Betta Fish on a Budget??????

[stephnh]

My betta fish was present and I currently have a small tank (about a gallon), so I'm looking to upgrade his tiny tank and get him a filter, heater, and some plants. Seeing as I am a poor college student, I'm trying to keep costs down while still providing a happy environment for my betta.

Any suggestions on a cheap tank (around 2.5 gallons)/ filter / heater / plants / water conditioner / other betta necessities?

[eemmais]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hawkeye-5-...-Pets/14660258 this is a five gallon but its really cheap! And for the other things, order from amazon. Make sure you browse through a lot of suggestions to find the best deal :)

[ChoclateBetta]

Craigslist.

[SinX7]

You can try your local Petsmart or Petco. My local petsmart is having a sale on a 10 Gallon with hood for $28. and for filter and all those, it varies, but if you want it to be cheap, get all those stuff from Amazon. Worth the wait. and Get a adjustable heater!

[ChoclateBetta]

Dollar per gallon sale at petco.

[NorthernLights]

OK....

Wal-Mart is going to be your friend. They have some very suitable plastic plants that are soft enough to use with a betta -- you might need to trim some edges with scissors. One is a largish amazon sword plant ($4) and there are others that are just labelled as small plastic plants. Look for ones that feel nice and soft, and don't have sharp bits.

You can get aquarium salt there (Jungle brand) for about $3 and also a glass thermometer with suction cup for $1.50.

A good adjustable heater will run you close to $30 and you can't get that kind at wal-mart but they do have non-adjustable ones for about $17. Not ideal, but they will do.

As for tanks, you can get an AquaCulture 360 degree view aquarium (3 gallons) including light and undergravel filter for $30. Just make sure to examine it carefully before you buy because many crack in transit. There is also a two-gallon version.

In all truth, the best water conditioners (like Prime) and foods are available at places like Petco and Petsmart, and they are fairly cheap.

[pittipuppylove]

Dunno if it's it's just my local PetSmart or not, but right now they have a 5.5 gallon kit on sale for $27 with a tank, hood, and filter. I got this kit for the hood and tank and got my own filter, but it could definately work for a betta if you baffled it like mad. If you want a smaller tank, Petsmart has a standard 2.5 gallon glass tank and cover (it's not a hood, just a hinged glass cover) for less than $15. After that, Amazon is awesome.

[birdielikestomatoes]

Amazon is amazing for finding reliable fish supplies at a decent cost. Here's a list of some stuff that I've found or have been looking at that you might also be interested in.

Heater : http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersi...I2H4CV3XO7932F I've have the 25w heater in my 5g and it works great.

Tanks: http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Style-G...2953850&sr=1-5 It's a 5g kit that also comes with a filter and some other supplies. However I'd buy a different thermometer as the stick ons aren't that great.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarius-Aq150...=5+gallon+tank This one also has a filter and it's currently on sale for $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-GloFish-...953887&sr=1-46 This one is a 3g. It also has a filter.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarius-Aq125...954651&sr=1-88

To be honest the best tanks are usually the 5-10g in terms of pricing.

Water Conditioner: Prime is the best I've heard. I currently use API tap water conditioner which is a bit cheaper but also works well. And of course there is also API stress coat which is also a water conditioner I believe.

Decorations: Petsmart has better ornamants in my opinion however Petco has a large selection of silk plants.


Thermometer: http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Floatin...2954416&sr=1-1 You can also find a thermometer in Petsmart and Petco. I just love this thermometer though, which is why I posted it.

[crowntaillove]

On Black Friday go to Petco. I'm pretty sure they're putting their aquariums on sale.

[paloverde]

Adding to all of the wonderful suggestions, Goodwill, Salvation Army thrift stores, Paws and Claws thrift stores, garage sales, and put the word out to friends & family, lots of unused fish tanks are collecting dust.