Upgrading Tank Possibly

[hanmasali]

Hi everyone,

I was thinking about possibly upgrading my bettas fish tank. I am a college student and will be living in an apartment this up and coming school year. I currently have two 2.5 gallon tanks, one of which stays at home all year and one that I bought in order to take to school with me. However, my friend just got a larger tank for her gold fish and has a 10 gallon tank she'd be able to spare. Cost wise, I don't think it makes too much sense to upgrade at the moment because I just bought 10 new filters for my Whisper 3i filter currently in the 2.5 gallon tank.

Now obviously, I would have to get a larger filter, more gravel, possibly more decorations, etc. for the little guy. On my smaller budget, I don't think that this is a possibility, although, I would love to be able to upgrade him so he has more space. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and options for filters/heaters/plants/etc. Whatever you would recommend I do. I appreciate all feedback. Thanks! :)

[Kytkattin]

When you say you bought 10 new filters, you mean the replacement cartridges? Long term you could potentially save quite a bit of money by switching filter types. I strongly recommend the Hagen power filters. You can choose which media you put in, meaning you can skip carbon altogether (if you want) and then you don't have to worry about replacing filter media once a month. Instead you would just wash out one part (sponge or ceramics) in old tank water. You would need to baffle this filter, but I have found that taking one of the sponges meant for the inside of the filter and rubber banding it to the front works wonders. My water is actually too still for my liking.

http://www.petco.com/product/4051/Aq...:referralID=NA

Of course you don't have to get a new filter. You could use your old one for now and just supplement with more water changes. The same thing goes for the gravel. It is not needed, it is something we put in to make the tank look better for us. Yes, it can help with an established tank in that it does provide a place for more beneficial bacteria to grow, but you don't need it. You could easily use whatever you have for now.

So that means the only thing you absolutely need is a heater. I can't be much help on recommending any particular brands because I get all of my heaters second hand. Just make sure it is adjustable. I don't like preset much, and on anything bigger than 5 gallons you really should get something you can set.

Does the tank come with a light? Again, this is something we use to appreciate the fish, and could be supplemented with a desk lamp.

You could also divide the tank.... Then you could have your two 2.5s at home and the 10 gallon divided at college. 10s are great to divide, but that is just me being a betta addict...

[CoverMeInClay]

If nothing else if you have another tank, you can get more pretties to love and care for, you could always divide it for 2 or 3 more betta.

[Draug Isilme]

I agree wth Kytkattin. Heater is pretty much your main concern, unless you don't like the idea of changing your water a bit more frequently. Especially since you'll be going to college, and I know how busy that can become.. but if you do use your old filter for now, you wouldn't be wasting anything. You can also save up for things like that and gravel and anything else you'd like over a period of time. It'll be a slow process, but good things come to those who wait, and I'm sure it'll help appreciate your 10g even more if you do decide to go with it. Just make sure you go with the essentials first ^.^