Well, this forum has done it!! Never even thought of Bettas, everted my eyes when I saw the poor things floating in there little jars in Petco. Now I admire each and every one!!!
Well now, I want one. Putting it in my daughter's room as she wants her "own" pet, but I am just using her as an excuse.
So after keeping my comets for about forever, it is hard for me to scale my thinking down from global (all the filtration all of the time) to, what Lichtenstein?(little or none).
I figure I will get a 5 gallon....don't think that I can bring myself to consider something smaller..although a 2.5 might be okay.
So, can a Betta handle the tiniest Whisper filter, or do I need one of the box thing-a-majigs?
What do you think?
Oh, and they better not really be like potato chips...can't have just one.
Thanx!

You're funny B)

I have my betta in a 10 gal. tank with an aquaclear mini as filtration. He loves it. I have kept all of my betta's in that tank and they all loved it.

A small filter is the best thing for a betta. I will argue that they need filters no matter what. It just helps you out a bit, and is nice for them as well.

So yeah, pick something small for filtration. I have only ever used aquaclears, so I don't know many of the brands etc... but you'll find something small.

I have never had more than 1 betta at a time. Always 1 in the 10 gal. with snails. I like it that way.

I wish you luck!

Oh, and I would definately go with the 5 gal. tank over the 2.5 gal.

Amysue -


I'm new to Bettas, but after reading lots of posts on the board ( & going a bit nuts in the lps) Here;'s what I found out.

My daughter's each have a betta in their room & I think the mini bow 2.5 is a perfect home for 1 betta. (It comes with a divider, but I can't bring myself to put 2 bettas in it with the filter running. The filter does take up quite a bit of room.)

The whisper filter that comes with it is perfect. It doesn't have hardly any current at all & it perfect for bedside because it's not too loud.

Our other 2 tanks have ugf & we've had some current issues with them & had to get valves for the bubblers to turn down the current. Bettas aren't into it & it stresses them out (according to other members. Mine all like a bit of current, but hated it when the thing was running at full tilt). (There are other members who keep lots of bettas in bowls with no filters & just do the water changes.)

They also really seem to like a soft plant to lie down on (think real or silk not plastic so it doesn't hurt their fins). Mine also like a hiding place in the tank(one of my fish likes hiding in Spongebob's legs!)

Ahhh... maybe I'm not the person to ask about that. I wanted 1 betta. I have 3 presently (& who knows how many I'll end up with if I can find the room! )

There are sooo many pretty colors out there (& different types too...)

Good luck - Hope this helped a bit!

Jenn

FLorissa -

I have to learn how to type faster! I didn't even know you posted when I posted mine!

Jenn

Thanx Florissa!
I am a total smart-alec...spent a wee bit of time in the school office growing up!! So, glad my comments were construed as funny, not whacko/annoying/incomprehensible!!
Oh, and thank you for giving me the anwer I wanted. I want to filter....almost a biologic urge!!

I water change 25-30% twice weekly on the goldfish....once a week with a betta?

Amysue -

toothless (Paul) was recommending 30-50% weekly.

Jenn

edit:

On a filtered tank. I think it was twice per week on an unfiltered tank.

How funny..our posts are crossing somewhere in cyberspace...didn't see your post fisharenewtome until I responded to Florrissa. I was looking at the 2.5 minibow today and my daughter was rather taken with the purple hood...so it is still in the running.
Glad to hear that your Bettas handle the included whisper filter well...have limited and rather poor experience with under gravel filters....so good info.
Kind of cheesy of me to really like advice that is telling me what a want to hear, huh?
Glad to hear that the compulsion to get more and more and more is not universal!! I fear for myself as my daughter and I were already debating red vs. blue!!!!
Tee hee!!

Hee hee hee - My daughters fought over color. And then who got to feed it. And then names. So I just Had to get another fish (& then I went to nnnnnn & saw the prettiest pink & just Had to rescue him too!)

(My husband likes spongebob, so my fish is in a spongbob tank in our room! That's the tank with the really bad current. It's much better now that I put a valve on it but I still like the whisper the best so far. The fish in that tank has even got a huge bubble nest going & the filter doesn't disturb it.)



We ended up with the teal 2.5 minibow.

I'm almost afraid to go into the lps. I have to go tomorrow to get cat food & test strips. Hopefully I'll make it out of there without anything else....

Jenn

Yeah cause if you don't,you'll have to start a second row on your sig list!!

I agree. Bettas are just as addictive as goldfish. I was only going to get one, then I rescued 'Friendly' while buying some gf food or something.

One pet store I visit has a barracks system and lots of Bettas in small tanks (at least they're not cup size). There are so many different colours it's almost irresistable and they're healthy too.

Oh well, one day I'll get some more but I've got to sort out my goldfish accomodation first. I've got two temporary 3 gallons with filters running and the fish are going to outgrow these before too long.

Cheers! Annette