Can I do this?

[Dragonmommy]

OK so I have a 55 gallon cichlid (no this is NOT a cichlid question) tank, and for that tank I have a 10 gallon quarantine tank. The 10 gal came from my mom who held a spawn from her pond, so the tank came complete with a few pond snails, one of which is still in there despite the tank sitting with 2 inches of water in it for weeks. Other than that snail and few little ones I added today, nothing is in the tank and well... its borning. I rarely use it as a hospital tank, maybe once every 2-3 months, but I am unable to tear it down and store it... so it remains set up in the living room, in plain view. So I would like to have 1 fish type inhabitant in this tank, just so people will stop asking "is there anything alive in there?" and because my kidss REALLY want something in there.
Is there anything I can put in there that can remain through treatments should one of my cichlids get ill, that will not cause undue stress to a sick fish ect. I think this will also help keep the tank cycled.
Now let me be clear... I could care less if I put a .15 cent feeder goldfish in there if it would work, but I am unwilling to pay more than 10.00 for whatver goes in.

Things I won't put in...
Aquarium crabs.. they never stay in the tank
ghost shrimp... die too fast
danios... ugly and too freaking fast to catch when i need to

aquarium frogs I like, but I am pretty sure any of my fish, even when ill would probably kill them

Any ideas?
No plants... not only do I kill them, but my fish ENJOY shredding them. I don't do real plants.

 

[Penfan66]

Now this is just my opinion but I wouldn't get an inhabitant to put in there if your going to be medicating other fish too. It seems to me that you would be putting undo stress on whatever it would be.

 

[Dragonmommy]

See thats what a wondered about. What about a betta and then keep a bowl on hand for him to reside in while the hospital tank is actually being used as a hospital tank? Then I could return him to the 10 gallon once its not in use and has had its water change. Think that might work?

 

[FreddytheFish]

See thats what a wondered about. What about a betta and then keep a bowl on hand for him to reside in while the hospital tank is actually being used as a hospital tank? Then I could return him to the 10 gallon once its not in use and has had its water change. Think that might work?

That would work, as long as the bowl was dechlorinated.

Preferably, the bowl would also be heated and cycled.

 

[Dragonmommy]

Oh I don't mean one of those little 1 cup bowls, thats inhumane IMO

I mean probably a small 1 gallon for temporary use, I will supply it with air, but not sure on filtration. For heat I don't know what I will do, do they sell heaters that small? If I don't have filtration it would have daily water changes and ofcourse the water would be dechlorinated. I need to make it as low key as possible, otherwise hubby may freak out if I make a whole new setup!

I was thinking about doing THIS though it would involve keeping a plant alive... not so sure about that

Somthing like THIS is intended for temporary housing, which is all I need, 10 days worth of housing for every 3 months or so.

Or THIS

And I love THIS but that would look fuinny hanging on the wall without a full-time resident, lol. Maybe a plant? Here we are at the plant thing again... I DO have a live bamboo plant though if hubby had not rescued it recently I would have killed it too.

Think anything like this would serve well as a TEMPORARY housing? For only those times I am using the isolation take as an isolation/treatment tank?

 

[Roan Art]

I was thinking about doing THIS though it would involve keeping a plant alive... not so sure about that

Those are more inhumane than a little bowl. There's no surface area for the betta to breath and they need a large surface area.

Somthing like THIS is intended for temporary housing, which is all I need, 10 days worth of housing for every 3 months or so.
Or THIS

Either of the above is fine.

And I love THIS but that would look fuinny hanging on the wall without a full-time resident, lol. Maybe a plant? Here we are at the plant thing again... I DO have a live bamboo plant though if hubby had not rescued it recently I would have killed it too.

That has no lid. Bettas are jumpers and need a lid.

Roan

 

[Dragonmommy]

OK, I still think I want the wall unit for my bathroom bamboo plant though, will look better than the vase its in, lol. Maybe a fake fish for that one...

Can anyone tell me how to choose the best specimin, its coming from the LFS with a small selection, nothing special, just a fish to make my kids happy. Is there anything I should look for or look to avoid? The last betta I got (for my mom, to replace her's that died) only lasted a month in one of those plant/vase setups. The one she had before was also in the plant/vase setup and did very well, he was a happy, social fish. He lasted a LONG time I think too.

 

[Roan Art]

Can anyone tell me how to choose the best specimin, its coming from the LFS with a small selection, nothing special, just a fish to make my kids happy. Is there anything I should look for or look to avoid?

There's a thread on that. I'll see if I can pull it up for you.

The last betta I got (for my mom, to replace her's that died) only lasted a month in one of those plant/vase setups. The one she had before was also in the plant/vase setup and did very well, he was a happy, social fish. He lasted a LONG time I think too.

They can live 3+ years in a proper environment.

Roan