Cold Betta Fish

[toddkelly12]

I have a 15 gallon tank and I am kinda worried about my betta being too cold. im working on tackling his problem with the filter but will it hurt my betta for me to put a heater in the tank after he has already been in it for 2 days? i have read that temperature changes can kill your fish but i want to know from someone with experience. PLEASE HELP

Also his current temp is 72

[Cody]

You need a heater ASAP. Bettas need temperatures at the very lowest of 78 degrees.

[stephenmontero]

if you have the heater set it to 78 and place it in the water. The Heater will slowly warm out the water putting your fish in no danger just remember for heaters 5 watts per gallon

[Haeclark]

ya...and to think the lady at Petco said they can tolerate anything from 70-80! But then again she also said that "they live in tiny puddles" plus she [upon telling her ATM my NO2 was 0 and NO3 0 as well] told me the nitrates need to be allot higher! Think she was getting allot of info mixed up there...plus tells me Petco dose not care about any knowledge [or lack of] their staff has regarding fish!
Good thing I got a heater anyway!

[devilpony68]

I was at Petco today and they had a flier about care of Male Betta: temp requirements - 64-80, preferrably in the mid to high 70's. 64??!!! They are trying to make betta-sicles!

[Cody]

They like and will tolerate 78-86.

[toddkelly12]

well the heater is in. thanks everyone

[Arlie]

Hi
I am new to this website and this is my first post. I have a new male Betta in a one gallon glass bowl, the gold fish type, heavy glass bowl. Is it possible to attach a low watt heater to this type of bowl? Even though I live in Southern California it is getting cooler in the night and no heater on in the house. I might get a 2.5 gallon tank if the cost is not too much. I don't have room for anything larger right now.
Would the heater work well for that type tank? Do I HAVE to use a filter if I make water changes once a week?
Also , how many of those tiny Betta food pellets can I feed my one male per day? I have read so many different opinions online it is making me crazy?

Thank you so much for any replies to my multitude of questions.

Arlie
Los Angeles

[dramaqueen]

I don't know about the heater for a gallon bowl but a filter would be good but not absolutely necessary. You can feed your betta 2-3 pellets twice a day. You can also give him freeze dried or frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp, once or twice a week, as a treat. Hope this info helps.

[iamntbatman]

You don't *have* to use a filter, and honestly it would be pretty much impossible to find one suitable for a one-gallon bowl. However, filters do remove particle waste from the water and provide a great place for beneficial bacteria to grow and thus keep up your water quality.

Also, bettas need a temperature of around 78-80 degrees. Unfortunately, a one-gallon glass bowl is so small that temperature fluctuations are pretty much inevitable. In my experience, even the smallest of heaters can't maintain a good temperature in a tank this small and will often overheat the bowl. If I were you, I would look at getting at least a 2.5 tank (a standard 5.5g or even 10g tank would be better and would be about the same price as getting one of those 2.5g kits from Petsmart) and getting a low-flow filter and a heater.

For example, here's an Eclipse 3-gallon kit that would still need a heater for $45
Eclipse System 3 Aquarium by Marineland - Aquariums - Fish - PetSmart

But you could, instead, get a 10g tank for $11 from Petsmart, a cheapo fluorescent strip light from Home Depot for under $10, then buy:
The 20" glass canopy for $8:
Perfecto Glass Aquarium Lighting Canopies
And a filter like this one (the 10i) for $11:
Aquarium Filters: Whisper In-Tank Filters

And there you go...you've spent less money and have a tank that's three times bigger.