I want to start a betta tank. help?

Question

ok im gonna get a betta (siamese fighting fish) hopefully much like the one shown here.
http://www.bettatalk.com/images/Royal_blue_super_delta_tail_web.gif

I dont know what kind it is but i think it might be a super delta. i have a plastic tank that is 1-1.5 gallons. i need to know:
1) how much $ a good quality betta like the one in the pic would be?
2) how much $ some NICE gravel to fill the bottom of the tank would be?
3) what kind of food to get and how much it would cost 4 one container?
4) can i put plants and deco in the tank? if so, how much can i put without crowding?
5) more general info about the tank and the fish?
i will prolly get the fish at a good place where my dad gets all his fish but i will get assesories and other stuff at petsmart or petco. plz dont tell me that the tank needs a filter cuz my dad had a tank with a filter and the fish got stuck to it and almost killed!!!!! then he took the filter out and had the fish 4 a long time after that!

how about a jr heater?? how do they work? do they really heat??? will they be good 4 this size tank??? plz help?

here is that link 4 jr aquatics (jr heater)

http://www.jraquatics.com/index.html
here

Answer 1

If you can afford it, get a bigger tank, at least 2.5 gallons. The Betta in the pic is a delta male, which at my local petsmart costs about 4 bucks. Look at the fish closely and pick the one that looks the most active. In the little cups that they keep these poor fish in they can only be active to an extent. Gravel for the size tank you want/have will cost you about 4 bucks. Plants are good. Live plants are best, but that would require different substate as opposed to gravel and adequate lighting. I would go with 2-3 artificial plants. These fish like plants, so go a little dense, but make sure the fish have room to swim. Bettas do not "need" a filter, but do best with one.

A proper tank also needs to be fully cycled before adding fish to it, if not, odds are your fish will become subject to new tank syndrome.
I recommend at least surfing the internet and reading up on these fish before you get one. The fish deserve it and it will be best in the long run.

If you can afford it, Petsmart has a tropical fish 10gal setup that has the tank, heater, lid, and filter for 49.99. This is what I keep my betta in and it would be best for overall health.

Here's some more info:


There is a huge debate in the fish keeping field as to the best way to keep Bettas. I will give you my opinion and what I have found what works best.

Bettas (Betta Splendens) are in a group of fish called labyrinth fish, which means they have a special organ that is like a primative lung which allows them to breath air. This is vital due to them being in rice patties and mud holes in their natural enviroment. This being said, yes, Bettas can live in pretty nasty conditions.

Many people put Bettas in tiny little jars, and odds are, this is what it was or will be in when you buy it. In my opinion this is cruel. For the fish to have a happy existence and to develop proper muscle definition, the fish needs room to swim. I would recommend a tank that is at least 2.5 gallons. I currently have mine in a 10gal.
Good filtration is a must, sponge or undergravel filters would be ideal due to bettas are not very good swimmers. Undergravel and sponge filters are adjustable, so you can minimize to amount of current in your tank. A biowheel is also pretty good.

Real plants are always better than fake. Not only are they the natural choice, but they also help filter you water. Plants feed off the NH3 and the Nitrite in the water which is highly poisonous to your fish.

Ensure that your tank is properly cycled. This is a natural process that takes about 4-6 weeks. During this time there are two choices you can make. You can cycle using a test fish, or you can fishless cycle. The latter being the preferred way. Reference the website I will give you later for help with this. Also ensure that you add dechlorinator to your tap water initially and every time that you change the water. It is recommended that you perform at least 25% water changes at least once a week. This will keep the water clean for your fish.

Bettas are highly carnivorous fish. They require food that is high in protein for their muscles to develop properly. It is recommended that you feed them the Betta food that is available or you can feed them brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, or even tiny shredded pieces of liver. Something that bettas love are guppy fry, but some people see that as cruel. The fact is, these fish eat meat.

Keep the temp of your tank around 75-80 degrees F. It is true that they can live in water down to 65 degrees, but their metabolisms will slow down and they will just sit at the bottom of the tank. Also at this temperature they will lose their colors and will be over-all unhealthy. Also, temps above 80 degrees will speed up their metabolisms and they will not live as long. Plus the warmer the water is the less oxygen there is in the water.

I encourage you to go to this website and become a member. It has people who are experts as well as beginners that can answer pretty much any of your questions.

www.tropicalresources.net

Good luck.

