Is A 1 Gallon Okay? (I Can't Do Any Better!)

[Truck]

I'd love to know where that statistic came from, The temperature in the wild fluctuates all the time, by at least +/- 3oC per day.

Not to be rude, or sound rude, but where did you get your statistics as well? (See, it just sounds rude... lol )
Uber-vast amounts of water can retain temperature quite well. And plus, these are bred bettas, not wild bettas. It's no surprise a wild betta would completely dominate a bred betta if they were to ever meet and fight. Wild bettas have the actual adaptations for that, as bred bettas just have the instinct.

You're right in saying water holds temperature well, but when it rains it can drop rapidly, it will also drop at night, I read it in a paper that was published on the paddy feilds in which betta's are found, it's pretty common to all fish habitats.


And also, Bitteraspects makes a good point, keeping fish in a 1G is definitely possible, Dario dario is a fantastic species to keep in a tank that size, as are other small fish.

 

[bitteraspects]

indeed. scarlet badis are a common choice for such small tanks, and as they have a relatively low bio-load, there isnt much to worry about.
same could be said with shrimp

 

[Gill]

ok people, please chill, there are soooooooo many fish suitable or 1G.

i think before people become so overly aggressive with their opinions that they should read what Synirr is doing in regards to researching the myths and facts about bettas and tank size, makes a very interesting read and something a wholey believe in.

I have not read every Post as most of them are in my ignore option.

 

[rrrr]

i still maintain that you can raise a happy betta in a 1 gallon tank. i find that anything bigger of a tank gets to be a HUGE hassle to clean out (and not to mention hella ugly), especially because i believe the OP won't have a filtering system. all i find on internet about bettas needing these ridiculously huge living spaces are cases of he said / she said with fanatics promoting lone bettas in 20 gallon tanks. sure, your betta would enjoy a mansion, but he can also live perfectly well in an apartment. bettas are extremely resilient fish, hence why so many 'beginners' raise them. get off your high horses and stop calling it abuse. let's try and have a little common sense here, gang.

 

[silverrabbit]

I don't agree that a 1gal is easier to clean out or ugly - not sure where you get that from. Everyone knows that a larger tank makes for a more stable tank. No one in here has said to put him into a 20gal tank, but be sensible - without daily water changes, water in a 1 gal will foul very quickly, and to me I feel it's unfair to let a fish sit in it's own waste.

 

[nessar]

surely your mum cant object if you pay for it by yourself?

also, find a book which reccommends a size bigger than 1 gallon for a tank.
Parents might not listen to what info you get from a bunch of people on a forum, but they will be more likely to listen if you show them the info in a printed, published book written by experts.

Im guessing your mum just doenst think its necessary to get a bigger tank, and that youre being fussy or spoiling the fish. After all, shes seen those bettas in the cups in the shop, they wouldnt do that if it was wrong would they? You cant blame her for not understanding, so the best thing you can do is find proof. Go to the library and find a book that says 5 gallons, or even 3 gallons, because its better than one.

Try not to moan about water changes, because she'll think youre being lazy. Just explain that you need more room for your betta to have a heater and a plant, and to swim around, because thats how they should be kept. Try not to turn it into a power struggle or youll get the "No means no." answer.

 

[rrrr]

I don't agree that a 1gal is easier to clean out or ugly - not sure where you get that from. Everyone knows that a larger tank makes for a more stable tank. No one in here has said to put him into a 20gal tank, but be sensible - without daily water changes, water in a 1 gal will foul very quickly, and to me I feel it's unfair to let a fish sit in it's own waste.

i may have something slightly larger than a 1 gallon and i clean the tank about every 2.5 to 3 weeks, before it gets gross. it's been working out great . i've yet to find a bigger tank that i can haul upstairs to the kitchen, clean out manually, and bring back down myself, given i also don't have a filter.

 

[lljdma06]

No one in here has said to put him into a 20gal tank

Yet. But I'm already seeing 10g tanks for a single betta. Only 10 more gallons to go!

I will say, though, the planted people that have posted here do not usually have the same kinds of systems. When you add plants to the equation, and the more frequent maintenance that is required for some of the CO2 injected planted systems, the ability to keep healthy fish in a smaller space becomes easier to achieve. I have had successful full community aquariums (multiple species) at 2.5g and 8g respectively, but the maintenance involved might not be for everyone.

The minimum tank size is the minimum tank size that a hobbiest can manage and maitain a clean, healthy environment for the fish. The minimum listed in the pinned topics is 1g, which some aquarists can maintain a healthy environment with. For others, this is not possible and they have to go bigger. There is nothing wrong with this. I personally, have settled at around 2g, but I always add prigs of pothos when I opt not to have filtration. It absorbs the ammonia extremely well.

