How offten do you clean out a Betta Fish tank?

Question

I know that there urin can kill them if you don't clean out there tank enough. I have a one gallon tank for my betta.

my tank does not have a filter or heater

Answer 1

ihad a beta and he lived for 6 yrs, i cleaned his tank 1-2 a week

Answer 2

A 1 gal. tank should be cleaned at least once a week--100% water change. If you have another tank, switch the tanks and sterilize the old used tank so you can use it next week when you clean the tank. Any scuzz and leftover food that collects at the bottom of the tank should be immediately sucked out. A 5gal. tank or better should get a 50% water change once a week (or do 2 25% twice a week) plus a thorough gravel cleaning every week. Since you don't have a filter, you need to do this. Use dechlorinated water to refill the tank--at the same temperature as the used water you just took out. Yes, some bettas seem to be able to live in really horrible conditions but it isn't humane (humans can live in a closet on bread and water breathing foul air but would you want to?).

Answer 3

depends if you have a filter or not. you should not keep any fish, even a betta, without a filter. sure it is possible but it is harmful and they won't be happy. they need tanks big enough for a filter and heater. you can keep them in 1 gallon tanks if you have a heater and filter, but the best option is a 5 gallon tank with a heater and filter. bettas need temps around 75-80 for optimal health.

a 1gallon without a filter needs to be changed basically every three days. with a filter every other week with a partial water change every week.

*edit for Lindsay J*
betta are from eastern asia and thailand where the temp is around 80 degrees. saying they don't need heaters is like saying you don't need a coat in 20 degree weather. the average temp in a house is 65-70. whihc mean the water temp is usually in the 60's. this is TOO COLD for bettas. it weakens their immune system and stresses them out causing them to be more prone to illness.

as for filters, yes, they do need bacterica, but filters help keep a balance of good bacteria, not take it out. you need a filter for ALL FISH because they all produce waste and filters help keep ammonia levels and such from building up and killing them. if you don't have a filter you need to do water changes VERY frequently to keep ammonia at a good level. keep goo bacteria in the tank by not washing the stones unless they betta has been sick. this is why filters are needed, it's a HUGE hassle to do all that when you can just have a filter and do partial water changes every other week.

you should do some research before trying to answer question. pet stores don't count, they care about making money, not how well the fish is taken care of. so if there is a tsankl actually good for tyhe fish and is cheap and a tank that looks good but isn't good for the fish and is expensive they're going to tell you the tank that costs more is perfect for the fish. as for them sayinig bettas are fine in little cups with no heaters and filter... would you buy a fish from them if they advertised them by saying "these fish become weak and prone to disease the way we keep them, look how sick and miserable they are! they will most likely die shortly after being bought because we don't care enough to care for them properly." no, of course not. but, if they say "the fish are so low maintenance they barely need food, don't need a real tank or filter or heater, they're happy in these little cups, and although they look unhappy they're just naturally unactive." everyone will want one, it's the perfect animal. but it doens't exist. they need just as much care as any other fish.

I am not trying to be mean, I only try to fix what chain pet stores and places like walmart started. bettas are the 2nd most abused pets (yes, pets, not just fish, pets including cats and dogs) in amreica. goldfish are the most abused pets.

Answer 4

It depends on several things. Your goal in an unfiltered bowl is to change the water before ammonia gets toxic. Here's a good article that explains the process.
http://thegab.org/Articles/BettaBasics.html

After first placing your betta in the bowl - measure for ammonia everyday. When it shows up, change the water. Next time change the water one day earlier than you had to the first time. For example, if ammonia showed up on day four - you need to change water every three days.

or you could consider setting up a little natural planted tank for your betta. Those are nice because you don't have to worry about doing water changes all the time. The plants keep the water happy.
http://thegab.org/Articles/NPBettaBowl.html
http://thegab.org/Articles/WalstadTankDemo.html

Answer 5

Urine, (aka ammonia) burns their gills and yes, can kill them. Most of when you change the water depends on the tank.

If you have a nice little tank with a filter you can usually hold off water changes for a couple of weeks. If you have a small stagnant pool of water, you will likely need to and should change the water weekly.

Make sure you use filtered or bottled water and NOT tap water. Tap water carries harmful contaminants beyond what a stupid additive bottle can take care of.

Remember it's also very important for the new clean water to be the same temperature as the water you are throwing away so you dont shock the fish!!!

Answer 6

When I used to own Bettas, I clean their bowl once a week, I scrub everything clean when I do water change. I then let the water sit to temperature acclimate and dechlorinate the water before placing the fish back in.

Answer 7

As with any tank, a betta tank should be vaccuumed and a 20% water change should be done once every week. In an unfiltered tank, maintenance should be done every 2-3 days.

Answer 8

I keep mine in a vase and clean it once every 4-6 weeks, depending on how the water looks. I've had him for about 2 years now and it seems to be working for him.

Answer 9

Please do not clean you Betta tank more than once a week. Okay heres why...humans need vitamins and minerals and such. Right? well Betta's get all that good stuff out of the bacteria that lives in the rock in there tank, please don't clean it very often.

PS. Betta's don't need a heater.. or a filter (remember the bacteria is good for them)

Answer 10

i had a small very small tank for mine and i had to clean it every week id say once every two weeks