I really want to get a King Betta for my tank when it's done cycling. My question is: will a King be happy in a 3.3g KK? Also, the only thing I've heard for their care being different than other bettas is that they may eat more than a regular one. If possible to get one, what is the proper care? Do they need anything special?
I have two king bettas and I prefer to keep them in as big of a tank as I can. My boys are both in their own 5.5 planted tanks and it seems the perfect size for them..I personally wouldn't want to go any smaller if I could, but honestly, I think a 3.3 gallon would be fine for them. Plus, anything is better than a cold cup!
Yes, they do eat more...they're bigger! I usually feed my normal size bettas about 2-3 pellets....I feed my kings more like 5.
You are going to love your king if you get one! IME, my kings have been the most social with me and have the cutest quirks and personalities
The 3.3 gallon KK won't cycle, so you honestly don't need to wait on it. Tanks under 5 gallons have a hard time cycling and keeping any cycle it may make. Just not enough water surface for it to survive on.
As far as the size for it.. it would feel more comfortable in a 5+ gallon tank. You can pick up a 6.6 gallon tank at Petco for $50 (bookshelf aquarium) or I believe I saw a 5 gallon set up at Walmart for $25 recently. A 3.3 gallon is great for a normal, single betta.
I would prefer to have a king in a 5 gal, or that 6.6 if I had a King..I love those, they need room, big fishy's opt for something a tad bigger..with some nice plants, silk or live..and a great hiding cave..Hope all goes well..Post pix..when you can:) Would love to see your new King!
Last edited by lelei; 10-18-2012 at 02:24 PM.
Reason: missed something
Tanks under 5g are just as easy to cycle and just as stable IF you have enough filter foam in the filter and/or in the flow. Big sponge filters meet this requirement. There are many members here who are running stable cycled 2.5g and 3g tanks.
That said, a Petco King, especially if he is active, would really appreciate a 5g at least.
My findings on kings/giants...of which I have collected a fair amount,lol.
I think with the giants you'd have a better shot at them getting their biggest in big tanks but I'll address what I think is the smallest possible tank you could use and keep your water parameters OK based on personal experience.
They are just fine in a 2-3g provided you do a 50% water change every other day. It gets to be a PITA...really, it does. They eat A LOT therefore create a lot of waste. I do have a few in one gallon containers but they are bare containers that get a 70% water change daily. These are my females hanging out waiting for the sorority tank to cycle :) I think you can cycle a small tank with regular bettas but the kings/giants just make too much waste.
5g seem to be a very good cheap workable size but it can be just a tad tricky keeping the water quality stable. In my area the cost of a 5g is nearly the same as a 10g so...
A divided 10g works great. There is enough water to keep things stable, super easy to cycle and you get to keep two fish in there. This is how I keep my giants. They go in a 29g tank for breeding but right back in their half of the 10g to live.
I'm super cheap. I buy the 10g glass tanks from Wal-Mart. $9. I have some of the reptile tops $7 and some of the versa-tops $13. I like these better than the full hoods $29. You can set a strip light on either the reptile top or the versa top. I have switched over to sand. It's waaay easier to keep clean and I think it provides more than enough surface area for good bacteria to grow. I use a fairly thin layer in my tanks. About 3/4 of an inch. I was always having to clean my gravel tanks but the sand tanks only require a quick vacuum and a 50% water change every two weeks. Easy peasy! I do use fake plants because my real plants have all died though. It's because I don't provide a regular light cycle.
Regarding sand: the play sand looks nicer to me. It's much finer but you have to rinse it really really well. The pool sand is more coarse but easier to rinse.
Oh, one more thing. The big bettas do fine with regular filters. No baffles are needed. I have sponge filters in all my tanks but will be using a canister filter for the sorority just because it's gonna need heavier filtration than the tanks with one or two fish.
Last edited by Ilikebutterflies; 10-20-2012 at 12:21 PM.
their needs are pretty much the same as any breed of splendens, except for the obvious considerations for their size. whereas i'd never keep a regular betta in anything less than a 3g, i'd bump that up to a 5g for a king or giant. also, you'd be better off feeding them 3-4 pellets per serving rather than 2-3 for a regular betta. beyond that, there are several distinct differences between kings and giants. giant bettas (as i've read, never been lucky enough to own one) come from fighting lines a lot more recently than most domesticated bettas, so they tend to have a lot more aggression and energy, so it's important to give them a very well decorated tank with plenty of hiding spots, minimally reflective tank walls (acrylic rather than glass works best here) and a lot of "stuff" to hold their interest. kings, however, have been noted by many keepers (myself included) for being very docile and laid-back. they prefer to "cruise" in the water rather than flit about like many bettas, so keep any ornaments that could interrupt a swimming path fairly low in the tank, and plants around the rims of the tank to give them plenty of open-swimming area. kings are considered by lots of people to be ideal "community" bettas, and i've had good experience keeping them with both livebearers and ADFs. giants, however, are best kept totally alone, since their aggression makes them an increased liability to any tankmates you might try to pair them with.
I really want to get a King Betta for my tank when it's done cycling. My question is: will a King be happy in a 3.3g KK? Also, the only thing I've heard for their care being different than other bettas is that they may eat more than a regular one. If possible to get one, what is the proper care? Do they need anything special?
No they are ten gallon Carter's not a giant but loves swimming aquariums are not for the cheap.
Last edited by ChoclateBetta; 10-26-2012 at 04:43 PM.
There are no differences between 'giant' Betta and King Betta. ("King" is merely Petco's marketing term.) Their sizes vary, just as standard Betta sizes vary. Many Aquabid 'giants' are smaller than some Petco Kings.
Their personalities vary as well.
They are each a product of some breeders more-or-less successful attempt at producing a larger-than-standard sized Betta. And there are other factors besides genetics that determine final size: early development, feeding/food quality and exposure to stunting hormone among them...but not tank size.
A 'giant' breeder is unlikely to deliberately breed 'fighter' genes into his 'giant' line unless the 'fighter' is really, really big.
I recently purchased a smallish King from Petco. He may not reach even 3 inches (body only) when he's fully grown. Does that mean he's not a giant? If he has the genetics of a giant, he's a giant, even if he's not much bigger than a large standard.
Another misconception is that the amount of water determines the stability of a tank's cycle. In fact, the amount of surface area of the filter media plus substrate area plus tank/plant/decor area determines the stability (resistance to change or mini-cycle) of the tank/filter system. Water flow through the media and oxygenation are also major determining factors.
I venture to say that the small cycled tanks that many of us run, are as stable or more than a larger tank with insufficient media, oxygenation and flow.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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I usually feed my normal size bettas about 2-3 pellets....I feed my kings more like 5.
