[new_planter]

my girlfriend brought home a betta from work because she liked the color of it.
i dont know if this tank is big enough for him but i kinda want to make it into a planted tank. its 6inches wide and 17 tall.

 

[JasonG75]

.
i dont know if this tank is big enough for him

No
Go bigger

 

[reignOfFred]

Betta's are active fish that will roam around and explore a tank, and really should be kept in a proper heated, filtered aquarium like any other fish. When I had my bettas he was in a planted 20g with other fish and was very active. That thing will keep him alive, but it's not a very nice home for a fish.

 

[jwm5]

the tall cylinders are hard containers for fish because fish need swimming room, the volume is not so much the problem, rather the footprint being so small there really is no swimming room.

 

[kamikazi]

Get a 12" Fish bowl and plant that. Most people have shrimp in them but betta would work.

Check out all the bowls in the Planted Nano section. I have a couple 10" inch bowls link to them is in my sig.

 

[Bree]

5 gallon tanks are perfect for bettas, 2.5 is bare minimum, but again i never keep any fish in anything smaller than 5 gallons.

And with a tank you can create a beautiful low tech aquarium for him!

 

[DogFish]

Until you figure this out,,,tank space wise. Head over to your local Goodwill and take a look in the section with the jars & bowls. I always see 1 gl fish bowls.

Don't fill it to the top, better to have more surface area. Just a few pebbles on the bottom. Small portion of Hornwart and go easy on feeding. In 3/4 gl bowl a 10% water change is only 8oz. so no reason you can't keep up with water changers.

I had found an exceptional PlaKat Betta and I need a temp home, this worked well for me. I did 10% every 4th day.

OR, take a tour around town on the night before garbage pick up. Here, I can always find a used tank...LOL

 

[Hadley]

I keep my bettas in a 2 gallon minimum depending on it's size. Most of my bettas are in 3 gallons and one large betta is in a 5 gallon. They are active fish and are frequently exploring.

That being said, I do have one in a one gallon jar right now that is planted but I'll be moving him into a new aquarium as soon as I find the right one.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Contrary to popular myth, bettas are TROPICAL fish, and actually need to be kept even warmer than many other tropical species. 78-82F is ideal for bettas. It's also warmer than most of us humans keep our homes year round, so they DO need a heater.

2.5gal is the smallest volume of water that can be heated and maintained at a stable temperature by our hobbyist grade heaters, therefore it's the smallest appropriate tank size for a betta.

Keep a betta in a smaller, unheated tank and you probably won't enjoy it for long.

 

[Hadley]

Contrary to popular myth, bettas are TROPICAL fish, and actually need to be kept even warmer than many other tropical species. 78-82F is ideal for bettas. It's also warmer than most of us humans keep our homes year round, so they DO need a heater.

2.5gal is the smallest volume of water that can be heated and maintained at a stable temperature by our hobbyist grade heaters, therefore it's the smallest appropriate tank size for a betta.

Keep a betta in a smaller, unheated tank and you probably won't enjoy it for long.

I've noticed bettas I've kept in smaller tanks tend to grow so much slower. The betta I have in the 2 gallon has barely grown where my betta in the 3 gallon has grown hugely since he's been in there.

All my tanks are heated except the new one (still gotta find the right heater) and the jar obviously.

 

[new_planter]

this makes me sad, i have several other tanks that are doing fine. i assumed(i know im a donkey) that bettas where ok to put in unheated/unfiltered bowls. i was mainly just wondering if the bowl had enough surface area. i listened to my girlfriend when she came home and told me i didnt have to have any of that stuff. i did research for all my other tanks but not this spur of the moment buy. oh by the way my girlfriend works at a petco and was fed/is feeding this wrong information to people. *facepalm*

 

[lauraleellbp]

Yup- those myths are incredibly widespread, unfortunately for all the millions of bettas that die every year because of all the misinformation about them out there.

www.ultimatebettas.com has an excellent caresheet I'd encourage you and your GF to read through.

Bettas are one of my favorite fish. Cared for properly, they can live and give enjoyment for many, many years!

 

[sampster5000]

The truth is that yes he can keep it in this little container. The other truth is that he wont live anywhere near as long as he would in a small aquarium. I am very against betta abuse but have to deal with customers almost every day wanting to keep bettas in tiny containers. I tell them it is not good for them in the long run but they rarely care.

So, the betta will survive, not thrive. Keep your room temperature out of the extremes and find a way to oxygenate this bowl (at least at night) and let the plants somewhat filter. Change the water out at least every few days. But again, this is not good for the betta and I recommend a small aquarium or at least a bigger container.

 

[CrazyCatPeekin]

Honestly, I have my betta in a 5 gallon right now and he seems...bored. He's got a few decorations and seems to like swimming around and through them. So, in a few months he will be moving to a well planted 10 gallon.

I don't think any fish can be very happy and and healthy in anything less than 5 gallons and only a betta is really suitable for anything between 5 and 10.

Just my opinion.

 

[JasonG75]

oh by the way my girlfriend works at a petco and was fed/is feeding this wrong information to people. *facepalm*

Typical for those employess.

 

[sampster5000]

Honestly, I have my betta in a 5 gallon right now and he seems...bored. He's got a few decorations and seems to like swimming around and through them. So, in a few months he will be moving to a well planted 10 gallon.

I don't think any fish can be very happy and and healthy in anything less than 5 gallons and only a betta is really suitable for anything between 5 and 10.

Just my opinion.

Every betta is different. My betta did awful in my 30 gallon corner tank. He likes to hide in his cave and never move except to come up for air every once in awhile. I decided to add in some snails, cherry shrimp, and my mexican orange crayfish. They got him active, yes, but he majorly stressed out due to having to be swimming around all the time. He is an Over-Halfmoon betta so has to work much harder than a wild betta when it comes to swimming around. He was alone for a good amount of time before the new additions and did great, just didnt move. After the additions, he freaked out and got pop-eye. I did not think he would make it. Luckily, I was able to cure him before he popped. He is now in a 2.5 gallon and is doing much better. Even in this small tank he sits on a clump of moss and only moves when I come by (to say hello). It is obvious he is much more comfortable in this tank than the 30 gallon. And to note, he is less than 1 year old and is not about to die.

Again, this isnt how all bettas are, but not all bettas are the same. We have several at the fish shop they very actively swim all over their tanks (20 gallons), then a few that like to sit and not move or hide in decorations or plants. Both do equally fine. You just have to know YOUR betta and figure out what he or she likes or is comfortable with.

 

[MoeBetta]

I have my betta in a 20 gallon Long. He was in a 10 gallon before... that's honestly the smallest I would go anymore and they can be had so cheap.

I remember taking him out of the glass cylinder i was given and he stayed in for a couple months. You could actually tell he was happier.

 

[lipadj46]

I think it is ammusing the people call that a fish tank. No way is that even 6" in diameter.

 

[shrimpnmoss]

If you have good water discipline you'll be just fine. I've owned quite a few bettas...and guess what? The longest living one lived in that exact vase. I changed water once a week. 100% WC every week and he lived almost 3 years. My other bettas in fancier tanks with filters and such lived like 1 to 1.5 years.

 

[reignOfFred]

It is also about space to live and thrive, not just water quality. one weird experience isn't such a great reason to condone less then ideal conditions for the fish. my betta lived nearly 5 years in a 20g (actually, a 15g long to be honest), but even if it were only a year it would have been a year of exploring and living the good life.