Best Tank For Betta?

Long story short: a few months ago I knew nothing about fishkeeping. Impulse bought a betta in a 1 gallon tank, did research when I brought him home and within three days bought a Fluval spec III (2.6 gallons). I wanted to get him a bigger tank but at the time, I read that the minimum tank size for a betta was 2.5 and as it was, it was pretty hard work convincing my parents to let me get a bigger tank than 1 gallon for him, even though I'm in college and am using my own money. I figured it would be better to get him immediately into a tank that's an absolute minimum size but still big enough for him and then save up for an upgrade, rather than leave him in the 1 gallon for a few months as I saved up.

So now I'm saving up. I'm looking for a tank that's not too expensive (again, college student budget, and my tuition is ridiculous), looks sleek, and ideally has a built-in filter compartment; I like them better than the HOB and I'd be able to transfer my entire cycled filter media directly into the new filter compartment. I love the aesthetic of the Fluvals but they're quite pricey, I was considering the Fluval 6 gallon but I'm not too fond of the single small opening at the top that I would have to squish my hand into in order to clean. The Fluval 9 also has a bow-front which is alright but not ideal for me; I'd work with it though if that's the best option. The Fluval 5 is also quite narrow - I guess it would work? Again, though, pricey.

Anyone know of any other brands (of tanks and filters, since I have filter media but not an extra filter) that I could take a look at which hopefully give me a bit more size for my money, or is Fluval my best bet for aesthetic and quality? I don't think I want to go more than 8 gallons, my parents would flip if I went out and bought another Aqueon 10. Filter flow isn't a huge issue, I know how to slow down flow and have the materials to do so. Is it worth getting a used tank off of Craigslist or something? I also know how to properly disinfect it. Any opinions/advice would be appreciated.

 

marinelands standard rectangle tanks are pretty cheap and good quality. its what I have and I got my 5.5g for about $26.99 although you will need to buy everything for as it doesn't come with anything other then the tank. it can be worth getting a use tank off craigslist if it isn't in too bad of shape

 

Hi! This may not be the most popular opinion on here, but in my many years of betta keeping I have found they do best in a 5.5 gallon tank. Any bigger and frankly keeping it cycled will be so hard because the bioload will be so small in an 8-10 gallon that feeding the beneficial bacteria will be tough. Plus I have found that bettas often get stressed and die off in large tanks.

Petsmart sells a 5.5 gallon glass tank with a perfect HOB filter that has an adjustable flow. It is a spotlight product that is almost ALWAYS on sale for about 25 dollars with a petsmart card. It is in my opinion the BEST value in betta keeping. 25 dollars for a glass 5.5 with a perfectly sized HOB that can adjust flow nicely.

 

Hi,
I suppose what looks good to you and what you can afford.
Personally, I think a 5 gallon is the smallest for a betta.
About 6 weeks ago PetSmart had a sale on their top fin starter kits. I got a 5.5 gallon for $20. Keep checking on line for the sales. They used black silicone which makes it look prettier. The filter is HOB but you could save it for an emergency filter and get a sponge filter. Fine for a betta.
Petco just had the $1 a gallon sale in my area. Check your area. They are Aqueon tanks.

 

Hi! This may not be the most popular opinion on here, but in my many years of betta keeping I have found they do best in a 5.5 gallon tank. Any bigger and frankly keeping it cycled will be so hard because the bioload will be so small in an 8-10 gallon that feeding the beneficial bacteria will be tough. Plus I have found that bettas often get stressed and die off in large tanks.

Petsmart sells a 5.5 gallon glass tank with a perfect HOB filter that has an adjustable flow. It is a spotlight product that is almost ALWAYS on sale for about 25 dollars with a petsmart card. It is in my opinion the BEST value in betta keeping. 25 dollars for a glass 5.5 with a perfectly sized HOB that can adjust flow nicely.

I have bettas in multiple 20.gal planted tanks with no problems

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• Zigi Zig
• Dec 27, 2017

 

toran - exactly, I read 2.5 was smallest but after having my betta for a few months I really think 5 is better as a minimum. 5.5 sounds perfect to me, and I do also have a sponge filter. Do you know if it's every PetSmart that has that sale? I looked around the one near my house and didn't see it, but I'll check out the one near my school as well.

The $1 per gallon only applies to tanks 10 gallons and above, which unfortunately is to big for me. I have to think about transportation of the tanks as well, and I'm not sure another 10 gallon would fit in my car along with all of my other stuff at the end of the semester.

 

toran - exactly, I read 2.5 was smallest but after having my betta for a few months I really think 5 is better as a minimum. 5.5 sounds perfect to me, and I do also have a sponge filter. Do you know if it's every PetSmart that has that sale? I looked around the one near my house and didn't see it, but I'll check out the one near my school as well.

The $1 per gallon only applies to tanks 10 gallons and above, which unfortunately is to big for me. I have to think about transportation of the tanks as well, and I'm not sure another 10 gallon would fit in my car along with all of my other stuff at the end of the semester.

Check onpetsmart.

