OK, lemme get this straight...

[Helium_Junkie]

You can get a small 3 gallon or so tank, add gravel/decor/treated water and some aquarium salt and its ready for a single betta?

If you have a teeny little filter in there do you have to cycle like community tanks?

Thats the way everything seems to point.

 

[BeccaBlain]

A 1 gallon tank is large enough for 1 betta.

But yes, that size tank would make a betta very happy, and with (or without...) a filter, you would need to cycle the tank. Betta are pretty tough fishies, so they can handle the strain.

Just keep up on the water changes...

 

[Helium_Junkie]

You cycle using the Betta? How does a cycle work without a filter?
Can u begin the cycle with a betta as soon as the tank is set up?
Whats the heating option if you have a cold house and a small tank.

 

[Where the river goes]

3 gallons is a good size for a betta, the bigger the better

In my opinion, it's best to have filtered, cycled tank. Fishless cycle is the best way to go about cycling just about any tank.

There are small filters for small tanks, one of the best being azoo palm filters. There are other small tank filters, but most of the ones I have seen have filter cartridges that need to be replaced often because they have carbon included and carbon should be replaced often.

In both my 2.5 gallon tanks I have a 25 watt heater. This size heater is a bit big for a tank that size, but I was surpised to see the heater struggling to keep the water temp at 78 in the middle of winter...and our winters are extremely mildhere. That shouldn't be a problem this winter though because the tanks have been moved to a warmer spot in the house. I've been lucky so far that the heaters have not gotten stuck in the 'on' position. That's why I feel that if you are going to stick a 25 watt heater in a 2-5 gallon tank it should be of the best quality you can get.

There is also a junior heater that is only 7.5 watts. Nice little heater, but the only downside is that it is a preset heater so it has no temperature adjustment. You can't leave this heater plugged in all the time, you have to keep a sharp eye on it so it doesn't over heat. I experimented before I got my fish and left the junior plugged in over night and the temp in the morning was up to 90 degrees!

 

[Wisperian]

lol i put my most loved betta in a 10g with some krib fry to keep him company lol lol lol lol l ol lol lolo l o lo l ol o ll LOL ok enough with the lolling lol

 

[Draven]

I have a Eclipse 3 gallon Bio-wheel tank for my single betta. I'm in the process of bio-cycling it right now. I have a couple of live plants in there as well. It will be more then enough for my little guy. I like it because it fits nicely on my desk at work and brightens the mood for me.

 

[fourplayfishy]

right now i have a 5.5 gal even though my fishy aint in it right now... just cleaned the tank cuz it was getting on my nerves cuz when he gets agitated he dosent look for the food neways mines got bio wheel too... its the little one hahahah but 3 gal is more then enough... 5.5 is a palace

 

[BeccaBlain]

I had three fish in my cycling tank. Betta hold up well under the stress. Changing the water every 2-3 days when you start the cycle is important. In my tank (16.5 gallons) I dropped to a weekly change after about 4 weeks.

Filtered cycled, as mentioned prior, is the best.

There should be pinups somewhere about cycling and why you should do it and how...

 

[Helium_Junkie]

OK! So, as a rough guide to my first Betta, cycling using the Betta due to complete lack of Ammonia, thats a US thing!

1 - Buy Tank, Filter, Gravel, Plant (+ heater)

2 - Place tank, add Filter, (+heater), add gravel + some water, add plant, add more water (treated water of course, but does it need salt? How much?)

3 - Run in for 1 day? (Can it be less? Should it be more? I AM NOT FISHLESS CYCLING PLEASE REMEMBER! )

4 - Add Betta, acclimatise by leaving his bag floating for 5mins, then net him out and place in tank, do not get bag water in tank.

5 - Cover tank so its dark in there, leave Betta for (how long?)

6 - Uncover Betta and wait (how long?) before feeding with (bloodworm?)

7 - Change 50% of the water every 2 days, feeding the betta (how much how often? bloodworm?)

8 - Anything I missed? Light? Do they need a light? The small tanks dont exactly have room for em!

Thanks all

 

[Where the river goes]

2 - salt isn't necessary. Some people use it as a preventative against disease, but most of the time good water quality is the best disease preventative

3 - I'd run the tank for a day or two mostly to see how the heater is going to work and what adjustments I have to make to it, etc.

