Considering a Betta

[AJ356]

Thanks for this. Had a look at SpotlessWater - they do actually market themselves as providing aquarium owners as well as window cleaners etc so obviously got word of a new type of customer! - could you tell me how much it costs per month (ish) to use this water for aquarium use? It's not easy to find out costing as it seems to be a membership type service on their site.

I had a look today, I think it works out at about 8p, yes 8 pence a litre, so would be very affordable for a small tank. You'd only need to use 50 or 75% RO water and the rest tap water. There is a member who uses this company I think @Lcc86

 

[gwand]

Consider a Paradise fish.

 

[kcl_jmo]

I'm going to agree with several others. Bettas aren't hard to keep with basic weekly water changes, vacuuming out waste & a good varied diet. Plants are very helpful for both water quality & betta amusement. They like to snack on plant "goodies" (biofilm & micro-critters).

They have different "personalities", that's part of the fun! If you need a bit more action & have plants &/or hiding places, shrimp can be a nice addition. The betta may eat small shrimp (also fun to watch) but you should be able to keep a colony going. Just something to think about.

A word of warning, most betta splendens (the usual kind) only live for a couple years at best. That can be distressing for kids. But as temporary pets that might not be all bad (I'm not a parent). That can let you "get your feet wet" & see how you like our hobby without too much investment, $$ or emotionally. I hope that's not too brutal to say, I'm trying to give you an honest idea of what to expect in the longer term We're all fish lovers here & we love to help new folks.

I'm glad you pointed this out, fishorama. For someone who isn't a parent, you've certainly got a sense of what might be problematic to children. I asked my 8 year old about it as I know he is tender hearted and he was quite upset by the idea of such a short life. I have also read more now about how the inbreeding can cause visible illness before death which could be quite upsetting. I think the Betta might be out! Back to the drawing board. Thanks again for your helpful insight.

 

[MattW]

One overlooked species that can be kept in both hard and soft water is Medaka's. They can tolerate quite hard water. I've seen them be recommended for hardness up to 18gh. They should be kept in a group of 6 minimum. If you can fit in a 45-50L tank, I reckon you'd be able to keep a small group. They won't be as personable as a betta or colourful, but they are a good fish overall.

 

[gwand]

I'm glad you pointed this out, fishorama. For someone who isn't a parent, you've certainly got a sense of what might be problematic to children. I asked my 8 year old about it as I know he is tender hearted and he was quite upset by the idea of such a short life. I have also read more now about how the inbreeding can cause visible illness before death which could be quite upsetting. I think the Betta might be out! Back to the drawing board. Thanks again for your helpful insight.

Many tropical freshwater fish can live between three and five years, some more and some less. The important factors are where you buy the fish and how well you maintain their watery environment. Many forum members place their Fish in quarantine for 4 to 6 weeks because Store bought fish frequently arrive with worms and/or parasites. I am not trying to be a downer, but this is the reality of fish keeping.

 

[fishorama]

I'm going to suggest maybe Endler's livebearers. I "think" they can handle a wide range of water hardness; others here will know more.
They come in many color varieties & if you ONLY select males (very important!! they can breed like crazy) each child could pick a pretty fish (or 2, depending on tank size). Naming "their" fish could be fun for them too.

We used a carbon filter on our 1st house kitchen sink, mostly to remove chlorine & some hardness for drinking water but that may be an option for you. Our filter had a knob to filter or not to save on the filter cartridge. Off for dish washing etc., on for better quality. I know different countries & places have different "safe" water standards, but you might look at water filtering options. Carbon filtration is less expensive than RO, but still an expense. To be honest high nitrate is not something I'd prefer in my drinking water...or in fish tanks either (people health over fish but...)

Research to see what might work for you.

 

[Lcc86]

I had a look today, I think it works out at about 8p, yes 8 pence a litre, so would be very affordable for a small tank. You'd only need to use 50 or 75% RO water and the rest tap water. There is a member who uses this company I think @Lcc86

Yep I only buy about 20 litres a week and am lucky that my local one is only about a 15 minute drive away. You don't need an account but it is slightly cheaper with one I believe (I use my partner's so I never actually pay for it myself lol).

