betta tanks

[catxx]

sorry if i can find this somewhere else already, just direct me, i'm only a newbie!

but what is the ideal (affordable) home for a lone betta? i feel bad right now only being a in a bowl and i want to upgrade him as i get paid next week. i was thinking bio orb but they're pricey and complex. i'm a newbie fishy everything, so be gentle and talk slowly!

thanks!

 

[willtang3000]

okay 1 bettas need at least 1gal but I have brought a a 10gal and divided into 5 so each betta gets 2 gals.I used plastic canvas to divide the tanks with a gravel substrate so they can't burrow underneath and attack their neighbour.but if you only want to keep 1 betta you could get an ty box which hold I think 1gal but you would have to change 75% of the water everyday
hope i've helped good luck

 

[catxx]

ohh confused! i've attached a pick of his current home, he seems happy enough, bubble nests lots and displays at me. he wasn't 100% when he moved in, but i think that was just the sudden change of scenery. i change 90% of his water once a week, and at least 50% every 2/3 days. water temperature is room temperature (averages around 70 degrees).

i want him to have a real home though.
i'm a bit dim and i'm not sure how many gallons he's in right now, apart from that it is bare minimum and i wouldn't dream of keeping him in anything smaller.

 

[BobMc]

I'm a rookie myself, so remember that while I offer one possibility

I picked up an eclipe 3 for $30-something bucks, which is a 3 gallon tank with light and filter in it.

http/www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_systems.asp

 

[splashluff]

Bruce Lee's bowl is very cute and looks 1-2 gallons to me! you might want to consider adding a cover ~ which can consist of seran wrap with holes, and whatever you find, because Bettas are notorious jumpers.

To me, a great home for a Betta is MiniBow 2.5 Gallons. It only costs $25 at Wal*Mart, and it includes a filter (the current annoys my boy, so I dont use it in mine), gravel, a couple plants, a lighted hood with a feeding flap and a matching base. You can choose from 5 colors, which are very cute! Its definitely the best price/product I've found, so far.

 

[CatLover]

I agree with splashluff. Those Minibows are great (better than the Aquaviews because they're bigger) and I'm hopefully going to be getting one for xmas.

I also like those Kritter Keepers as betta tanks. They range in 4 different sizes I think, the smallest being 1 gallon. You can get the 1 gallon at Walmart for 4 dollars, and the other larger sizes aren't much more. I have found these at LFSs too, and their prices are always outrageous (8 dollars for the 1 gallon). These come in a range of colors too, so that's another plus. The Kritter Keepers are very good IMO, and very cheap. However, if you can afford it, I would suggest you get the Minibow tank. It comes with more, it's bigger, and you won't have to use a desk lamp for the tank light

If you're wanting more than one betta, definitely go with willtang's idea about the divided 10 gallon. It's a space saver, it's cheaper than buying several little tanks, and makes water changes quicker.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[catxx]

thanks guys!

i will now have a little hunt around and see if there are any UK suppliers of the things you've mentioned heh.

oh and as for cover...i've taken to sitting things on top of the bowl just-in-case, so far i've been lucky and he hasn't had the urge to jump anywhere.

 

[catxx]

hmm. i can't find any of the products you guys mentioned, i guess they're US only.
what about these "fish r fun" tanks? there's a big range of those.

 

[Joby]

We do have the critter keepers over here in the UK but not seen the mini-bow. I hear Wilkinson do a nice cheap acrylic tank. I just use the bog standard Clearseal glass tanks as they start out quite cheap. I get a condensation tray for a couple of quid, a heater and then just hook up a box filter to my air pump and away you go! Be warned though, if you get one any decent size you'll soon be dividing it and adding more bettas

Happy shopping

 

[willtang3000]

at my lfs they have mini bows and there about 5gal and cost £40 there always so expensive in the uk so catxx you might be better off buying an acrylic tank I've found website and there really cheap so take a look I've got quite a few of the new world habitats
http/www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/erol.html#10847x0&&

 

[KeddyPie]

I prefer square glass tanks, personally. They seem more pure and durable to me 10 bucks for a 2.5 gallon, a buck fifty for a glass lid... Presto!

 

[catxx]

what are the clearseal tanks?

i get the idea behind the cheap new world acrylic things, i had stick insects once i kept in something similar, but those tanks are not as pretty to look at

i AM a girl after all.

 

[KeddyPie]

I still say glass, all the way! I like to stick to the basics! *is old fashioned*

If you're crafty, you can make your own unique tank out of plexi glass and silicon!

And also, welcome to TFF!

 

[Hels]

strangley enough i've been hanging around here for the past few days and wondering exactly the same thing, i've looked around too and i really liked the minibows but no-one sells them here in the UK or will deliver them here either!!! so im thinking about starting with a basic glass aquarium and adding the filter, heater etc myself... if you find any good deals let me know!

 

[Joby]

Clearseal are a make of glass tank, you can buy them on their own i.e not a complete set so you can add what hardware you like. I use the 18x10x10 for spawn tanks and also to house males with plastic craft canvas dividing them. They cost me £10.99 from my lfs. You can get them in a huge range of sizes but they don't always stock them all so just ask at your lfs and they can order them in for you.

Edited for bad spelling )