# No Heater :(



## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

So I have 2, 1.5 gallon tanks. They both have awesome filters, are cleaned 50% every friday, are facing a heat vent and are located up against an outside wall. Both fish are happy and (as far as I can see) healthy. The one boy is new (as of yesterday ) But my other guy has a bubble nest built and is very agressive. Both flare and do not seem to have clamped up fins and are very active. Anyways! My mom has this thing... She thinks bettas live in small puddles and therefore refuses to buy heaters. *Sigh* I did point out they live in water in thiland (sp?) and indoisia (again sp?) where it is warm. we are in canada...so what could I possibly do to convince her and make up for the absence of a heater? :roll: 
Thank you guys 
ps. I ask that you dont judge on the size of tanks...I dont have my summer job and sadly have no money for a bigger tank..  grrr.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

You could try joining free cycle:

http://www.freecycle.org/group/ca/

To get something for free you have to give something away so first find something useful to give away and you post it. Then go back and post for the aquarium heaters. You try letting them know it's for a kid that makes folks more likely to reply. Someone might have some they don't need anymore.

You will have to get your mom to be willing to pick them up. Maybe if they are free she will be willing to do it. If you have garage that needs cleaning out maybe if you offer to gather stuff to give away she will appreciate the effort. It's not guaranteed you get one but if your mom sees your determination maybe it will sway her.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Thats so smart!  I will check it out thank you  You see the thing isnt so much she wont buy one (found a small good one at wallymart for 16$) Its that she is clinging onto it being "un nessasary" and wont give up the argument... shes also under quite a bit of stress :/ oh well I will check this out so thank you very much


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

You are correct that bettas come from Thailand, which is, after all, an equatorial country. Water temperature in areas where bettas are found can be as high as 84F. Bettas can grow lethargic, colourless and lack appetite in water under 75. 
Gouramis and loaches come from the same waters, and nobody keeps them without heaters.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I go through the same thing with my mother every time I change the water (I have 7 tanks)..."why do you have to change it so often..its not dirty" :roll:
However, I am 34 and just ignore her. 

You can print this and show her. I don't remember who made it though. 









or maybe you can print out and get her to read the "myths" stickie? Those "puddles" are huge rice paddies.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=8923

I have heard of people eeping them on top of refridgerators as the heat from the fridge will warm the tank?


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

It's really important to keep bettas on interior walls away from vents.. otherwise you will have temp fluctuations that are hard on them, and can even be lethal.

Are you using a glass in tank thermometer to monitor the temperature? It should be a steady and unchanging temp between 78-80F.

I think you should just point her to this site.. Maybe if she reads stuff she will understand.

You can't cycle a tank of this size. There's just not enough surface space to breed a proper biofilter. I actually suggest removing the filter because in something so small your boy just can't get a break from the current.

You need to be changing it at least twice weekly 50% and 100%. The 50% changes the betta can be kept in the bowl and use a turkey baster to remove half the water and as much of the debris as possible. For the 100% you need to remove him - scoop him out with a plastic solo type cup and set aside while you thoroughly rinse the bowl and gravel to remove the debris. Then he should be acclimated to the new water by floating for an hour while you slowly add a couple tablespoons of new water to the cup every 10 minutes. When you release him, try to let as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. All water changes should use same temp water, matched to running tap using the in tank thermometer and the water needs to be premixed with conditioner before adding it to the betta tank. If you don't already have anything, you can use gallon water jugs from the grocery store - rinsed thoroughly in hot water but no chems. 

If you really want to try cycling, You need to be testing daily with a reliable drops kit for ammonia and nitrite and doing an extra 50% change any time you see either. In addition to this a weekly 50% with siphon or new fresh turkey baster that has never seen chems is needed to remove poop and other debris from the gravel. It is not enough to just scoop water off the top ever. I actually suggest a turkey baster or very small siphon because your tank is so small an average siphon will remove water too quickly.

First you will see ammonia, then nitrite. Eventually, hopefully, you will see ammonia fall and stay at 0 even after a week of no water changes, and finally nitrite. At this point you will be left with only nitrates after a full week of no changes and these can be kept <20ppm by twice weekly 50% change with baster/siphon. However, cycling will take up to two months to complete and many if not most people will tell you that you can't cycle a tank of this size and you will always need twice weekly 50% and 100% water changes or you will always see ammonia continuing to build and the cycle will never finish.. I don't think there's any chance for this to ever establish unless you majorly modify the filter with lots of extra sponges, and then maybe


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

This is great! Thanks for sharing. I plan to share it alot!


