small tanks

[scuba_jez]

Hey my girl has a really small tank with a betta in it. she offered to get one for me and a betta and i told her that it was ridiculous to keep a fish in a tank that small!

shes got this crazy idea that they like the small tanks.

she has two beta's the first was kept in a tank about 5 times bigger than the fish, no joke. i kept on paying her out until she got a bigger one, prob .5 gal.

so my question is this...

she has a new tank its (at a guess) a 1L tank (1/3 gal at the most), anyhoo what will the damage to the fish be when its in a 1/3 gal tank and where did you all get the idea that 1 gal was the bare minimum for these fish?

no offence intended but just because someone on the internet wrote it once doesnt make it fact...... . . . . . . . . . .

also, do bettas need heaters?

excuse my noobieness )

thanks

 

[Sadie]

The ABSOLUTE minimum for ANY betta is 1 gal (US)!!! Its just plain cruel to keep them in anything smaller in my opinion - i wouldnt even keep a betta in anything under 2 1/2 gal. I don't know where the idea that 1 gal is the minimum came from - i get confused anywho because i live in the UK, and our gallons are bigger.

My betta set up at the moment (fishless might i add, as they all died of old age) is a 10 gallon plastic tank with a plastic canvas divider. That makes 5 gallons per betta, which is much better.

If you live in the UK, you will definately need a heater, a little 25W one or something. If you live in a hot part of the US you will probably be ok, but keep an eye on the temperature in winter etc.

Perhaps get your girlfriend to come on here and read a few of the topics? Theres so much great information about bettas, and hopefully her fish will be all happy when they get nice new roomy houses!

 

[Sadie]

Just realised it says you live in Australia - someone will hopefulyl be around to help answer your question about heaters a bit better as i dont know too much about the Australian climate

 

[Dart]

i live in canada, the more southern part but still, and i don't have heaters in my tanks, i just keep my fish in my room near the heaters in the winter. I figure if the temp is good for me it's good for them

i don't think the fish will be damaged by lviing in a smaller tank as long as you do a lot of water changes. It may not be the happiest fish but i don't think it's hurt itself. My bettas used to all live in 1/2 gallon critter creepers, when i travelled ack and forth from university to home i had to take them with me and it made it alot easier. But now that i'm back at university for the year i've put them all in 1 gall or bigger vases. And they seem very happy about it.

 

[scuba_jez]

thanks heaps for the quick relply.

btw, i COMPLETELY agree about the small tanks being cruel! i reckon the fish would be stressed out of their minds not being able to move!

in winter in australia it gets mighty cold at night (8 degrees C and 18 in the day) but the tanks are in her room which is generally warm.

the people who sell the 'siamese fighting fish' are pains in the ass!! they keep them in these tiny tanks and stack them up, they have little stalls in the big shopping centers. its fairly obvious that they have no idea about the fish.

oh well. i might buy her a couple of larger tanks for her christmas present... and a couple of heaters lol... i bet she'll looooove that instead of a diamond ring lol. still its her own fault! i wont skimp ill get her some anubias too. and some filters.... and a couple of thermometers...... gawd the ring looks good

hey i know this has been posted before but would a betta in the bathroom work? the rapid temperature change from the shower may be a slight problem but thats about the only thing i can think of. anyone else have a betta in the bathroom?

 

[Sadie]

Lol, betta in a bathroom - cute idea! I dont think they would like the change in temperature, and if you use spray deoderant in there they might not like that either.

Sorry i gotta giggle - dont come to England if you get cold at 8 degrees bless! I think heaters are probably a must in the UK because it can be 2 degrees at midday sometimes! Brr!

Good for you buying her new tanks I dont like the sound of those betta selling stalls.......they dont have them here and boy am i glad.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Bettas do indeed need a minimum of 1 gallon for optimum health and minimal behavioral enrichment, but they are capable of surviving in smaller containers due to thier low dissolved oxygen needs. Many people are under the misconception that they prefer smaller spaces due to the myth that rice paddies are "shallow mud-puddles." If you have ever seen them, they may be shallow (often only shin-deep, from what I can gather), but typically span several acres, and thus offer plenty of space for bettas. That, and if you look at the habitats of other betta species, many live in streams, ponds, swamps, etc. I'm pretty sure none of those habitats involve toxic buildups of body waste, majortly fluctuating temperatures, or stress from exposure. If anything, the worst thing about those little betta cups is that the poor dear things have no where to hide from the stress of being in a little see-through box!
I will admit that very large tanks would probably stress bettas since they are territorial, but anything from 2.5 to 20 gallons is probably perfectly enjoyable to them so long as the current isn't severe. All of my bettas are happy and healthy in 5 gallon tanks, and I've had others in 10's - they used every inch of it, contrary to many stores' arguments that they will "just sit in one place and do nothing." So your idea to get your friend a larger tank sounds good!
As for the bathroom idea, I don't think I'd try it; my mom insisted on keeping hers in there despite the fact that the window is always open all freezing day, then everyone takes steamy night time showers. He kept getting ill, which I'm sure was from the stress of the changes, so I forcibly relocated him to a more stable area.
I find bedrooms are the most stable; they aren't usually near a constantly opening and closing front or back door, and we tend to keep them an even temp since people have a comfort range they enjoy sleeping and working in.

 

[MegTheFish]

i get confused anywho because i live in the UK, and our gallons are bigger.

Your gallons are smaller.