Is this a good option for a betta?

[OliveFish05]

Do y‘all think this is an alright tank for a betta? It is 3.5 gallons and only $15. If you’ve seen my other thread, you know the situation Im in with my sisters’ bettas. I need a tank that will work for a betta, but that won’t be insanely expensive.

 

[NannaLou]

Do y‘all think this is an alright tank for a betta? It is 3.5 gallons and only $15. If you’ve seen my other thread, you know the situation Im in with my sisters’ bettas. I need a tank that will work for a betta, but that won’t be insanely expensive.

That’s only 13 ltrs, half of what I’ve got Blue in. It’s probably bigger than the bowl you are using at the moment though?
You come across as being a very careful owner, so I expect you’ll be improving the Bettas situation.

 

[OliveFish05]

That’s only 13 ltrs, half of what I’ve got Blue in. It’s probably bigger than the bowl you are using at the moment though?
You come across as being a very careful owner, so I expect you’ll be improving the Bettas situation.

The betta is currently in 2 gallons. I try to be very aware of my fish’s needs, and meet those needs. This is my sister’s betta and I’m trying to help her make a happier home for her betta, and also be more able to enjoy fishkeeping. The way it was, I was having her do daily 25% water changes on the bowl because it had no live plants and no filtration. But it was just more than her little 10 year old attention span could handle and she didn’t enjoy having a fish anymore. I am trying to get her a bigger tank, and this one has a filter. I also plan to give her a bunch of live plants. This would make it so she can do weekly 25-50% water changes, rather than daily.

 

[NannaLou]

The betta is currently in 2 gallons. I try to be very aware of my fish’s needs, and meet those needs. This is my sister’s betta and I’m trying to help her make a happier home for her betta, and also be more able to enjoy fishkeeping. The way it was, I was having her do daily 25% water changes on the bowl because it had no live plants and no filtration. But it was just more than her little 10 year old attention span could handle and she didn’t enjoy having a fish anymore. I am trying to get her a bigger tank, and this one has a filter. I also plan to give her a bunch of live plants. This would make it so she can do weekly 25-50% water changes, rather than daily.

This will be a big improvement on the current situation as I mentioned

 

[Colin_T]

If you could find something like that but a bit longer and wider, it would be better. But if nothing else is available, then that would be better than the 2g one the fish is currently in.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I just want to say Olive that I'm very impressed with your attitude and maturity. Parents have a lot to answer for that allow their children these animals without educating themselves on the care of said animals. Well done lady for sacrificing your own money, time and efforts to help your sisters when really it's your parents responsibility. What a good big sister you are ❤

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Shame your not in the UK. I see 5G tanks coming up quite often on Facebook marketplace for free or very cheap. I did have a quick look online to see if I could find anything bigger for cheaper but didn't find anything better than this from the normal retail shops.

I have to Echo what @CaptainBarnicles is saying as well. You are doing a great job by your little sister and the support you are showing her is something she will remember and cherish for the rest of her life. Good job!

 

[OliveFish05]

If you could find something like that but a bit longer and wider, it would be better. But if nothing else is available, then that would be better than the 2g one the fish is currently in.

Will this be adequate housing long term? I would hate to buy it, then have it be like “oh well you still need something larger!”. Even then, I think this is the best thing to fit my mother’s requirements for their bettas. I talked my youngest sister into paying $10 fo it. That puts me paying $5 and giving her some live plants. I also told her I would try to make her an awesome dragon statue to go in there. I figured making it myself, I could shape it to leave as much space as possible for the fish. My other sister though is just making me angry! To think the youngest sister is more reasonable!
Me: “Hey, do you want to buy a bigger tank for your betta? I will pay half so you only have to pay about $7. It comes with a cool light and a filter and I will get you tons of live plants for him. I think he would be so much happier”
Her: “No. I don’t want to spend my money on that. He is happy, I can tall”
Me: “What makes you think he is happy? It’s like having to live in a bedroom your whole life with no toilet!”
Her: “No, it’s like living in a house. His hide is his bedroom and the rest of the bowl is his house”
Me: “Fine, it’s like living in a tiny little apartment with a bedroom, a kitchen, and a couch bit STILL no toilet and you never get to go anywhere to do anything snd you don’t have room to get exercise”
Her: “Well if it were me, I would be fine with that, if I knew it was better than what most of the others get. Most bettas live in cups and die in two weeks. Look at how good I have done taking care of him! He is happy, trust me I can tell”
At that point I got frustrated with her snd decided to go try to figure out how I could reason with her.

I have to Echo what @CaptainBarnicles is saying as well. You are doing a great job by your little sister and the support you are showing her is something she will remember and cherish for the rest of her life. Good job!

I just want to say Olive that I'm very impressed with your attitude and maturity. Parents have a lot to answer for that allow their children these animals without educating themselves on the care of said animals. Well done lady for sacrificing your own money, time and efforts to help your sisters when really it's your parents responsibility. What a good big sister you are ❤

Awww thank you guys. I am sure trying. It is a very fine line between respecting my parents and trying to get them to understand. It just broke my heart when my sister came to me almost in tears and said “I love my betta but I don’t think I am making him happy. You can take him and I know you will take care of him and keep him happy. I don’t like doing water changes every day and I don’t like having a fish anymore. It just makes me sad but I know he needs water changes and you will take care of him because he had fin rot and you knew how to fix it so I want you to take him”. I love fishkeeping, and I would hate for her to lose the opportunity to enjoy it simply because she doesn’t have the right setup. My family has a lot of pets who my mother has taught us to take good care of and be responsible for, but when it comes to the fish she just does not understand. She has grown up with “it’s just a fish” her whole life, and as much as she loves animals and understands her responsibility when she brings home a pet, she just doesn’t quite understand how a fish could POSSIBLY need that level of care, especially not a betta. She thinks the 2 gallon bowls are paradise. She doesn’t class bettas as pets, she classes them as fish and to her a fish is a fish and fish don’t have certain special requirements. It’s a lack of understanding more than a lack of a heart to take good care of her pets. I think I will tell my sisters the tanks are for Christmas but that I wanted to I’ve it to them really early lol.

 

[Colin_T]

Will this be adequate housing long term?

Ideally you want 20-40 litres of water for a Betta. However, it comes down to what you can find and afford. The 3 gallons is ok but long term it would be better to have more water.

A bigger tank would also give more options if your sister decides to get something different when the Betta dies.

 

[OliveFish05]

Just ordered two, set to come between 6 and 8 pm today. I will be giving them some live plants and fake decorations. Debating making these their Christmas gifts... I typically buy them something for like $3 or make them something handmade though.one year I found one of those giant dinosaur stuffed animals at Goodwill for $3. They are typically at least $45. It was in great shape and my sister said it was the coolest gift she got that year

 

[OliveFish05]

A bigger tank would also give more options if your sister decides to get something different when the Betta dies.

If they want anything other than shrimp, snails, or another betta after these ones die, I would try to get them to get at least a 10 gallon tank, which is not ever happening in our current house.