Betta Care

[Becks1985]

Would it be ok to set up a small tank with a male an female betta in it with no heater are filter if I was to change the water regular.
Really want a betta but don't think it would go in my 350 litre aquarium which is stocked with
10 rummy nose. 10 serpae tetra. 3 platies. 20 cardinals. 4 Sterbia corys. 4 Otos. 3 male guppies.

 

[CezzaXV]

No, it's a really bad idea for a number of reasons.

1. Male and females should not be housed together as at least one of them will end up dead sooner or later. Bettas should be kept as either single males or a female group.
2. Bettas are tropical fish which actually prefer higher temperatures than many tropicals and as such are not suitable for an unheated tank.
3. There are no fish which can live without a filter really. Even if you change the water every day, ammonia will still build up as fish create it not only from their waste, but also just breathing. The best you can expect in this situation is a greatly shortened life, but they will likely die from illness before that. There is such a thing as a walstad tank, where you have enough fast growing plants to process the ammonia, but in all honestly they're high tech and they're a hell of a lot of work.

You're right that they won't go in your 350L tank either, as the guppies would probably shred the tails of a betta.

A male betta on its own in a small tank with heater and filter would be fine, and you might be able to house a group of female bettas in your 350L if you have stocking space left, but I would advise you to do your research.

Depending on what your room temperature is like, there are also some temperate and coldwater fish which may be suitable for an unheated tank, but there aren't any fish you can keep in an unfiltered tank.

 

[sadguppy]

No, it's a really bad idea for a number of reasons.1. Male and females should not be housed together as at least one of them will end up dead sooner or later. Bettas should be kept as either single males or a female group.2. Bettas are tropical fish which actually prefer higher temperatures than many tropicals and as such are not suitable for an unheated tank.3. There are no fish which can live without a filter really. Even if you change the water every day, ammonia will still build up as fish create it not only from their waste, but also just breathing. The best you can expect in this situation is a greatly shortened life, but they will likely die from illness before that. There is such a thing as a walstad tank, where you have enough fast growing plants to process the ammonia, but in all honestly they're high tech and they're a hell of a lot of work.You're right that they won't go in your 350L tank either, as the guppies would probably shred the tails of a betta.A male betta on its own in a small tank with heater and filter would be fine, and you might be able to house a group of female bettas in your 350L if you have stocking space left, but I would advise you to do your research.Depending on what your room temperature is like, there are also some temperate and coldwater fish which may be suitable for an unheated tank, but there aren't any fish you can keep in an unfiltered tank.

Excellent post. Can I just reiterate that no, your suggestion of a male and female sharing an unfiltered, unheated tank will not work. Please don't do it!

 

[Becks1985]

Ok thanks. How do people put male an females together to bred then. Was just think that they could do ok in a tank with out a filter because in a local fish shop they just keep some of them in a jar to sell to people..
With out the guppies do you think a male jumbo betta would be ok in my large aquarium?

 

[CezzaXV]

I don't see why you couldn't have a male in your tank if you got rid of the guppies. I'm not an expert on bettas though, and I would advise you to ask some questions about compatibity with your other fish and your tank in general over in the betta forums before making the leap.

Males and females are usually put together for a few hours to breed and then separated before the bloodbath happens.

I would guess that in the shop they change the water often and sell them quickly enough that they don't die in the shop. However, by the time they're sold the damage is done and they will likely die an early death. Sadly, it is a somewhat common practice, but that doesn't make it a right one. tbh, if I saw a LFS keeping bettas in such conditions, I wouldn't shop there for anything. It demonstrates that either they have no idea what they're doing, or they know the impact on the fish's welfare and just don't care.

Most LFS have overstocked tanks with combinations of fish you just would never, ever put together in a home aquarium but it works in the shop due to the sheer number of fish in the tank (aggression is spread throughout all the fish and no dominant can form) and the short amount of time they're intended to stay there. If I had a penny for every time someone had said to me "But they have them like that in the shop"...

 

[sumocopter]

Breeding bettas is planned and calculated by slowly introducing the female to the male through a clear screen at first so they can see each other but not fight. They are only allowed together when they are ready to go and only for enough time to do the deed. Once eggs are in the nest out she comes to recover.

Keeping m and f together will lead to stress if not fighting, and we all know stressed fish don't last long and don't look their best.

Happy betta keeping