New Betta owner

[lionsftb52]

hey everyone, i'm planning on going out this weekend to buy everything i need for a betta. So i was wondering if anyone can give me reccommendations on what brands i should get i.e. Tank, heater, light, filter. and what kind.
And anything else i might need.

I'm planning on either getting a 3or5 gal tank with one betta, moss balls, ghost shrimp and snail. i'm not sure on if i want live plants yet or not depending if i can find some locally(i live in stillwater OK) or if someone can point me in the direction of buying them online i'd be grateful. But if i do i will probably have a mix of live and fake plants.

thank you for all the help!

[aokashi]

Originally Posted by lionsftb52

hey everyone, i'm planning on going out this weekend to buy everything i need for a betta. So i was wondering if anyone can give me reccommendations on what brands i should get i.e. Tank, heater, light, filter. and what kind.
And anything else i might need.

I'm planning on either getting a 3or5 gal tank with one betta, moss balls, ghost shrimp and snail. i'm not sure on if i want live plants yet or not depending if i can find some locally(i live in stillwater OK) or if someone can point me in the direction of buying them online i'd be grateful. But if i do i will probably have a mix of live and fake plants.

thank you for all the help!

price wise, I do recommend the hagen elite 25w heaters with an adjustable knob. usually less than $15 from amazon.

if you havent decided on live plants, I will also hold off on the shimps and snails. a 5 gallon is just fine for 1 betta fish. stocking more is a little too adventurous :)

I love the azoo mignon 60 filters. they are ultra quite and doesnt take up tank space.

if you can find a sprig of fast growing plant, I'm sure you will have a tank full by the end of a month ;) I highly recommend water wisteria for the ease of keeping, fast growth and it's beauty. I believe some members are selling this right now.

If you cant find any, you can pm me and I can sell you a plant package (providing the place you live isn't freezing.)

now plants are very beautiful. I planted my 2.5 gallon, you can do so much more with a 5 gallon. before you plant anything, make sure you are able to buy a 6500k bulb for your light (you can go down to 5000k and up to 10000k).

personally I use a student clamp lamp. the bulbs are easy to find. if you have a home depot nearby I believe they have clamp lamps for $6 which you can place over the glass of your tank cover.

If you are not going for a planted tank, I recommend you look into cycling. with a filter your tank should gradually cycle anyway. but it's always good to know when you can stop doing those tedious 100% water changes :)

hope this helps and welcome the the betta keeping hobby

[Friendlyfishies]

I have to say though, I used to like smaller tanks til I got the 10 gal, I dont think ill ever go back lol. Ive never had a 10 gal for a betta before! My fish is in
heaven with all the space. I added live plants too and hes so happy. 5 gal is great too and usually 5 is a fav of mine, but i think ive been converted. I got my 10 gal for $27 at walmart, came with hood and filter. you can use the plastic bottle baffle suggestions in one of the stickys to baffle the filter and slip a piece of porous sponge over the intake. I also upgraded my bulbs which cost $8 each at petco (better for plants) and my heater was $15 so all in all I spent $27 (tank with hood and filter) + $15 (Upgraded lights) + $15 (heater) +10 (small bag sand and gravel) + $30 (plants) = $90.00

buying on the internet can run a little more $ for instance the walmart website sells the same tank i paid $27 for for i think $37? Not sure why lol.



Ive spent a lot of money in mistakes, I have a collection of 3 2.5 gals, glass hoods, divided 5 gals, filters of all kinds...ive spent so much in mistakes to never be happy with the final outcome, this 10 gal is the happiest ive been and the most sensible cost wise ive found yet. Just thought id throw it out there :)

[shellieca]

I always watch Petsmart for the kits on sale. For example I bought a 10g Top Fin kit which includes the light hood, filter & heater for under $40. So far I've had no problems with any of the equipment, I have 3 10g tank kits up & running right now. What the main expense is is all of the fun stuff to go inside; substrate, plants, & decorations. Depending on how much of a hurry you are in, you can get some pretty good deals with patience. Another good source is Craigslist, many times people are selling complete set ups for really cheap.

[BETTACHKALOVE]

I also would buy aquarium salt which you can find in the pet store ,and epsom salt that you can find in any pharmacy. And be careful when you buy a betta, watch for any sign of the sicknesses. I would suggest if you are not experienced, wait until they get new shipment to insure you getting healthy betta.

Also quarantine your betta for a few weeks to insure it not sick and you not ending up disinfecting everything. The same with live plants, which also can carry diseases.
Water conditioner i am really recommending is Prime Seachem. It the best water conditioner in case you have heard water,ph problem or anything else. And before you go to buy a betta i would say it good idea test your water. They can do it in the store. Bring the water from home and i guess you will need to put water conditioner and give them to test it.

And if you will buy 3 gall tank you don't even need the filter . You can do 1-50 and 1-100% water changes a week.

[Thomasdog]

Since no one has covered food as far as I can tell:
It is good to have a variety of food on hand. Of course, live food is always the best but trust me, it's hard to find and keep alive (at least for me) . I feed New Life Betta Spectrum, everybody loves it. Something else that is good to have is frozen brine shrimp, which are a good treat. Most petcos sell them.
I would pretty much stay away from flakes too.
Just my input!
Keep us updated and good luck!! :)

[whiskandbowl]

Here's what I have and recommend

Petco Bookshelf 6.6gal kit (comes with filter)
Filter floss
API Master liquid test kit (buy on Amazon, it's $30+ in stores)
Prime water conditioner
Stress Coat
Aquarium salt
Gravel or sand
Suction cup thermometer
Via Aqua 50w heater (I also really like Hagen Elites)
Plants, live or plastic. Moss balls
Decor- driftwood, caves, arches, etc
Omega One, New Life Spectrum, or Aqueon pellets (or all)
Freeze Dried Bloodworms for treats/ frozen foods

I also like to have a small heater and Kritter Keeper on hand for treating illnesses

[Wendyjo]

You don't really need to quarantine if he's going to be in a tank by himself. He basically will be in quarantine already.

[lionsftb52]

wow thank you everyone for the advice!! i was wondering if this would be a good start, filter and light wise.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marina-Style...item4d01411e32

if not i'm going to just buy everything seperately and get what everyone is reccommending. also there is only a petco here in stillwater so i'm going to OKC since they have a couple more pet stores for me to check out. also i would need a tank that would fit on my night stand that is 20in x 20in so if i can find a 10 gal one i definitely will