Betta Betta aquarium experiences?

[xoparis]

HI all!

Im looking to outfit a few tanks. I need a 2g(maybe two), and perhaps 3 2.5g's. Im looked at Minibows since it seems to be the standard betta tank.

Does anyone else have ideas?

[justahannah]

I'd buy a couple of 10 gallons and use dividers to give each betta 5 gallons of space....They'll use it and it also makes for easier/fewer water changes.

[Reframer]

Agree, your money is better spent buying a couple ten gallons, if you were careful about wc, then you might be able to fit 3 in each. I haven't tried it though so I'm not sure how much swimming room they would get.
If you are looking to put them in different spaces, then I would rec. getting tanks that iare longer than taller, Betta's prefer it shallow.

[snoopy65]

I have my one betta in a 10 gal. He seems to love having the room.

[My_Goldie]

I had a male and a female in a 20 gallon.
They love the room. Just had to turn down the flow on the filter because they don't seem to like much flow at all.
But my male passed from dropsy :(
And now it's time to find some new friends for Diamond (the female) :)

They just seemed to thrive in the larger space.
But I liked the idea of the 10 gal with a divider, it's clever.

[jm1212]

Agree, your money is better spent buying a couple ten gallons, if you were careful about wc, then you might be able to fit 3 in each. I haven't tried it though so I'm not sure how much swimming room they would get.
If you are looking to put them in different spaces, then I would rec. getting tanks that iare longer than taller, Betta's prefer it shallow.
i wouldnt say bettas prefer the tank to be shallow, as they do just as well in deep tanks as in "shallow" ones.

also keep in mind that in the wild, "shallow" ponds that bettas live in are still deeper than 99.9% of tanks that people keep.

[nene]

I have mine in a mini bow here at work and I just prefer the look of a mini bow as compared to a square glass tank with a top. Just personal preference. Also I really like the internal Whisper filter that comes with the mini bows. It is good for Bettas because altho the instructions on the Whisper dont tell you, on the back at the bottom is a sliding lever that lets you adjust the water flow from regular to a trickle. Bettas cant take much of an output flow due to their finnage.

[justahannah]

I keep bettas in larger tanks (first a 46 bow, now the 75) with my community fish and have seen no issues from flow or depth...if anything they love the extra room to explore and I catch mine intentionaly playing in the current. I make sure half the tank is calm for resting, but they seem to spend about the same amount of time on both sides. They seemed a little uncomfortable the first day or two, but once they got back into shape after living in those tiny cups, they thrive. Just my experience...I hate to see people write off bettas as incapable of enjoying larger spaces just because they're afraid of the extra filtration/current.

[VivaLaVics]

I saved a betta from a little 1-2 gallon whisper setup. His finnage and coloring perked up within a week just from getting a few more gallons to roam (moved him to a 5gallon). I cant belive the difference, so I'll swear by giving them more space.

I'd like to eventually move him into my 10 gallon planted tank but I'm having bacterial issues in there with the guppies.

[7itanium]

I have never kept a beta in anything smaller than a 55g... lol (well aside from the dreaded fish bowl of my youth)

so I am no help here

[paperdragon]

i wouldnt say bettas prefer the tank to be shallow, as they do just as well in deep tanks as in "shallow" ones.

also keep in mind that in the wild, "shallow" ponds that bettas live in are still deeper than 99.9% of tanks that people keep.

I agree. I keep my betta girls in a hex tank which is pretty tall. Some of them stay in the shelves at the top, but most of 'em hang out in the bottom of the tank. They don't seem to mind the depth at all.

Back on topic: Yeah, I'd go with divided 10g's rather than minibows. Even if you divide it three ways it's still more than 3 gallons for each fish.

[xoparis]

I dont really have the option or room for a 10g or larger tank, so thats why I have to buy individual ones. I cant have my fish hobby trickle out of my room. lol.

New question:


Minibow? or this:
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/67/98/29/0004679829164_500X500.jpg


I was thinking the tetra one for my smallish runty girl since I dont like the size of the 1g minibow after looking at it in stores.

[xoparis]

Although I think the open top perhaps could be a problem with jumpers....darn. Possibly for my small female?

[VivaLaVics]

Take a look at purchasing a 5 gallon tank. Those dont have the larger footprint of a 10 gallon. ;)

[platytetrafan]

I have 3 tanks for my bettas a 2.5g minibow, a 5g minibow and a 3g eclipse with biowheel. All bettas love their tanks I never tried putting all three in a 10g with dividers as I think I would have difficulty doing wc's and gravel vaccuming. Good luck with whatever you do!