 

Personally I think that the fluval flex 9 gallon is really great for a betta, I find them super aesthetically pleasing and they're big enough for your betta to have a snail friend or maybe some shrimp. My lfs has one on display with a massive Anubias in the center, and some smaller types of fish and shrimp, it looks super cool! However if you're not into that, Craigslist can big a great resource seeing as you can get some great deals, but you could also take a look at the marineland 5 gallon aquarium kit, tetra cube 3 gallon, aqueon minI bowfront 5 gallon, or just buying a bare tank and getting the filter, etc. separately. I hope I've been helpful, and I wish you luck with your betta in the future!

 

Personally I think that the fluval flex 9 gallon is really great for a betta, I find them super aesthetically pleasing and they're big enough for your betta to have a snail friend or maybe some shrimp. My lfs has one on display with a massive Anubias in the center, and some smaller types of fish and shrimp, it looks super cool! However if you're not into that, Craigslist can big a great resource seeing as you can get some great deals, but you could also take a look at the marineland 5 gallon aquarium kit, tetra cube 3 gallon, aqueon minI bowfront 5 gallon, or just buying a bare tank and getting the filter, etc. separately. I hope I've been helpful, and I wish you luck with your betta in the future!

I'll look into the 9 gallon (hopefully can find one on Craigslist haha), I love the look of the Marineland 5 but I'd like to give my betta so more horizontal swimming space. Thanks!

 

I'll look into the 9 gallon (hopefully can find one on Craigslist haha), I love the look of the Marineland 5 but I'd like to give my betta so more horizontal swimming space. Thanks!

No problem!

 

but in my many years of betta keeping I have found they do best in a 5.5 gallon tank. Any bigger and frankly keeping it cycled will be so hard because the bioload will be so small in an 8-10 gallon that feeding the beneficial bacteria will be tough. Plus I have found that bettas often get stressed and die off in large tanks.

An interesting perspective. I had a betta in a 5 gallon hex and he was so tough (especially given my lack of knowledge at the time) and lived for almost 5 years.

I now have 4 bettas, each in their own 10gallon. They are also planted with live plants and I put in almond leaves for them. They seem to be doing well so far - I hope my fellows have a different experience! I've had them for over a year now, give or take, and everyone seems to be doing okay. I haven't had issues with my cycle, at least not so far. I'll keep an eye on their stress levels but they do use every inch of the tanks and eat heartily. So far so good!

 

I have the Fluval Spec V (5 gallon) and I absolutely love it. It is a little narrow, but you can do so much with scaping it. You're also able to fit your heater in your sump so it doesn't take away from the aesthetic of your aquarium (I have yet to rearrange mine, but I'm not done scaping it) Adjust the filter to the lowest setting and put a little sponge on the outflow and some extra sponge in the intake (so he doesn't get blown around or sucked up). The light is an upgraded led plant light, so a heavily planted nano tank is always amazing. I'm waiting until the weather warms up to order some plants online, for now I only have java fern and some anubias. Personally, it was the tank I instantly fell in love with when I saw it because of how sleek it is for such a small tank.

 

I won't quarantine a betta in anything smaller than a 5g, and then I still feel terrible because of the lack of length the tank provides. My favorite way to house a betta is in a planted 20 gallon with a small, peaceful community. I have found that my bettas usually can't catch the school because their long fins don't allow them the agility to chase, and they tend to mellow out.

Also, I just finished my degree and 100% understand the college budget. All but one of my tanks have come from craigslist, yardsales, and honestly some curbside. I can't pass up an inexpensive, shiny tank with perfect sealing. College kids do what they've gotta do, and when you decide to upgrade they sell for decent as long as you take care of them.

 

I put my betta in a 10 gallon and he loves it! He thinks the entire 10 gallons is his and he won't let anything in there, even my hand! Petco does these 1$ per gallon gallon sales every now and then so you can get a 10 gal really cheap! Make sure to also get a low flow filter and a heater. And don't put any sharp plants in the tank! My entire set up was about 100$ to start, but over time I switched out plants and decorations, so ive spent quite a bit more. But you can do some searching and probably find second hand heaters and filters that are more in your budget.

 

Thanks everyone for your input! I have a heater that would be big enough for a 10 gallon and I am well aware of filter flow issues with bettas, and I only keep live plants in my tanks (switched over from silk about three months ago). Basically all I need is the tank itself, lights, and the filter.

BReefer97 that's part of why I like Fluvals, I can hide the heater in the back compartment as I'm doing now and the flow is adjustable so that by playing around with the angle of the output my betta has no issues swimming. The 5 is just a tad smaller than I would like, but still, it's bigger than what I have now. Your scape and fish are beautiful btw!

Monateru, I really would love to get him a 10 gallon and believe me, I've thought extensively about it. But again, I need to be able to take it home at the end of the semester along with everything else in my dorm room including another 10 gallon tank and I'm getting a little nervous about fitting everything in the car as it is. It's just hard to find a 6-8 gallon that is relatively inexpensive and comes with a built-in filter compartment. I also looked on Craigslist but my college is literally in the middle of nowhere and there's not much selling.