 

[fishyfeet]

Ok ive read all this and still havent made up my mind who is right, heres my version

i had a lovely vail tail betta, a show betta that a breeder had finished with and he was about a year old, he had a 25 gal tank basically to himself, couple of ottos, planted and filtered with an external 305 which i beleive is capable of managing about 80 gals.
He didnt live that long, a few months, he had live food, and a heater, and water changes.
Now when i spoke to the breeder she keeps them in vases, no heater, no filters, but she does water changes daily, and her nitrates were 5, now they are 20 in my tapwater for a start, prob 30 or 40 in the tank. I had 4 females as well in the 50 gal tank, they didnt last much longer and they all died within a couple of months one at a time.

Now if i had kept them in vases with a much smaller amount of water, it would be easier to change 70% a day and keep nitrates low. Mind you with 20 in the tapwater id prob have to use ro water or something.

 

[Gill]

No one in here has said to put him into a 20gal tank

Yet. But I'm already seeing 10g tanks for a single betta. Only 10 more gallons to go!

I will say, though, the planted people that have posted here do not usually have the same kinds of systems. When you add plants to the equation, and the more frequent maintenance that is required for some of the CO2 injected planted systems, the ability to keep healthy fish in a smaller space becomes easier to achieve. I have had successful full community aquariums (multiple species) at 2.5g and 8g respectively, but the maintenance involved might not be for everyone.

The minimum tank size is the minimum tank size that a hobbiest can manage and maitain a clean, healthy environment for the fish. The minimum listed in the pinned topics is 1g, which some aquarists can maintain a healthy environment with. For others, this is not possible and they have to go bigger. There is nothing wrong with this. I personally, have settled at around 2g, but I always add prigs of pothos when I opt not to have filtration. It absorbs the ammonia extremely well.

Exactly, A 1G Tank is very easy to maintain - You can filter and heat it easily using Pico Heaters and Heat Mats. Filtration is achieved with external canister or HOB Filters.

I have Kept Many 1G and Smaller Planted tanks with Fish in.
ATM I am Planning a 1G Neoheterandria Elegegans tank and Another Larger tank for Dwarf Puffers.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

surely your mum cant object if you pay for it by yourself?

also, find a book which reccommends a size bigger than 1 gallon for a tank.
Parents might not listen to what info you get from a bunch of people on a forum, but they will be more likely to listen if you show them the info in a printed, published book written by experts.

Im guessing your mum just doenst think its necessary to get a bigger tank, and that youre being fussy or spoiling the fish. After all, shes seen those bettas in the cups in the shop, they wouldnt do that if it was wrong would they? You cant blame her for not understanding, so the best thing you can do is find proof. Go to the library and find a book that says 5 gallons, or even 3 gallons, because its better than one.

Try not to moan about water changes, because she'll think youre being lazy. Just explain that you need more room for your betta to have a heater and a plant, and to swim around, because thats how they should be kept. Try not to turn it into a power struggle or youll get the "No means no." answer.

She's only 12 years old. She's come here for help and always the bitter despute over whether or not a fish will be okay in a small tank is debated rather than helping her.

Volleyball Rex - I stand by my statement that although a 1-gallon is small, you CAN make it work if you do it right. FWIW, one of my bettas is in a 2-gallon and is doing fine. His water is cleaner than my other tanks because it's completely changed out every few days. Having a thermometer is a HUGE advantage IMO since you can match the temperature of the water in the bowl to the new replacement water. His fins are in better shape than my two males in their five-gallons.

You have to be careful and make sure your fish gets REGULAR water changes!

Hopefully all the comments haven't scared you away. If you need more info just private mail me!

 

[GuppyGoddess]

People 1g is perfect for a betta they live in 1ml of water! i have had a betta in a 1g for 8months hes fine i havent done a water change but i am planing to tomarrow

Oh, not changing your water in eight months? This is a nonsense post. Agreed that it's only to get a rise out of people.

 

[Assaye]

Okay, I have a betta in a one gallon tank, and I want to get a bigger one, but I just CANT. I have a reason
I can't, and it is impossible for me to get a bigger one.
So will my betta die?

1 gallon is totally sub-standard for a betta. I'm not sure why you can't get a new tank - if it's cost, get second hand. If it's space, move some stuff around. If it's your family/housemates, tell them that it's cruel to keep an animal in a sub-standard environment.

If you keep the water warm, totally clean with 100% daily water changes and you keep on top of his health, it's unlikely he will die. However, smaller environments increase stress and smaller tanks are harder to keep clean and stable. His water temperature will probably vary wildly will the room temperature and the seasons. Bettas also need warmer temperatures so if you room temperature dips down to 20 C / 68 F then he is not going to be a happy boy. In short - bettas get sick much more easily in small tanks.

