I Gotta Question That I Can't Answer Myself

[squiremaster]

how long would a betta live alone without a filter and only has gravel and a plastic plant

 

[tibby25731]

You are OK without a filter as long as you change about 50% water every 2-3 days. you have to be good and stick to this as you need to make sure there is no more than a minute amount of ammonia. Not worth it in my opinion, I would go for a filter every time cos i am lazy... but as a temp solution, OK! You have a heater though? canada is cold!

 

[CraigBaines]

Untill a few days ago my betta has lived in a bowl, with some gravel and an orniment in for about 7 monuths now.

Even though i knew i should clean it every 2-3 days, im ashamed to say it wasnt even close to that But he was always happy and livly...

 

[squiremaster]

You are OK without a filter as long as you change about 50% water every 2-3 days. you have to be good and stick to this as you need to make sure there is no more than a minute amount of ammonia. Not worth it in my opinion, I would go for a filter every time cos i am lazy... but as a temp solution, OK! You have a heater though? canada is cold!

Don't say that. We are warming up

 

[White Whale]

They have these mini-filters you attach at the end of airtubes for bowls. You have to change them at least once a week.

 

[tibby25731]

Craig you are bad! Just remember, even if the fish looks OK, you don't know what unseen damage the ammonia might be doing. If you love your fish you have to make the time to do the proper upkeep. I do water changes on all my fish tanks every 7 or 8 days, won't go longer than 8 no matter how much I can't be arsed/ am hungover etc.... my fishies are like extended family to me!

 

[CraigBaines]

i know haha, he has a new tank, and hopfully soon a new tank again lol!

I bought a fish on ebay (coming next week) so iv bought a bigge rtank with a heater and filter etc... now im gettin a free female with him, so im looking for yet again a bigger tank for the three lol!!

I know i should of cleaned it out alot more, but he's been with me for 7 mounths. im sure if there was a problem id know about it by now. He seems very happy in his new tank

 

[Honeythorn]

If this is the tank in question <a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=277916" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=277916</a> from your other thread, then I IMPLORE you to get this sorted asap.


Not to sound harsh but that's an utterly miserable looking existance ( and I do mean existance, not life ) .


Looking at the picture in your other thread, you have PLENTY of room on that worktop/table for a 5 gallon tank at the very least ( this is not remotely huge but is really the minimum for a healthy tank environment ) . There are so many places in the house where you can fit a 5 gal in fact that I have no idea why you don't have one already.

You DO need a heater. These are tropical fish, they need a heater set from 27-29 degrees Celcius. Unless your house is kept at tropical temperatures ( unlikely ) then a warm-ish room simply isn't good enough.

. Bettas are no different to Gouramis. They are Anabantoids exactly the same. And like gouramis they DO need a filter. Being able to breathe atmospheric air won't stop them getting ill from poor water quality. A filter ( and the friendly bacteria that live in it ) will provide a stable water chemistry for your fish. You will still need to do 50% water changes every week even with a filter.

Plastic plants - NO. Plastic plants often have sharp or rough edges that can easily damage bettas fins. And one single plant just dumped into a tank is both boring and pretty useless. These fish come from swamp streams and rice paddies full of vegetation. They like to hide in plants and rest on them. Bunches of silk plants are what you need. Not a singular plastic one.

You can get pretty much everything you need from Ebay at quite a low cost. Tanks can be bought second hand in good conditon for low cost. Sponge filters are cheap on there, you can easily get a cheap airpump and stone to run it, A 25 watt heater won't cost you the earth, and packs of silk plants are also readily available. In short, you have no excuse not to give that fish a decent stable environment.

 

[azulfire24]

If this is the tank in question <a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=277916" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=277916</a> from your other thread, then I IMPLORE you to get this sorted asap.


Not to sound harsh but that's an utterly miserable looking existance ( and I do mean existance, not life ) .


Looking at the picture in your other thread, you have PLENTY of room on that worktop/table for a 5 gallon tank at the very least ( this is not remotely huge but is really the minimum for a healthy tank environment ) . There are so many places in the house where you can fit a 5 gal in fact that I have no idea why you don't have one already.

You DO need a heater. These are tropical fish, they need a heater set from 27-29 degrees Celcius. Unless your house is kept at tropical temperatures ( unlikely ) then a warm-ish room simply isn't good enough.

