Unique Betta Fish Tanks
Unique Betta Fish Tanks
Which fish tank is better for beginners?
Which tank should I get for the betta fish I’m gonna get?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3806240
or
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753118
I just want to get a small female Betta. Also, I want to know what I should name it? Something cool and unique:) Not like “Bobo” or “Bluey” And what else do I need besides the tank, food, plant, and rocks? Do I need a light? Also I’m gonna buy the Betta H2O. Thankss:) If you didn’t know, buying from Petsmart.
Or is this a better tank? Is it worth it?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3107806&ab=fish_fc1d
1/2 a gallon is tiny, think about it, that’s like keeping her in a 1/2 filled freezer ziplock bag. In an area of water that small, you’ll have several problems:
you won’t be able to heat it reliably (if you put a heater in there it will just get the water so hot that it could kill your Betta), and your Betta is tropical so not having a good consistent heat of 76-82 degrees will lower her immune system, digestion, etc. considerably. Fish are coldblooded, like reptiles are, and if their environment is not warm enough they are kind’ve screwed. 2 1/2 gallons is the minimum amount of water that can be heated safely and reliably.
The second thing is when your Betta goes to the bathroom, the waste is to some extent going to be trapped in there. We do water changes and gravel vacuuming to help, but the smaller the amount of water is in the tank the more concentrated that rotting poop is going to be in the water, and it can get to toxic (i.e. dangerous) levels very very quickly in a 1/2 gallon. You would have to change around 20% of the water with treated, same temp water every day, and even then your fish wouldn’t be guaranteed a good environment. In larger tanks we rely on a filter to help clean it, within this filter colonies of beneficial bacteria will grow that eat the toxins produced by the fish, and produce in turn less and less toxic substances until finally you end up with nitrate, which you can then take out with water changes (unlike things like Ammonia which is what you start with, which tend to stick in there more even when you change the water and is much more toxic than nitrate is). In tanks less than 2 1/2 gallons, you can’t really fit in a filter, so you are not getting rid of that waste effectively.
Another thing is that, when there is little room and bad conditions, a Betta is not going to be active. They will get fat, if they aren’t killed by something else, and then they might get diseases associated with obesity like fatty liver disease.
The third tank that you showed is a much better choice size-wise, but there are still a couple problems with it, and this relates to a Betta’s needs as a species. As you probably noticed, Betta’s have quite the fins. That’s all lovely, except that they tend to act as sails with high current, and they will be battered around in a tank with lots of aeration (which they don’t need anyway, since they take air both from their gills and from actual atmospheric air, which they can manage with their labyrinth organ, which is somewhat similar to lungs, but not nearly as advanced). Being unable to move in a straight line is obviously very stressful, and if they can they might start biting their own fins off to reduce the “sail effect”- I’ve actually had this happen when I bought a filter with a ridiculously strong current for my younger Betta. Another thing is that Bettas don’t like really bright light, it scares them. And what you have in that tank is a really really bright light with lots of bubbles that create current, which means that the Betta will be thrown around without control while at the same time being blinded, which would just…not be fun for the Betta, and not be a comfortable living space. I don’t even know why they sell those darn things.
What I would recommend is something like the Minibow 2.5 gallon, which comes with a filter as well as the tank. I’ve found that at Walmart they sell it for literally 1/2 the price that pet stores do. You might want to look around online too, to get a decent price for it. I recommend against the Minibow 5 gallon, the filter that comes with is a nightmare…gah. The filter for the 2.5 one is great though. A 5 gallon would be ideal, but you could scrape by with a 2.5 gallon if you think a 5 gallon is too expensive. I strongly recommend against anything smaller than 2 1/2 gallons.
Add to a 2 1/2 gallon tank a filter, preferably one with settings so you can lower the flow if the current is too strong (if the tank doesn’t come with a filter), a heater rated for small tanks, like the Hydor Mini Heater, some gravel, and some plants (either live or silk, plastic plants will rip a Betta’s fragile fins). If you see a plant you really like but you aren’t sure if it is soft enough, running a pair of pantyhose (one never exposed to soap) along it will let you know if it is okay, if it doesn’t rip the pantyhose it won’t rip fins. She might also appreciate a cave, my Bettas absolutely adore their caves, and the ability to hide if they are frightened by something makes them much more at ease. For food, you’ll want a food meant specifically for Bettas, they are carnivorous (whereas most other common tropical fish are omnivorous). I feed my Bettas Hikari Betta Bio Gold Pellets, they get 4 pellets a day which is plenty, their stomach is the size of one of their eyes. I also feed them frozen bloodworms, freeze dried brine shrimp, and freeze dried medley as treats, to bring out their color
SOLD: Copper Monster Marble Veiltail Betta Males
|
|
Fascinations USB Desktop Aquarium $24.99 Anyone can put a pencil holder on a desk – why settle for that when you can have something infinitely cooler, like this USB-powered desktop aquarium. The ingenious design recirculates and aerates the water, while the integrated color changing LED lights provide a captivating display. But that’s just the beginning, since this caddy also features an adjustable overhead light, LCD calendar with time,… |
