OMG I just got a betta fish & I don’t know how to take care of it… Which tank should I get? PLEASE HELP!?
by Aquaboy on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 | 11 Comments
Okay so my friend just gave me a betta fish as a present. It’s sitting in a bowl right now. I want to buy a tank for it.
I looked at these tanks on Petco… and I liked the following:
http://www.petco.com/product/104215/PETCO-1-Gallon-Corner-Aquarium-Kit.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_Tanks#description
http://www.petco.com/product/100585/Aquatic-Gardens-Bernie-s-Betta-Cove-Deluxe-Kit.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_BettaShop
http://www.petco.com/product/106657/Hagen-Zen-Marina-Betta-Kit.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_BettaShop
Which one should I get and what else would I need in addition to the tank (i.e. gravel vacuum, decor…)?
I REALLY REALLY LIKE THE LAST ONE!
Just copy the URL of what else you would you recommend… from Petco only please.
just make sure that you remain calm and think out the basic steps, for starting an aquarium you want to look at
http://www.aquariuminfo.org/beginner.html
for the tank size i recomend the largest one, just so you can give the fish the best life
Things You’ll Need
It is best to have a home for your betta fish ready to go before he arrives from the pet store. Your betta will be fine in a small tank or bowl, but the larger it is, the happier he will be. There are a couple recommended setups for betta fish:
an individual small tank for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
a glass or plastic fish bowl for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
a divided tank for several male or female betta fish
a community tank for one male or several female betta fish
Regardless of which setup you choose, you will need:
betta fish food
aquarium gravel
a live plant or plastic plant
a net and siphon or gravel vacuum
a pH test kit
Also recommended:
basic freshwater test kits especially ammonia test kits
an aquarium thermometer, and if your tank is 5 gallons or above, a heater
water conditioners, stress relief, and medications for betta care
A tablespoon of freshwater aquarium salt
a separate bucket or container for preparing water
Preparing the Tank
Water
There are three obvious options when filling the tank with water.
Tap water is generally safe for your betta fish, but should be left standing for 24 hours in order to condition it and bring it to room temperature. If your city has especially hard water, you may want water treatment chemicals to remove chlorine and other contaminants.
Bottled water varies as much as tap water does, and if you choose to use it, be sure to stick to one particular brand. If you do decide to change brands, make the change gradual, adding a bit of the new water to the old water over a couple of days. Using betta conditioners is still a good idea.
Distilled water should be avoided.
The PH level of your water source is important to measure and adjust as needed (betta buffers do this for you). The betta fish prefers as close to neutral water as possible, 7.0, but can manage in water that is between 6.5 and 7.5
The temperature of the water is also important, as the betta fish is considered a tropical fish. Water between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal but the betta can adapt to lower or higher temperatures as long as the change is gradual.
One way to tell if the water is too hot or too cold is by watching the betta fish’s behavior. A sluggish, listless fish is likely too cold and a hyperactive fish (unless it is feeding time) indicates water that is too hot.
Gravel and plants
Plants help keep your aquarium stress-free for your betta fish, who likes to rest on the leaves, while gravel make the tank or bowl look more attractive to humans. Make sure you buy aquarium gravel as ordinary rocks from the street or your backyard will not do. Plastic aquarium gems will also be fine.
Before adding the gravel to the aquarium, rinse it in a separate container, changing the water out and repeating until it remains clear.
Live plants can be bought as bulbs from the pet store or you can prop up some artificial plants in the gravel.
Filters, heaters, and maintenance
Aquarium filters and Aquarium heaters are not needed for tanks less than 5 gallons and actually should be avoided.
The gravel in your tank should provide adequate biological filtration in this setup. Everything should be fine as long as you change the water frequently and remove excess food and debris immediately.
For a tank smaller than a gallon, change 100% of the water once a day or at least 3x/week. For a larger tank, do partial water changes of 25% of water a week. Be sure to siphon or vacuum your gravel when you change your water.
Because the betta fish breathes at the surface of the water, the water does not need to be aerated either. In fact, aeration and circulation may create too much flow for your betta, who are not accustomed to having to swim very hard.
If you do buy a heater for your aquarium, invest in a thermometer as well. Monitor the temperature of the water carefully, as extreme or fluctuating temperatures can kill your betta fish.
Acclimating the Betta Fish
Your betta fish will likely come from a different water environment than what you have waiting for it, so it’s very important to ease him through the transition without shocking him. Follow these steps closely to avoid harming your fish on his first day home:
Keep the fish away from direct sunlight and cold air vents on the way home. Bring him home immediately, do not leave him in the car for longer than necessary.
Float the bag or jar that your betta fish came home in inside the aquarium or fish bowl you already have set up. This will make the temperature change more gradual. Let it float for some time.
Cut open the bag and add a little bit of aquarium water to the bag. Keep the bag floating in the aquarium for about thirty more minutes. (You can use a clothespin to clip the bag to the side to prevent it from sinking).
Continue adding a bit more aquarium water to the bag. Repeat this step until the bag is mostly aquarium water. Depend
I didn’t look at your links, but betta fish don’t need a very big tank to servive. I would get a small 5 gallon tank, and remeber you can’t put more the one in the same tank. Also when putting a new fish into a new tank you should fill the tank up with water and let it sit over night before putting the fish in. This allows the water in the tank to settle.Plus if you take the fish from one tank and put it in another the water temp may not be the same, and it can shock the fish.
