I may be getting my 5g tank kit this wkend for a betta!!!! I am going to Petty Smart and I am going to look on-line and see what they have before I go. What I plan on doing is getting the tank and getting it set up, then doing a fishless cycle on it, THEN getting a betta!!!!

So, I know bettas like plants (silk is what I will get) for their tanks. I also know that I need a heater. Any recomendations for the brand of heater I get? Also, is it okay if I add some river pebbles to the tank? Do bettas like a place to hide? Any suggestions are welcome!!! I plan on reading up on betta care and seeing what kinds of food they like, etc, before I buy the fish.


Edit: I may just see if I can find a used 5g tank somewhere, but regardless, I may still pick up a heater and some plants and secor this wken for the tank. Also, what kind of filter do you recomend for a 5g?

A lot of stores have complete 5 gallon kits with everything you need for fairly cheap. Tank, light, filter, food, net, etc etc for like $40 or something like that.

If I find something like that, then I will get it, but if they are more than say, 40.00, then I may see what I can find somewhere else. I still have to buy crushed coral from DrFostersSmith and it is 30.00, so kinda got to watch my $$$$. LOL!

Those 5 gallon kits usually retail for $49.99 but often on sale for $39.99 or less.

I have a 4 gallon Biorb tank that came with a 5W lightbulb. It never needs a heater becuz the lightbulb keeps it warm. You may find that too.

congrats on getting ready to get a new fishie!!!!

Nickie, check craigslist before you spend any money on a new tank.

Someone told me that you can get a 10 gallon tank brand new from Wallyworld for $9.95, so watch what you spend as you can overpay very easily for those made up kits.

Will do!

I have a question about using a light for the "heat" in a betta tank:
How do the fish sleep if the light is on all the time to keep the temp up?

They have on/off switches.

If you meant you are worried what happens after you turn off the light when the fish goes to sleep, as long as you turn it back on again in the morning, he'll be fine. Unless you keep your house 60 degrees.

Oh, I see, so even if the temp drops some at night when the light is off, it won't drop enough to hurt the betta? No, myhouse is kept at about 72 degrees at night and higher in the day as this house is BIG and doesn't heat very well.

money saving tip if you are getting the tank from Pet*Smart. If you go online an print the page with the tank and the price and with the Pet*Smart banner at the top ( they have a link on the right hand side of the page to print) and bring it in to the local Pet*Smart when you go to purchase your tank the store will match the price. It can be anywhere from a $10 -20 savings. I did it Friday when I bought a 3 gallon eclipse kit for my two bettas ( I put in a divider of course). The online price was $36 and the instore price was $50 so I brought in the printed add and got it for $36 which gave me extra money for a a live plant

I use a Nano Filter and a Stealth Visitherm 25 watt heater in a standard 5 gallon glass tank. I have a overhead halogen spot light from a track light and no hood.

Seems to work pretty good.

Hey Nickie I got a 10 gallon aquarium last week for my betta and it was 45$ at Wal Mart it included a hood and 2 lights a 5-15 Aqua tech filter and tetra food and conditioner. I know u want a 5 gallon but If u want a 10 gallon this one is perfect because u could put a divider and have 2 bettas in it. thats what Im doing just a suggestion...

Thanks to all of you!!! I didn't get to go to Pet**Smart because we had some snow and we were afraid that the roads would ice up before we got back home. The temps dropped to 16 degrees last night.
However, I will keep all of your suggestions so when I do get to go there; hopefully next wkend, I can see what they have. I will also check on-line before I go to see if they have any specials.

Sally, I really want only a 5g, or 3g, as I want to keep this tank on my kitchen counter. I spend so much time in my kitchen, that I thought it would be nice to have a "kitchen buddy" in there with me! Thanks for the advice, though! Good luck with your bettas!!!

No problem

Nickie you got me thinking about the 5 gallon setup that I have sitting in the attic. It was actually my Xmas present along with Sosh & Jack back in 2003.

Your thread got me thinking maybe I will get a betta too and put him in the 5 gallon.

Cool!!! I can't wait to see the one you pick out!!!

Or maybe you could get 5 female Bettas and have them have a hiearchy/pecking order there. ^_^

Not for me. I believe in giving a fish a little space to swim. 5 bettas in a 5g is way too much imo. One betta in a 5g is perfect to me. However, I would be willing to put one in a 3g, but no smaller than that.

Once everyone moves into the 50 gallon, I will have two empty 20 gallon tanks. I could put the Betta in the 20 gallon.

