What's a good, cheap, and low maintenance fish?

Question

My boyfriend and I are going to separate colleges and we thought it'd be cool if he got some fish for his college dorm since we can't have real pets.

What's a low maintenance fish that is inexpensive?

Are goldfish the only option?

And can they live in a simple fishbowl, we're not sure if we wanna invest in something expensive like a tank.

Answer 1

Have you thought about a beta?

Answer 2

A betta, they are the most easiest fish to take care of. I have had like 3. They last for a couple years.

Answer 3

Guppies are pretty easy to care for, but they're not really pretty. Betas are alright as far as maintenance goes. Or you could get some of those gross little snails they sell at the pet store fish dept.  

Answer 4

I've always liked betta's (AKA Chinese fighting fish) they are beautiful, don't need a big fish bowl or expensive items, and are low maintenance.

Answer 5

goldfish are the worst option

there requirements are expensive and need allot of maintenance

try:

Bettas  (tropical)

5 gallon tank

small aquarium heater

food

ornaments

gravel

and small filter (optional)

white cloud mountain minnows (coldwater)

10 gallon tank

6 fish (they school)

gravel

ornaments

food

small filter

etc

do lots of reaserch and good luck

also read up on cycling an aquarium

no fish should be confined to a fishbowl just get a small $30 aquarium

and dont always trust pet shops

Answer 6

Betta, they are pretty and very easy to take care of. They also don't have to be in a huge tank just a simple little tank or bowl. the only down side is you can only keep 1 male in a tank or they will fight. You could keep several females in a larger tank together.

Goldfish require a tank that it at least 20 gallons. They also are very messy.  

Answer 7

10 gallon tank

1 betta

2 guppies

3 neon tetras

1 pop eyed gold fish ( the ones with the big eyes ) lol

yeaa that would make an awsome tank

multi colored rocks

some plants ( 3-4 )

Answer 8

betta fish, but only get one

Answer 9

If you don't want to invest in a tank, you should not get fish, despite your ideas, fish are "real pets" they are living animals and they need you to "invest" in some basics. The tank is the basics. They nowadays have small tanks that only cost a small amount of money, as a matter of fact, at walmart, you can buy a mini-bow 2.5 gallon, 5 gallon or an eclipse knock-off 5 gallon hex tank. All of these are under 35 dollars. I have one of the hex 5s with gravel, a rock cave, a "hermit crab shell" and 6 plants, it is gorgeous by itself, and with a beautifully colored betta in it, it is a peice of art. It is better to spend the money now than to have to replace your sick fish or buy medicine for it (and if you would not be willing to buy medicine, then you DEFINATELY do not need fish, again, they are living animals, they can suffer just like you can.) ad besides that, you won't be in college forever, a beautiful tank like the hex 5 or the minibow 5 would be something you and your boyfriend would want to keep for a long time to come, just replacing the betta as it gets old and dies (my current tank has been running beautifully for almost 4 years and the betta's been the same one). It really annoys me how people will not even THINK of having another kind of fish without filtration, but would toss a betta in a bowl without a thought, it's still a fish, just like the others, just because it can tolerae ammonia poisoning better than some, doesn't make it alright. So think about it. I am not trying to tell you off, be mean to you or whatever, but your attitude towards fish as them being "not real pets" is troubling to me and I just would like you to reconsider it.