hi im wondering do you need a heater to keep

[bettasplendenlover]

im thinking of getting one!

 

[buggyboutbettas]

some people say no. some say yes.
I personally think that bettas should be treated like other tropical fish. I've also noticed that bettas in heated tanks are much more active and seem happier than bettas who don't have a heater. I would also reccomend that the bowl is at least a gallon if not more.

 

[bettasplendenlover]

well do ineed a heater as i have a glass thingy also will i need a filter if i change the water reguarly

 

[Loboto-Me]

First, how big is your bowl? I haven't seen any heaters small enough for bowls smaller than about 5 gals .... someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't beleive you need a heater for a bowl as long as you keep it in a room that is warm enough to keep the water at, at least 76 F. Also you must be careful that the bowl isn't in a drafty area during the cold months, and away from direct sunlight during the warm months. Please make sure you get yourself a thermometer at least so that you can keep an eye on your little guy's water temps. You don't need a filter for your bowl as long as you do plenty of partial water changes.... about 30% every 3 days or so.

I think if you keep reading the posts in here, you'll get some great tips on how to keep them.

PS: I don't necessarily agree on the temperature affecting betta activity.... unless someone kept the temp in the 60's I suppose. I have a super active betta in a one gallon unheated tank, I'd hate to see what he'd be like if I had him in a heated tank!!!

 

[Bangin]

First, how big is your bowl? I haven't seen any heaters small enough for bowls smaller than about 5 gals .... someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I have a heater for a 2.5 gallon, but I imagine it would be difficult trying to stuff it into a bowl.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Yeah, I agree with Lobo, it really depends on your house temperature. My bettas would jump out of their tanks and ring my neck if I tried to give them a heater,they're toasting away @ 85F

I also am a little bit anti-heater when it comes to bettas Fluctuation isn't as bad as everybody makes it seem sometimes, it in fact makes your fish healthier and more tolerable,as long as it is above 70 at all times. I think a lot of problems happen when your fish sits at one boring,dull temperature and he adjusts to it, then heaven forbid you add water that is off by a degree or two,poor thing will think it's the end of the world and the next thing you know he has ich.

 

[shrks1fan]

I have a 2.25 gallon tank that I keep a 25W submersible heater in as that tank is in a room that drops into the 50's on a cold night. The rest of my fish are in a heated fish room that stays at about 80. If you keep your bowl in an area that doesn't drop below 70, the fish should be fine (although staying above 75 would be better as it is a tropical fish), but if it would ever drop below 70 then you definetly want the bowl heated. I used to use heating pads for my smaller containers before I heated the fish room, it worked great.

Linda
http/www.pet-emporium.com
http/www.cooking-fanatics.com

 

[buggyboutbettas]

well do ineed a heater as i have a glass thingy also will i need a filter if i change the water reguarly

glass thingy??? what do you mean?

I would recommend a very small filter. It helps clean foriegn objects and keeps that ammonia and nitrites down. The only thing to watch out for is if the current is too strong as bettas can't handle currents as well as other fish. Again, other people here will disagree with me but that is my opinion anyways.

I don't necessarily agree on the temperature affecting betta activity.... unless someone kept the temp in the 60's I suppose. I have a super active betta in a one gallon unheated tank, I'd hate to see what he'd be like if I had him in a heated tank!!!

In the wild, bettas live in water that is usually between 76 and 84 degrees. If you were to make a southeast Asian swamp type biotope with bettas, you would probably heat the water to 80 degrees.
As far as activeness goes, I've had 2 other bettas before my current one. none of them had heaters or filtration and none of them were active at all. the average life span since I got them at the store was less than 6 months. My current betta is in a tank with a heater, a little mini filter, live plants, etc. Since I've only had for a little over a month, I cannot say how long he'll live but he is very, very, very active and builds bubble nests.

P.S. I just got two more bettas from walmart today (ssshhhh! don't tell anybody yet) and they have been amazingly active since they've been in their tank. I'm gonna post pics as soon as they get acclimated.

 

[BronzeWolf]

I have my bettas in a 2 gallon rectangular shaped plastic tank measuring L=34, W=20 and H=22, I got this shape purely for practical reasons that if i need to put a heater in them i could. I'm currently testing one heater in them and its working perfectly I got a Hagen Mini Thermal Compact 35W, its shorter in length umm about 22cm so it fits perfectly in the tank. If your living in a cold country i suggest you get some sort of heating, I live in UK and my coldwater tank averages 68 in summer so i cant imagine how cold my betta tanks would get in winter with sub zero temperatures. I looked into getting a vivarium heat mat but was worried about heat spots and the effect of direct contact with my plastic tanks.... here is an addy for heat mats they come in various sizes and strips.. or type in heat mats in any search engine. http/www.reptilecentre.com/

 

[bettasplendenlover]

would you day i could keep it in a room with a tumble dryer as that heats my room up alot?
oh yeah by the way its a large glass vase

 

[BronzeWolf]

I think that would probably be ok if that room is warm most of the time, why dont you buy yourself a cheap thermometer not a glass one but one of those digital ones on a strip they are only a pound or so here and dip it into the water to keep tabs on it , in that way it will give you piece of mind. My personal opinion is that these are tropical fish and should be kept at warmer temps like their natural enviroment.