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Betta Fish Tank Size

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  LittleBettaFish 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok so here's the deal. My friend bought me one blue veil taled betta for my birthday but the tank that he bought me can only hold 1/2 a gallon of water. It is made by Marina and is called Marina Betta pals kit. Is this really enough space for my betta?
 
#2 ·
Its mostly up to personal preference half gallons are much harder to keep a stable living space plus you would have to do lots of water changes per week. While on the other hand larger tanks = less cleaning but it takes up more room. So really its up to you and your new buddy :)
 
#3 · (Edited)
No. Its too small...1/2 need to be changed 100% every single day.

Here is a super basic betta guide:

-A tank equal or greater than 1 gallon
-A thermometer
-A heater, heating water to at least 76F, but a preferred 80F
-A decent brand of food like Omega One Betta Pellets
-At least 1 silk plant rest on or a cave to hide in, better if both
-1 gal need to changed every 3 days, 2 gal changed every 4, 3 gal every 5, etc
-You should make at least 1 water change per week, full or partial

^ these are the things you should have to keep your betta healthy.

Personally, I would buy a 2.5 gallon, its a great size for 1 betta. Petsmart has a really basic one for $15. You should also try get a heater, a good one is the elite 25w, it can be used in tanks from 2.5gal-5gal.
 
#4 ·
IMO/E, anything under a gallon is not appropriate for a betta. It usually leads to an unstable environment and really doesn't give them enough room to move around. I would try to upgrade him to a one gallon or larger tank or bowl (I like tanks... Bowls distort the image) with a heater.
 
#5 ·
Betta food

Are these types of food okay for my betta?

HBH branded betta pellets (Bites and Treats)
Nutrafin Max betta flakes
Zoo Med branded betta dial a treat (Bloodworms, Daphnia, or Mysis)

I DO NOT feed them all at once. An example of how I feed him would be a little bit of flakes and something from the dial a treat. Also, why does my betta always spit out his pellets? I thought bettas love pellets?

I do a full water change once every week. I scrub out the tank and the rocks and the plastic plant that I have.
 
#6 ·
The first two foods are high in filler and low in high quality proteins, and the third treat is just that- a treat. They should only be fed once a week. I would switch to omega one or new life spectrum pellets... They are much higher quality and much healthier. Feeding those pellets might also get your betta to stop spitting out his pellets.

A once a week water change is not enough at all on a 1/2g tank. If you aren't going to upgrade (which you should... Tiny tanks are lots of work and less then ideal), you should be doing at least a 100% water change every second day.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Also, when my betta flares, he kinda has some red marks if you look at the inside of his gills. Is this because his gills are inflamed?

What type of flakes do you recommend?
The treats should only be fed to him once a week right?





Sorry about so many questions. Im new to this stuff :)
 
#10 ·
Fish exposed to ammonia will often look like they are gasping or breathing more heavily than usual. Their fins may be clamped and held close to their bodies. They may dart about the tank and flash or scratch themselves due to the irritation caused by the ammonia. However, they may also be much more lethargic and just lay on the bottom of the tank.

In severe cases you may see red streaking on the fins and inflamed looking gills.

Ammonia is toxic in very small amounts and in a 1/2 gallon tank you will see it build up quite quickly without very regular water changes.

If you want to keep a tank in the 1-2.5 gallon tank range, I think a liquid ammonia test kit should be an essential purchase. You cannot see or smell ammonia in the water. Just because your water looks clean does not mean it cannot contain fatal levels of ammonia.

Also a 1/2 gallon tank is harder to heat to a stable and consistent temperature. Most of the heaters designed for tanks this size are non-adjustable and can cause swings in temperature because they usually only heat up to five degrees above room temperature.
 
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