Past Aquascaper Betta Tank Uni Project

[harry_not_ben]

Okay so in the past i be had several aquariums, I've had the begginers black border 10 gallon with colourful gravel, I then upgraded and got into aquascaping, creating 2 tanks. I'm currently preparing for uni. As part of my space in my room I'd love to house a betta. I've attached pictures of the beginings, note the tank is temporary and i will be getting a larger vessel yet still stylish. The filter is cycling (BOYU 150 HOB filter) and the plant is Cambomba. The tank also has an airstone and a 3w 6500k lED bulb lamp to light it. I've never kept a betta before. Does this setup look okay to temporarily house the fish until I get the new tank?

The specs:
-'Tank' 37x15x14cm about a 1.2 gal
- Filter - BOYU 150 hang on 3 media stage
- Lighting - 3w LED 6500k bulb (perfect kelvin for growing aquarium plants if you don't know haha!)
- Airstone


The tank has been running for a day so far.

How often should I replace the water?
Is it okay for a betta to be in an unheated tank? (I've read in a few forums people have kept bettas unheated for over 3 years!)

Cheers, comments would be appreciated

 

[attibones]

Minimum tank size is 2.5 gallons, but I don't keep my bettas in anything less than five (ten seems to be the best size for a single male, IMO), so you will really want that upgrade before you get the fish.

You WILL need a heater to keep the water at a minimum and constant 80F. They thrive in warm water.

If you can get at least a three gallon and a heater, you'll have a decent set up and your light will still support plants. They like broad-leaved plants to rest on. Mine also appreciate a cave or two. You could also keep the tank in your pics and do a mini plant only tank. That would be neat. Definitely upgrade soon!

 

[Mamashack]

+1 for atti's comment
I keep mine in a 30L/7.9 USG at 26 C/ 79F 

 

[harry_not_ben]

Cheers for the reply atti,

Okay I shall wait until I have a large enough tank, can you suggest a heater which I can afford on student budget? That would be suitable for a small tank.

 

[attibones]

I'm not sure about UK, so maybe Mama can help there, but checking on ebay pulls up a bunch of results. You're looking for a 50 watt for a 10 gallon, 25 watt for a 5 gallon (18.9 liter), and so on. Your heater should ideally be adjustable so you can control how hot the water gets. I had one which wasn't adjustable and it kept raising the water up and up and up... I had another non-adjustable heater which would cut off after it reached 76/24 degrees.

 

[RCA]

Also, check out FREECYCLE for your area, you can even ask for one in wanted . Plus there is also Gumtree.
Good luck.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Cheers for the reply atti,

Okay I shall wait until I have a large enough tank, can you suggest a heater which I can afford on student budget? That would be suitable for a small tank.

 
I just think you need to visit your LFS to see what they have in stock. Heaters are generally all the same price, maybe the more high tech ones are more expensive but you can get a bog standard one that should work fine.