1.5 Gallon Tank With Filter Acceptable?

[Dude]

i have this small 1.5 gallon tank with a small filter... and some plants like hy poly. and anubias nana

would this be an acceptable home for a betta?

there have been so many debates about this one gallon for betta thing that i dont know what to do..

but i would really like to keep a betta in there

 

[jollysue]

I would try him. even with a filter it will need partial changes often--I'm guessing once a week would be good to change 10-25%

If he is a long or heavy tailed Betta, make sure the filter doesn't move the water too fast for him. He could get stuck to the filter intake or have to expend too much energy swimming with a strong current. But try one. You can always turn the filter off or cover it with something. I have hung plastic plants in front of water currents to slow them down, and the suction has to be strong IME to cause tail trouble.

Be sure to post a picture!

What is your avitar?

 

[Dude]

I would try him. even with a filter it will need partial changes often--I'm guessing once a week would be good to change 10-25%

If he is a long or heavy tailed Betta, make sure the filter doesn't move the water too fast for him. He could get stuck to the filter intake or have to expend too much energy swimming with a strong current. But try one. You can always turn the filter off or cover it with something. I have hung plastic plants in front of water currents to slow them down, and the suction has to be strong IME to cause tail trouble.

Be sure to post a picture!

What is your avitar?

the fish in my avitar is a male bolivian ram

as soon as i get him ill post the pics

 

[jollysue]

nice ram. I was guessing apisto of some species with the face marking.

 

[Dude]

they do have thier simmularitys

i own apistos to....

 

[Haeun]

Dunno, with a 1.5 gallon, I would say just take the filter out and do 100% change more often. At least that's what I've been doing with my 1 gallon. My betta in there seems much happier that way. He's been making a lot of bubblenests since.

 

[Dude]

are there any other fish i can put in a 1.5 gallon tank ?

 

[jollysue]

pygmy Cories (or one of the other dwarf Cories), a pair of honey gouramis (maybe), sparkling gouramies, scarlet dario dario, oto (but not in a new tank.) (The gouramis build bubble nests also and don't like much water movement and want lots of cover on the top.)

If you want a Betta though--go for it. It is hard to judge what a Betta will like. I have a Betta that loves her small bowl w/o a filter; Lips hated his critter keepr w/o a filter and was quite happy in 1/2 of a 2.5 usg Whisper filtered bow front.

 

[rollntider]

pygmy Cories (or one of the other dwarf Cories), a pair of honey gouramis (maybe), sparkling gouramies, scarlet dario dario, oto (but not in a new tank.) (The gouramis build bubble nests also and don't like much water movement and want lots of cover on the top.)

If you want a Betta though--go for it. It is hard to judge what a Betta will like. I have a Betta that loves her small bowl w/o a filter; Lips hated his critter keepr w/o a filter and was quite happy in 1/2 of a 2.5 usg Whisper filtered bow front.

no pygmy cories they need groups and 1.5 gallons is not enough for 4 or more pygmies...

 

[jollysue]

That may be true, that it isn't big enought by the 1" per usg rule, but I think 5 might actually work. I'm not sure mine ever got 1/2 inch. I would more be concerned, that there would be enough swim room for them to be happy. I have found that cory stocking levels can easily exceed the 1" per gallon rule of thimb. If I got some, I probably would get them from BetterBetta, and I would check with him and Inchworm first. It would probably be too small for more than 1 honey.

As a matter of fact I have a 5 usg, that I was considering making a dwarf cory planted tank.

But the issue of group size and swim room would be the same for the otos.

1.5 is best for a Betta, I think.

 

[rollntider]

to be honest a 1.5 isnt big enough for cories. Any size. Just because it meets the bare minimum , do you want the bare minimum for your pets? I dont. Bare minimum is that minimum. Cories like communities,If you can live with giving them a small habitat then by all means please do. I personally think a 2.5 is too small for a tank of 5 pygmies, but that is me.

 

[RandomWiktor]

1.5g is acceptable for no other species of fish but the betta. It might be an OK home for a shrimp or two, a snail would be pushing it with waste production, but bettas are the only fish who can be kept in such small quarters without severely hindering their lifestyle, and as you know there is much debate even about their place in tanks that do not meet the inch per gallon requirement.
Other fish prefer to live in groups and tend to be more active than bettas. Most are also more sensitive to water quality, which simply can not be maintained without stressfully frequent water changes in tanks of that size. Furthermore, small tanks have less surface area for oxygen exchange, and most species who could technically fit in such tanks are not air-breathers. And of course, small tanks have great temperature fluctuations, which bettas can often handle but more sensitive fish can not. Honestly, I would not suggest any of the species listed, as much as respect jollysue. Overstocking may be possible, but it isn't reccomended for darned good reasons, mostly water quality, and quality of life. I wouldn't even put those itty bitty ottos in something so small, since I hear they prefer to live in shoals and are very active from what I've seen.

 

[OohFeeshy]

It depends on the dimensions really. Something, say, 12" long is fine for many species if water quality is good- it's ideal as a river set-up with a couple of hillstream loaches. Most smaller tanks tend to be tall rather than long so aren't really good for many fish species.

 

[jollysue]

You guyas are absolutely right. To be honest I was probably tired and I know I was looking at a 5 usg and imagining a small group of dwarf cories in it with lots of plants. So forget everything I said except, "1.5" is best for a Betta, I think."

 

[lisie]

Dunno, with a 1.5 gallon, I would say just take the filter out and do 100% change more often. At least that's what I've been doing with my 1 gallon. My betta in there seems much happier that way. He's been making a lot of bubblenests since.

I second this statement! I personally would do 100% changes every 3 or 4 on a tank that small anyway, and filtering a tank that small kind of seems pointless to me. It's also quite a small tank to have a current running through, since he won't be able to get away from it. But that's just my opinion. Either way you'll have to do big water changes... and often. It doesn't take any extra effort to do 100% changes rather than partial changes on that size tank anyway.