Betta tanks?

minktrapper24

AC Members
Oct 21, 2004
39
0
0
34
Ohio
Hello I was wondering if those small betta tanks Walmart sells are good for bettas. I am going to get my little sisters a betta each and I was wondering if these tanks will work. Of course I would get seperate tanks so they dont fight. Thankyou for your input.
 
which one's are you talking about.i know there are a couple.do u mean the little hexagon looking one's?they are about $20 and hold 1.6 g of water.why not spend an extra $10 and get the 2.5g,that comes with an filter.i own both and i like the 2.5 much better.good luck.
 
I bought one of the 1.6 gallon ones and my beta seemed somewhat happy but he is much happier now in a bigger community tank (or so I think). Basically, the bigger you can afford the better, and if it is filtered you can do less/smaller water changes.

The thing about betas is they can live in tiny enclosures because they have an organ to breath from the surface....but like any fish/animal they enjoy as much space as they can get. So do as much as you can for these fish and know it is better than the "death-cup" many fish store have them in. 1.6 gallons, to me, is a bare minimum and requires bi-weekly water changes...
 
some of the "betta ______" things I've seen look so horrible... There was one that had a little opaque divider you could lift so they'd flare at each other across the glass... It was no bigger than a shoebox, and had a little valve at the bottom for "easy cleaning." No heater, no filter, and no room to swim. Might as well have been betta state penn.

Yes, bettas can survive in amazing conditions, but if you want to take the humane route when getting a betta- Get at least 2g per betta. If you'd like to get 2, get a 10 gallon kit ($25) from wal-mart, two halogen bulbs ($4 each- they look SO much better than the incandescent), a heater ($10) and a tank divider (easily DIY for free, or $2). Your bettas will have 5 gallons each to themselves, have much less stressful, healthier, longer lives (and when it comes to kids and fish, long lives = happier for them and you), and somebody else can even get her some corydoras or something to keep her bettas company. It may be a bit out of your price range- but perhaps multiple people can chip in for it? It truly would be the better way to go. Bigger tanks are easier to maintain, so if they're going to be taking care of these herself, 10g might be easier for them to take care of than a 5g.

If you still want to go with the smaller tanks, one betta would probably be better- I have a friend who kept two bettas in a 2.5 and they found a way around the divider and shredded each other... Not something you want... Not trying to scare you- just it's better to know what could happen in advance rather than to traumatize fish and kids.

I'm sure your sisters will love the bettas. They're amazing fish. Good luck with everything!
 
I've kept bettas in 10gal, 5 gal, 2gal, 1gal tanks ... obviously the larger tank seems to keep them happiest as it allows for more swimming room but they did perfectly well in ALL the above. The betta I currently have started off in a 1 gal tank but I moved him when I had to set up a 10 gal for some extra fish and he's lovin' it. The 2 gal seems to be a favorite and take up little space. Personally I keep my betta in the kitchen on my counter where I can see him all the time and I don't need a tank light because there are lights build in under the counter that give the tank light. Also, in a smaller tank (under 5 gal) I've NEVER used a filter ... just did water changes every couple days (of course betta was the only fish in there). It's really up to you what you want to do. If you can do it those 5 gal setups that come with everything are great but if you have to go smaller and cheaper I'd go with (2) of those 2 gal tanks and a betta and just make sure the kids know how to do water changes every few days and not over feed. Should be fine.
 
AquariaCentral.com