4 - Leave him floating for a bit longer than five mins, maybe 10-15 mins then add some aquarium water to his bag/cup. Wait another 10-15 mins and add some more aquarium water to his bag/cup. Wait another 10-15 mins and then net him into your tank. There's many other ways to acclimate fish...this method has worked well for me though....

5 - Honestly, I don't know 'cause I've never done that, usually just keeping the tank light off is all you really need to do.

6 - Try feeding him a bloodworm or pellet, etc while he is still in his cup/bag. You can try feeding him the next day, but don't be surprised if he doesn't eat. Many bettas take a few days to get used to their new surroundings and during this time he may not want to eat.

7 - Many different feeding "schedules" for bettas. I feed mine 3-4 pellets a day and when they get bloodworms they also get 3-4 of those. I also skip one day of feeding. Some bettas will accept veggies like zuccini, peas (peeled) so you might want to try and see how he fairs with those.

8 - Unless you have a live plant in your tank, then you don't need a light. Also, from what I've seen with my bettas...they prefer taller plants.

 

[rollntider]

OK! So, as a rough guide to my first Betta, cycling using the Betta due to complete lack of Ammonia, thats a US thing!

1 - Buy Tank, Filter, Gravel, Plant (+ heater)

2 - Place tank, add Filter, (+heater), add gravel + some water, add plant, add more water (treated water of course, but does it need salt? How much?)

3 - Run in for 1 day? (Can it be less? Should it be more? I AM NOT FISHLESS CYCLING PLEASE REMEMBER! )

4 - Add Betta, acclimatise by leaving his bag floating for 5mins, then net him out and place in tank, do not get bag water in tank.

5 - Cover tank so its dark in there, leave Betta for (how long?)

6 - Uncover Betta and wait (how long?) before feeding with (bloodworm?)

7 - Change 50% of the water every 2 days, feeding the betta (how much how often? bloodworm?)

8 - Anything I missed? Light? Do they need a light? The small tanks dont exactly have room for em!

Thanks all

4 - Add Betta, acclimatise by leaving his bag floating for 5mins, then net him out and place in tank, do not get bag water in tank.

depends on how much water but 5 minutes is not nearly long enough. 15 min at the very minimum and I would do it 30. I also add a little tank water into the betta bag to get them sorta used to the PH. But I dont put the water in the tank when i am done either.
5 - Cover tank so its dark in there, leave Betta for (how long?)

6 - Uncover Betta and wait (how long?) before feeding with (bloodworm?)
WHy ?

8 - Anything I missed? Light? Do they need a light? The small tanks dont exactly have room for em!

Some tanks do shop around and look.


feed sparingly for the first days. During a cycle you could go every other day or every 3rd day. The can go several days with out eating. once it is cycled though you can go to a daily feeding.

 

[Helium_Junkie]

6 - Uncover Betta and wait (how long?) before feeding with (bloodworm?)
WHy ?

You tell me! hehe, It was a question really, should you leave em to get used to the place before feedin em. The covering of the tank is due to new fish not liking bright lights... or so I thought.

Thanks for all the tips there, I may just have a go at it

 

[fourplayfishy]

ok yes mine hates light but only at night... if you have a small tank and a cold house i would suggest having a light on the top of the tank... if you watch the temp closely you can actrually just use the light as a heater... i only actrually have my heater kick in when ive cleaned the tank but DO NOT UNCOVER THE TANK IF AT ALL POSSIBLE... if you get a jumper they could jump out... if you have a feeding hole in the lid use that if not and you notice he jumps when you feed him open the lid... give him the food and close it right up again... another thing... if you have a biowheel or any other type of filter that is at the top putting the water into the tank... be sure it is not to strong... and be sure to keep your water levels up at all costs... otherwise no bubblenests or atleast with mine neways... and yes always leave for way more then 5 min... normally the time of day i like to want to float him is at night... yes i float him overnight but no i dont tie a knot in his bag so dont worry lol also depending if its icky fishstore water i wouldnt put it in the tank... if your just cleaning id say its fine because more then likely its going to be almost the same water because you will have treated it the same... and for amount of salt... READ THE PACKAGE lol sorry its sorta a no brainer on that one... it says for stress reliever 5gal use 1 tablespoon lol or atleast on my salt it does

 

[rollntider]

6 - Uncover Betta and wait (how long?) before feeding with (bloodworm?)
WHy ?