J

Answer 2

Look here:
bettysplendens.com
Very good information!

1) That betta will run you about $20. More with shipping.
2) Gravel is cheap. Small bag, $3
3) Food is cheap. Get the pellets, it's the best. $2-$3 dollars.
4) Plants and deco would be much appreciated by the fish. They aren't strong swimmers, so as long as he has some room, you can put 2-3 plants and things in.
5) Bettas need heat. They like it really warm. I recommend a 2 gallon tank because that's the smallest heater currently available. Keep the temp between 75-85 degrees Farenheit.
Bettas are trainable. If you're patient, you can teach them tricks

No filters-you're right about that, but you have to change the water every other day or so.

Good luck.

Answer 3

That's either a delta or superdelta based on the size of the dorsal fin. Really it's impossible to know unless the fish is flaring.
1. If you really want the best price on one like that fish, your best bet is a IBC show and auction. Even recently I have seen males like that one go for $3-5 at auction. You can check the International Betta Congress website for clubs and shows near you. After that, I would suggest using the same site and clubs to find a breeder the breeds the tail type and color you want, then buy direct from that breeder through the mail.

2. Gravel is cheap in my area. About $2 - 2.50 per 5 pound bag and you wouldn't need even that much.

3. I would suggest you feed flakes or pellets as the staple food. $3-4 would cover a fair sized container. An excellent additional food is frozen bloodworms ($4) as well as live mosquito larvae (Free, just raise them yourself)

4. I would stick with fake plants or a little floating plant personally. That will make cleaning the tank much easier and that important with a smaller tank.

5. Without a heater and filter you need to take a few additional steps to make sure your fish says as healthy as possible. Keep his bowl in the warmest place you can, but not in direct sunlight. He really needs about 76F - 82F to be at his best. You will also want to change 100% of the water every 3-4 days to keep the ammonia from building up in the tank and damaging his fins or worse yet his gills. Beyond that, they are pretty easy to care for.
Best of luck with your new fish and welcome to the hobby!

MM

Answer 4

That is a beautiful fish. We have had a beta for over a year now. These fish can not live with other fish at all really. Unless you try two females. But two males, one will have to kill the other and a female and a male , the male will kill the female. They have these special tanks that have a metal dividers to have two fish in one tank but to keep the separate. We have a small tank, a gallon size. It gets pretty dirty fast so I bought a air filter, $20-$25. It is great! I do not turn it up to high so I have not had the fish problem your father had. Now I do not have to clean the tank but once or twice a month. We have beautiful marbles and shells on the bottom of the tank that cost us nothing since we had them or found them. They do like something to hide behind. A plant cost around $8-$10 for a real one and $3-$5 for a fake one. The fish we have cost around $5-$10 dollar. We have enjoyed our fish. His name is Bubbles.
I hope this information has helped you.

Answer 5

Bettas are territorial in the direction of different bettas or perhaps purely different long-finned fish and until you have an extremely great, heavily planed tank there'll be scuffling with. Your females will beat one yet another up, and the male will chase the females until they have someplace to conceal (wherein case you does not see lots of them). The females could finally come to an uneasy peace yet there'll continuously be little spats. the reason bettas get alongside very nicely interior the wild is using the fact they do no longer stay close to one yet another. additionally, bettas do no longer breed until the situations are purely genuine. you are able to desire to no longer be seeing any little betta babies in case you purely throw a collection of them in a tank jointly.

Answer 6

if you are super against a filter I agree with MM 100%, but you REALLY can't skip days when it comes to cleaning his tank.

I just want to let you know though that there are filters made for small tanks and don't have strong currents. I know this because I have my male bettas in with them.
honestly that tank is really small, keeping a betta in that small of a tank with no heater and no filter is kind of like keeping you in an unheated closet with no toilet. if you decide to trust me I recommend either the 3i (made for tanks under 3 gallons) or 10i from whisper

please at least get a heater though, you can get a 7.5watt heater for tiny tank at walmart and probably most pet stores (mine don't carry them). they are tropical fish as MM pointed out. get betta pellets and freeze dried blood worms as a treat, depends on what type o gravel you like, I like natural looking gravel in which case I can pick it up for $3 at the pet store.

*edit*
a jr heater would be perfect. it's 7.5watts which is the smallest available. just be sure to have a thermometer and keep an eye on the temp.