Tanks - Changing The Water

[Rufuss]

I wanted to know how many times you guys/gals change the water in the tanks for your bettas? Just curious so I can make a comparison between myself and the average betta caretaker.

My betta is in a 0.9 Gallon tank. I do a full water change once every two weeks. (Cleaning the gravel, changing the water, etc.)

 

[Syphoniera]

I wanted to know how many times you guys/gals change the water in the tanks for your bettas? Just curious so I can make a comparison between myself and the average betta caretaker.

My betta is in a 0.9 Gallon tank. I do a full water change once every two weeks. (Cleaning the gravel, changing the water, etc.)

Hi, Rufuss,
I was just wondering if you do partial water changes regularly as well?
If I kept a fish in that sized tank, I'd want to do one probably every 2 or 3 days, but I expect an expert will show up soon with the scientific determination of optimum frequency.
I personally have a very small betta in an 'emergency' hex holding what I think worked out to only about 2 & 1/4 gallons (roughly - I call 4 litres a 'gallon' and I think it's pretty close) of actual water, and she's currently getting a partial water change twice a week.
Because she's in a (new, and not yet established) planted Walstad, where the plants will help suck up ammonia, she'll start getting them once a week once she's a bit better and her medications are finished.
(She's still got some blackening from fin rot and a few other residual issues, such as finishing up an ich treatment.)

My other bettas, apart from one in another small planted Walstad, are in 10 or 15 gallon tanks and get weekly partial waterchanges.

I find you can often get used 5 or 10 gallon tanks quite cheaply, and if you have room to set it up, you can then have a cycled tank with more room for your betta to move, and less concern about potential ammonia spikes building after only a few days in a small, unplanted container.
I think it's easier that way, myself.

 

[Honeythorn]

On Duncan's 5 gallon I do a water change once a week . It's filtered and well established , he has no tankmates and is fed once a day so his waste output is low enough for a water change to only be needed once a week. I change 50% of his water and replace with dechlorinated water.

To be honest 0.9 gallons is really exceptionally small. A water change every two weeks is definitely not enough. Every2 days is the maximum time it should be left.

You'd make his life a lot more comfortable if you bought a bigger tank. The more water you have, the more diluted his waste will be and the ammonia won't build up as quickly. A small basic sponge filter will be a great benefit, as you would have some easy to maintain biological filtration that will help keep his water cleaner . Look around in garage sales and car boot sales for a nice second hand one perhaps? Even a big plastic tub can serve very well as a tank and can be set up in exactly the same way.

Here's a link on how to make a sponge filter from a plastic pot and a few other bits and pieces if you don't want to buy one ( although they are pretty cheap anyway ) CLICK ME Pages 4 and 5 have a good diagram if the pictures are confusing ( they were slightly for me )

 

[tibby25731]

I change around 25% of water in all of my tanks on a weekly basis, this includes a good gravel vac too! All my tanks are filtered too. I did keep my newest betta in an unfiltered hospital tank for a weeks quarantine and I changed 25% of the water each day. Better safe than sorry, and where my fish are concerned i do everything I can to keep them happy and healthy.

 

[Rufuss]

No I don't do partial water changes. I just clean the whole tank once every two weeks. Isn't cleaning the tank every 2 days a tad bit excessive. These bettas seem so clean, whenever I clean the tank, I barely see any waste in comparison to other types of fishes. (Such as Goldfish, UGH)

As for the tank size, 5 - 10 gallons is a little too big for one betta in my opinion. But, I will be upgrading to a 1.5 - 2 gallon tank soon.

 

[Syphoniera]

No I don't do partial water changes. I just clean the whole tank once every two weeks. Isn't cleaning the tank every 2 days a tad bit excessive. These bettas seem so clean, whenever I clean the tank, I barely see any waste in comparison to other types of fishes. (Such as Goldfish, UGH)

As for the tank size, 5 - 10 gallons is a little too big for one betta in my opinion. But, I will be upgrading to a 1.5 - 2 gallon tank soon.

Hi, Rufuss,
Someone will be along shortly to explain the facts far better than could I, especially on 3 hours of sleep.
In the meantime...
The wastes of concern are not visible: fish respire ammonia on a continual basis; ammonia, and the nitrites to which it may be broken down, are both highly toxic to fish.
Fish can suffer actual ammonia burn, although effects are felt long prior to any visual signs.
At best, the fish's immune system will be damaged and weakened, due to life in a toxic environment, making it more susceptible to disease.
And if you understood the situation accurately, you would not be able to sleep nights, knowing a helpless and dependent animal counting on your care was suffering in that manner.

