Is This Big Enough For 1 Betta?

[DavidPenniall]

Due to me having a tank of mollies with neon tetras, another tank of guppies with neon tetras, and another coming around Christmas time to home bigger fish such as Tiger Barbs, Bela's, Clown Loaches etc. floor space for tank and unit is limited, therefore I have been looking for a wall mountable fish tank to home a single male Betta. I have come across this tank this tank/bowl. Is this big enough for a male betta?

Also what the difference between a coldwater betta and tropical betta?

 

[atistang]

yes and no, yes a betta will survive in it. but it isn't ideal

it should be right around 1 gal

if you are dead set on a wall mounted tank then you could go with a 3gal eclipse tank and mount a big enough shelf to the studs in your wall and set the tank on that.

I personally wouldn't put a betta in anything smaller than a 3 gal, but my friend has one in a 2 gal and it seems to be happy

 

[LauraFrog]

I wouldn't recommend that tank, it really doesn't have enough swimming space. 1-2 gallons is the ABSOLUTE minimum size for providing swimming space. In the opinion of most of the betta posters (myself included) there is no reason to keep a pet betta in anything less than 3.5-5 gallons, because it's so easy to fit a tank of this size into just about any house. They are light enough to sit on most items of household furniture (like a bedside table) and can be heated and filtered with standard equipment.

There is absolutely NO difference between tropical and coldwater bettas, or to be accurate, there is no such thing as a coldwater betta. ALL bettas are tropical fish and require heaters set to around 28 C. If you do not have a heater, your betta will not thrive due to being so cold. This is the main reason I wouldn't recommend that wall-mounted tank - it is impossible to heat or filter it due to its size.

Although there is enough physical space for a betta in a 1-2 gallon tank (JUST), it is virtually impossible to keep the water quality stable. You MUST be able to keep whatever tank you choose warm enough, and free of ammonia and nitrites. The main reason why you will get a resounding NO on that tank from most members, is that it is almost impossible to keep clean. Honestly, you would be doing water changes once every second day - that's a ridiculous amount of work to set yourself up for when a slightly bigger, heated, filtered tank can get by with a water change weekly.

The other thing is that plastic bowls can be melted by a malfunctioning heater, which can burn a house down... the risk (negligible with most plastic tanks) is greater with such a small tank because any heater that you put in it will be too big. Generally the smallest heater available is 25 watts (ideal for a five gallon tank) and I had to get those special order. I have seen a 10 watt heater, but it's very expensive for what it is, and should not be placed on a tank smaller than 2 gallons.

You can usually pick up three-odd gallon tanks fairly easily and cheaply. Good quality plastic storage containers are fine - I use a lot of these, and they can look quite good, if not as good as a glass or acrylic tank. Second hand glass tanks of 3-10 gallons are easy to find - try garage sales, markets, car boot sales, Craigslist, eBay etc.

 

[Rezatii]

As mentioned above there is absolutely no reason to put a betta in a ridiculously small tank like that, a 3g tank, absolute minimum, will anywhere, as said above andthere is no such thing as a a coldwatebetta, just a mistreated one. Bettas should not be kept in coldwater, and it is very difficult to heat a tank under 5g, but can be done with a relatively powerful heat mat underneath I think. Also it's easy to get a nice small filter to put in a 5g, which unless you're fond of daily, yes DAILY, water changes of 50-75% then a filter is a must.

-Rezz

 

[Inchworm]

Just a word of caution here. The moderators will be watching this thread. Please keep your posts tactful.

For more information, you might want to listen to this podcast of an interview of Mark Denaro by Coryologist. Mark Denaro is the past president of the IBA (International Betta Association) and the part about betta care is at the beginning.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/308000-coryolgists-interview-with-mark-denaro/

 

[Tolak]

If my math is correct that bowl is just about 2.25 gallons, going by the outside measurements, so may as well call it 2 gallons. While this would work with a betta, with some of the previously mentioned water change intervals, the logistics of the tank hanging on a wall might make this difficult.

Things that are difficult tend to be put off, keep this in mind if you plan on using this product.

 

[kizno1]

thats way to small you need atleast a 3g tank but a 5g is much better for the fish and you. in a tank that small evan with daily waterchanges which would stress the fish out there will stilll be ammonia and theres not enough room for a fillter so you will proberly have high ammonia,nitrate levels and no heater which will weaken it imune system they need to be kept between 27-29c

 

[dthoffsett]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the size of the tank.

My concerns would be keeping it warm enough as bettas should be kept in tropical temperatures, being wall mounted it would be a bit of a pain to have to take down to clean (though if that doesn't bother you then it's a non-issue), and it has an open top. Bettas are well known to jump out of their tanks so a lid is necessary.

