gammerus

is a one gallon tank too small to use and under gravel filter for a betta? I know they are used to stagnent waters, so would the current be too much

Jason

You'll need a filter but i'm not sure what size. I'm sure the resident betta keepers on our site will be able to respond soon

atmmachine816

r those the mini bowl 1 gallon setup wit the undergravel filter??

gammerus

its not a bowl its a one gal tank with an undergravel filter...would it affect a bubble nest?

newbie101

the undergravel filter shouldn't affect the bubble nest. If it were me i think i would get him one bcause even if they can survive in bad water, that shouldnt mean they should have to!

dano569

that's right emma

chickadee

You have me confused. Are you trying to breed them? If so you should know that most if not all bettas sold in pet stores or through dealers are too old to breed. Also, although we have all heard that a betta can survive in a quart jar, he doesn't really like to. I got my first bubble nest at 5 gallons. They are a sign of contentment as well as being ready to breed.

An undergravel filter in the type set-up you are describing is mechanical filtration only. You still need to have the chemical and biological part taken care of if you want a healthy fish or don't want to have to change fish every month. There are two links I am sending for small tank filters, neither is expensive but they both do excellent jobs. The problem is that the tank has not cycled and to the filter will take a while to cycle before you will get the best results. You also need to get a test kit and be checking the levels for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. There is information on this sites home page about cycling a fish tank for beginners. I would truly suggest you read as much as you can so there are no surprises.

Here are the links: this first one has a MINI model that I use and it fits inside the tank the flow is completely adjustable
but it takes up room. Your betta may appreciate it if you picked the second model:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...004+22768+2032

This second model sits on the edge of the tank and while I have never used it myself I have heard great things about it.
It may be a little easier to clean because you would have easier access to it.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&N=2004+22769

Hopefully I have given you something useful here; if I can help further please feel free to let me know. Bettas are very special to me and I spend a lot of time with them so I try to help where I can.

Welcome to the group.

Rose

0morrokh

I do not recommend keeping Bettas or any fish in anything less than 5 gallons, for 4 reasons:

Despite what they tell you, Bettas DO need room to swim around, and it is just not fair to keep a fish in such a small container. Would you like to live in your bathroom?

In such a small quantity of water, it is almost impossible to maintain good water conditions, unless you plan on doing very careful bi-weekly water changes and testing your water every few days. Also, if water added is slightly different in temp, it will be much more of a shock to the fish.

With so little room, it is hard to provide sufficient plants and hiding places, which will make your fish stressed and timid.

Finally, Bettas are tropical fish, and prefer a temp of 80*F, or no less than 76-78*F. Unfortunately you can't use a heater in anything less than 5 gallons, which means the water will probably be too cool unless you keep it in a really warm room.

While it is possible to keep a Betta in a 2 or 3 gallon tank, I would recommend that only to experienced fishkeepers who are dedicated to maintaining optimal water conditions and are very knowledgeable about Bettas. So, you can get a 5 gallon kit, possibly containing lights and a heater, for a very reasonable price, and your Betta will thank you.

By the way, don't use a UG filter. They tend to clog up and then eventually crash. There are much better options that provide a better range of filtration.

chickadee

No they are not used to stagnant waters. The bettas sold today are bred in clean and healthy water the same as other fish. The only place you are likely to find them in stagnant water is in the pet stores and that is because of the laziness of the employees or the ignorance of what they need.

one gallon is not big enough for them to live in for one thing. A large size betta (over 1 inch) needs 5 gallons to swim in and have a healthy life. They are tropical fish and need heat, aeration (airstones) and filtration as well as constant water testing and to be put into a well cycled tank. (not used to cycle a tank) They require a temperature of between 74-78 degrees to remain even marginally healthy and if they become ill they need the temperature raised to 82 to 85 degrees. These kind of conditions cannot be attained in a one gallon tank. You may be able to get by with a 3 to 4 gallon tank if you have the proper conditions as listed above and are willing to have only the one fish. It would also have to be a small size betta.

Rose

gammerus

I have no intentions of breeding autumn, I was just told that they make bubble nest when they are healthy/able to breed. I thought that a one gal would be sufficient...but luckily I was planning on getting a 10gal setup anyway..he used top be in one, and I know he prefers it, but it was my brothers tank, and he took it when he moved.

I do have one more question tho...I want to set up my new tank to look like the fortress of solitude from the superman...you know with the ice crystal cave and white gravel and such...any advice, or links to places that sell plastic crystals cheap..the only one I found is a light up one, and I dont want that..and Its not the right shape.

chickadee

As far as the plastic crystals, you would probably have to go to a craft store and be VERY careful NOT to get something too sharp that would have a chance of nicking or cutting a fish if they run into it. (They will do that) The alternative would be the glass stones that are made for aquariums. If you had regular gravel and sprinkled it with the glass stones they might look like crystal but would have the round edges that could not hurt your fish. I am afraid if you intend to have the very pointed crystals, you are taking a chance at having damaged fish very often. They don't understand that people would put sharp things in with them that "bite".

Then the question (?) of the heater in a container under 5 gallons - I can see where some would say it may be impossible as the general rule of thumb is 5 watts per gallon and the smallest real accurate heaters are 25 watt. However, I have had a Marineland Visatherm 25 watt in both my 3 gallons for some time and just set the thermostat about 2 degrees cooler than I actually want it. It has worked very well, perhaps because both heaters are not covered over tightly with hoods. I will also say however that I would not think of doing this without having digital thermometers hanging on the tanks with probes in the water maintaining constant readings of the water temperature which I monitor several times a day. I guess this falls into the category of one of those things you don't do unless you have been doing this for a while and know how to set these things up. It is also VERY important to have a qualty heater and I consider the Marineland to be the best I have had. It is easy to set and you can check the setting clear across the tank as it shows from the front of the heater.

Rose

gammerus

yes I was worried about it catching his fins...which is why I ask...do you know of any main stream stores that carry them?

chickadee

I am disabled and do almost all my shopping online, unless I can get a ride to a store and I live in a small town so don't get to the Big City very often so you will probably have to check with someone else for the crystals for the stores you can buy from direct. Online, you could go on and check under "Beads" on Google, you may be able to find some you can silicone together or that are big enough for your purpose as they usually have sizes in big assortments. They would probably not be sharp.

Rose