Transferring Betta

I'm new to this Web site but find all your posts very helpful. I have my betta in a small container (1/2 gallon). After reading the info on this site, I'm transferring him to a 5-gallon with a heater and filter. My question is what is the best way to acclimate him to the new water temperature? Also, do I need to cycle the tank? When I purchased him a couple weeks ago, the individual at the aquarium store said just use room temperature tap water and treat it with a conditioner and just put him in it. Is this the same for the tank?

 

Yes, you need to cycle the tank first before adding him. Acclimating him should be the same as if you had brought him home from the store, IMO. Put him in a large ziplock bag with his current tank water. Float the bag in the new cycled tank for about 15 minutes. Every 10-15 minutes, add about a cup of the new water. After about four additions, gently net him and place him in the new tank.

 

Good answer except you don't need to add water to the bag as he is already acclimated to the ph and hardness of the water so all you are acclimating him to is the temperature. As far as cycling the tank, I would get some Bio-Spira online if you can to do an instant cycle of the tank or he is going to be waiting for weeks to be in the tank while you do a fishless cycle

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It would fix it so you could add the fish to the tank right after the Bio-Spira (matter of minutes) and he would not have to wait out the cycle process. The small container is plenty big enough and be sure to get the Freshwater kind and SHAKE it good before adding it to the tank.

Rose

 

I'm glad you're getting a bigger tank! Your Betta will be so happy. Might I ask what is his name? We like to call fishies by their proper names. ;D

 

I agree with the Bio-Spira. I have used it on 3 tanks with great results. It is expensive but worth every penny. A friend was going to dump her convict, I ordered Bio, added it to the new tank, added the convicts and perfect readings, no prob!

 

Thanks for all the advice. My betta's name is Swimmie. Not too creative but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw him. I went to the place I bought him which is an aquarium specialty store and pretty reputable. The owner insisted that bettas are fine in small containers and do not need a filter or heater and just changing out the water once a week is enough. I'm hoping that by transferring Swimmie to a bigger container, he'll live a longer and healthier life. Is that a correct assumption? Why would this guy tell me differently?

 

Because bettas CAN live in a small container without a filter or heater. But its much like you living in a small closet. How happy are you going to be and is your health going to be thriving?

 

He will be a LOT happier and probably healthier than he would have been. People at stores tell you Bettas can live in bowls because they are a business--they care about making money, not about the fish. A lot more people are going to buy Bettas from them if they think they can live in a small bowl, versus a more expensive tank. And stores don't usually tell you how to keep fish healthy because then you have to buy medications or more fish when they get sick or die. Or...it's quite possible that the people in stores, not really caring about fish, don't know any better and just assume Bettas can be kept in bowls because that's what their friend told them. Either way, it makes me mad. >

 

the main problem is that while they CAN live in a small container for a short period of time, so can we live in a room of garbage for a while. Our lives would be neither pleasant or probably as long as if we lived in pleasanter surroundings with healthier environments. A person would no more think of having a child and putting them in a bathroom and keeping them in there and expecting them to stay there in cramped quarters day and night and never to be able to move around or play. When you buy a pet and take on the responsiblity of them, it is nearly the same as the responsibility of a child. They cannot take care of themselves the way they could if they were in the wild. Their world is bound by the area you allow them to live in.

Unfiltered water in a small bowl is going to build up the natural by-products of fish life. Ammonia being the main one. Ammonia is very toxic to fish and no matter how many water changes you do or how much maintenance you do it is not as effective as having done the Nitrogen Cycle with a good filter and allowing the bacteria to get rid of the ammonia and keep the level at zero. Then there are the cool water diseases of ich and finrot. They are diseases that the Bettas do seem especially suseptible to. Those great long fins are just begging for a case of finrot if the water is not kept at a good steady temperature of between 78 to 80 degrees.

The thing to remember is that the Betta is in every reality a Tropical Fish. Tropical Fish require special conditions in which to live and thrive. If people put them in these little torture chambers they are buying them for a decoration or a toy, not for a loved family pet. They won't have them the normal lifespan of the Betta unless they are the luckiest people there are.