 

[Darkerwhite2]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the size of the tank.

I'm sorry but I have to kind of disagree with the wording of this statement. I agree there is nothing wrong with the volume of water, but it's size i don't believe is adequate for a well lived betta. The problem I see (this is only my opinion) is that the tanks depth from the wall is 5", which would give the betta enough room to swim around in and be happy... but that 5" becomes much less at the sides and top of the tank. Atleast that's what it looks like to me. IMHO making much of the tank "un-swimmable" for the betta.

The concerns for maintnence and heating has already addresses by above posters and I totally agree.

Another problem I'm seeing is how it hangs off of a single nail, well thats all i can see. maybe it's more than that though. But the 2G roughly would weigh about 20lbs. Am i right? does anyone else thinks that a little much for one nail?

I think a better option would be a small shelf and a nice sized betta bowl/cube.

 

[sami the cichlid]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the size of the tank.

I also have to disagree, not only is it small, if you add a heater it decreases the swimming space, and if you don't add a filter bowls have a very small surface area at the top so you will get less oxygen going in without a filter.

 

[Darkerwhite2]

Bettas shouldn't have a problem with the oxygen levels due to their labyrinth organ. But they do enjoy a good amount of surface.

 

[Tolak]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the size of the tank.

I agree, many breeders keep bettas in half that amount of water or less.

On the heat issue, if you were to keep it in a warmer area it should be fine. Never thought about the weight, that is a good thing to bring up, as it will be approaching 20 pounds. You would want a sturdy nail or screw in a structural member, such as a wall stud. I wouldn't trust a small nail in plaster or drywall, I've seen these loosen over time with lighter household decorations.

 

[kizno1]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the size of the tank.

I agree, many breeders keep bettas in half that amount of water or less.

On the heat issue, if you were to keep it in a warmer area it should be fine. Never thought about the weight, that is a good thing to bring up, as it will be approaching 20 pounds. You would want a sturdy nail or screw in a structural member, such as a wall stud. I wouldn't trust a small nail in plaster or drywall, I've seen these loosen over time with lighter household decorations.

i know a few breeders and none of them keep abults in tanks that small with no fillter and heater in a tank that small. with not fillter ammonia is going to build up rediclously quickly evan if they do daily waterchanges. and there isnt enough room for plants because they will take up half the water voloume and i know from experiance that bettas dont like plain tanks and love haveing plants/decorations to swim in. 3g tanks anrt evan that expenxive you can get the of ebay or at carboots for a few £ with filters and heaters and they will give him alot more room and you wont have to as often waterchanges.

 

[cookiemonster]

Hi
I believe there has been some misguidance to the actual volume of water this item can hold??

I see someone said it would hold 2.5 gallons, well thats incorrect.

The volume of a sphere measuring 11x11x5.5 inches = 696 cubic inches
696 cubic inches = 2.5 UK gallons

As this item is only half a sphere, the maximum it can hold is 1.25 uk gallons. That would more than likely end up being less than a gallon, bearing in mind you cant fill it to the top. Also, it may not even be half a sphere, but could be less depending on the angle of the sphere sides?

That size is in no way acceptable for any aquatic animal let alone a betta that may grow to 2 1/2 inches long. I find it very disturbing that moderators on a large fish forum would say it was acceptable without working out the size correctly?

 

[Tolak]

How far have they gone with their breeding efforts?

http/bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=833

BC 1972/73 Best Article in FLARE
IBC 1974 Betta Man of the Year
IBC 2004 Betta Person of the Year
IBC 2004 Congressional Award of Merit
IBC Top 10 Breeder 2003/2004
C2 Pastel Single Tail Male 2003/2004 and 2002/2003
E8 Marble Single Tail Female 2002/2003


"BettySplendens: How often do you have to change the water?

Jim: Jar water gets changed 100% twice each week."



How long have they been breeding?

http/bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=863

"over 50 years experience under his belt. Phil recently recorded his 3,206th successful spawn, and is still going strong!"

"BettySplendens: How often do you have to change the water in jars?

Phil: I use beanie baby containers that hold 1/2 gallon of water. These must be 100% completely changed every third day."

Betty Splendens herself is well known around here, she is an exceptional breeder who sells some excellent fish;

http/bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=718

"Make sure your betta is kept clean. A betta stirring up his own feces as he swims is just disgusting. Half-gallon containers will have to be changed twice a week. Gallon containers can go as far as once a week, and the larger the container, the longer the interval between changings. If the betta is kept in a 5+ gallon container with adequate filtration, normal tank maintenance of once a month or so is fine. Of course, if you see an accumulation of uneaten food, you should change his water sooner."

These are breeders. Award winning, long term breeders.