Betta Care Help!

[Reoejet]

I recently won a betta from a game stall yesterday. I literally have no experience in taking care of a fish whatsoever. Looking at various websites, it says that I need a 5 gallon tank, a filter, an aquarium heater, an aquarium thermometer, and de-chlorination drops for the water. I already have the thermometer, the de-chlorination drops, a small aquarium bowl and some food pellets but I'm wondering if it's ok not to have the filter and heater. I live in the province and they don't have that many pet or fish or aquarium stores nearby and asking around, the supplies were quite pricy (I only have a small allowance). So will the Betta be ok without a filter or a heater? If not, I'll probably give it to some major fish expert/lover.

 

[Fishy friend2]

No, the Betta probably will not be okay in a bowl, with out a filter and heater. Unless your house is like 80 degrees and you are willing to do 1 50% and one 100% water changes weekly

 

[lilfishie]

You can get away without a filter but a heater is needed. Without a filter you need to be changing 50% of the water every 2 days. You will need some form of water conditioner to make the water safe for you fish

 

[Qwatch]

Make sure you do buy a heater if you want it to thrive, as the above post said, they CAN live without a filter if you're prepared to do the water changes every couple of days.

Bettas are thrown away as "prizes" now? That's so wrong in my opinion

 

[lilfishie]

Make sure you do buy a heater if you want it to thrive, as the above post said, they CAN live without a filter if you're prepared to do the water changes every couple of days.

Bettas are thrown away as "prizes" now? That's so wrong in my opinion

I thought the same but didn't want to uspet the OP they clearly care about this fish which is unusual given the situation.


Also try and get your lil guy a bigger home if you can. A storage box will be fine for now i often keep my new bettas in tubs until i can sort/divide my tank for his perminant home.

You've certainly came to the best place for help

 

[KillieLover]

Wait a second...I'm keeping my Betta in a fish bowl currently (and have done so numerous times, with other Bettas), and they seem to do fine without a heater or filter, as long as I add some warm water from my tank every couple days or so. The house is fairly warm, but I wouldn't say 80 degrees.

So I guess it's not recommended, but you could do it. Especially if like in my case I have to, for now...as my Betta that's in a bowl is being quarantined, because she appears to have something wrong with her.

I think it's boating or a swim bladder problem. She would just sit at the bottom of the tank I had her in and not eat. Now that I moved her to the bowl, she sits on that bottom of that, or sometimes goes up to the top and just stays in one position there. I haven't noticed her eating, I did a small water change today and put some pea in there yesterday. But I don't know if she ate any of it.

Any suggestions on where to get a heater for a small 1 gallon hex. bowl? I would like to get one, I don't keep my Betta in an unheated bowl on purpose, just out of necessity.