I was thinking about getting a betta for fun, and i saw this so called 'Betta Paradise' 2litre tank comes with the conditioner, foood, gravel, plastic plants, should i get one=D? I know a proper tank for a betta is 5 gallon but what would happen if i get the 1/2 gallon tank?
I mean this is the nicest way possible: though bettas are fun and awesome pets, please make sure you actually want one and will do what's necessary to take care of it and that it's not a whim that you're going to regret getting after it's not "new" anymore.
Technically, you can get the 1/2 gallon but there are many reasons why this isn't the best idea:
1) With a 1/2 gallon you have to do 100% water changes every day; with a five gallon you can either cycle it which would mean changing out about 10-15% of the water 1x/week or you could do 100% water changes 1-2 times/week
2) Because of the lesser amount of water for things to distribute your betta has an increased risk of getting sick. Think of like this: you are in the same house with someone whose sneezes vs. Being next to them on the couch; there are germs either way, but the one has a greater chance of them affecting you.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
3) At a minimum, they need 1 gallon, and really 2.5-3 (some people say 5 gallons) is the preferred amount. It's having a dog living in a crate 24/7 versus him being in a house where he can run and move and play. Yes, they can exist in less but it's not the healthiest for them. When people say they live in "puddles" they mean rice paddies, which are substantially larger than puddles:
http://toyotaworld.net/wp-content/upload ... 4) You also go through a lot more water conditioner with a 1/2 gallon since it needs to be added every time you do a water change
Also, along with your tank you need water conditioner that needs to be added every time you do a water change (it needs to remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals); a heater (7.5-10 watt for a gallon, 25 watt for a 3-gallon, 50 watt for a 5 gallon); hidies and plants (silk are preferred so it doesn't damage their fins and you can buy decor at a pet store or use things like candle holder, coffee cups, etc. for their hiding places) and food (live is best, frozen is 2nd (brine shrimp, bloodworms, glassworms, mosquito larvae can be bought at Petco/PetSmart for about $ 4-5/bubble pack of food); then freeze-dried, flakes and pellets (Hikari are the best pellets for most people), in order of most-to-least nutritious.
first thing is bettas need heated water any heater they sell is gonna be to hot for that tank so really look into a 3 gallon tank most of the "betta tanks" aren't really meant for a betta they are made to put a betta in but not maintain it for it's optimum living conditions and really it'd just suck for the fish with cold winters coming around u are really gonna need the heater temp in the tank needs to be 76 degrees min so look for something around 3 to 5 gallons with a heater and filter be ur best bet if u wanna keep a happy healthy betta they also can live very happily in a community tank if u have a bigger community tank i trained my 2 male bettas to live together with my other fish in a 30 gallon tank ppl told me for months it couldn't be done and they are both happy and healthy and never fight ever
The rule of thumb is at least gallon of water for each fish you own.
