What would be a good fish to get for a small office aquarium?

[charlie and algernon]

Yeah, I know there's always goldfish, but what other fish would be great for a small (no more than a 2 gallon) aquarium for my office? I've always wanted to put a fish in my office and I just got permission to get a small tank/bowl.

[JoePhilly]

1. Guppies.

They are smaller than gold fish so they create less waste. You could put 3 in a 2 gallon bowl. Three is good so one doesn't bully the other. Change about half the water with spring water at least every other week.

And they cost next to nothing. You might need an air stone, and maybe a plastic plant.

Glow fish are another alternative. They are about the same size as guppies, bt more colorful. Again, no more than 3 in a 2 gallon tank.

My 10 year old has glow fish, and if she can't kill them, you should be fine.

[Robyn66]

2. I would get a beta fish

If I ever get a job again where i have an office, I will get a beta fish in a small bowl.

[hedgehog]

9. Bete fish really have personality. My son had one in his

office that would ignore some people, but always put on a fierce display when other people waked in!

[Robyn66]

22. I think they are just beautiful!

You can get some really nice tanks for them now. Nice small self contained ones with heaters and external filters. Very low maintenance. And you give them a much better life than a lot of them get in a tiny bowl.

[MrScorpio]

3. Sharks…

With frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!

[GoneOffShore]

4. Piranhas - and put the tank on a low table

So the kids can play with the nice fishies.

[Bucky]

6. Ha! Give them cats a taste of their own medicine!

[Ken Burch]

13. If it's a large tank, a Portuguese Man-Of-War can be rather fetching.

(And it's a vivid symbol of corporate authority).

[Hula Popper]

5. 2 or 3

fantail guppies or neon tetras and 1 small clown loach......

Don't forget a bubble stone....

[av8rdave]

7. Best idea I have

Mix equal parts crushed black pepper, cumin, coriander and chili powder.

Dust liberally over a filet of salmon coated in extra virgin olive oil.

Broil 4 minutes each side.

Serve on a bed of julienned carrots, and enjoy while you watch a fish tank screen saver on your computer.

No filters, no fish food, no fish shit.

Just my $.02

[TrogL]

8. Some of these really big ugly things that clean the sides of the tank

I love those things and they'd totally gross people out.

[REP]

16. Plecos start small but get huge; an unheated 2-gallon tank is not a good idea for a pleco

They don't really keep tanks clean, either; and must be fed. And they're rather pretty!

[Kali]

10. betas, guppies, mollies, gold fish, tiger barbs, neon tetras, zebra danios

the beta and goldfish can handle lack of heat and filtration the best, although goldfish can get big if you feed them right

betas (males) are pretty, have some personality but are actually kind of boring, guppies and mollies are active and live breeders - they have a lot of sex too if you are into fish porn. the barbs, neons, and zebras are nice active swimmers and even a 3 or 4 will "school" and act like "fish"

don't mix most of these, they will fight (neons and zebras do Ok together)

if you go for full filtration and heat almost any of the common store species will do fine even in a small tank - just watch the size and aim for about an inch of fish per gallon or less.

[HopeHoops]

11. Beta. Anything less than 2 gallons needs a SHITLOAD of work. Betas live in mud puddles.

They air breathe and thrive in small tanks (like carnival goldfish bowls). Just don't get more than one!!!

[Kaleva]

14. You can have more then one if you put a see thru divider in the fish tank to keep them seperated

and provide some kind of cover for each for them to hide when stressed.

[HopeHoops]

17. They'll jump the divider. I know. Do NOT put two males together even with a divider.

[Kaleva]

26. Bad ass fish!

[HopeHoops]

28. Unfortunately, I have witnessed a battle. Both locked on and both died. Nothing we could do.

[charlie and algernon]

20. 2 gallons would be on the high end

I'll probably find a nice looking 1 gallon tank and get 1 beta or a couple tiny fish.

[HopeHoops]

21. They like smaller spaces, unless you want to breed them (good fucking luck).

[GoCubsGo]

30. You can a male and a female together.

Just not two males. The females aren't very flashy compared to the males. But, they're still pretty.

[WooWooWoo]

34. i wouldn't say betas "thrive" in small tanks

they do better than most fish in small bowls, but I once put one in a 10-gallon tank by itself and it would do laps around the tank. It really loved the room to move.

It did even better when I would feed it brine shrimp, it would chase those things around all day.

[pinboy3niner]

12. I'm kind of partial to this one...

"When I dance they call me Macarena...HEY, Macarena!"

[REP]

15. Brilliant rasboras

Live for fucking ever.

Do NOT get a pleco - they start out small but get very big, and they don't really keep tanks clean. They're also difficult to move and easy to injure. Ours lived for 16 years, but Spot had a big tank and we never tried to catch him in a net.

[NickB79]

18. Goldfish are actually very bad fish for small tanks

They're very dirty fish, pumping out tons of nitrogen into the water. To keep them healthy, they need frequent water changes or a very good filtration system. The only reason people got the idea they are good in small tanks is because they can gulp air if needed when the oxygen levels fall too low in their dirty water.

I'd say get a few guppies, tetras, or a beta fish.

[charlie and algernon]

19. yeah, I'm thinking my little aquarium would fall out of favor if I'm constantly cleaning it

From yours and others' responses, I'll be looking at guppies or betas.

[nolabear]

23. Betta and African aquatic frogs.

The frogs are wonderful and I've had them for years.

[HarveyDarkey]

24. I used to have Japanese newts & the African clawed frogs

although a slightly bigger tank

[nolabear]

25. I had a Betta and frog in a two and a half

For several years and they were great. No problems at all and the frog was adorable.

[cbrer]

27. If you want something beautiful

that will reproduce under minimum conditions, try Gouramis. They come in a rainbow of almost metallic colors and respond to owners after training.

[surrealAmerican]

32. I'm thinking with the size tank th OP mentioned ...

... they'd better be dwarf gouramis. The other varieties would need much more space.

[cbrer]

33. Not only do tropical fish

Adapt to their environments, size wise - generally speaking, but gouramis are also "labyrinth" fish, that is to say they can breathe air. The first time I saw mine do that I had to look it up.

[jmowreader]

29. Depends on how many fish you want in it...

One fish: Betta.

More than one: Neon tetras or upside-down catfish.

[charlie and algernon]

31. Going with a Betta fish

Set up a nice 1 gallon tank tonight. It's got a filter, so leaving it running for 24 hours before getting the fish tomorrow evening. I'll post a pic once the fish is in.