A few living condition questions

[rissah]

I am not exactly new to Betta fish, but I am by no means experienced. I've only owned 2, both from Wal-Mart, and both kept in medium sized fish bowls, which I realize now; may not have been the best for them.

I want to get a Betta for my college dorm room, but several issues arise when picking their living quarters;

-size, because we can only have up to 10 gallons
-the way it runs because I have a month for winter break, and don't want to leave the fish obviously, but I certainly can't haul a large tank home
-how it operates, for what if the power goes out?

So I've done some looking around and I found this tank that I like a lot, and it can run on batteries if need be.

Now my questions:

1. Will the tank be okay for 1 Betta?
2. What type of heater would be a good choice?
3. If possible, are there any other small tanks anyone could recommend, that I could easily haul home, and preferably can run on batteries?

[vilmarisv]

I don't recomend you get such a small tank.
With everything you're going to have going on at college, it will be difficult for you to keep up with the multiple water changes this tank will need per week.
Look at 5 galon tanks, they will be forgiving when have to skip a water change.
You can take your fish home in a tupperware container and have a small tank there to use during your breaks.

[kfryman]

Originally Posted by vilmarisv

I don't recomend you get such a small tank.
With everything you're going to have going on at college, it will be difficult for you to keep up with the multiple water changes this tank will need per week.
Look at 5 galon tanks, they will be forgiving when have to skip a water change.
You can take your fish home in a tupperware container and have a small tank there to use during your breaks.

Very good advice! I would het a glass 5 gallon as acrylic scratches very easily. A 25watt heater or a 50 watt is fine. I find that buying things on Amazon is useful ad it is usually cheaper. I like the Ehiem Jager heater, but many love the Elite series heater which is much cheaper. A Tom Mini Internal filter is also an awesome filter it is quite so while sleeping or studying it won't be a bother and also it has adjustable flow and numerous different attachments to direct flow. If you order both of these at the same time you should get free shipping on Amazon. The filter is about $11.50 and the heater depends. Free shipping is $25 or more, which helps a college student out a lot.

[thekoimaiden]

I agree. Having a cycled tank in college was a huge time saver. I would actually recommend an acrylic tank. Yes they do scratch easily, but they weigh a lot less than a glass tank and are much easier to transport.

If the power goes out, there isn't usually much to worry about. Pull your filter media in your tank to avoid any die-off of the good bacteria. Or if you are using a sponge filter, get a battery-operated air pump. You can find cheap ones in the hunting/fish department of stores being sold as bait-bucket aerators. This will ensure you have filtration.

The biggest worry is the temperature. If it's in winter time, wrap blankets around the tank. They do a great job of keeping tanks warm. If it's summer, you probably don't have much to worry about. Just stop feeding your fish to prevent any more ammonia from accumulating.

Do you live in a place prone to power-outages?

[mursey]

Yes, that 1 gallon is dismal. Please get something bigger. Like everyone said the smaller the tank, the more often you need to change water, plus the faster things can go really wrong and hurt your fish. Not to mention it is a lot more fun for you to have a happy fish with some space, they are just more fun to watch and they will be more lively.

kfryman- Love the heater advice. As my tanks are all 76-82 without heaters, I don't have any but will need several in October when it cools down here.

[rissah]

Originally Posted by vilmarisv

I don't recomend you get such a small tank.
With everything you're going to have going on at college, it will be difficult for you to keep up with the multiple water changes this tank will need per week.
Look at 5 galon tanks, they will be forgiving when have to skip a water change.
You can take your fish home in a tupperware container and have a small tank there to use during your breaks.

I'd love to get a tank that big, but for only one fish? And I'm only staying in this dorm for a year then I am transferring to another college. I mean would a bowl be honestly that bad? Both my fish that I kept like that (knowing nothing about betta care at the time) lived for several years (which to me is pretty good, considering our Wal-Mart Bettas always look quite unhealthy).

I guess my qualms with such a large tank, are that I am only going to be staying at the dorms for one more year, then moving to another school (staying there for longer), also the cost of such a large tank; I'm not looking to turn this into a hobby/passion just yet (later when I have my own house), I just want a friend for my dorm.

[thekoimaiden]

A 5 gal tank is actually rather small. They really don't take up much room on a desk. I had one for all four years I was in college. Becuase I got a plexiglass tank, it was light and easy to move.

A good saying that I heard on another forum is minimum tank size means maximum care/maintenance. With a one gallon bowl you'll be doing at least two water changes a week. And we all know exam schedules just don't allow for that sometimes. So if you really do want a low-maintenance dorm friend, a 5 gal would be the way to go. You could probably pick a tank up for cheap at a second-hand store.

[rissah]

Okay, I'm starting to see what you guys mean. I've been looking at tanks and have found a few I like.

Now my next question would be:

If I did say a 5 gallon for my dorm, and maybe a 2 or 2.5 for home would that be alright? The fish would only be in this one for my breaks (longest being a month for winter).

Also can anyone recommend good heaters for both tanks?

[thekoimaiden]

A smaller tank for home would be just fine. You'll have the time to do maintenance on those. I like the Hydor theo 25W heater for small tanks. It's adjustable which is a big plus.