I Need A Bigger Tank

[Betta201]

Hey everyone!

You could say that I am new to the betta world. I got my first betta in January. She is a female crown tail betta.

I have a serious problem though, she still lives in a cup. She is living in a tiny cup :no more than 8oz. She is literally soaked in her poop. I'll try and attach a picture. I hate it. My mother seems to think that they are much happier in a small tank. When I talked to her about getting a bigger one, she told me not to waste my money. I plan on buying it, but she is my ride to the store.

I don't know what to do. I clean the bowl out two times a day and the fluctuating temperatures can't be good for the fish. How do I convince her to let me put a bigger tank (2.5 at least) in my room.

 

[Ninjouzata]

You may want to show her THIS and see if that helps. It'd also be good if she knew you'd be the one taking care of it.
 

to TFF btw! Hope you enjoy it here.

 

[Ch4rlie]

 
8 oz of water (about half gal) is very little, sadly, nowhere near enough for a betta to thrive.
Usually as a rule, 5 to 10 gallons is good for bettas.
 
That link which Ninjouzata posted, is a good link from a well respected betta breeder from this forum, i would suggest to read that and show that to your mom and hopefully that will help

 

[Wansui]

Not to sound rude, but before you purchase a fish please make sure you can provide the adequate environment for the fish in question. The minimum sized aquarium for a betta I would say would be around 3 gallons, But preferably 10 gallons. An 8oz cup is not an acceptable environment for your betta. If you are unable to aquire a tank, please give the fish back to your local fish store. For her sake. 

 

[Betta201]

Not to sound rude, but before you purchase a fish please make sure you can provide the adequate environment for the fish in question. The minimum sized aquarium for a betta I would say would be around 3 gallons, But preferably 10 gallons. An 8oz cup is not an acceptable environment for your betta. If you are unable to aquire a tank, please give the fish back to your local fish store. For her sake.

I completely agree with you, but I didn't purchase her. She wasn't my desition and she came from Petsmart and there is NO way I am giving her back.

Ater looking online, I can get a 10 gal. Tank for the same price as a 2.5, so I'm going to try and go down that rought.

Thank you so much for the link- very helpful!

Any more ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Be sure to get a heater as well if it doesn't already come with one. And a lid

 

[Betta201]

It comes with a lid. What heaters do you recommend and how much do they approximately cost?,

 

[Ninjouzata]

For a 10g you'll want a ~50W I think? And the price will depend on where you get it. There are some good deals online but you'll want to check prices at your LFS too.
 
HERE is an Aqueon heater from BigAls.

 

[attibones]

Don't forget the filter! For a single betta you don't need to get a very expensive one. If you go to petsmart, you can pick up the TopFin 20 (which has a decent amount of water turnover) for about twenty dollars, so it's a good deal. One for a 10 gallon would probably be okay with less than 10x volume turnover actually. Usually it's bet to get the filter rated for the next aquarium size up, but for one fish, one rated for a ten gallon should work.

 

[nic1]

Why don't you put an ad online somewhere asking for a free or really cheap tank?
There are loads of people giving away stuff all the time, Gumtree, free cycle, craigslist, ebay auctions, the loot? I've given away and sold loads of old tanks and stuff, there's always someone giving away a tank if you're quick enough to respond to the ad.
She's living in a cup? I'd move her to a bowl if you got one in the cupboard somewhere until you can get a tank... or give her back to the store.

 

[Linear]

10Gal, 50w heater and a small filter will be perfect. Bettas don't really like current, but yours will definatly enjoy more space.

 

[GuppyGirl20]

Oh gracious, that is really no good! I personally have a five gallon tank for my betta (it doesn't take up a lot of space because its a hexagon shape so it was perfect for me). Just be weary of the tanks you find for cheap because a lot of times it's just the tank and not all the things you need for the tank, like a filter and a heater (when petco has their sale it is just the tanks and nothing else). I only have an automatic heater that keeps the tank at 78 degrees. While this is acceptable I have been told I need to get an adjustable one because, heaven forbid, if the betta were to get sick raising the temp can help them a lot. The ones at petco are like 24 dollars (I think) for the small ones like you'll need for your new tank. I myself and going to get one when I have a little extra spending money. TIP: Be sure to cycle your tank when you get it. There are posts on here about how to do a fish in cycle (since a fishless can take some time) but I'm not expert in that area but other people will be glad to give you advice about it after you read some posts and still have some questions (there's a whole cycling section in the forum)
Best of luck!