Ok i just read that betta's prefer still water and i am planning on getting one. The thing is that he will be in my 30 litre with 4 wc's (about an inch at most and mostly under an inch) it has a ugf and will have my new tetra tec aps300 when i get it + an air stone. Will this be too much for it? if it is i will simply not get one (hope thats not the case ) cheers for any help i get

From what you describe and the way the tank looks in your siggy, it should be just fine.

glad to hear that! ill post when ive cycled and i get him and tell you all how he does cant wait untill then! cheers for ya help i knew someone would be able to answer my question as always

I dunno... it sounds like a lot of movement to me... you can give it a try, but if he doesn't take to it well, be prepared with a 1 gallon tank or bowl with a lid for him.

ok ill have one ready! i can always turn it all down and remove the airstone if its that bad. thanks

Well if it comes down to it, you probably can do without the airstone. You aren't overstocked and those fish aren't O2 guzzlers. If the filter provides enough water movement you do not need an air stone.

Also make sure that there is plenty of room at the top for the betta to get air. The way you have it set up in your siggy pic looks just fine.

ye spose but i like bubbles lol yeh i know to make sure that i have lots of room so they can breathe. Do they actaually only breath air or what its not too important for me to know as i have plenty of room at the top but i was just curious.

Yes, bettas breath air with a special 'lung' called a labrynth organ. A betta will actually 'drown' if left to breath only the oxygen from the tank. The prefer the air most and warm, too. They are classified as tropicals and prefer a nice, warm tank over coldwater. Do you know what temp your tank is staying at right now?

Are the sides of the tank too rounded? Is it more like a bowl or a vase? As long as there is nothing blocking the top of the bowl, such as plant roots or something similar, he should be able to swim up to the top to breathe.

I keep both of my tanks at room temperature, which is actually a lot lower than most people keep their bettas at, but they are both quite happy and now actually get sluggish if the temperature gets raised. I also had a betta that hated it if the temperature was any lower than 80 degrees!! So, it all depends on the betta you get and what you get him used to.

The tank in question is a sphere. I think it's a BiOrb, isn't it?

thanks for the info! yes it is a biorb and there is plenty of room for him to swim up to the top. There is only some fake short hairgarss at the very front and a few plants at the very back so there is plenty of space (the red ones have been put further back in preperation for my new betta!) 1 second off to check temp...... ok room temp is 18.7 currently and tank temp is 19.3-20 maybe thats a bit to low? thanks

19.3-20 Celcius is 66-68 Fahrenheit. For a betta, I would go for 78-82 Fahrenheit (25-27 Celcius) but definately no lower than 22 Celcius, which is the typical 72 Fahrenheit room temp.

ok any tips or ideas on easy ways to heat up the tank without buying a heater? i have already spent loads on this tank and i think my mum has just about had enough!

Is there any kind of light fixture on this tank? The only think I can think of short of getting a tiny heater would be do depend on the heat from the lights, depending on the type.

yes i have a halogen light which is 10 watts im not sure if that is good enough or not we are coming into summer here though so that may help a little in a few weeks! (hopefully) i might think about getting a small heater but i really dont have much monre money to spend

What kind of betta do you plan to get? I like crowntails and double tails. I still love my veiltail though.

hey, i'm in a similar situation to you in that i will soon be needing a small heater for a betta. the cheapest one i have found so far is £17.99 at pets at home, and £13.95 online here but i'm not sure about shipping costs that might up the total price

what sucks is that small ones are nearly as expensive as big ones!! thought it might be a smaller price given its a smaller item, but apparently that rule doesnt apply to heaters! lol

Don't worry so much about the heaters - both of my bettas are in room temperature tanks. I find that the tank light warms up the water a bit too. They can do just fine once they get used to the temperature.

I will agree, once they adjust they will be fine with the temp. Room temp where you are is obviously lower than room temp here in Tennessee Iain, so your betta should adjust fine.

ok thanks guys about the type i was thinking of a red ct male (if i can) but i will have to see what they have at the store! I saw a realy nice deep purple/blue one a few weeks ago but i think ill go with red hmmm not sure yet! I can tell that the water is cold as such but not hot if you get what i mean lol thanks for all your help cant wait for my new betta! Hopefully not too long untill i have finished cycling!

Your betta should be fine in your biorb. I'm planning on getting another one to put in a 1.5 gal unheated unfiltered bowl. I was given the bowl for Christmas from my granddad as he knew i liked goldies. Bless him i didn't have the heat to tell him it was a death trap for goldies... but at least it'll make a nice home for a betta

Set up sounds great all except for the airstone. I would not add airation to the tank bettas are labrynth fish and do not breathe air from the water like other fish do. They get their air from going to the top of the tank and getting gulps of air from the surface. You can add bubbles but it will not benefit the fish. I had an air stone in my two gallon with a tiny pump and I believe the airstone and pump ended up killing my betta because of too much movement. Make sure to only fill the bowl with water up to a couple inches from the top of the bowl to allow airsurface for it to come up and breathe. Good luck with your new friend

will the air stone be ok if it is only small and onl at one side so there is plenty of quiet spots? Also i have made sure that there is plenty of room for him to breath

The way I see your BiOrb in your siggy it will be fine to leave the air stone in it. It looks like the water level isn't covering the uplift tube, so all it is really doing is making sure that there is plenty of fresh air at the water's surface. I have my 1 gallon betta tank set up that way. The water is still, but the air is circulating.

ok thanks ill see how he goes when i get him and take it out if need be. cheers for all your help! very much appreciated

I think it'll be okay if its on one side and not too strong. It might be better to leave it off while betta is adjusting to its new home for at least the first week so he won't stress.

Good luck on finding getting a betta. I also prefer red crowntail bettas.

thanks ill turn it off for the first week or so. I have seen a few bettas in my lfs and i have seen some nice red ones i didnt have much time so i didnt know what types they are but a ct would be nice!