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Thank you. So I showed my mom the poster an she said (and I quote) "Bull**** its a fish Emily. your old fish lived 3 years with no heater blah blah blah. Im not spending another penny on these tanks get your dad to pay" Sadly my dad has paid for 70% of my setups  oh well.... you adults are so hard to understand!  thank you for the information Callistra. I plan to research more on this as I dont quite understand all the Ph ammonia nitrite science lol  Another thing my mom is against is water changes. She thinks they will drop dead if i move them :/ Dont get me wrong you guys, my mom is awsome and I love her to peices but keep in mind im a young teen and she is my mom. I am planning in summer to save my money and buy a (at least) 10g and secton it off.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Oh and I thought id share my water change routine while im at it. So I unplug the filter, take a yougurt cup and take out all the water, leaving enough for him for get around in so like.... maybe 80% taken out. then I take room temp (distilled) water. and pour it in. (at this point i take out my plants/ornaments and rinse them). I then stir up the gravel and clear the rocks away from the filter. Then I take the filter cartridige (sp?) and rinse it off. then put it all back together and (if needed) wipe off the glass.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but distilled water is bad for bettas as it has no minerals etc(?). Tap water with conditioner is the way to go.

I know how it can be fighting parental opinions on fish - I had to do the same a long time ago as my parents believed the petshop, not the internet. I'm 22 now and spend so much time doing fish things that people just believe me now.  

Have you asked your mum why she thinks what she does? Is it because a petshop has said it? If a forum of dedicated enthusiasts/breeders/experts can't convince her, perhaps a book would do it?


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Hm...Maybe distilled water is not great? Well i searched it and i got many differant answers. Some saying it is bad some is good. I have used both tap and distilled water before (tap for my old 10g of tropical fish and distilled for my 36gal ciclid tank) I think the concern for mom is the money....shes the type of person who picks a fact to argue and wont let it go....even if she is wrong :/ I think I will just do some chores for my nanny and see if I can afford that 16 dollar heater from wallymart... And also (Im not trying to argue with all your opinions at all) But when i was younger (9...10 maybe and i am quite ashamed of this but...) I had 2 females in a 3 gallon...it had an underground filter and a few plants.I never EVER did water changes and only topped up the tank when the water got low. It became filthy dirty with algae so i got a huge (I mean a HUGE) snail. These fished lived almost 3 years in these conditions. Now everytime I bring up better health care for my fish she refers to these poor girls... the tank did not have a heater only a light which burnt out a year into having the tank. it was on an outside wall and right above a heat vent. So pretty much the only thing these girls had going for them was the space and company. Any ideas why they lived so long?
Ive attached a picture of my current tanks  
(sorry for my lecture)







I also will be replacing that horrible habitrail and putting some new ornament in both of the tanks.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

The reason those bettas lived so long? A combination of luck and having some hardy little fish.  

This is a post I made a while ago that may be helpful for you: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=98214. Of course, sometimes it is really hard to argue a point when someone isn't keen to hear you.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

Betta's can't live long term in distilled water. It lacks necessary electrolytes and trace minerals for fish health.

You can mix distilled 50/50 with tap water, if you want to soften it. However, it would need to be done EXACTLY the same each time, premixed and everything before using it. You also need conditioner. Usually, tap water is just fine for bettas, but since he's used to so little now you will need to acclimate very very slowly to tap.


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## ryancalif (Mar 10, 2013)

Bombalurina said:


> The reason those bettas lived so long? A combination of luck and having some hardy little fish.
> 
> This is a post I made a while ago that may be helpful for you: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=98214. Of course, sometimes it is really hard to argue a point when someone isn't keen to hear you.


There is something to be said, though, about fish being stronger as a result of living in tougher water conditions.

I think one of the problems with keeping _perfect_ aquarium conditions all the time is that when one bad situation does unfortunately arise, your fish might not be strong enough to get through it.

It's the same argument made about over-protective mothers making sure their kids don't get dirty. Well, research is now starting to show that it's actually beneficial for those kids to get dirty, have germs on their hands, and have get sick once and a while as it strengthens their immune system.

By the way, I'm not proposing you keep your fish in squalid conditions... I'm just saying that I think keeping your fish in flawlessly clean and sanitary water all the time may actually be shortening it's life span.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I agree that it is possible to over-clean your tank. However, ammonia/nitrites should still be kept at 0.


