I've had a Veiltale male for about a year. He's in about a gallon tank.
I've been reading around though and I think I want to get a larger one because I think he would like it. Are bettas okay with moving tanks? What are some tips for doing this? I've heard of "cycling," what does this mean? Do I need a filter?
What is the best size tank for 1 fish? I was thinking 5 gallons. Are live plants necessary?
Also, I was looking for heater recommendations. I don't mind spending a few extra bucks for one that actually works and won't kill my fish.
And for testing waters, does anyone have kits that they recommend? I've heard this one is good.
First off, yes Bettas are OK in moving from one tank to another, just remember to acclimate so he won't get into shock. 5 gallons is perfect! Get the largest tank you can get, he would appreciate the space. Remember to get more horizontal space as Bettas don't like swimming vertically, they're labyrinths will have to make them come up for air. Hydor THEO heaters work really well and they're adjustable. I have it for my 3.5 and it's great! Do you want a link? Oh and yes, that's the best testing kit of them all. Unless you get those machine ones, but those cost around $100. lol
Here ya go. :D Oh, and 25 watts is good for 5 gallons and below. 50 watts is good for 10 gallons to 15, etc., etc. Acclimating is the process of letting the fish adjust to the new water. Like... Tank #1 has soft water and is 60F. Tank #2 has hard water and is 78F. If the Betta was in #1, and just got "plopped" into #2, it would go into shock, get very stressed, and possibly die. The change of parameters will stress the Betta and make it weak. Oh, and the water is measured hard or soft by the amount of minerals it has. Soft is a low amount, hard is a big amount.
No problemo. (; I use this tank but I don't use the filter, it was too strong. You should be able to find a plain tank in Petcos or Petsmarts.
I forgot to explain cycling. xD It's just the process of 2 special bacteria building a big enough colony to eat up ammonia and nitrite. The bacteria are called nitrosomas and nitrospira. It may 4-6 weeks and a filter is needed for this to happen.
They don't like strong filters, but slow flow filters will do them just fine. You just want the filter to not make such a current to make the Betta struggle to swim. And stop saying thank you, it's fine. I like helping people.
Learn about cycling a tank. Start with the stickies near the top of the "Tanks and Habitats" section of this forum. Read anything else you can find online. It's not really straightforward to understand, but it's not rocket science, either.
You will want to cycle your tank; it's better for your fish. For this you'll need a filter. I recommend sponge filters because they're gentle on the fish and are good for cycling. We'll be glad to help with any questions.
Acclimating, as Lebron explained, is for matching temperature and water conditions when you're placing a fish into a new tank.
---catch him in a cup. Go slow
---float the cup in the new tank which should have conditioned water at the right temperature (~80*0
---slowly replace the water in the cup with tank water (1/4cup at a time is fine) over about 1/2 hour,
---sink the cup to release him into his new tank.
Last bit of advice: READ this forum a lot. Investigate any thread which might answer any questions or be remotely interesting or useful.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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