Because Bettas can survive under circumstances which would more rapidly kill many fish, they have been promoted as an animal which enjoys cramped surroundings, but this is not the case.
In order to function, any 'higher' animal requires freedom of movement, or at best the bowels will fail to eliminate wastes as efficiently as is optimum.

The 3? gallon hex (and another small tank) to which I referred in a previous post were not containers I'd ever buy, but things my mother picked up for me at garage sales, and which I've always personally considered as unfit for fish-keeping.
The actual water within the hex is far less than the capacity because there's approx. 2 inches of gravel over soil in the bottom, as well as a large, flat rock (as a pouring area to avoid disrupting plants) and various other small rocks, plus thermometer and heater, and a couple of inches of airspace at the top.
I don't consider this to be satisfactory, but this was an emergency situation.
And if this was not a Walstad with a great many plants installed, due to the lack of filtration, it would be done 2 or 3 times weekly over the long term, rather than until more matured, as done in any event in accordance with med cycles.

If the small Betta is indeed a girl, she'll eventually go in a planned sorority once set up - otherwise, I'm hoping to ultimately redo my closet (who needs clothes?) as an area for smaller tanks, and, if possible, at least provide 5 gallons.

I think you'll find very few people who keep Bettas over the long term who do not conduct regular, frequent water changes in the interest of providing a healthy and happy environment for their pets.
But you may find those who don't typically don't keep healthy, living Bettas for long.

 

[ThePiggy]

When they are saying to do a partial water change every 2 days, they aren't saying to scrub down your tank. Just vacuum the gravel to pick up solid waste and replenish your tank with new water. Keeping the ammonia level down is very important, as Syphoniera stated. You can keep doing your full tank cleaning every two weeks in addition to the partial water changes. Every sing fish breeder/web page/fish forum/book I've read pushed frequent water changes as a secret for success. Especially for carnivorous fish.
When I do water changes, I get my water from the local super market. They have a great deal of 33 cents a gallon for refills. I find it's a great affordable way to supply ready water for the tanks. Just make sure you allow the water to get to the right temperature.

 

[Honeythorn]

No I don't do partial water changes. I just clean the whole tank once every two weeks. Isn't cleaning the tank every 2 days a tad bit excessive. These bettas seem so clean, whenever I clean the tank, I barely see any waste in comparison to other types of fishes. (Such as Goldfish, UGH)

As for the tank size, 5 - 10 gallons is a little too big for one betta in my opinion. But, I will be upgrading to a 1.5 - 2 gallon tank soon.

Ok..NO, every 2 days is in no way excessive. You may only have one fish in there but it IS producing more waste than you think. I don't just mean visible poo. Ammonia cannot be seen or smelled when you look at the tank or take the lid off. But it is there and it will build up very very quickly indeed in such a miniscule amount of water. Ammonia is one of the biggest causes of deteriorating fish health and diseases, And not doing water changes on a weekly basis in a tank your size is exposing him to a horrific build up of ammonia. It burns the gills just for starters. Every two weeks on an unfiltered deathtrap that size or even 2-3 gallons is sheer laziness and stubbornness.

You think even 5 gallons is too much? Are you insane? Please don't tell me you believe the ridiculous notion that wild specimens live out their lives in tiny puddles . Please? . I can tell you for a fact that they don't . They may have a labyrinth organ allowing them to partake of atmospheric air, but this is a survival mechanism only . When they are generally living their lives and breeding, they live in HUGE rice paddies and shallow swamp streams containing thousands of gallons of water. The water may not be deep or fast moving, but it is constantly refreshed by rainfall , irrigation and river tributaries. Vast numbers of them die in the tiny puddles in the dry season, but some do survive due to a combination of sheer luck at having enough water, and their labyrinth organ. But that is NO excuse for keeping a fish in such a tiny amount of water.

Considering they are perfectly happy to live and breed in thousands of gallons in the wild, I can tell you with some confidence that 5 gallons is in NO way excessive. It is also easier to maintain in terms of water chemistry, as the more diluted the waste, the better. you can also filter it gently and provide a stable biological cycle for the fish.

If you're worried about space I can tell you that a 5 gal tank easily fits on a desk, sideboard or small table.

You can never have too much water as long as you have enough hiding spaces.