# Tank for A Dorm Room



## Gravemind123 (Oct 5, 2009)

Hello all, I have never owned a Betta fish before, but I really want a fish for my dorm room and a Betta seemed like a good choice.

The main problem I foresee with keeping a fish is transporting it between my house and my dorm when winter and summer breaks come about. So my questions are these 1: What is a good, small, inexpensive beginner tank with a filter and heater(Chicago isn't too warm). 2: What is the best way to keep my fish happy and transfer it between my dorm and home. 3: What is the best source of water for tanks that is not tap water, since the tap water near my college is probably not very clean and is not anything like the water I get from the tap(lake water) when I'm at home. 

Thanks for any help!

EDIT: I am also interested in potentially getting an aquatic plant to live in the tank with the betta and I think that means special requirements for lighting to make sure the plant is healthy, so suggestions on a plant and light for it are appreciated too!


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I love the marineland tanks. They have a 3 gallon, and it comes with the bio-wheel and all. Many people here love bowfront tanks too. For traveling with a betta, here is the best way I've seen: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=24667&highlight=traveling+betta. The water should be okay if you dechlorinate it. I know many people use well water here and their bettas are fine. As for the light, many times in your tank instructions they give you what CFL lightbulb you can use for your fish tank. This is the lightbulb you NEED for your tank. It must be CFL daylight spectrum if you want to keep live plants. Java fern, Wendtii Crypt (brown or green), Val Corkscrew, Dwarf Hairgrass are all good plants. Plants that are good that need a little higher light are the Amazon Sword family (this family also needs root tabs since they are heavy feeders).


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Hello and welcome to FishForum. dr2b covered it all!


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## okijapan (Aug 28, 2009)

How far is the trip between school and home?


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## Gravemind123 (Oct 5, 2009)

Thanks for all the info, the drive between school in home is 90 miles and usually ranges from 1.5-2.5 hours of time in the car. I think I will get the equipment over winter break and the fish after the tank is back at school and set up. Is cycling the tank necessary before putting the fish in it? Is it necessary before putting the plant in it?


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## oXsonriksXo (Oct 3, 2009)

im from the chicagoland area too, where are you from? going to u of i? =)


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

you should let the tank run for a few days or a week before you put the fish in there if you can. i've had to put a fish in a fresh tank in an emergency and nothing bad happened- but it's better for the fish if you wait. 

i'd also stress the importance of getting a healthy fish. a lot of the betta in the pet stores are sick from the stress of being shipped and living in those little cups. don't get a fish that seems fainty or sleepy or pale. you should also maybe just look at the dark ones- the light colored fish are very beautiful but it's harder to tell if they're sick because the first sign is loss of color. if you get a sick fish and it dies in your tank you also have the annoyance of having to clean it out and start over aging the water. ick

i have the 3 gallon eclipse and i like it a lot- its really nice looking and the filter current isn't too strong. betta don't like a strong current.


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

Also, using water conditioner with tap will help greatly.


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

Yup, everyone here seems to have it covered. 



oXsonriksXo said:


> im from the chicagoland area too, where are you from? going to u of i? =)


 I applied to U of I!


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Thanks for the link. I'm a bit nervous traveling home for the Winter break too. I take a Greyhound and it's a 12 hour drive to get home, so I don't think I can take my bettas with me.


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## Gravemind123 (Oct 5, 2009)

oXsonriksXo said:


> im from the chicagoland area too, where are you from? going to u of i? =)


No, I'm from Western suburbs(two of them, as my parents are seperated). I'm not going to U of I, but I know a lot of people who are and may be visiting them soon. I will probably transfer to U of I in two years though!



Jynx said:


> you should let the tank run for a few days or a week before you put the fish in there if you can. i've had to put a fish in a fresh tank in an emergency and nothing bad happened- but it's better for the fish if you wait.
> ...
> i have the 3 gallon eclipse and i like it a lot- its really nice looking and the filter current isn't too strong. betta don't like a strong current.


Thanks for the advice, I was thinking about getting one of the small eclipse tanks, and now I'm pretty sure that's what I'll go for. I can run the tank for that long if it is better for the fish. 

I'm not sure when I can actually afford to get the tank and such, I guess it will depend on how expensive the total of all the equipment and food will cost. If it is too much I may have to wait until Christmas.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

i believe my 3 gallon eclipse and all the stuff came out to around $85

http://yfrog.com/0ofish018bj


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## Gravemind123 (Oct 5, 2009)

That looks really nice, the black pebbles go well with the dark colors of the fish. What type of fish is in there other than the blue/black betta?

Can anyone suggest a heater for the Eclipse 3? I need to be sure to get an adequate one to keep the water warm in cold external temperatures, my room may get down into the 60s at night.

Also, what are some good brands for things like food, water testing products and the stuff you put in tap water to make it usable for the fish?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Food- Wardleys pellets and Hikari betta bio gold.
Test kit- The API freshwater master test kit.
Conditioner- Prime and Aquasafe.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

i have the hydor mini heater for 2-5 gallons- it's a little heating pad that can dangle in the water or you can bury it in the gravel. i like it because its all one piece- nothing to get detached in the water. also when its buried in the gravel it keeps the fish from having direct contact with the heat- some betta seem to enjoy squeezing behind things and they can get injured if they rub on a hot heater.

the other fish in the pic is a black molly- my friend gave him to me when he had to move cross country and didn't think the molly would survive the trip. Lulu picks on him sometimes but he still has all his parts. the females are usually more tolerant of tankmates than the males are. 

i condition my water with wardley chlor out
Lulu used to get betta bites but since i put the molly in there she's eating the tetramin flakes my friend left for the molly. Lulu isn't picky- i think the flakes have made her fins longer and more spiky. they also get the bloodworms once a week.
my plants are from the betta bulbs- i got them just to see what would sprout out- my fish love them


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

They have covered it all. I use both Wardleys and Hikari bio gold (and now Hikari micro pellets). I use Prime water conditioner, and I use the Hydor 25 watt and 50 watt heaters in my two tanks. I didn't catch if it was mentioned...but it is helpful to put the plants in while cycling. Makes it easier on the fish if you do have them in there.


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