If you want to keep him healthy, make sure you do daily water changes with a good quality water conditioner (such as Prime or Stress Coat+) and carefully match the temperature of the water. Give him a small floating plant and keep him somehwere that stays at a relatively stable, warm temperature. Feed him a good quality diet of betta pellets and frozen food.

Or, see if you can find someone with a suitable tank who can look after him.

People 1g is perfect for a betta they live in 1ml of water! i have had a betta in a 1g for 8months hes fine i havent done a water change but i am planing to tomarrow

Excuse me, but do you know anything about bettas or about fish waste?

If you have a betta in a bowl that has not had it's water changed then the betta is not OK, period. Bettas (like all fish) produce ammonia which is highly toxic to them. If the water is not changed daily, this builds up and causes major internal and often external damage to the animal.

In the wild they do not live in 1ml of water. It's impossible for any fish to live in that little water, with the possible exception of fish like mudskippers. In the wild bettas live in vast rice paddies that contain thousands of gallons of water. They are shallow, yes, but certainly not small! When their environment does dry up and when they are left in small puddles, then they start dying in droves. Bettas do NOT live in small spaces in the wild.

From your comment I'm not sure if you would know what a healthy betta is supposed to look like.

 

[Truck]

People 1g is perfect for a betta they live in 1ml of water! i have had a betta in a 1g for 8months hes fine i havent done a water change but i am planing to tomarrow

Oh, not changing your water in eight months? This is a nonsense post. Agreed that it's only to get a rise out of people.

Actually the reply was non sence, it is totally possible to go 8 months without a water change, if the walstad method is used.

Excuse me, but do you know anything about bettas or about fish waste?

If you have a betta in a bowl that has not had it's water changed then the betta is not OK, period. Bettas (like all fish) produce ammonia which is highly toxic to them. If the water is not changed daily, this builds up and causes major internal and often external damage to the animal.

If filters and plants are used there is no problem at all.

 

[Assaye]

I don't agree that a 1gal is easier to clean out or ugly - not sure where you get that from. Everyone knows that a larger tank makes for a more stable tank. No one in here has said to put him into a 20gal tank, but be sensible - without daily water changes, water in a 1 gal will foul very quickly, and to me I feel it's unfair to let a fish sit in it's own waste.

i may have something slightly larger than a 1 gallon and i clean the tank about every 2.5 to 3 weeks, before it gets gross. it's been working out great . i've yet to find a bigger tank that i can haul upstairs to the kitchen, clean out manually, and bring back down myself, given i also don't have a filter.

rrrr, do you really take 2-3 weeks between any kind of water change?

Do you know what ammonia is? It is a very toxic chemical that all fish produce. It's their equivalent to urine. This can get to detectable (and thus toxic) levels in a bowl within 24-48 hours. The higher the level, the more toxic but even a barely detectable level will start causing damage to the fish. In order to combat this bettas need daily water changes if they are in a bowl or small, unfiltered tank.

How do you know if your regime is working out great? Can you ask the fish? Fish are very good at pretending to be healthy when actually they are suffering. It is a survival mechanism.

As for moving large tanks around - I'm really short and weak and I can still lug a 4 gallon tank around when it is full of water. Besides, buckets were invented for water changes. You can't use the "it's easier to move around" line to justify keeping a fish in a sub-standard environment. The fish shouldn't suffer for your convienience.

People 1g is perfect for a betta they live in 1ml of water! i have had a betta in a 1g for 8months hes fine i havent done a water change but i am planing to tomarrow

Oh, not changing your water in eight months? This is a nonsense post. Agreed that it's only to get a rise out of people.

Actually the reply was non sence, it is totally possible to go 8 months without a water change, if the walstad method is used.

Excuse me, but do you know anything about bettas or about fish waste?

If you have a betta in a bowl that has not had it's water changed then the betta is not OK, period. Bettas (like all fish) produce ammonia which is highly toxic to them. If the water is not changed daily, this builds up and causes major internal and often external damage to the animal.

If filters and plants are used there is no problem at all.

Truck, quite being a pedant.

If betta989 was an experienced fishkeeper employing the walstad method then I think his post would have been a bit more revealing. There is no point in being pedantic about what we said when your clarification applies to a situation that doesn't apply directly to what is being discussed. These guys keeping bettas in unfiltered bowls are not employing that method and need to do daily water changes.

Even if filters and plants are used the tank has to be set up very carefully and have the right balance of fast growing plants, slow growing plants, filtration and suitable fish. You know as well as the rest of us that you can't just throw plants and a filter into a tank and use that as an excuse to rarely do a water change. It's a lot more complicated than that.