. Bettas are no different to Gouramis. They are Anabantoids exactly the same. And like gouramis they DO need a filter. Being able to breathe atmospheric air won't stop them getting ill from poor water quality. A filter ( and the friendly bacteria that live in it ) will provide a stable water chemistry for your fish. You will still need to do 50% water changes every week even with a filter.

Plastic plants - NO. Plastic plants often have sharp or rough edges that can easily damage bettas fins. And one single plant just dumped into a tank is both boring and pretty useless. These fish come from swamp streams and rice paddies full of vegetation. They like to hide in plants and rest on them. Bunches of silk plants are what you need. Not a singular plastic one.

You can get pretty much everything you need from Ebay at quite a low cost. Tanks can be bought second hand in good conditon for low cost. Sponge filters are cheap on there, you can easily get a cheap airpump and stone to run it, A 25 watt heater won't cost you the earth, and packs of silk plants are also readily available. In short, you have no excuse not to give that fish a decent stable environment.

yarr, abowl is tooo, small,1 gal is the absolute minimim, just barely, a 3 gall is much better and not haveing a heater will shorten his lifespan due to the inevtiable older age illness that a slightly older fish will not be able to fight off. moss balls are a very easy to care for plant just plunk them in or amazon swords too they are fairly hardy.

 

[Honeythorn]

I'm afraid I will eternally disagree that 3 gals is a minimum let alone 1 gallon for a permanent home. I have a 3 gallon on the desk behind me ( contains java moss and wood ) and the idea of keeping a betta permanently in there sickens my gut . Probably not a popular opinion but I stick to it with tenacity regardless of how many may be offended by it , and insist their fish are apparantly happy in a 1 gallon pot *shrugs*

You don't see people doing it to dwarf gouramis, so why bettas? Both anabantoids, both small species.

But I stray off topic with that thought. I will stand by the statement that a cheap 5 gallon can be found easily enough, to fit where the OP's current tub is.

 

[The Village Idiot]

I'll second the motion for a five gallon aquarium. I think people believe bettas are lethargic and, thus, don't require an aquarium of any size. The fact is that bettas are usually lethargic because they are kept in teeny tiny amounts of water. If you pop a betta in a 55 gallon tank, you'll see a fish that is anything but lethargic as it explores the environment. You really can't appreciate the fish in such a small container. Of course the heater is a must.

I think people do this to bettas and not gouramis because bettas are tougher and will probably survive, whereas a gourami would keel over from such treatment. It doesn't make it right, and I steadfastly refuse to accept the treatment as acceptable simply because the fish survives, but that seems to be the reasoning.

 

[CraigBaines]

To be fair, i dont think the people doing it are to blame. I mean before i bought a betta, and joined this fourm i had no idea about the fish.

But in the pet shop i got him from, theywere selling vases with a little light on, for the betta's. Im not joking they were maybe the size of a litre of pop you would buy, and the same sort of shape.

If pet shops are doing that, then i can see why people think its ok to them and keep them in such small tanks.

 

[Honeythorn]

It's up to the buyer to research the animal they are buying BEFORE getting anything.

Would you buy an alligator if someone in the petshop told you you could keep it in the bathtub and it would be perfectly happy? A horse in the back yard? No of course you wouldn't.

It's basic common sense. Bettas don't live in tiny puddles in the wild,they die in them, so don't keep them in the tank equivalent of a puddle at home. They're a tropical fish like any other from those regions, so they need a heater. They produce waste in the same way as any other fish, so they need a filter.

It's not rocket science and it doesn't have to cost the earth to give these fish the basics for a good life.

 

[CraigBaines]

Yes i tootally understand what your saying, and im not saying your wrong. But i think the differance between a fish and an alligator are massive hah. People tend to trust and beleive what the people at a fish shop are telling you, i guess because its their job you just assume...

Im just saying it's very miss leading.

 

[Honeythorn]

( the alligator was merely an example )

It is very misleading, which is exactly the reason people should research to begin with. Like I say, you don't walk into a petshop, pick a random animal and hope for the best.

Also, pet shops are businesses and need to make money. They will sell you anything for a profit. Basically they make a lot of profit from people's ignorance and mistakes, as well as from those who know what they're doing. It's sad but true.