So I’m moving into college soon, and I want to have some fish in my dorm (the school allows it). I’ve taken care of fish before, but I don’t know what’s the best for a small space. For now, I’m considering a betta, a goldfish, or a few guppies. Betta tanks need to be cleaned out often, and the fish are temperature sensitive but require little space. Goldfish are easy to take care of in general but get HUGE and produce tons of waste. Guppies are also easy to take care of, but may need more space and still produce a lot of waste.
Goldfish are very messy. They need a filtered 30 gallon tank, MINIMUM. Cross that off.
Do you want a single betta or multiple guppies? Sometimes it’s fun to watch them interact.
And bettas prefer heaters, but really they do fine without, unless the building really has heating problems.
Realistically, bettas are known for being okay without filters, but a guppy could probably also do fine with frequent water changes. They’re a bit more active though, so I guess frequent water changes are tougher for a 5+ gallon than a 3+ gallon with bettas.
If you have a roommate, please wait until you talk to him/her. Fish can really stink if they’re not well taken care of. Plus, what are you going to do with the fish over breaks and whatnot?
why do you want a fish? a pet is responsibility. if you’re going to be in college you should be focusing on yourself and academics. i dont think you’ll have enough time to give a fish its proper needs and your academic needs. i dont know, im curious though, why do you want one? i feel like it would limit opportunities cuz you’d have to worry about always going back to your dorm to feed it or change its water. you cant be spontaneous or go on a weekend trip or anything. plus what about when you move out? plus in a small room it’s going to smell a lot eventually. if i were your roommate i would absolutely hate the idea and say no, so please talk to your roommate first.
i just see so many cons to this. what are the pros? i doubt you get much love from a fish (not that kind [well, actually, ‘that’ kind doesn’t give you much real love either]).
I remember a young co-worker talking about wanting to get a ferret…we all counseled him that it would not be a good idea at this stage in his life as he was always travelling…he got it, and after 6 months gave it to his grandmother.
My roommate last year had a betta in a very small tank that fit on her shelf alongside her books. I thought it was a bit of a lonely and boring existence for the fish haha, but she was still alive after a semester and is still alive as far as I know. The tank wasn’t heated (as long as your room heaters aren’t broken it should be fine) and I don’t recall a filter. Didn’t notice any smell and no disasters happened with the tank, but then again my roommate was a responsible and clean person.
As for breaks, my roommate got the fish after winter break so she only had spring break to deal with.
An alternative is to get plants. Still alive, still has some element of responsibility involved, but won’t be too heartbreaking if it dies.
Bonus: it doesn’t smell (usually), can stand being left alone for shorter breaks (though it’ll still need a caretaker during longer ones) and is more decorative than a lonely fishbowl. Get an low light indoor plant that can tolerate missed waterings, and you’ll be set.
To speak from personal experience, it is possible but very inconvenient. A friend has been able to keep a couple goldfish alive in a small plastic tank with a mini-filter for the last few months. You’ll have to take them home over break so if you’re going out of state you need someone who lives locally to host them over the shorter breaks.