Suggestions On Which Betta Fish Tank To By For Kids
- Thread starter joshjpeg
- Start date
-
- Tags
- betta fish tank
The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
"Fun" tanks are generally speaking not the most ideal tanks for fish. The fun in fishkeeping is the fish, not the tank. I strongly recommend that you get the biggest tank that you have space for, 5gallons as an ABSOLUTE minimum (a lot of these "fun" tanks are substantially less than 5G) and that you ensure the tank has a heater and a filter.
Welcome, and thank you so much for asking and researching, so often not done but well worth it.
Trying to start as simple as possible, with nearly any fish, the bigger the tank the better, bigger tanks are more versatile and are more forgiving to keep, which keeps people happier when they're fishkeeping.
So my response question is, what's your budget, and how much space can you fit a tank into? Those two answers will help us to recommend a set up. The next question is, do you want an all in one tank, or do you want individual bits. All in ones are neater, can come with attractive price tags, and are certainly easier to get started with, but are more limiting. Pick and mix tends to be cheaper, but harder to make it look neat. Can be good for teaching the little ones what each bit does though.
Trying to start as simple as possible, with nearly any fish, the bigger the tank the better, bigger tanks are more versatile and are more forgiving to keep, which keeps people happier when they're fishkeeping.
So my response question is, what's your budget, and how much space can you fit a tank into? Those two answers will help us to recommend a set up. The next question is, do you want an all in one tank, or do you want individual bits. All in ones are neater, can come with attractive price tags, and are certainly easier to get started with, but are more limiting. Pick and mix tends to be cheaper, but harder to make it look neat. Can be good for teaching the little ones what each bit does though.
These little systems are both unique and well designed. They rely on biofiltration, so a good understanding of the nitrogen cycle is important (true with any aquarium). For a kid it would be a nice way to introduce them to the hobby, since they would both learn and actually see the principles at work. The kits are incomplete, for a betta you need add a heater/thermometer and whatever decor you desire. I also add filter sponge to the grow tray for additional surface area for the nitrifying bacteria. They are NOT literally "self-cleaning" - no tank is. They are (once cycled) very low maintenance and stable. The instructions have you do a fish-in cycle, I wouldn't. Otherwise they are a nice little system for a single betta (no more!). It's marketd as an "aquafarm" if you want to check it out.
If you want something more conventional, the Fluval Spec V is a nice tank. It's bigger (5 gallons/aquafarm is 3 gallons) and you can aquascape it into a nice display tank. You could also add a compatable tankmate if you wanted, though I don't generally mix bettas with other fish- I think Bettas prefer to be king of an uncrowded castle. Many do however. The Fluval also relies mainly on biofiltration, and will need a heater and decor added. Few kits ever included heaters. If you have room and the budget for larger, go for it! There is no truth to the myth that Bettas are "stressed" or unsuited to large tanks per say. They just tend to be solitary, and frequently get picked on in community set-ups. A big tank well scaped with one gorgeous betta is a thing of beauty.
Thank you for the great suggestions. These betta fish tanks look great for the fish, but not so modern or fun looking. I'd love a fish tank that was both appealing for my kids but of course healthy for the fish. What about something simple to start with like this betta fish bowl from www.TheRefinedFin.com? Thoughts? I know it looks a little small but maybe a good starter?
That RefinedFin link for that half gallon bowl tank is a big no no.
Just about everything they say in the advertising blurb is wrong!
You can't keep any fish healthy for very long in such a small tank, really you can't!
For a Betta, MINIMUM sized tank is 5 gallons, no less, with a heater and filter.
Try Aqua Nano One tanks, these are fine little tanks with a decent filtration system. I have one but you need to keep a watchful eye on water parameters as due to the small volume of water the quicker things can go wrong.
But really, the bigger the tank, the better, I'd recommend you start with a 10 Gallon tank.
I started with a 24 Gallon tank then got the aqua one 5.8 gallon tank.
Just about everything they say in the advertising blurb is wrong!
You can't keep any fish healthy for very long in such a small tank, really you can't!
For a Betta, MINIMUM sized tank is 5 gallons, no less, with a heater and filter.
Try Aqua Nano One tanks, these are fine little tanks with a decent filtration system. I have one but you need to keep a watchful eye on water parameters as due to the small volume of water the quicker things can go wrong.
But really, the bigger the tank, the better, I'd recommend you start with a 10 Gallon tank.
I started with a 24 Gallon tank then got the aqua one 5.8 gallon tank.
Bowls and tiny novelty tanks may seem like a good idea for a child, but they really aren't. My personal feeling is if my kid is truly interested in keeping a fish (or any pet), the cage or tank shouldn't have to be somehow interesting or toylike, the pet itself should hold the interest. If the animal itself isn't enough, then perhaps there simply isn't enough interest to jump in yet. Kids are fickle and their interests change like the weather. You do know when a child is passionate about something though. I'm not being judgemental, but a live animal shouldn't be seen as a passing interest or a toy, even by a child.
I just looked at the link for the "Betta tank" ... YIKES! I'm not a fanatic, but that is pretty crazy. A half gallon? In a elephant shaped thing? No, no, no,..... sorry, it's actually adorable as a knick knack, as a home for a live animal it's giving me chills.
I just looked at the link for the "Betta tank" ... YIKES! I'm not a fanatic, but that is pretty crazy. A half gallon? In a elephant shaped thing? No, no, no,..... sorry, it's actually adorable as a knick knack, as a home for a live animal it's giving me chills.
joshjpeg said:
Ironically, a 'good starter' is actually a MUCH larger tank. Small tanks are difficult for beginners because the water parameters can fluctuate greatly because of the lack of volume. Conversely, the larger the tank, the more stable the water parameters, because the extra volume helps to buffer the water and keeps things far more stable.
As far as those specific tanks, they are actually awful, and inhumane.
A bit of advice for you and your son (my own son is 7, nearly 8, and I will be setting up a tank for him very soon) - let him take ownership of the tank in fun ways, like little decorations inside the tank, but make the tank a "normal" sized tank, 10 gallons plus. Bettas are nice fish, and work well in a 10 gallon, or get a betta sorority and let him have a rainbow of different fish colors.
Another option is to go to a fish store and let him look at all the different fish. Have him make a list of fish that he likes... do some research on those fish TOGETHER and decide together which fish would be the best for your situation. (Tank size, water parameters, etc.) In the meantime, you can start doing a fishless cycle on the tank to get it ready for fish while you are researching.
Just my two cents. Let him be involved in the entire process, and he'll be more interested, and you won't have to rely on gimmicks like quirky tanks to hold his interest. But, let him have some fun with the tank by adding a sunken pirate ship, treasure chest, dinosaur, whatever he's interested in - to the tank as part of the decor.
Most reactions
-
269 -
236 -
154 -
143 -
135 -
135 -
111 -
110 -
95 -
92 -
88 -
82 -
78 -
67 -
59
