Choosing A Tank For Dorm

[Karplunk]

Hi,I'm looking for a tank to house a betta in my dorm, but I don't know which one is good to buy, can anyone give me some tank recommendation?

 

[Curiosity101]

Basically anything over 2.5gal is 'OK', but 5 gal is considered to be a good size as it allows you to adequately heat and filter the water. It also gives you more room to add plants and decorations etc which the betta needs to stay stimulated.
You may or may not need to heat the water depending on where abouts you live. The betta will need a temp that is usually around or above 24C, if your house/room isn't normally this warm then you'll need a heater.

Here are some examples...
http/www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/22435/product.web - 5gal $31 comes with filter, light, food and water. Only thing thing you may need is a heater.

http/www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=152747 - 3.5gal $26 comes with filter and other accessories, you'd probably want to buy a light for it though.

 

[Curiosity101]

Or you can get

Penn Plax 3.5gal tank for around $10 but then you'd need to buy a heater and filter to go with it.

Try any second hand sites like craiglist (I think that a US one?) and others like that.

 

[loraxchick]

i absoulutely agree with curiosity about checking craigslist for your area...even put up your own post in the "wanted" section...you may be plesantly suprised...i was looking for a 10 gal filter, put an add on craigslist in the wanted section and ended up with a free, yes FREE 40 gal tank with every accessory known to man. the guy just wanted it out of his house!
id check there first. often you see posts with the betta included...horray for rescues
good luck

 

[Honeythorn]

Get a 5 gallon bare minimum, ten gallons if you can/are allowed. Car boot sales, Craigslist, newspaper classifieds, ebay are all good places to look for a tank. Don't get anything smaller, you'll make more work for yourself and risk the fish.

As an example, every single tank in my signature came from a car boot sale. With the exception of the large tank which was 322 ( still dirt cheap ) , all 3 smaller tanks ( 12 gals and 2 5 gals ) cost £5 each, so...less than $10 each and I just bought another 12 gallon at a car boot sale for £1. In dollars that's what..a couple of $ 's?

You just need to scout around for the bargains , they are out there!


ALSO with a tank of 5 gals or more -

More water = slower waste buildup and slower rises in ammonia and nitrites = less health problems.

Get a filter with a gentle or adjustable flow this also = less health problems and one hell of an easier job, because a filter will do most of the cleaning work for you and provide a stable biological environment not to mention clean water .This = less work and a happy betta .

You will need a heater obviously.

25-50% water changes every week ( I do 50 on all tanks personally, even the 12 gallon ) . Use a syphon it does the job of both removing water and sucking any debris off the bottom that the filter may have missed.

Filter service ( rinse the media in old tankwater NEVER the tap and clean the impellar ) once a month or when the flow starts to slow down somewhat.

I realise you may already know these things but since you didn't say , I chucked them in there anyway. And since this tank will be in a dorm I assume you are a student. Since you will be busy studying/partying/doing whatever, a low maintenence tank would be best for you as it will be easier to take care of. A 5 gal tank or bigger as described above will help with that.

 

[Karplunk]

thank you for your inputs!
Btw, I'm kinna interested in a all girls tank and I heard that a betta need at least 2 gallon space. But do you think I can put 3 female bettas in a 5 gallon tank?
If not then, I'm planning to get a 2 or 3 gallon tank for a betta. (because the sink in my dorm bathroom is small and it would take me awhile to fill up the water.)

 

[LauraFrog]

You can't keep just 3 females, you need to keep at least four with six being preferred to spread the aggression out. Generally a ten gallon tank is the smallest recommended for a sorority because you can put more hiding places in it. Overstocking a sorority isn't a good idea, so I'd advise against it. If you can fit in seven gallons you could try four females in that.
The problem with a sorority is that you need a backup plan... if the tank develops either a bully (who picks on and stresses all the others) or a runt (who all the others go for, and may kill) you will need to be able to remove her and house her alone. If you can only keep one tank I'd recommend going for a male tank.
Jeez it's stressful though trying to fit fish into a dorm... I've been trying to work out how to house all mine in '11, because I'm going to uni and the dorm rooms are tiny.

 

[loraxchick]

opt for the 3 gal tank. you can make your own sponge filter that will fit easily in there and also more room for the heater. check out walmart fish section- they sell 25 watt heaters around me for something along the line of $7. at a petsmart or petco they will run you more like $15-20 (biiig difference). they also sell starter kits (sadly labeled as goldfish tanks) at walmart for around $30 and comes with everything you need (well maybe not a heater but i think so)...that might be your best bet for getting all the pieces you'll need in one go. but id check craigs list. put up your own post in the wanted section. you might be pleasantly surprised.
good luck

 

[RobynR]

I just got an Eclipse 5-gallon hex on Craigslist this weekend. Comes with a light and filter in the hood, and the filter output seems not to create a huge current. I haven't had it long enough to speak from personal experience, but everything I've heard about Eclipse has been good. It's sitting here on my desk and doesn't take up too much space, and it definitely would have been easy to keep in my college dorm room.

 

[Honeythorn]

thank you for your inputs!
Btw, I'm kinna interested in a all girls tank and I heard that a betta need at least 2 gallon space. But do you think I can put 3 female bettas in a 5 gallon tank?
If not then, I'm planning to get a 2 or 3 gallon tank for a betta. (because the sink in my dorm bathroom is small and it would take me awhile to fill up the water.)

This makes absolutely no sense. You'd try to get 3 females in a 5 gallon ( BAD idea they need 10 gals and at leats 4-5 girls ) but if you had a male you'd cram him into a 2 or 3 gallon when you evidently have room for a 5 gallon which would make for a much more stable home for him and a lot less work for you? Sorry but I'm not really seeing the logic behind that idea.


Also, the sink may be small, ( big deal so is mine and many other people's ) but it really isn't any hardship to do a 50% water change on a 5 gallon. It's only 3/4 of a bucket full of water once a week.

Much easier than trying to lug a 2-3 gallon back and forth and possibly dropping and breaking it.

 

[Curiosity101]

I'll stand by the fact you CAN keep a betta in 2.5 gal with stable water conditions and keep them happy and plenty stimulated enough. (I respect your point of view Honeythorn but plenty have people have kept them happily and healthily in 2.5gal)

However, I do agree with the above, if you think you have room for a 5 gal sorority then you really should get a 5gal for the male. The price difference will be minimal and it will make for a better home for the fish. More room to add decorations and other such things. Plus if you were doing around a 30% water change a week that's...just under 6l

Small sink or not it's 6 litres! Not exactly a huge amount. Plus you could always get a handy extention for your tap that goes straight into a bucket!

Ps. Where have you been Honeythorn? You seemed to disappear for a few months?