Guppies can live in a bowl. However, your guppy might not survive in the bowl for a long time. So it is not advisable to keep guppies in a bowl. It is a better idea to transfer your guppies to an appropriately sized fish tank as soon as possible.
Now that you know guppies cannot live in a bowl for long let’s talk about why bowls are bad for guppies.
Why Are Bowls Bad For Guppies? (And For Other Fish Too)
When you set up an aquarium at your home, you will certainly want your fish to live a long life.
So, you will want to give the best possible favorable living conditions to your little ones.
Keeping guppies in a bowl is a bad idea. The main reason for this is that bowls are small in size.
A lot of fish, including guppies, require good enough space to swim.
Here are the main reasons for not keeping guppies in a bowl:
- Any fish, including guppies, need oxygen to survive. As bowls are small in size, they reduce the ratio of surface to air. The surface to air ratio is the proportion of water that is at the surface and exposed to air against the remaining water in your bowl. This ratio needs to be on the higher side as more oxygen needs to be dissolved in the water, which is good for your guppies. The tank is usually in a rectangular shape. This results in maintaining a good surface to air ratio.
- It is difficult to maintain the required temperature in a bowl as the quantity of water is too less. Guppies do well in warmer water. Also, due to the small size of the bowl, a heater cannot be fixed in it.
- A filter is another concern for a bowl. The filter is essential as it oxygenates water so that guppies can breathe easily. Also, it helps to separate the solid waste from the water and in cleaning the water. Any toxic waste in the water is harmful to your guppies.
- As mentioned earlier, guppies need space to swim around and explore the surrounding. A bowl simply does not have enough space due to its small size.
- If the top of the bowl is open, it is again not good for your guppies. Your guppy can sometimes just jump out of the bowl. If it falls on your floor, it would eventually die due to suffocation. Fish do not survive without water, obviously!
- Your guppy will not be able to see the outside view. This is basically because of the shape of the bowl. Bowls usually are curved in shape, making it difficult for the fish inside them to have a clear view of the outside world.
- Mating is difficult if you are keeping male and female guppies together in a bowl. As the bowl is small in size, mating becomes stressful. Additionally, if your female guppy reproduces, there will not be enough space for the fry to swim. Also, they will not be able to hide due to lack of space. Furthermore, chances are that your fry will get eaten by the mother guppy.
Alright! What you just saw applies very well to grown-up guppies. But what about guppy fry? Can you keep guppy fry in a bowl because they are already small in size?
Can Guppy Fry Live In A Bowl?
Just like other older guppies, guppy fry too can live in a bowl. But it might not survive for a long time in the bowl.
It will face the same challenges that other guppies face in a bowl. So the life span of your guppy fry will get reduced.
Okay! By now, it should be clear that, ideally, guppies should not be kept in a bowl even though they can survive in a bowl.
But can guppies survive in a bowl without a filter?
Can Guppy Fish Live In A Bowl Without A Filter?
A filter is usually used in a fish tank to maintain the quality of the water.
It separates the waste produced by your fish from water so that water does not become toxic, which can be dangerous for the well-being of your fish.
Guppies can live in a bowl without a filter.
The reason for this is that guppies do not produce too much of waste as compared to other fish species.
However, keeping guppies in a bowl without a filter is not recommended.
Clean water is an essential requirement for your guppies to live a healthy life.
So, you should try to accommodate at least a small filter in the bowl.
This is all about guppy fish in a small bowl. But what if you have a large bowl? How many guppies can you keep in it?
Can You Keep Guppies In A Large Bowl? How Many Guppies Can You Have In A Fish Bowl?
The size of the bowl should determine the number of guppies staying inside it.
Ideally, 2 gallons of water is required per guppy. You can accordingly decide how many guppies to keep in your bowl.
You can keep 3 to 5 guppies in a bowl if your bowl is big enough to accommodate that many guppies.
Guppies are shoaling fish, so they need to be in groups. That is why it is crucial that you have a large bowl.
If your bowl is not too big, you can always keep only male guppies.
This will ensure that there will not be any fry in the bowl, and the number of guppies in the bowl will also not increase.
Now, if you decide to keep guppies in a large bowl, you need to consider…
Is it Cruel To Keep A Fish In A Bowl?
Cruelty means any behavior that causes physical or mental harm to another living being.
If you keep a fish in a bowl, it is equivalent to being cruel to them.
That is because a bowl is usually smaller in size as compared to a tank.
So, keeping a fish in a bowl is like you are soaking the fish in a bathtub for your own pleasure.
Again, this does not entirely mean that you cannot keep guppies in a bowl at all.
There are certain things that you can always do to ensure that guppies stay alive in a bowl.
Let’s now see how you can keep your guppies alive in a bowl.
How To Keep Guppies Alive In A Bowl?
If you keep your guppies in a bowl, you should make sure they live a stable life.
You will need to keep certain things in mind so that your guppies stay alive.
Here is a list of things you can do to ensure that guppies remain alive in a bowl:
- Firstly, you need to make sure that maximum oxygen gets dissolved in the water so that your guppies can breathe easily. That way, your guppies will not suffocate. To dissolve maximum oxygen in the water, you can ensure that the widest part of your bowl contains water. This will ensure that oxygen dissolves in the water, and carbon dioxide exhaled by your guppies is released in the air outside.
- The other thing that you can do is to change the water frequently. At least 50% of the water needs to be replaced every alternate day. A frequent water change will ensure that the water in the tank does not get contaminated. In turn, this will help your guppies to lead a healthy life.
- Keeping a filter in the bowl is another way of keeping guppies alive in a bowl. A filter helps to clean the water. And clean water is a pre-requisite for guppies to stay alive.
- You can even keep plants in the bowl. Plants help a lot as they exhale oxygen and inhale the carbon dioxide that your guppies release. Also, plants will give your guppies a good place to rest in the bowl.
