Setting Up Betta Tank & Heating Issues

[katzee]

I am trying to set up what I think is a 10g Betta Tank. Estimated dimensions are 13 x 0 x 8 as it is very oddly shaped (diamond) and hard to measure (Hex-A-Fun if anyone knows?). I have an Askoll lP68 25 watt Thermal Compact Heater. It was plus and minus signs on the tube which I assume would be to turn the heat up and down, however, I can't get the knob to move in any direction! I plugged the heater in last nite, and today the reading is off the charts - it would boil any fish. Anyone know about these and how I might go about reducing the temp?

I also tried a heating experiment with just a little light bulb (looks like a clear christmas light bulb) - and the temperature settings really varied. It was as low as 68 when the light was off and as high as 79 when the light was on. Would this work for a betta without making him miserable? The temperature did seem to be mostly around 72 though.

Is this a suitable aquarium for a betta? Could it work for one male and 2 females? Do I need a filtration system? If so what you recommend? And then, how often would I clean the tank once I have the little gaffer moved in?

 

[jm1212]

dont put males and females together unless they are in breeding mode. when you put them in, they wont be, and they are going to beat the heck out of each other.

it would be fine for a male betta and some corys or four females

 

[fballguy]

You probably have a bad heater, try exchanging it for a different one. The temp varies too much with the lightbulb so that won't work unless you leave it on all night and all day.

Putting males and females together is not going to work. They will still fight and kill each other. The only time you should put them together is if you are breeding them, and that is even only for a short time.

 

[NinjaPirate]

Well, if it's roughly a 20x13x8 it's 10G, but if it's more like 13x10x8 it's likely a 5G. Hard to judge from the picture as I have nothing to dimension it against, but based on the apparent heater length it looks like about what my hex 5's are, so it's probably only a 5G.

Anywho, it's still plenty large for a single male betta and possibly a pair of otto's or some such if it's 5g. I would not recommend putting 4 females in it even if it is a 10g, because I would consider it a "tall" tank, and bettas exist mostly at the surface of the water and do better in old fationed rectangular tanks when in groups.

As for heaters, there are a lot of them that are really crapshoots from heater to heater. The only brand I use currently are the Visi-Therm Stealth submersible heaters, which have a temp-dial on them. They don't always hold the tanks to the temp the dial indicates, but they do hold them to rock solid temps, so you can find a temp setting that will hold your tank at your desired temp. In the case of bettas that's somewhere in the mid-high 70's (68-82F officially, I have most of my tanks at 74-78) They can be had for about $20 online. 25W for a 5G, 50W for a 10G.

Deffinantly recommend a filter, probably best to go with a power filter that hangs on the side of the tank. If you're planning on only keeping a betta and a cleaning crew (ottos, shrimp, snails, etc.) then go with one that is underrated for your tank, or has a variable speed. Bettas need a calm section of water to breathe from when they sleep. In a rectangular tank they can hit the corners of the tank farthest from the filter, but in a hex tank there really isn't anywhere for them to get away from the flow. My 5G filters are rated at like 35GPH from what I remember. Weekly water changes of 20% or so, remember to use dechlorinator. Most people round here recommend Prime.
Could alternatively go with a sponge filter, or an undergravel filter. Don't recommend the latter, and the former requires an air pump.

And bettas will jump from time to time, so if you don't have a hood leave the water level an inch or so down.

Deffinantly not with the males and females, it won't work.
Deffinantly not with the light bulb, not stable enough to use as proper heating.

 

[icecubez189]

use this website to help you find the exact gallonage of your tank, theres a calculator for hex tanks in the middle:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/information/calculate.htm

as for heater, its probably defective and i wouldn't use it. purchase a new and reliable one, like the Marineland Stealth Visi-Therm 50watt. its important that a betta, or any tropical fish for that matter, live in warm and stable temperature waters.

bettas also don't really like a lot of water movement at the surface (although nothing serious) but an HOB (hang-on-the-back) power filter would be suitable, such as Marineland's Penguin Bio-Wheel 100 or an AquaClear 20. Internal filters would work great as well, like Hagen's Fluval Plus 2.

a male betta would just love a tank like that. add a couple of otos, shrimps and snails as a clean up crew. 3 or 4 female bettas would work, but in a hex tank theres less surface are and swimming space. i find that females will attack each other when establishing a "pecking" order and when the space is smaller. provide plenty of cover like plants if your going to do a female betta tank.

good luck!

 

[katzee]

Thanks for all of your wonderful feedback. I have heard a lot. I have never technically "Cycled" a tank before - so this will be my first try. Will let you know how it all turns out.