Seen Betta Tanks Advertised

[Bristlenose1804]

Hi all
Iv posted already about which betta i should get.Iv seen someone advertisg betta tanks and asked about the size
I was advised they were 6inches long and 4 inchs wide.
Iv drawn this on a piece of paper and this seems rather small to me. They said that they use them and so do alot of breeders.Is this true? and are they really suitable?
Thanks alot
vicky

 

[jimbooo]

this is a tricky one and probably answered betta (sorry couldn't resist) by someone who actually keeps bettas. in theory they can live in a puddle which they do often enough in their natural environment. i think (someone confirm/correct me here) they are native to asia where they grow a lot of rice. the fields are flooded for part of the year and then dry out leaving only puddles. the betta has evolved with whats calles a labrynth (sp?) organ to allow them to utalise atmospheric oxygen ie breath air. this allows them to survive for long periods of time in very little water where most other fish would suffocate.

however just because they can survive in a puddle does not mean they would choose to if another option was available. so yes they can live in that tank but personally i think it's a little cruel. a 2/4 gallon small fish tank would be much better and allow them to explore a bit and have some sort of quality of life. a 10 gallon is about max as they tend to "patrol" their territory, any bigger than a 10G and they will wear them selves out as they are not the best swimmers over long distances.

thats probably full of inacuracies so someone please put your 2 cents in.

 

[catxx]

jimboo has pretty much hit the nail on the head

a lot of tanks advertised as "betta tanks" are too small, or just bare minimum.

better to invest in a proper tank or bowl (WITH cover!) between 2.5 and 5 gallons if you're keeping him on his own. 1 gallon can be ok, a lot of breeders keep theirs in 1 gallons for maintenance sake, but if you're just keeping one as a pet, 2.5-5 gallon is fine, and yeah as jimboo said, keep 10gallon as the max size, those long fins aren't designed for swimming really!

 

[Bristlenose1804]

Ok thanks
These tanks were actually advertised by a breeder,who says she uses them but i thought they were small.

How can i work out how many gallons a tank is?
Iv seen on which is probably better its 5inchs x 8inchs which lots bigger wihtout being to big.

thanks alot

 

[Joby]

This is a good one that I use aquarium volume calculator

You can get relatively cheap plastic tanks in Wilkinsons which are more than enough to house a single betta or divided 2! Also Clearseal do glass tanks from around £10 which you can add heater/filter and lid to. Shop around in your lfs and see what you can find.

 

[Synirr]

Are the tanks meant for adult bettas, or for jarring fry? If the breeder uses them to jar their fry then that would explain the small size, as they're getting very frequent water changes anyway and are not meant as a permanent home.

 

[osteoporoosi]

I think 10 gallon is the mimimum for permanent housing.

 

[John_Nicholson]

I think 10 gallon is the mimimum for permanent housing.

10 gallons is overkill for a single betta.

-john

 

[supersixone]

10 gallons is perfectly fine for a single betta, but not a requirement.

 

[John_Nicholson]

Having a 10 gallon tank for a single betta is like having a 3 car garage for a moped.

-john

 

[lb05]

Having a 10 gallon tank for a single betta is like having a 3 car garage for a moped.

-john

Ont that note...

Any1 know where/seen a gd tank available to buy in the UK for a single male betta!?!

 

[OohFeeshy]

What, gives you lots of room to pile your junk? Lots of room to park? Enough room to, dare I say, move? Just wondering, why are you so keen to put down larger tanks? If you can afford it (which everyone can) and house it (which you should definately be able to), there is no good reason not to give them the biggest tank you can get. You can buy perfectly reasonable 5g or so plastic containers for a few pound, which are stackable, see through, heatable and strong. Wheras you'd end up paying more for a 1g with an UGF you don't neec

EDIT-

Ont that note...

Any1 know where/seen a gd tank available to buy in the UK for a single male betta!?!

Yup, Wilkinsons is your best friend. Depending on what your after, you can get 3g tanks for £5, or see through plastic containers for less, I'm currently testing them for safety (although there should be no probs, they're foodsafe).

 

[supersixone]

Having a 10 gallon tank for a single betta is like having a 3 car garage for a moped.

-john

some people like to actually provide their fish with a decent living space. nothing wrong with that.

 

[John_Nicholson]

Except bettas are much more happy with a territory that they can defend. They are fish that are solitary by nature. All they want to do is to have an area that they fell comfortable defending. Numerous people on this very board have had problems from having the fish in to large of a tank. There is no biological need for a tank that big for a betta. They don't need it and most are more comfortable in a smaller tank. These are animals driven by instint and not IQ.

-john

 

[OohFeeshy]

Won't start another arguement, although I'm trying hard not to Back to the original Q,

I was advised they were 6inches long and 4 inchs wide.

Well, when you consider the average betta is, mmm, 3'' or so, one inch room for manouver isn't much, is it? And 3'' length to swim not much either