Vacation: Water Changes

[the_faze]

First of all, I have done an intensive search throught the fish forums and haven't seen an answer to my question. I have read about fish going for a week or two without food but my question is more a concern about water quality.

I have a betta in a 1gal (US) without a filter, and I am going on vacation for about 2.5 weeks. My question is that in a 1gal without filtering would the water quality get bad enough that my betta would not be able to survive?


What do you think I should do?


FYI. I have someone that I trust feeding the fish, since he has done it before but I have never asked him to do more than that, since water changes are a bit more involved than feedings.

Thanks in Advance

 

[black angel]

if it was my fish then i would either show my friend how to change the water and then get the friend to do a water change while i watched or get a bigger container. either way for two and a half weeks the betta will need a change or two.

 

[MegTheFish]

Do you have a larger tupperware container or something? Or even a larger tank? Just thinking if you move him into something that holds more water then water quality won't go bad as quick, if you get something in the 2+ gallon range he could go without a water change for the time your away, I would think.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

Or you could invest in a little bowl filter. With that, he should be fine for 2.5 weeks.

But like others have said, you should probably ask a friend if they'll clean it for you at least twice.

 

[JackDemp528]

I would instruct him on how to do a water change. And pay him a little extra for the extra effort.

 

[the_faze]

Thanks for all your suggestions, I will ask my friend see how he feels about doing the water changes.

you could invest in a little bowl filter

I am curious though, what is this bowl filter?

 

[the_faze]

Do you have a larger tupperware container or something? Or even a larger tank? Just

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I could put him in the 5 gal with my other beta. I have fasioned a divider for it. It's just things weren't working out when they were in the divided tank. Alot of flaring and almost no eating. Now that they are separated everything is fine.

 

[the_faze]

double post, sorry

 

[platyfreek]

im in ur boat don't know what a bowll filter is either. you can get somewone to dowater changes for you.

 

[Bandit]

yep, i would get someone to do a change and you watch them practice

even with a filter the ammonia and nitrites would build up over a couple of weeks because the tanks wouldnt be cycled.

 

[the_faze]

the tanks wouldnt be cycled.

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? I am confused . Well just to clear up anything, all my tanks are mature the newest is about 2months now. So I can hopefully safely assume that it is cycled since I used some gravel from a already cycled tank to seed it.

 

[MegTheFish]

He meant to say that if you were to buy a small filter you betta tank, it wouldn't help because the tank would end up cycling while you are gone and the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites will go sky high while it is cycling, so you'd be better off not getting a filter. You can put a filter in it, though, if you cycle it before you leave, or use some filter media and/or gravel from a mature tank and plop it in there. But there's no real point in cycling a 1 gallon tank, much easier to just do 100% water changes.

 

[purple_drazi]

I have a betta in a 1gal (US) without a filter, and I am going on vacation for about 2.5 weeks.

Plain bowls are really, really cheap, so one thing you could do would be to get three 1 gal bowls and set them up before you go with fresh treated water in each.
Then just instruct your friend to catch your betta (you might want to teach him how to to it gently) and move it every week into a clean new bowl.

no messing about trying to teach your friend how to deal with water changes.
and your fishie gets clean water every week.

 

[the_faze]

He meant to say that if you were to buy a small filter you betta tank, it wouldn't help because the tank would end up cycling while you are gone

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ahh.... that makes more sense, well... I wasn't going to buy a filter anyways. Thanks for the clear up.

Plain bowls are really, really cheap, so one thing you could do would be to get three 1 gal bowls

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hmm... that would be a good idea, and on the positive side when I get back I would have three new bowls for three new bettas . That would be pretty sweet. I will have to think about that.

Though at the moment teaching my friend to take care of the little guy is my best bet and who knows by the end of it we may have a new convert.

 

[Bandit]

He meant to say that if you were to buy a small filter you betta tank, it wouldn't help because the tank would end up cycling while you are gone and the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites will go sky high while it is cycling, so you'd be better off not getting a filter.

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i'm a she

yeah, sorry for the confusion. i meant... if your betta is in a tank just now without a filter, it can't be cycled right? because the bacteria grows in the filter media.

so if you put a filter in and go two weeks without a change it will begin to cycle and the ammonia and nitrites will go high.

three bowls is a good idea!