Is this possible? re:betta

[Andyandsue]

We originally had our betta in our 3 gallon, with a snail. The betta never really moved much, always stayed in the corner. Once in a while he would float around a bit but that was it, always ended up in the corner again sitting in a particular plant. He didn't look unhealthy, just lazy. The water parameters always checked out ok in the other tank, it was fully cycled. I thought he needed a heater so I added one but that didn't change a thing.

Against what I felt was the 100% correct thing, I moved him to a one gallon tank, along with his favorite plant that I trimmed down to fit. He seems so much happier now, slowly swimming all over the place, going up and down, side by side and displaying nicely.

Could he really be happier in a one gallon without a heater????

Also, can a betta do without the air pump running at night?

[blueblue48]

it might very well be possible. i took my betta out of his 2.5 and into a 30 gallon for overnight while i clean and cycle his tank and stayed on the surface in the back left corner the whole time, that is until i put him back in his 2.5

[Andyandsue]

As much as I hate to admit it, I bought this betta at Petco, my one and only fish purchase there- only because my LFS didn't have any bettas for weeks and I had promised my son. I felt like betta rescue going to Petco. My LFS keeps them in small "cubes" with filters, gravel and a live plant. Anyway, if he was born, raised, and kept in a cup, maybe it's possible a smaller space feels more... homey? Sort of like a dog and their crate if they crate-trained. Which of course my dog is not, she thinks the couch or bed is more homey. LOL

[basicloser]

How long have you tried having your betta in the 3 gallon tank (which is still to small IMHO). It could be that he was used to the cup for so long that he doesn’t feel like he should be able to swim around. It’s really the same thing with anything, if you treat it badly and never do something that might come naturally to it then it will be unsure if it is aloud to do this. This was never the case with either of the betas I had, when I put them in my 44 gallon tank they loved it and swam all over the place…the second one did this but was a little slow at doing it. My first betta had the tank to himself for a while so he was comfy.

You should get a ten gallon tank and set it up nicely, cycle it and then put the betta in it. I can guarantee that you will see more movement and life to the betta if you do so, then of coarse once he is comfortable you can give him some tank mates!

[Andyandsue]

He was in the 3 gallon for about a month. He would swim up and down but always in the one corner and in his favorite plant. First I thought the current may have been too strong for him so I turned off the filter for a bit and it didn't change.

I did say in my post that after putting him in the one gallon, he truly seems happier. I bought an air line splitter so I could tone down the current a bit in that little tank, he really swims all over the tank, not just in the corner, and he's displaying more. When he "rests" he still does so in his favorite plant, and he has a snail as a tank mate.

The only thing that I can think of is that he was born and raised in a cup so maybe he feels more secure. I nothing against a large tank but I have no room for another 10-gallon without a direct window/draft. The 1 gallon is in my son's room, and is "safe" there.

While a one gallon tank (with gravel, plants and a filter by the way) may not be a dream tank for a fish, you have to admit it's better than a pint sized cup on a store shelf or even a glass bowl. Someone once said that it's like a person living in a motel room versus a 2 bedroom apartment, which is better even if that person wants a 3 bedroom house? I think that was a good analogy.