how big should my tank be?

[shemetz]

ok here is my delemma. i am getting a betta fish tomarrow and i dont have alot of space but i want my tank to be a helthy sise for 1 betta. can you help?

[FancyFins]

At least 2.5 gallons is best. Though 5 is even better :)

[shemetz]

does it matter what shape the tank is?

[1fish2fish]

At least 2.5 gallons.. you also NEED to get a heater.. that is very important.

Shape doesn't really matter but horizontal is much better than vertical. Also spherical bowls can cause eye problems

[shemetz]

so no circular tanks?

[1fish2fish]

circular is ok.. just not spherical.. like a ball shape. Personally prefer rectangular shaped tanks or bow front tanks.

[1077]

Five gallon heated,filtered,cycled tank would be ideal. Saw a 6 gallon bookshelf tank the other day at Petco while shopping for foods. Would in my view be a very nice set up and doesn't take a lot of space. IMHO

[xxabc]

5gallon is optimal. It's simply nicer to the betta fish if you want to be kind. The smaller the tank, the more you must take care of it.

1077, I thought Petco stopped selling those?

[1077]

Originally Posted by xxabc

5gallon is optimal. It's simply nicer to the betta fish if you want to be kind. The smaller the tank, the more you must take care of it.

1077, I thought Petco stopped selling those?

I only saw the one six gallon so perhaps it was/is, last of what they had. I remember thinking that it would make a nice enviornment for a Betta ,but then I suppose there are those who would split it into thirds and any benefit the fish may have realized would have been lost.

[TeenyTinyTofu]

I saw that 6 gallon bookshelf tank at my Petco the other day too. It looked really nice and came with everything I think. I believe the price was around $45.

Shemetz, I agree, a 5 gallon tank would be best. I had Tofu in a 2 gallon bowl that was unfiltered and it was a pain because I was always having to do complete water changes, and he just seemed unhappy.

I went to Walmart and picked up a 5 gallon tank set that came with a 5 gallon glass tank, the hood, light, and filter. And it was only $29.98 for the setup. All I needed to buy extra was the heater.