Best Kit-style Tank For Betta?

[GuppyGoddess]

Hi everyone,

I purchased my first Betta about two weeks back and am amazed at his personality. What a cool little guy!

So, I bought a bowl for him. A 1-gallon. During the winter I plan to keep him in my room where it's warmer, but still I guess I should go with a tank which can house a heater?

I'd like to buy a kit-style set up rather than buy everything seperately and just plop a heater in. I absolutely MUST have one where I can set the temp and that will turn off if the heater is at the right temp.

Any recommendations for a set-up? Something where the current doesn't bother him?

I don't mind changing the water weekly, so that won't be an issue, say I end up with another smaller home for him. Mainly I'm looking for a way to keep him warm so that he's happy.

Thanks.

 

[Truck]

why not build your own kit up? then you can buy what you want and make sure your getting the best.

a 3-5 gallon is fine with an air powered filter and a small newattino plus heater

 

[kizno1]

1g is way to small you need atleast 3g but a 5g is alot better. if you dont have a fillter you need to do 75% waterchanges every day and all heaters turn off when they get to the temp you set them at unless there broke.

 

[jasminekiddell]

They have soemthing great In B&M In warrington on the retail park where they have sports shops,pets at home,b&m etc.
You get a tank which looks at least 3gal its a nice little square one it comes with fish food, a net, filter and a pump! All for £10! Its great i nearly bought it myself until i thought my tanks better lol XD.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Thanks everyone. I'll look around then and read up on prices, etc. I didn't realize everyone here is outside the US here, so we may not have the same stores/products.

My Betta seems fine at the moment. He's possibly been making the "betta nest." Instead of a cluster, there are bubbles all the way around the bowl at the top of the water line. Is that another type of nest or is either the Betta or I confused about what a nest is suppose to be?

I'll change his water in a second here. I thought he'd be okay every five or six days. . .guess I'll see what comes up with the gravel vaccum and will do a change more frequently till I can set up another tank.

I read that cycling isn't required with Bettas? Do you guys/gals agree with that?

Thanks.

 

[kizno1]

the males make nests swhen there breeding and they spawn under the nest and put the eggs up in the bubble nest till they hatch but the males will make them when there are no females around aswell. if he had a fillter and a bigger tank you would only need to do a 30% waterchange once a week but because its only 1g and has no fillter ammonia builds up very quickly so you have to do 75% waterchanges every day. you still need to cycle a tank for a betta there exactly the same as any other fish.

 

[kelly528]

My guy's bubble nest ended up the same way when he was in his bowl... I think the opening of the bowl is small enough that the bubbles just sort of creep out of nest formation and line the perimeter. BTW, I am hearing constant praise for the Minibow (2.5g OR 5g) from tons of betta specialists. Don't go with eclipse systems; they are fabulous but their filters are too strong for bettas.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Okay, thanks for the info re: the Eclipse. I have a 3-gallon Eclipse right now with guppies that unfortunely came from a pet store with an infection of nematodes (it was a new tank and they were my first fish in it, so I know they had the nematodes from contraction some point before I bought them , so I plan to bleach that and put another fish in there after the Guppies need to pass on.

Seemed like the current was a bit strong for a Betta. . .I'll hunt down the minibow.

Oh, and I just changed the Betta's water and yes, now I can see it needs more frequent changes (and will do those). I've been putting Prime in it every evening to reduce the ammonia levels. Sound like a good plan until he can be moved?

FWIW, I'm new to fish keeping. I had really wanted guppies for a long time. I didn't realize, as I had been told recently by a few pet store employees, that they're not as hardy as they once were. I love them so much! What a bummer. Hopefully the Betta I got is healthy and more hardy than the guppies. Should I add a drop of any anti-biotic to be sure his fins are healthy (like melafix or quick cure)?

Thanks.

 

[kizno1]

i wouldnt use any of the ammonia removers i dont think any of them really work and aslong as you keep up on water changes theres no need for them.

 

[silverrabbit]

Melafix won't harm him, but you need to increase aeration if you add the med to his bowl (so you need a bubble stone or a filter to provide surface agitation etc etc.

 

[llamalord305]

I agree. Don't worry to much about the filter, you can buy or make a spray bar or make a device that slows the flow yourself.

 

[Honeythorn]

Look on Craigslist for cheap tanks of 5 gals upwards. You should get one for very little money and many often come with equipment like heaters. Ebay is another good source of cheap tanks, as are garage sales,

Pre-made Kit setups are a total ripoff . Especially when you know for a fact you can get the separate tanks and bits cheaply or secondhand ( which is usually cheaper still ) and still have a great set up for the betta.

 

[Jade107]

My guy's bubble nest ended up the same way when he was in his bowl... I think the opening of the bowl is small enough that the bubbles just sort of creep out of nest formation and line the perimeter. BTW, I am hearing constant praise for the Minibow (2.5g OR 5g) from tons of betta specialists. Don't go with eclipse systems; they are fabulous but their filters are too strong for bettas.

They are too strong for them? I have a five gallon with my crowntail in it and he has never gotten stuck or had trouble near it. Haha I would have bought a minibow, but I have like 4 tanks and my mom says if I get any more it would look ugly in my new room so *Sigh* No more fishes for me =(

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Look on Craigslist for cheap tanks of 5 gals upwards. You should get one for very little money and many often come with equipment like heaters. Ebay is another good source of cheap tanks, as are garage sales,

Pre-made Kit setups are a total ripoff . Especially when you know for a fact you can get the separate tanks and bits cheaply or secondhand ( which is usually cheaper still ) and still have a great set up for the betta.

I've been checking CL, but mostly the tanks are bigger, around 55 gallons. . .then I'd need a stand and my husband would freak out and various issues like that! lol He's still worried about there suddenly being four fish in our house!

 

[GuppyGoddess]

My guy's bubble nest ended up the same way when he was in his bowl... I think the opening of the bowl is small enough that the bubbles just sort of creep out of nest formation and line the perimeter. BTW, I am hearing constant praise for the Minibow (2.5g OR 5g) from tons of betta specialists. Don't go with eclipse systems; they are fabulous but their filters are too strong for bettas.

They are too strong for them? I have a five gallon with my crowntail in it and he has never gotten stuck or had trouble near it. Haha I would have bought a minibow, but I have like 4 tanks and my mom says if I get any more it would look ugly in my new room so *Sigh* No more fishes for me =(

Would you have prefered a mini-bow over a five-gallon if possible? What kind of five gallon do you have. . .does it have bubble from the filter?

I keep going back and forth on what I want to do. Sort of concerned that the camallanus that my guppies have will be impossible to be disinfected from the Eclipse 3-gallon I have (which I could put the Betta).

Someone suggested I put my guppies in a 10-gallon and try treating them with Levamisole, then putting the Betta in the Eclipse. Lots of choices, but not sure if my Guppies can be saved and my Beta is too pretty to risk possibly becoming sick.

The Betta is already building another nest. Now it's all in one corner. . .unlike before. Seems like he's practicing. Gotta get him a girl