Best Betta Setup?

[Preposterous_Ponies]

Man oh man, you guys are really making me want to set up a betta sorority again. I miss my girls… They were so cute and fiesty. I’ll have to see if I convince they boyfriend that we “need” another tank… I’ve got an empt 20 gallon that would be perfect!

I’ve kept more bettas than I can count over the years. I’m a total fish addict and bettas are my favourite (well, next to my crayfish, he’s a total doll!).

One thing I will add is that it is perfectly acceptable to keep your betta in a small bowl or in those divided tanks. While a heated/filtered tank is ideal, bettas can survive and thrive in bowls. Bowls/jars/divided tanks require a crap load of upkeep though.

[SportingSun]

[QUOTE=Preposterous Ponies!;6455879]
Man oh man, you guys are really making me want to set up a betta sorority again. I miss my girls… They were so cute and fiesty. I’ll have to see if I convince they boyfriend that we “need” another tank… I’ve got an empt 20 gallon that would be perfect!

I’ve kept more bettas than I can count over the years. I’m a total fish addict and bettas are my favourite (well, next to my crayfish, he’s a total doll!).

One thing I will add is that it is perfectly acceptable to keep your betta in a small bowl or in those divided tanks. While a heated/filtered tank is ideal, bettas can survive and thrive in bowls. Bowls/jars/divided tanks require a crap load of upkeep though.[/QUOTE]

If you are willing to live in a closet, I guess you could keep a betta in a tiny betta bowl…

Betta fish are tropical fish. They do best 76-80 degree temps. You can keep a betta in a tank or bowl as small as 1 gal, but it MUST be heated if it doesn’t maintain a temp of at least 76. It is extremely hard to heat a tank of this size safely. I’ve had bettas all my life…so hopefully I would know.

[Preposterous_Ponies]

When you are breeding or have massive amounts of betta, it’s more practical to keep them in small bowls. But like I said, it requires massive amounts of upkeep to maintain these bowls: cleaning 20, .5 gallon bowls every single day is a heck of a lot of work.

[x]

I have a 5 gallon I kept a Betta in. I also have kept a Betta in a community 10 gallon and 15 gallon. I used a filter and heater with all three of them. I used live plants in the 10 and 15 gallon. If I ever reset up my 5 gallon, I may use a live plant in it also. Java ferns are easy plants that work well.

[Sannois]

@threedogpack

then help the OP instead of telling her/him to go elsewhere and do research.

I ran a small Mom and Pop Fresh water shop years ago, We kept bettas in tanks that were specially made glass with partitions in between each fish, they were filtered. They showed well,
It breaks my heart to see our local Meijer stores keep them in Potato salad cups on shelves. A few years ago I would buy one or two at a time, put them in their own small 2 gallon tanks I have. They would perk up and I had my last one just die in the fall, 4 years old. I had him in my 10 gallon with a few community fish. he went from being pale whitish pink to the most brilliant red in a few days of moving him. He would display and he had the most gorgeous fins.
Living in a tiny bowl is possible, but they never thrive, and never look as good as they can.
They need water changes regularly, Plus I only feel frozen Shrimp and blood worms. no flakes. I adore Bettas!

[tbchick84]

I haven’t read all the posts, so pardon me if I duplicate what has already been said. Your 5 galllon sounds like a good size. It is the absolute minimum size they should be kept in since they like to move around. He’ll have some swimming room and you’ll need the space if you want some live plants. You will need a small heater. Bettas do well in the 78 to 80 range. As for easy low light plants, Bettas love Water Sprite. It floats on top instead of being planted. Bettas like to use is as a hammock and sleep in there. If you want some planted stuff, find a piece of driftwood you like, anchor some Anubius to it, and it will grow all over the driftwood and give you an nice natural looking tank.