Rose

 

Thanks. I am off today to get the tank and accessories. Will keep you posted. Once I was on this site, I started researching moving Swimmie to a bigger tank. I wish pet store owners and especially those who specialize in fish would educate people better. Thankfully, there are venues such as this one that provides correct information.

Just an FYI, I also have a 30-gallon w/ 2 bala sharks, 1 redtail shark, 4 tetras, and a pleco. I rescued these as their original owner was going to flush them. I couldn't live with that so I took the tank with the fish in it. Also just bought a 55-gallon but haven't decided what to put in it yet. Very addictive hobby.

 

It is addictive, isn't it? ;D I'm so glad you rescued those fish the owner was going to flush. I can't believe anyone would do that! > Sorry if you already know this...but I'm pretty sure everything except the tetras will outgrow the 30 gallon. Some of them might be ok in the 55, but I think some need an even bigger tank...

 

The previous owner had these fish for about three years. They seem to be doing okay (I'm a first-time fish owner) as far as I can tell. I've only had them for about 3 weeks so I'm trying to learn all that I can so they don't die due to my ignorance. I figure the pleco at the very least will need to be moved to a bigger tank, possibly the bala sharks too. The pleco seems to be a big polluter. I do a 25% water change once a week. I test the water weekly - I test it and I take it to an aquarium store to be tested also and the water is perfect so far. The owner of the store says the tank is big enough but then again, he said a betta is fine in a cup so I question his expertise and his sincerity.

My main task right now is moving my betta to a bigger tank with a heater and filter. Once he's taken care of, I'll shift my focus on the other guys.

 

If the big tank is cycled then perhaps you can "seed" the bacteria with a piece of the old filter media from the large tank filter. Then you would not need to get the Bio-Spira. I was not aware that you have a bacteria farm in another filter when I gave that advice. You do have a cycled filter in the big tank? You would about have to if your water parameters are that good. I would however invest in the Master Test Kit (most of us use the ones from Aquiarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or API) so that you can do your own testing. You never know when the fish start to act a little "wonky" and you just want to be sure about the water quality and what if the store is not open or you cannot get there. Also if this guy doesn't know any more about fish than he seems to I do not know about his reliability on the testing process.

He has not got the vested interest in keeping your fish alive and well. His interest is in selling fish and equipment so take suggestions and advice from the salespeople at the pet store with caution. If they smell a sale they will encourage things that should not happen sometimes.

I hope I have been helpful. Please do keep us informed and do let Swimmie know that he is welcome in our little community and we are very pleased to meet him.

Rose

 

Any suggestions on what I can put in the 5-gallon tank with Swimmie? Snails, any other fish? Five gallons isn't very big to hold a lot of fish so wasn't sure if a snail or two would be okay.

 

My 5 gallon has 2 Otos and an Ivory Mystery Snail. It is about the best balanced tank I have and I am planting it fairly heavy as I have Mystery Snails in all my tanks and I am trying to plant them all heavily. The snails have not bothered the plants. Just not more than one snail per tank unless you want to breed snails and they breed fast and will run your little betta out of "tank and home".

Rose

 

Can you tell me the exact name of the plants you have in your 5-gallon and how many you have? Do you have gravel in the bottom of your tank? I'd like to get live plants. Found a place yesterday that sells them but not sure which kind to get for betta tank. Person is store didn't know either.

 

I don't like to go with live plants. For one, they take more time then the fishies do. I like silk plants, they look real and they don't tear the scales off the fish. I have a silk plant in with my Skylar and he likes to lay on top of it and star at me while I work.

Oh and another thing. The bigger the tank, the less time you spend on maintanice. (Unless its saltwater, then your gonna spend ALOT of time no matter what size tank.)

 

Is Skylar in the 5-gallon tank by himself or do you have other fish, snails, etc., in there with him? Also, I currently clean my 30-gallon once a week which includes draining 25% of the water and replacing it, checking filter, etc. I assume this is what I'll need to do with my 5-gallon? Is there something else you do to maintain the tank?

 

I like doing gardening in my planted tanks. Doesn't take that much time. Once a month or so in the big tank, it takes me about 5 extra minutes to refill my CO2 injector. I just put a few drops of Excel in my smaller planted tanks every other day and some Flourish once a week in all tanks. Doesn't take that much extra time or effort.

