Which is best in the long run?
Hey,
So my friend is going back to college, and wants a betta fish. Well, getting the fish or not is not up for consideration, she intends to get the fish no matter what. It’s the only pet she can have there, and plans to go through with it regardless of what I say or show her ( my many guys and gals are living like kings and queens in 5 and 6 gallon filtered and heated homes).
The thing is, she’s perpetually broke.
So, I’m going to get her the heater no mater what, that’s not a problem. At the very least, they’ll be the proper temp.
The problem is the actual housing.
She wants to get either the 1.5 water wonders tank with filter http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js… or a larger roughly 4 gallon glass bowl she saw at Home Goods.
Either way, they work out to be about the same price, so no help there.
What’s better for the betta fish? Space or filtration?
I’m a poor college student myself, so helping out with a heater for her x-mas present is as far as I can really go (I’m tapped out after x-mas shopping).
In the long run, what’s best for the betta’s health; about 4 gallons of water to stretch his fins out so to speak, but no filtration, or a smaller tank that has a filter?
Help! I want to steer her in the best direction : (
Tagged with: best direction • betta fish • filtration • fins • gallon glass • gals • glass bowl • health • home goods • js • kings and queens • petsmart • poor college student • product index • proper temp • shopping • tank
Filed under: House Water Systems
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That’s about 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other.
If you could get heat and filtration in the bowl somehow, I’d go with that option, though bowls are horrible all around for any fish, due to the round shape and insufficient surface area.
Though the 1.5 gallon would have a filter, it’s not really safe to heat such small spaces, so that wouldn’t be a good option either. And, of course, the fish wouldn’t have any room to swim.
Hm.
I’d point your friend in the direction of craigslist or the like, and see if she’ll consider a used 5+ gallon if she can get it at a good price.
Good luck, and thanks for caring!
filtration is more imporant they are hardy fish so will be happy from 19 c anyway but the filter will prevent ammonia which will definatly kill the betta fast and if it withstands it give it diseases. have filter run a week then add fish., feed bloodworms do a 20 percent waterchange weekly. make sure its dechloriantor water or it will burn the fish and prevent filter working as it should.
With fish tanks, bigger is always better.
You are right that she neets a heater.
You can get by without a filter, if you change the water often (let’s say at least twice a week). Since bettas can breathe air, they really don’t need any artifical aeration, either.
that is a hard question.
you really need both but if I had to choose I would say the bigger tank simply because it would be hard to heat the smaller tank to the correct temp.(you would have overheating problems) and you can always do more water changes to make up for the filter
In my opinion, more space with with no filter is better in the long run.
Bettas can live without filters, but they probably won’t live as long. My mom’s brother had a betta fish that lived without a filter and only survived for about a year. In my opinion, space is a very important factor when it comes to fish keeping. Besides bettas can live around a good year or so without a filter (as long as there is frequent water changes).
If your friend just saved her money for a little while she could probably spare 30 bucks to buy a 5 gallon tank that comes with a filter at walmart. Then buy a heater that costs about 10 bucks at walmart. Then she could have a healthy and happy betta!
Bigger is better. I would rig up some sort of air powered filter in the bowl. A little sponge filter and a heater will make the 4 gallon bowl into a nice betta home.
The problem with bowls isn’t the shape, it’s the small size and lack of filtering / heating. Fix those problems, and you have a cheap version of the BiOrb.
Ian