted Friday at 02:28 PM Share Posted Friday at 02:28 PM 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted Friday at 02:28 PM Share Posted Friday at 02:28 PM Shrimp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted Friday at 02:33 PM Share Posted Friday at 02:33 PM 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandrock14 Posted Friday at 02:51 PM Share Posted Friday at 02:51 PM 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted Friday at 03:29 PM Share Posted Friday at 03:29 PM (edited) 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 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlefish Posted Friday at 03:58 PM Share Posted Friday at 03:58 PM (edited) 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlefish Posted Friday at 04:09 PM Share Posted Friday at 04:09 PM Also, i would keep up to 3 purebreed (small) male endlers in a planted 3g. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitecloud09 Posted Friday at 04:31 PM Share Posted Friday at 04:31 PM 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quikv6 Posted Friday at 10:43 PM Share Posted Friday at 10:43 PM 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? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justnotrook Posted Friday at 11:11 PM Author Share Posted Friday at 11:11 PM 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justnotrook Posted Friday at 11:17 PM Author Share Posted Friday at 11:17 PM 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted Friday at 11:45 PM Share Posted Friday at 11:45 PM (edited) 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWilk Posted yesterday at 02:18 AM Share Posted yesterday at 02:18 AM Scarlet Badis is about the only fish I could see in a 3gal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMC Posted 22 hours ago Share Posted 22 hours ago 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quikv6 Posted 14 hours ago Share Posted 14 hours ago 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted 13 hours ago Share Posted 13 hours ago @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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethangoldberg Posted 13 hours ago Share Posted 13 hours ago (edited) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 13 hours ago by ethangoldberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justnotrook Posted 10 hours ago Author Share Posted 10 hours ago 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justnotrook Posted 7 hours ago Author Share Posted 7 hours ago 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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