Edit - I should add that I have extremely hard water but because of various health issues these days I sold my 30g tank so I keep a betta and another nano tank with frogs, that's the main reason I use Spotless. If I had a big tank again I'd just buy hard water fish lol. But those 20 litres are enough for a weekly water change on both my tanks. Some people mix it with tap water to get the required hardness, I actually use Seachem Equilibrium and Alkaline Buffer instead as I've worked out exactly how much I need to get the hardness I want, and I personally find this easier than adding tap water. It's a bit of trial and error but it's not much work when you're only worrying about a small tank.

 

[kcl_jmo]

Consider a Paradise fish.

This is a really good suggestion. Do you have one? I would love to know more.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I haven't kept paradise fish, but I have read a lot about them and every year or two I consider getting one. They seem to be durable and fine with hard water. The males can get aggressive with females when breeding, so I'm not sure how well a pair would do in a 20 liter tank. Anybody want to comment on that? Is it OK to keep a single one, or do they need friends? If they're OK solo, this might be the perfect solution.

Macropodus opercularis – Paradise Fish (Macropodus chinensis, Labrus opercularis) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[MattW]

I haven't kept paradise fish, but I have read a lot about them and every year or two I consider getting one. They seem to be durable and fine with hard water. The males can get aggressive with females when breeding, so I'm not sure how well a pair would do in a 20 liter tank. Anybody want to comment on that? Is it OK to keep a single one, or do they need friends? If they're OK solo, this might be the perfect solution.

Macropodus opercularis – Paradise Fish (Macropodus chinensis, Labrus opercularis) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

From what I can see online, a single fish requires a 70L+ tank.

 

[Innesfan]

I would return to Plam A, get a Betta, and do water changes with store-bought distilled water, which is cheap. Here in the USA it's @ $1.50 per gallon. A gallon or two of distilled should bring your water in range for the small tank of 5-8 gallons that you are planning to get. An inexpensive water hardness test will guide you through future water changes regarding how much tap and how much distilled you need for each change.

 

[kcl_jmo]

From what I can see online, a single fish requires a 70L+ tank.

Yes, at the aquatics shop today, they suggested 70L but that 60L could be do-able. We're not limited to a small tank, per se, I think that's just being mentioned because the thread was originally about Bettas... but Paradise fish are bigger, growing to approx. 10cm (4"), they're kept as a single male as with a Betta, but different in that you can keep a male with two females without problems in a larger set up. However we would be looking at a single male for sure.

 

[AJ356]

I would return to Plam A, get a Betta, and do water changes with store-bought distilled water, which is cheap. Here in the USA it's @ $1.50 per gallon. A gallon or two of distilled should bring your water in range for the small tank of 5-8 gallons that you are planning to get. An inexpensive water hardness test will guide you through future water changes regarding how much tap and how much distilled you need for each change.

Distilled water costs a fortune over here in the UK. I think it's been blessed and is holy water. Expensive

 

[kcl_jmo]

I haven't kept paradise fish, but I have read a lot about them and every year or two I consider getting one. They seem to be durable and fine with hard water. The males can get aggressive with females when breeding, so I'm not sure how well a pair would do in a 20 liter tank. Anybody want to comment on that? Is it OK to keep a single one, or do they need friends? If they're OK solo, this might be the perfect solution.

Macropodus opercularis – Paradise Fish (Macropodus chinensis, Labrus opercularis) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

Paradise fish are bigger, growing to approx. 10cm (4"), they're kept as a single male as with a Betta, but different in that you can keep a male with two females without problems in a larger set up.

 

[MattW]

If you are looking at a 60L tank, a good budget option is the Superfish range. Aquacadabra have a good selection to choose from. I've ordered from them multiple times and had no issues so far. I myself have never had any superfish tanks, but from what I've seen, a lot of people are happy with them.

Superfish Start 70 Tropical Aquarium Kits | from Aquacadabra

Superfish's modern 70L complete setup with LED lighting, internal filter, heater and a range of accessories including water conditioner, fish food, fish net and thermometer. Available in black or white.

aquacadabra.com

This one includes a heater and an internal filter. Also, black friday is coming up soon, so you may find some better deals on tanks. Or you can try the 2nd hand market.