Sorry Im not very good with container sizes .

Wow, that betta will have plenty of space! You could take one 20g and divide it and keep two in there!!!!




No problem, Hon! When I came here, I wasn't good with sizes either!!!! LOL! I had two gf in a 2.5g tank!

I currently have around 4 goldfish in a 10 gallon. But it's temporary housing/quarantine. ^_^. But I swear once I get a large enough rubbermaid for them, I will move them there. And then I will move my Platies/Mollies to my 10g.

I said it was temporary housing!!!

OK, lol. Get the new tank as soon as possible.

How temporary? When's the new one coming?

I cant wait to see pics when u get it Nickie!! And Im sure when u buy a betta that it will b very happy from rescuing it from a tiny cup! I remember when I put my bettas in the old 1/2 gallons the first time they were so happy! And then when they got the new 1 and 3 gallon tanks they were even happier! 5 gallons is a great size if u dont wanna do as many waterchanges with the 1 gallon tanks I gotta do a 100% waterchange every 3-5 days depending how the water is! Its alot of work but at least I can keep them happy and healthy that way . Oh and bettas like to hide so get some kind of ornament that it can hide in

Thanks Shamu!!!

So did u get it Nickie?

Not yet. We couldn't go out of town Sat because of the snow. I am going to go this wkend hopefully.

Where do you live Nickie? You can always order the stuff online too.

Where could I get a Nano Filter? I've been looking for a small filter with a minimal flow/current at the lfs for my 5 gallon betta tanks but haven't had any luck... of course that could be because i haven't looked hard enough... i should go look at the chainstores...

I have some Aquaclear heaters. Excellent little heaters with an orange indicator light. The only thing I don't like is that there's no temperature listing... you'll have to slowly adjust the temp little by little, wait, adjust some more... Of course, once it's set, it shouldn't be any problem.

In Georgia. The closest Pet**Smart we have to us is 45 mins away. I really wanted to go there to see the fish they have and to look at the decorations, airpumps, and bubble wands. However, if I can't make it this wkend, then I will prolly just order on-line. Have you tried looking on-line at places like Pet**Smart, Pet**Solutions, BigAls online, places like that???

Somwhere between 1 week and 5 months. Tanks are expensive....good thing wall mart sells 50 g rubbermaids for only 12$.

So, you got a Rubbermaid instead?

Poor Kets. We'll guilt trip him into it eventually......

Oh No! Leave me out of that! LOL! I have made too many mistakes in my replies as it is. I don't need anymore Pms from anyone. I was just asking a question...

Sorry.

Guess we got a little

It's JOH's fault though. I was just following his lead.................


Seriously though, hurry up and get your new tank!!!!

LOL! I'm working on it, Hon! However, please don't 4get that I have my 29g tank to cycle, too! I am wondering if I should do that project first, then get the 5g and do that one? Or, should I do a fishless cycle on the 5g?

Cycle 'em at the same time. Might as well.

Yeah, but should I do fishless on the 5g, or with a betta?

Absolutely.

Saw one at Big Al's online.

After I pulled out my 5 gallon Marineland tank, I was flipping through the owner's manual and it said that it was good for up to 5 fishes!

Evey photo shows a ton of fishes in the tank and one photo where it warned against overcrowding showed so many goldies crammed in there, I had to count them in disbelief. I counted 30+ goldies in that staged photo!!

OH I KNOW!That just makes me so mad!It gives people the impression that you could just stuff an oscar,or a koi in that tiny thing!Who wants to help me write hate mail?lol.jk.Seriously though it does give young kids the impression that you could put 10 commons in there.Then when they die they assume that was there life span(or they got a "bad fish")This is where bad fish keeping starts,I'm posotive of it.I cant even put a betta in those anymore.It makes me feel bad.(i'm aware i'm rediculous) I turned mine into a little teranium for my pennyroyal.lol.(beware my spelling it's 2:43 am here lol)

You are absolutely right, Suzzy. Younger kids (and ADULTS) see those advertisements where there are 30gf stuffed in a 5g tank and then they have the pet stores telling them it is okay, too! That is why people end up overstocking and losing their fish! You would think that the companies that sell these tanks would want ppl to know exactly how many fish they could put in there. I mean, it is no skin off their noses as they don't sell the fish, just the tanks. However, in order to boost their sells and convince ppl that buying their tank is a good idea, they tell lies. It is really sickening!!!