As common as pet fish may be, they’re sadly not as popular as dogs and cats. Aside from their lack of cuddly factor, part of their lower popularity is that people either overestimate or underestimate their need for space. While it’s true that fish generally do best in larger tanks, there are a lot of pet fish for you to choose from even if you only have enough space for a 3 gallon fish tank.
To give you an idea of how big a 3 gallon fish tank would be, imagine the footprint of two books laid side by side. A 3 gallon fish tank, depending on its shape, will more or less take up that much shape. Tanks of this size can fit on countertops, nightstands, and coffee tables though you might want to place it on a good steel shelf to avoid any accidents and make plugging in your heater and filter easy.
“Some of the best fish for a 3 gallon tank include small schooling fish, like neon tetras and guppies.” Mario Musa, a certified professional aquarist, shared with us, “These types of fish are easy to care for and get along well with other species in a community tank setting.”
5 Fish You Can Put in a 3 Gallon Fish Tank
Betta Fish
The Siamese fighting fish a.k.a Betta fish is a little fish with a lot of personality. They are also extremely forgiving for first time fish keepers since these hardy fish can withstand sudden changes in water conditions. Of course, it’s not the best idea to let your fish suffer, but their ability to stay alive while you figure out how to help them makes them great starter fish.
Bettas grow up to a maximum length of roughly 3 inches and have lifespans of anywhere from 2 to 5 years. This tropical fish is a native of Southeast Asia and feels best in water between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where you live, you may not even need a heater but if you’re not located in a tropical region, it’s best to add one to your tank. Apart from keeping water temperatures stable, there’s not much else a betta needs. Just make sure your water doesn’t have chlorine or heavy metals in it and keep an eye on pH, nitrite, and nitrate levels.
There are multiple types of betta fish ranging from plakats, which have short fins, to large fin varieties. We recommend against adding sharp objects in your tank that your betta’s fins can get caught in as well as strong pumps as long-finned varieties may have trouble swimming against the currents they make.
Chili Rasboras
Chili rasboras are another great tropical fish that prefer conditions similar to the betta fish’s ideal habitat. Both fish like dark water, which is often accomplished with Indian almond leaves and dark substrate, at temperatures between 68 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. In bigger tanks, these fish can make good tank mates. At under an inch in length and with short fins, the Chili Rasbora doesn’t run the risk of being mistaken for another betta fish that your betta will attack.
Chili Rasboras are best kept in small schools. Any larger and you’ll have to choose a bigger tank.
Zebra Danios
At roughly 2 inches in size, Zebra Danios don’t get as much attention as the flashy betta but these laidback fish share similar environments with the earlier two picks on our list. If you plan to keep Zebra Danios in a 3 gallon fish tank, you’ll need to have more than one of them as they are also schooling fish. While Zebra Danios are named for their black and white stripes, other varieties such as GloFish danios exist which, as you can tell from the name, glow in the dark. Seriously, they look like floating little highlighters.
Dwarf Gouramis
So far, all of the little fish on our list have been long, slender fish so let’s shake things up a bit with the slightly rounded dwarf gourami. These rather exotic-looking fish have whisker-like appendages and grow to about 2 inches. While you can’t fully rely on them for algae control, dwarf gouramis don’t mind helping you clean your tank from time to time. These are also freshwater tropical fish so if you’re feeling keen on getting a bigger tank, you can choose them as tank mates for the previous two schooling fish.
Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras catfish are affectionately nicknamed ‘Cory Cats’. There are several types of them but most feature black spots or patterns. When they’re sitting against dark substrate, you might mistake them for pebbles at first glance which may explain their coloration. They also grow to about 2 inches and only need two or more other fellow Cory Cats to keep them company so you can get away with putting them in a 3 gallon fish tank.
If you’d like for your Cory Cat to have more space without having to upgrade your tank, you can opt for the pygmy Cory Cats which only grow up to an inch.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows
Like rasboras and tetras, the White Cloud Mountain Minnow is a lively little fish that is absolutely magical to watch when moving together with a school. They grow up to a little over an inch and thrive in temperatures of 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. As freshwater fish, they are quite easy to care for and breed even for beginners. Unlike bettas, they’re not as eager to eat their young but you’ll still have better success by having a dedicated breeding tank.
Non-Fish Pets That Go Well in a 3 Gallon Tank
Fish aren’t the only animals you can put in a tank. If the upkeep of a pet fish feels like it’s too much, you can try taking care of snails and shrimp instead. They might not sound as exciting, but did you know there are actually different types of aquarium snails and fish with bright colors? Your 3 gallon fish tank will still look extra lively even without fish depending on your choice of non-finned residents.
Shrimps
Aquarium shrimp are typically used as tankmates to help keep the tank clan. Because they’re bottom feeders, they gobble up any food left behind by your top and middle feeding fish, preventing uneaten flakes and pellets from fouling the water.
Red cherry shrimp are fresh water aquarium shrimp that do well in tropical tanks. Their bright red color makes them stand out vividly against aquarium plants and light colored substrates. Meanwhile, Amano shrimp look almost translucent aside from the brown markings on their bodies. They look almost ghost-like but are actually quite spirited fish. They have a habit of stealing food from other tankmates and jumping out of tanks so if you’ve got these shrimp and bettas, you might want to keep a lid on your aquarium.
Snails
Despite their media depictions, snails are surprisingly fast movers when they’re in ideal conditions – relative to what you’d typically expect from them, of course. Snails tend to like higher pH levels to keep their shells from cracking so if you want a tank that’s all-snails, feel free to set your 3 gallon fish tank as a 3 gallon snail tank.
A personal favorite of mine is the Nerite snail which has black and yellow to orange shells. These snails are efficient algae eaters but please, feed them too. Even the best algae eaters can’t survive on algae alone if they’ve already cleaned the entire tank. Another cool snail is the Malaysian trumpet snail which has a brown conical shell and the same high environmental tolerance as that of the Nerite snail.
Here’s a 3 Gallon Fish Tank We Recommend
Cubes > bowls. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a fish bowl but the curved edges of a bowl make it harder to attach heaters and filters onto. Cubes just provide a better, flatter area for hanging stuff on. That’s why we recommend this 9.5 x 10 x 10 cube tank that comes with an overhead LED light so you can watch your fish, snails, and shrimp no matter what time of day it is.
