...Worried about this little guy...

[BettaMiah]

My friend's little brother has a Betta. He won it at his schools carnival (I begged them not to give away fish, at least I talked them out of Goldfish.)

He got him in a little 1 gallon bowl. For a while it was empty, but this last time he had a leaf hammock, a very large plant that provided pretty good cover, and some gravel. He was lying on the bottom and there was poo on the walls and stuff. He is a veiltail, and he looked clamped. Its a blizzard here, they don't have a heater, and certainly no lamp will heat this bowl.

Is this okay? I feel bad. I might just buy them a 2.5 gallon drum myself. It would be better than nothing.

[Sakura8]

:( Poor little betta. A 1 gallon bowl is okay as long as they keep up with the water changes. OFL says in an unfiltered 1 gallon the water changes are 1 50% and 1 100% per week, as long as they clean out any uneaten food. If they leave food and stuff in there, they'd better change the water every other day, at least 50%.

However, if they don't think they do that many water changes, then a bigger bowl would be better. They could get a heater, like a Hagen Elite 25w heater that is adjustable. It's sweet of you to want to buy him a bowl yourself.

Do they have power or is it just that they don't have a lamp to heat the bowl? He's gonna freeze to death. I hope the water temp is at least in the 60's. If they haven't cleaned his bowl in a while AND the temp is really low, he will most likely get very sick.

[BettaMiah]

I honsetly doubt they do many water changes. Do you know where I could get a nice 2.5 gallon cheap? The poor baby needs help. He's actually got some pretty unique coloring. He's a typical 'boring' PetSmart betta, but he should still get the best of care.


They have power, but not heat or anything. Maybe i'll also give them my old Gravel Vac and teach him how to use it. I don't know. Something has to be done. And a plastic bowl would be easy to heat.

[audjree]

a good, cheap 2.5 gal right here: http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...26amp%3B+Bowls

it comes with just a tank, but it's good for $13. good luck!

[BettaMiah]

That's a little expensive. i could get him a ten gallon for 2$ left...

I should wait for the gallon per $ sale. It'll be like 3$.

[Luimeril]

get a Kritter Keeper, like this:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752730
the 2 gallon ones are only around $10-ish.

[BettaMiah]

Eh... Maybe. Kritter keepers are iffy I have heard.

Are they not?

[Luimeril]

i use them with no issues. out of my 6, four of them are in the 2 gallon ones. they're not pretty, but they do the job great!

[LionCalie]

I think a heater would be more important purchase for the little guy.

[Sakura8]

I have kept my boys in kritter keepers too but I have noticed they heat up faster and the plastic can get warm. Other than that, no issues at all.

Also, sadly, it doesn't pay to wait for the $ a gallon sale. Petco only puts certain tanks on sale and the smallest is a 10g.

Your best bets are to get a kritter keeper or the 2.5g glass tank. I've looked and a 2 gallon drum bowl is over $20. But I agree that a heater is most important. I don't know if you can find it near you but the 25w Hagen Elite is a good adjustable heater, as is the Cascade 25w. Non-adjustable heaters have mixed reviews.

But even if you can't buy him anything at all, just educating them on water changes will do absolute wonders for the little guy, Miah.