Can Bettas live in non heated water??

[alexkay]

Hi I have just got a new tank, it has a filter but no heater, i was wondering if Bettas can live in tanks without heaters or if they need 1. I already have a tropical tank which i have my fab seth in & ive got the bug & want another. So advice needed. I will get a heater if need to as i desperatly want another Betta........

p.s i live in u.k & dont have any heating in the room he/she will live in. ooohh & also are male or females best to get, which is most active etc.... i wud love to see a bubble nest as 1 i have has never made 1 (think it beacuse of the filter in bigger tank)

 

[feralcelt2]

i think every one has different opinions on the subject

on my 10gal female tank i have a heater set at 80, but for my bowls i have no heater just rely on the overhead light to heat them and it does a fabulous job.

if you rhouse runs on the cool side it probably wouldnt be a bad idea just to keep the temp a constant, that may help reduce any stress the fish might have.

 

[Bloo]

Quite personally - if you have a tank that can fit a small heater, I'd add one. Considering where these fish originally came from, they prefer warmer waters and are not cold water fish. Keeping a fish in unfiltered unheated water that gets changed regularly, tends to lead to more unstable environments and thus illness.
That's my opinion anyway. I know a lot of people keep their fish in 1 gallon bottles / jars and apparently successfully.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I don't use heaters or filters. My house never drops below 72, so the water in my smallest tanks do not drop below 70 or so. Lately most days, my tanks sit at a balmy 80-82, which the bettas seem to take well.

I don't think that my regular water changes lead to an unstable environment for my boys though. When I change their water, I make sure that the water going back in is the exact same temp as the water coming out. I change their water every week, at least, and they don't seem to suffer for it at all. If anything, they are thriving. None of my boys has been sick aside from one bout with ich that is admittedly my fault. I have not lost a male yet, but I haven't been keeping them for long, so I am sure that will change. My girls are at a steady temp because their tank is 20G. It is also filtered. This is to deal with the larger bio load that 17 fish produce, compared to just one, or in the case of my 10G, two. I have had 3 fatalities with my girls, all caused by columnaris, which they came home from the store with.

What it boils down to is personal choice. IME you can successfully do it both ways.