 

Is Skylar in the 5-gallon tank by himself or do you have other fish, snails, etc., in there with him? Also, I currently clean my 30-gallon once a week which includes draining 25% of the water and replacing it, checking filter, etc. I assume this is what I'll need to do with my 5-gallon? Is there something else you do to maintain the tank?

Right now, he's by himself. I'm gonna get him a mystery snail for some company. I clean him once a week. Check all the ph and stuff everyother day. In my bigger tanks, I check the ph and stuff once a week and only change it if it needs to. Other than that, I change them everyother week. I like to give my little buddies a weekend off.

 

Right now, he's by himself. I'm gonna get him a mystery snail for some company. I clean him once a week. Check all the ph and stuff everyother day. In my bigger tanks, I check the ph and stuff once a week and only change it if it needs to. Other than that, I change them everyother week. I like to give my little buddies a weekend off.

I assume by cleaning him once a week, you drain a percentage of the water and replace it. This is like other tanks, isn't it, where you shouldn't wash the gravel, etc.?

 

I change 25% of the water a week. I never clean the gravel, I only take out the plants and clean them if they start going alge. Other then that, that's all I do. I stay simple, to me, it seems simple is better for the fish. Where if you do a lot of changes when its not really needed, it stresses our little friends out when its not needed.

 

I went to a different fish store on my lunch hour. Two people there told me I would probably kill my betta if I moved him into something bigger. The bigger the environment, the worse off they are. I was told they need to be kept just like how they are in the wild, very small containers. This store keeps them in very small cups. :-[ Very disturbing, since everything I have read (on this site and on other sites and in betta books) contradicts that logic. I sincerely hope I don't kill Swimmie.

 

Yeah, and someone at a pet store told someone I know of that if you walk out of the store holding the fish in a bag normally, rather than holding it above your head, the fish will die by going through the magnetic theft scanner. They make all kinds of up but that doesn't mean its true. Otherwise the majority of us who don't have our bettas in a half-cup container would have lots of dead bettas.

 

I went to a different fish store on my lunch hour. Two people there told me I would probably kill my betta if I moved him into something bigger. The bigger the environment, the worse off they are. I was told they need to be kept just like how they are in the wild, very small containers. This store keeps them in very small cups. :-[ Very disturbing, since everything I have read (on this site and on other sites and in betta books) contradicts that logic. I sincerely hope I don't kill Swimmie.

You won't, some people just don't know much about betta's. Its like that inch of fish per gallon rule. Its WHACK! Trust us, your fish would be betta is 2.5gal or more tank.

 

I am so sorry that you have been the victI'm of a very stupid salesperson! It is not often we run across a truly wise and caring person in a petstore. They are in the business of SELLING fish and equipment. They do more business in the little "betta bowls" and the profit margin is higher than on bigger tanks. Bettas are also considered "disposable fish" and the more of them they can shorten the lifespan of the more they sell. It is not in their best interest to do the best for the fish. The only thing they have to hope for is that the fish stays alive long enough to complete the time of the guarantee. Otherwise, it is to their profit to keep you from having a fish live to the ripe old age of 2 or 3 years or longer.

To put a Betta in a 5 gallon tank or larger will increase the activity level of the fish and you will not believe the change in the atitude of the fish. Read the posts in this section, and hear the people talk about the changes in their fish after they have increased the space they gave their Bettas. It is amazing really.

My real plants are:

Madagascar Lace Plant
Anubias Nana
Anubias Coffeeola (spelling not certain)
Anubia Nana Petite
Sword Plant - looks like Amazon Sword but cannot swear to it
Dwarf Onion
Java Fern
Aponogenton Undulata - again spelling not certain

You can look these up on: to get an idea of the looks of them. They are all fairly easy to grow and I got most of them through . Their plants are very nice if a bit pricey. The Sword Plant I got off of eBay and the Anubias Nana Petite I got from Off-ice who is a contributor in the plants section of this forum and has excellent plants for a very reasonable price. He is also the Moderator and I believe the Administrator of the PlantGeek site.

