Question
Freshwater fishes
I can not find any information so hopefully you can help me. My brother wants to buy these fishes from a Wal-Mart store that sells these.
I was wondering can these fishes (the Shark fish and the Violet Goby AKA the Dragon fish) live together in the same bowl or do we need to separate them?
AnswerHi Vanessa,
Oh dear. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but Wal-Mart and bowls are probably the two worst things that ever happened to the world of fishkeeping. Let me explain:
Wal-Mart fish employees have absolutely no clue whatsoever on the fish they sell - they just want to get them sold. On average, fish live for a couple weeks there at best, and even if longer, their health is not very good. I recommend that you find a local fish store, (family business,) or even PetCo or PetSmart. Both those stores keep their fish fairly well for a large chain store. Both of those stores have somewhat experienced people working there, and they can inform you about fish choices.
Bowls - The bowl is a common choice for beginners, since it's small and pretty. Rather, it's the worst choice for any fish. NO fish can live healthily in a bowl. Why? Bowls offer no filtration, and fish need filter(s) to survive. Here's the scoop: Fish produce waste, and this waste turns into toxic ammonia. Ammonia will poison the fish. However, in a proper aquarium with a filter, beneficial bacteria will eventually develop, that remove wastes. The process of establishing beneficial bacteria is referred to the 'cycling process'. So in a bowl, there's no filtration, and so limited quantities of bacteria grow. Without the bacteria, the ammonia accumulates, poisoning and killing your fish. This is the #1 beginner's mistake!
In a large aquarium, toxic levels of wastes can be diluted since the volume of water is large. Remember, ALL fish need filters, even the common Betta. Fish CAN physically be kept in bowls, but they will die in a few months, if not a few weeks.
Now, to the issue of compatibility:
They are NOT compatible. The Dragon Goby is a brackish water fish, which means they need to be kept in semi-saltwater. (Halfway between freshwater and saltwater, a specific gravity of approx 0.012). The 'Shark' is a Bala Shark, and is entirely freshwater, so it will not tolerate salt. The Goby will not tolerate freshwater. Also, none of those fish will fit into a bowl. The Bala Shark (Which obviously isn't a shark, it simply resembles one) will grow to 15"-20" when fully grown, and the Goby even longer, and two feet!
The Goby requires at least a 30 gallon tank, and
The Bala Shark needs a tank of 50+ gallons.
I'm sorry about the bad news. If you're interested in keeping fish, I recommend that you get a small 5 gallon aquarium (the minimum size for any fish), and stock it with a few small, colorful fish, such as Guppies, Zebra Danios, or a Betta. If you need help with that, feel free to ask me!
Good luck, and best wishes to you (and your future fish!)
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