[Reframer]

i wouldnt say bettas prefer the tank to be shallow, as they do just as well in deep tanks as in "shallow" ones.

also keep in mind that in the wild, "shallow" ponds that bettas live in are still deeper than 99.9% of tanks that people keep.

What I was trying to say here is that I think a Betta would prefer a tank that is longer rather than taller, so that it would have more swimming room. Some peole like to keep Bettas in vase-like vertical tanks which I think are inappropriate. I know some Bettas can be happy in a community tank, but some people just prefer to have various small tanks in different spots around house.

[dpenguinfish]

What I was trying to say here is that I think a Betta would prefer a tank that is longer rather than taller, so that it would have more swimming room. Some peole like to keep Bettas in vase-like vertical tanks which I think are inappropriate. I know some Bettas can be happy in a community tank, but some people just prefer to have various small tanks in different spots around house.

agreed

[cam191919]

i agree with the 5 gal per betta rule. looking at my 2.5 minibow rcs tank, i cant imagine a betta cramped up inside...

[xoparis]

I'm between dividing a 10g that I just acquired and getting individual tanks. I just set one betta up in 5g hex and its worked out great. The only thing that attracted me to individual tanks is that I cant have my fish hobby trickling out into the rest of the house so I have to spread them out.

That and I'm hopeless at making dividers and the already made ones look like crap...

Eeks.

I think perhaps I need to check the smaller tanks out OUT of their boxes and see if it would be roomy enough for the bettas. I only have two that will require the larger tank as the other ones are kind of runty. They'e be fine in a 3g.

[StarStruck8]

I'm planning on buying each of my 2 bettas this tank (http://store.seacorals.net/allglasaqmin2.html) as soon as I have some extra cash.

[xoparis]

seventy three dollars for a betta tank...wow. nice tank, nonetheless.

[serissime]

I had that stupid water wonders tank and I hated it. I got 5 gallon tanks for my betta and they are so much happier. We have one male in a 10 gallon and he really enjoys that too. One time we tried to divide a 10 gal for 2 bettas but discovered that it looked like crap. I would suggest 1 betta per tank, really, whether that means 5g or 10g to himself. We also have 2 bettas in 2.5g tanks but we just don't have the room to upgrade them even though I can see that they are cramped. There is no room to make tanks smaller than 5g very attractive :( (there ARE those skilled at that but I feel like my hands are too big.. and I am a small girl with small hands)

[serissime]

Wow, starstruck, that is a really attractive tank. Wish I had the $$$

[Reframer]

What are you guys talking about, I bought that tank at Walmart for 25$

[serissime]

the ADA tank that starstruck linked to? the water wonders tank is cheap, if that's what you mean

[xoparis]

What did you not like about the water wonders tank?

[rithunder916]

I used to keep a beta in the open top 3 gallon tank above. The beta didn't mind that tank at alll, and the male never jumped. It made for a nice small tank.


Mike

[Reframer]

the ADA tank that starstruck linked to? the water wonders tank is cheap, if that's what you mean

Oh, now I see. Anyhow, if I were to buy a tank again, I would not get the tetra one again. I think the Betta prefers the shape of the minibow for swiming and their accessories are better.

[serissime]

Just wasn't enough room... too small. I disliked the light a lot and you can't even really remove it to mess around with the tank. Filter was crap but no room for a better one, especially a hob because of the top, not a lot of room for a heater, had to put it in the gravel... it was just annoying. Your experience may vary

[xoparis]

I think I decided to check out the water wonders, and if I like the roomeyness, I'm going to swap out the undergravel for a red sea nano filter.

[serissime]

evaporation will be bad without the top, even if you turn the red sea on low flow. there is no space for a hob with the top on, just fyi

[Reframer]

I have a red sea on my water wonders, but this is the old tank style that is more like an elipse. I cut the plastic top to make room.

[Conski]

have my betta in a 1.5 gallon tank at the moment and just recently set up a 10 gallon tank that is cycling at the moment.. my betta is lively in his little tank but i feel terrible with him in there and out of guilt i set up this ten gal, im very excited to put him in.

[AtlantisTreasur]

i think a two to three gallon tank is a perfect size with a place for him to hide in. i found mine at Petsmart but you can go to a lot of stores like walmart or target and find them there