You tell me! hehe, It was a question really, should you leave em to get used to the place before feedin em. The covering of the tank is due to new fish not liking bright lights... or so I thought.

Thanks for all the tips there, I may just have a go at it

cool I usually just turned the light off if they were shipped to me but i didnt cover the tank. Some may do it , but i dont. Doesnt make me right either
Salt is still debated among aquariast on its usefulness. I heard salt is bad for all fish to anywhere it is good for all fish. I also heard Cories/plecos dont like salt. I am not sure on the salt issue. I dont use it except to clean my tanks after they get empty. The salt helps scrape of any crud and provides a little abrasiveness with out putting any chemicals in my tank. So if any residue is left over then it shouldnt harm them.
Welcome to the addictive world of Bettas. We have some great people on this forum and they are pretty smart.

 

[Helium_Junkie]

Ok, revised guide to starting with a Betta.

I wanna get this right so it can be used as a guide for any new Betta owner

--------------------------------

Betta Keeping for beginners!

1 - Buy Tank, Filter, Gravel, Plant (+ heater/lights) and a thermometer. A 1 gallon tank is the accepted minimum for a Betta, a 3 gallon is more popular. It is difficult to heat anything below a 5 gallon, so be sure that you have a warm area for the tank if it is small.

2 - Site the tank and add equipment: Filter, heater, thermometer and lights if you have any. Add the gravel and a little water, place the plant in the tank and add more water (treated water of course - use a water conditioner such as Aquasafe).

3 - Run in for a couple of days. If you have a source of Ammonia you can cycle the tank without fish, which is the preferred method. Read about fishless cycling here!
During this time you should carefully monitor the heating of the tank if you are using a heater, making sure the temperature does not fluctuate by more than a couple of degrees in any 24 hour period.

4 - Add your Betta. Acclimatise him by leaving the bag floating for a minimum of 30mins. Add a little of the water from the tank to help the Betta get used to the water conditions it will be living in. After a while net him out and place in tank, do not get bag water in the tank.

5 - Give your new fish some time to get to know his new home. Turn the lights off in the tank and leave the fish for a few hours. Overnight would be ideal.

6a - You can try feeding him the next day, but don't be surprised if he doesn't eat. Many bettas take a few days to get used to their new surroundings and during this time he may not want to eat. There are many different feeding "schedules" for bettas. A suggestion is 3-4 food pellets a day and 3-4 pellets of bloodworms. Skip one day of feeding. Some bettas will accept veggies like zuccini, peas (peeled) so you might want to try and see how he fairs with those.

6b - If you are cycling the tank using your fish, then feed sparingly for the first days. During a cycle you could go every other day or every 3rd day. The Betta can go several days without eating. Once the tank is cycled though you can go to a daily feeding. Research cycling so that you know what you are doing.

7 - Change 50% of the water every 2 days, this helps to keep the Betta's water nice and clean and free of toxins. Buy a test kit for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate and monitor these levels closely to work out the perfect water change schedule for your tank.

8 - Once the tank is cycled simply keep on top of your maintenance. You may wish to buy some tankmates for your fish, look into the compatibility first! Keep up the water changes and be sure to clean the gravel regularly.

Follow these steps and you will have a Betta tank to e proud of, and may it be the first of many!

Some other tips:
·Bettas can jump! Cover your tank at all times!
·Bettas like calm waters, your filter should be a gentle one.
·A sign of a happy fish is a bubblenest at the surface of your tank (for males only). If you don't have one, look at the conditions your fish is living in and see what could be causing distress.
·Aquarium salt isn't necessary, but some people use it as a preventative against disease. Most of the time good water quality is the best disease preventative.
·Bettas do not need a light, unless there are live plants in the tank. Do not use plastic plants as these can damage the Bettas fins.

--------------------------------

So, what do you all think? Should I post this as a Betta Beginners guide? Any stupid mistakes or oversights?
Thanks