New Betta

imlandys · 11-07-2006, 10:07 PM

I am receiving a betta from a friend at work tomorrow. I already have a 1 gallon aquarium from some previous fish we had, And he has like a built in bubbling stone, for the filter. Is this too much for the betta?

Thanks Lisa

Tuffcents · 11-07-2006, 10:12 PM

IMO it doesn't sound like it would be to much for the beta, I would put him in there and see what happens.. if it is blowing him all over the place, you can take it out and he will be fine without it. You also said that you had some previous fish in there... How many did you have before? cause that seems like a small environment for multiple fish. good luck

imlandys · 11-07-2006, 10:19 PM

we only had 6 neon tetras. but they only lasted a week. should i leave the light on for him all the time?

Tuffcents · 11-07-2006, 10:45 PM

6 tetras in a 1 gallon tank seems like a lot.. That might of been the reason they died. IMO fish experience the same days we do.. they like light and darkness.. so I would leave the light on for 8-10 hours and then have it off the rest of the time.

jd@ga · 11-07-2006, 11:27 PM

hey Lisa! Did you have a heater for the neons? They do need one, betas however they can survive without one as long as you keep your home above 68.

Tommy Gun · 11-08-2006, 12:57 AM

I agree that with multiple fish like 6 neons in a one gallon tank, you would have a hard time keeping things alive. One gallon is ok for a betta and is at least bigger than the 'cup' they are sold in, but a little bigger would be better.

I dont know why but I have a nagging feeling that your little tank is not cycled and this is a very important step for you to take. In really small tanks, water quality can change VERY fast and any fish could be very stressed out or die from that. If you are trying to be pretty cheap here, I would get me a bottle of water test strips and use those to see how much ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are in your tank. There is a good 'sticky' article to read and learn about cycling a tank.

The airstone is not really a neccessity for a betta fish (or any tank really) but it cannot hurt either, unless it is causing too much current in the tank or on the surface since your betta may want to spend time near the top of the tank. If you can see that it is a problem, I would find a way to get it out of the tank or turn it off somehow. I know it must hard to do with those built in types, but I am sure you can figure out something.

Other than that, make sure you do not over feed your fish and do some water changes on a regular basis in order to keep things nice and healthy for your new friend. Depending on where you live and how warm the room you keep the fish in will determine the need for a heater. I would most likely keep one in a coldwater tank if I had one just to ensure that things didnt get too coldl, but then again, I live in Wisconsin so it can get cold quick around here.

imlandys · 11-08-2006, 09:09 AM

I already have a bigger tank with a heater I will get that set up soon. thanks for all the help

firefiend · 11-08-2006, 10:28 AM

Betta's are one of my favorite fish, second only to the red tailed black shark and khulie loach.

The bubble stone will be fine as long as there is a calm spot on the surface. Betta's are air breathers and typically live in shallow, still (sometime stagnant) water. But, the DO love currents. The still water is also crucial for them to build their bubble nests which IS a neccessity for them.

They will build these nest when they are comfortable and thriving in their homes and it's a behavior they cannot resist if it hits them. Surface currents will damper that behavior since it isn't typical for them to be in that kind of environment.

The tank should be fine cycling with just a single betta in 1 gallon. Just keep another full gallon of drinking water from a store at your desk with you and change no mroe than 20% two times a week.

I'd suggest 1/4 inch of gravel, cultrured preferably, for the bottom of the tank. This is help the bacteria and make the tank way easy to clean. I don't have experience with live plants yet but I beileve a single simple plant will also make the water chem most ideal for the betta. I'm starting to get into live plants myself with the awesome advice from Jay.

Lighting... deffinately provide a night time for the fish. Daylight however can be on the bright side as long as the water temp doesn't get too high. I'd try to keep the light mostly normal during the day and throw some bright lights for a couple hours every few days. My bettas have seem to thrive on it. Again, the shallow waters they inhabit give them greater access to the sunlight than other fish.

Castor1011 · 11-08-2006, 04:36 PM

no, I do not think so. I have had many bettas and they lived in 2.5 gallon tanks, with a full filter, gravel, ornaments...you name it, anything that a typical tropical fish would need. My better, Castor, lived for 2 years in his setup.
The only thing that you need to worry about is if his airstone is too powerful. Which, if it is built into the aquarium and it is a small aquarium it was probably manufactured with the consideration that Bettas would most likely be going into it. in any case, if the air in the water is making him "fly" around the cage wildly...or if he has to swim really hard to keep from "flopping around" get a smaller air pump.

Castor1011 · 11-08-2006, 04:41 PM

oh and also...i read some more posts on this thread...being a profession fishkeeper, i have been taught that the most beneficial rule of thumb is this... 1 inch of tropical fish per gallon of water. for example a neon tetra only grows to at most 1 inch. so he should have a gallon of water for himself. 1 gallon tank= one neon tetra...2 gallon tank = two neon tetras.