Betta

[frankthetank]

I just bought a betta today, and i am wondering if its ok without a filter, or should i get one?
Thanks

 

[stang1]

You don't need a filter but without one you'll need to do more frequent water changes.

 

[Keito113]

If you are keeping the betta in a 1-3 gallon aquarium, like the desktop aquariums, You can go to walmart and buy a Whisper 1-3 gallon filter, it is powered by air pump, which is included, it it very quiet, it cycles 20 gallons in an hour, but it is very gentle. The replacement filters are in a small plastic package. The filters last for two weeks to a month depending on how "dirty" your fish is, betta's are pretty tidy, so the filters should last a month, I use one of these and they work very well, there are no moving parts inside the tank, so your fish or decorations will not be harmed nor will the filter get clogged or gummed up.

 

[wendywc]

Great advice, Keito113!

Are you new?! I think I've seen that avatar before.

 

[DarkEntity]

You don't need a filter but without one you'll need to do more frequent water changes.

Please dont advise people they dont need a filter for Betta or even suggest it. They may be able to stand more than other fish but they should still be treated as you would any other Tropical Fish. Filter, Heater and tank maintenance.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Any fish can be kept without a filter providing water changes are enough to keep ammonia at 0. Which is entirely possible. Again for the heater- if the temperature remains stable at the correct temperature, no need.

 

[zoekin8yg]

my male betta IS FINE without a filter. As long as you keep up with the changes they are fine

 

[stang1]

You don't need a filter but without one you'll need to do more frequent water changes.

Please dont advise people they dont need a filter for Betta or even suggest it. They may be able to stand more than other fish but they should still be treated as you would any other Tropical Fish. Filter, Heater and tank maintenance.

I have suggested it may be fine without a filter as I know plenty of people who keep Bettas without one. As long as the water is changed regularly there shouldn't be a problem.
I personally have filters for all of my Bettas but that's my preference.

 

[Keito113]

If you are not going to use a filter for a betta, you may as well just chuck it back in the tiny shop bowl again and be like the rest of the naive public. Just because they are FINE or can LIVE LIKE THAT, doesn't mean it's right. Humans can live in a house wall to wall with dirt, debris, garbage, sludge on the floors and filthy wet beds and furniture, they'll live, but they won't be happy or healthy. You are not helping your betta in the least upsetting it daily by changing it's water every day, I did that and my poor fella contracted Stress Related Ich.

 

[OohFeeshy]

It's more than 'surviving', it's thriving. I reapeat my earlier statement- any fish can be kept without a filter, it's just easier and more practical when using high stocking levels and high bioload fish to use one rather than manually removing the ammonia through water changes. Bettas, however, do not come under that heading- they are very low bioload, hate current, do not require oxygenated water and it is simple to manually remove ammonia. For instance, I've left my betta tanks without a water change for a fornight once- still the water contained no trace of ammonia and all the bettas were healthy, colourful and bubblenesting. Most people's bettas bubblenest after 100% water changes- if it 'upset' them that much this would certainly not be the case.

I see you condoning others fishkeeping practices when yours appears no better. '1 gallon with two water lily bulbs and four hybrid aponogeton bulbs, a filter and gravel. When the plants have grown a bit, hopefully on January the third, I plan to get three neon tetras to live in the tank with the plants. '. Three neon tetras in a one gallon is certainly on par with a human living in one room for all its life- 'they'll live, but they won't be happy or healthy'. Tetras schooling fish and need a larger tank than your under one gallon one...

 

[dogfood]

I think the important thing to remember here is the size of the tank. If the tank is small then you won't be able to use a filter because it won't fit so you don't really have a choice, therefore you will have to do water changes more often to keep the betta happy. Then again if the tank is too small for a filter then it's too small for a betta period. IMO 1 gallon is the bare minimum for a betta preferably a shallow 1 gallon so the betta has room to swim around to exorcise.

 

[Kyrielle]

It's also very important to remember our fish, no matter how intelligent they are, do not experience the miriad of complex emotions we as humans experience. They are not nearly as complex as our dogs and cats either. One must remember the goals of a fish's life are basically down to feeding and breeding. Food, clean water, and a safe environment (by "safe" I mean simply a territory of their own) are really all the things that could possibly make a betta experience anything close to the human equivalent of happiness. I do not think a betta cares how specifically large its territory is or if there is a filter. However, I think we humans always deem it necessary to provide the betta a territory that seems as large and as "clean" as our territorial space, spaces that vary dramatically for each individual and thus lead to these debates. Just do what you think is appropriate for meeting those three parameters. I think that as long as there is clean water, it doesn't matter HOW you go about ensuring the tank's cleanliness.

Edit: Forgot we were talking about filters and started talking about sizes, sorry. Adjusted argument accordingly.

 

[dogfood]

One must remember the goals of a fish's life are basically down to feeding and breeding.

Couldn't that be said of dogs too?

 

[300hp+vr6]

One must remember the goals of a fish's life are basically down to feeding and breeding.

Couldn't that be said of dogs too?

iv never seen a fish #### on the carpet or lick its own balls

 

[DarkEntity]

Ive never seen a dog chase live brine shrimp, any more pointless statements you whish to point out?