I would not have a tank without some real plants in it. The Bettas love them so much more than silk or plastic. Noel is constantly perched in the Lace Plant and they all love to sleep in them as they are a nice soft bed that gives them support near the surface of the water so the sleepy little buddies don't have far to swim at night when they need to go to the surface to breathe. My real plants do not require any more maintenance than the fake ones did and help keep the water parameters good. they also feed off the fish waste and make the gravel maintenance less frequent. I have a Mystery Snail in each tank to keep the algae from forming on leaves and I believe that I have much healthier tanks for the plants. I am sending some pictures of my fully planted tanks.

Rose

 

Those are excellent pictures, Rose!! Might I ask though, what are those "circles" that appear to be stuck to the outside of your tank? They kind of look like a pie divided into 4?

 

Those are excellent pictures, Rose!!   Might I ask though, what are those "circles" that appear to be stuck to the outside of your tank?  They kind of look like a pie divided into 4?

it looks like either a heater and thermoneter(dunno if that's the right spelling).

 

My 5 gallon has 2 Otos and an Ivory Mystery Snail. It is about the best balanced tank I have and I am planting it fairly heavy as I have Mystery Snails in all my tanks and I am trying to plant them all heavily. The snails have not bothered the plants. Just not more than one snail per tank unless you want to breed snails and they breed fast and will run your little betta out of "tank and home".

Rose

I thought Otos were too big for a 5-gallon. Aren't they very hard to keep? What about Corys? Are those generally good with bettas? I'd like something else in there with him if possible.

 

Is it a 5gal high or long?

 

Those are excellent pictures, Rose!! Might I ask though, what are those "circles" that appear to be stuck to the outside of your tank? They kind of look like a pie divided into 4?

Ammonia and/or nitrite and/or pH detectors most likely. A few say they work, most I've talked to say they don't and shouldn't be relied on.

 

Dunno, I'm so confused.

 

Is it a 5gal high or long?

5-gallon high.

 

You could try a snail or 1 cory. Cories scavage the bottom, they really won't have muchto scavage down there. You could get a snail or maybe a crab. Up to you, I personally have a snail. They work wonders on algae.

 

Is it a 5gal high or long?

5-gallon long.

 

5gal long, you might be able to pull off 2 cories and a Betta, you MAYBE able to pull of 3 corries.

 

They are ammonia detectors and they are excellent and have tested out in comparison with my Master test kit tests on a regular basis. I am getting some new more advanced ones that do not need to be replaced as often but they do a good job of notifying me when I need to be really concerned about a problem. It has only happened one time as my tanks are changed 2 times weekly.

And no Otos are not too large for 5 gallon tanks. They reach a length of 1 1/2 inches without their fins which makes them some of the smallest catfish available and they are perfect to fit in a 5 gallon with a Betta. Cories should never be kept singly they are shoaling fish and need 3 at least and are much too big for a 5 gallon tank at 3 inches. You need 15 gallons at least for 3 cories and a betta.

Rose

 

And no Otos are not too large for 5 gallon tanks. They reach a length of 1 1/2 inches without their fins which makes them some of the smallest catfish available and they are perfect to fit in a 5 gallon with a Betta. Cories should never be kept singly they are shoaling fish and need 3 at least and are much too big for a 5 gallon tank at 3 inches. You need 15 gallons at least for 3 cories and a betta.

Rose

Is there any truth to putting whatever other fish you plan on keeping with your betta in the tank first for a few days and then put the betta in? I read it can help to decrease any aggression or territory issues with the betta.

 

Not just with bettas but with all fish. Its best to put them in from least aggressive to most aggressive so the most aggressive don't have a chance to stake out its territory before the others are added. Of course its not a guarantee that there won't be problems, but it lessens the chance.

 

Not just with bettas but with all fish. Its best to put them in from least aggressive to most aggressive so the most aggressive don't have a chance to stake out its territory before the others are added. Of course its not a guarantee that there won't be problems, but it lessens the chance.

This is always a very good rule to go by. If you have any fish that you are planning on that is known to be territorial, then they should be the last fish in the tank or they will fight any other fish unmercifully to keep the whole tank to themselves. Otos are small peaceful little fish and no matter when you add the Betta the Otos will be chased (or any other fish for that matter) for a bit, but not nearly to the extent that it would be if the Betta had the first choice of the territory of the tank, because his choice would be "all of it!"

Rose