Beta fish are actually easy to care for, just keep the water clean and keep it fed. Most of the time beta fish are kept in a small glass bowl or a vase with a water only plant and those glass rocks that you get in the craft center at most stores. Just remember to not mix the fish with another male fish and wash your supplies with only water no cleaners.
I hope this helps!!
Ideally you should have researched the fish’s needs before buying it, impulse buying is not recommended where animals are concerned. If possible I would recommend taking the fish back to the store and then do some more research before buying another.
All of the tanks mentioned in your question are too small for any fish. Too many people make the mistake by keeping Bettas in tiny, unfiltered containers because of the myth that they solely breath atmospheric air through a labyrinth organ. The labyrinth organ is present, however it is only used during periods when oxygen is otherwise deficient in the water, such as during pollution or a drought.
The minimum tank size that I would recommend for one of these fish is five gallons with a cycled filter and a heater. Lighting would also be beneficial if you intend to keep live plants. While a proper aquarium may cost more initially the biggest expense in fishkeeping often comes from rectifying mistakes.
Aside from the tank you will also need the following (all prices are approximate):
Liquid test kit (for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) – $30
2x Buckets – $10
Gravel siphon – $10
Food – $5-10 (a good flake food should form most of the diet along with a range of frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworm)
Algae scraper – $5
Substrate – $5 (playsand is cheap and looks very natural)
Dechlorinator – $5-10 (this is mandatory)
Small bottle of household ammonia – $5
Decor – Price depends on what you want.
Finally you need to understand the basic principles of fishless cycling, dietary requirements, water quality and basic fish health. Take a look at the following links:
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
http://www.ocean-wonders.co.uk/messageboard
Alternatively feel free to send me an e-mail.
you should not have gotten the fish if you have know idea how to take care of it. your obviously not responsible enough to take care of it.
All these tanks are too small for a healthy betta. the last one is only 1/2 gallon!
The second one also comes in a 2.5, which i have for each of my boys. Get a heater and they will thank you! Use a sponge filter, set on low power, and they will do fine. The others are all one gallon or less and not really good for fish of any kind.
I’m glad you came on here to ask first.
A betta does best at temps from 76-80 degrees F. and they need a steady temp. Unless your room stays in that range all the time, a heater is needed. While bettas are tough little guys, you want him to thrive, not just survive. They can live up to 7 years. My friend has had one for three right now and has never been ill. I just got back into them last year and my are approaching a year now.
The key with bettas living a long life is clean water, varied diet and a steady temp. Here is a site to read that will help you out.
http://bettysplendens.com/articles/catview.imp?catid=854
Sorry, but none of those tanks are big enough. The minimum for a betta is 2.5 gallons, although 5 would be better…The reason for this is that they don’t make heaters to go in anything under 2.5 gallons. Bettas are tropical fish, so they do need a heater. Filtration is also a must.
As far as Petco goes, this would be a MUCH better tank:
http://www.petco.com/product/10313/Aqueon-Mini-Bow-Desktop-Aquarium-Kit.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_Tanks
You would still need to buy a mini heater and a place for the betta to hide, and any additional decorations you would want.
Petco doesn’t have a whole lot to choose from in the way of small tanks, at least that’s true for the one near me. PetSmart has some as well…
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753107&ab=fish_fc1d
There is also a regular, acrylic, rectangular 2.5 gallon at PetSmart. (There might be something similar at Petco. It isn’t online at PetSmart.com but I know it is in the store. It could be the same for Petco…)This is probably your most cost-effective choice. Buy the tank (which comes with a lid), a mini heater, a mini air pump with tubing, and a filter sponge. Follow the instructions in this video to set up your own sponge filter. It’s cheaper than buying a filter and it is just as effective, and it is good for bettas because it has a low current and you don’t have to worry about them getting sucked into a plastic grate or anything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tsic7qoxMA
You could also set this one up to resemble the style of the one you liked. (i.e. large flat black stones, etc.) For the background, you can use normal aquarium background, but you can really use anything you want, such as by taping wrapping paper or scrapbooking paper to the back. If you like the last one, you could get regular tan paper and stencil the swirls on. Just use your creativity!
Anyways, here is a condensed list of what you will need:
2.5 gallon or larger tank
Aquarium heater that fits your size tank
Filter of some sort
Place for betta to hide (cave, tree, plant, etc.)
Gravel vacuum
Bucket
Any additional decor you may want
Oh yeah, remember to check craigslist–people sell aquarium stuff for dirt cheap on there!
Good luck and HAVE FUN! =)
This;-
http://www.petco.com/product/2398/Marineland-Eclipse-System-Six.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_Tanks
This;-
http://www.petco.com/product/13809/Marineland-Eclipse-Corner-5-Aquarium-Kit.aspx
or this:-
http://www.petco.com/product/2398/Marineland-Eclipse-System-Six.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_Tanks would make good homes for a Betta and you need a heater to keep the temperature stable.
Any smaller than 3g is cruel and a betta may survive but won’t thrive.
If you look locally you can often find a ten gallon kit cheaper than the smaller ones.
just buy one thats not to big but not to small
You should get a minibowl1. They are great!!!!!!!!! i just got a betta and didn’t want a bowl so i got that and he’s doing great! p.s. soak the pettets for ten mins before you feed and they need plants (fake or alive)