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## ryancalif (Mar 10, 2013)

Bombalurina said:


> I agree that it is possible to over-clean your tank. However, ammonia/nitrites should still be kept at 0.


If you have an uncycled tank, you'll be cleaning the thing five times a day to keep your nitrite and ammonia levels at zero. That's just impractical and arguably unnecessary. 

I would say clean it as many times as necessary to keep nitrites and ammonia below 1 ppm. Your fish will be fine, and you'll be promoting bacteria growth.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

To me, 0 is anything below 0.25ppm. Sure, that's not a mathematical zero, but that's what most testing kits will measure at.  1ppm is enough to do damage to a fish.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

I'll give you a little human tip instead of a fish tip. Most people like your mom, arguing a point even though they know they are wrong, respond to flattery in my experience. So, you have to rework your approach. Try saying "Mom you're really intelligent (or insert any compliment about being smart here to flatter her) would you mind if I ask for your help. I'm going to buy a heater with my summer job money even though I know you don't think I need one, but I need help picking one out. Could you help me research & read reviews on different heaters & let me know what you think". If it works it will also get your mom online doing research on bettas.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

I love the above approach. But sadly it seems very unlikley she would help me because shes got "better things to do" with her time


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

EmmyFishyPoo said:


> I love the above approach. But sadly it seems very unlikley she would help me because shes got "better things to do" with her time


That's why the flattery part has to come first. I'm in marketing & one of the things I've learned is to be so nice someone wants to say yes to you. Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen...she says no. 

Good luck. I know we adults can be a pain when we get so caught up in responsibilities we forget to chill out & listen to our kids sometimes. I just tell my kids that my brain fell out with them when I gave birth so i need lots of reminders & that they can't expect too much from me, lol.


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## Picasso84 (Feb 11, 2013)

Fishy Mom said:


> That's why the flattery part has to come first. I'm in marketing & one of the things I've learned is to be so nice someone wants to say yes to you. Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen...she says no.
> 
> Good luck. I know we adults can be a pain when we get so caught up in responsibilities we forget to chill out & listen to our kids sometimes. I just tell my kids that my brain fell out with them when I gave birth so i need lots of reminders & that they can't expect too much from me, lol.


Lol, that's funny! I might have to tell my mom that!  she would love it! And, speaking of my mom, Emmyfishypoo.... I can tell u from experience, both with my mom & dad (my dad is very stubborn like ur mom is) when I was younger, and from (recent years) advice I've gotten from my mom (who is very knowledgeable when it comes to social etiquette) fishymom's advice is good advice... Flattery  then ask for help from the all-powerful, all-knowing mom  I'm 28 now, & I'm just now realizing how knowledgable she is! Lol Good Luck!! 

If u still don't have a heater in the next couple weeks, I wil be having an extra one, when I switch out my small tank to a larger one  u can pm me if u still need one by then


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

YAY!!!!! You guys!!!!

So Me and my dad have been collecting money in a little tin for well over 2 years now. This weekend we took it into the bank and it amounted to lots more than we expected! So we split the profits and I have a fair amont of spending money.  So I went out and bought:








I talked to my friend in the petstore (who also is into bettas) And explained my problem. She then pulled out a heater made for 1/2 to 1 1/2 gallon tanks :-D She said she uses it with her bettas. So then I bought a thermometer and Omega One food (With lots of seafood ingredients) :-D

So is there anything I should know about Introducing Peck to a heater? If it works okay I will go back and buy one for Lewi too  
Thanks guys! :-D


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Take him out, put the heater in, let it get up to 78-82, then reacclimatise Peck like you only just bought him.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Okay! *Thanks*


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

That's awesome! Little bits of cash can really add up. A great lesson for all of us to remember. 

Make sure you test the heater in a bucket of water for 24 hours before putting it in the tank. Let's you find out if it will hold a decent temperature, or if it is defective.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

Yay! I'm glad it worked out for you. Your Dad sounds very fair & sensible. 

I have that same heater for my 1g baby & hospital tanks. It has worked great for me.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Okay! update! So I read the instructions on the instruction manual (before reading your answers *whoops*:roll I let the heater sit for about 20-30 minutes before plugging it in. When i plugged it in it slowly went up over the course of the night. It is now sitting at 80 degrees. Is this okay for a tank? keeping in mind Its not adjustable.:-? Also It evaporates the water *sooooooo* fast! just over night it evaporated to at least 1cm below the minimum water line. jeeez :| So I filled it back up and pushed it down slightly so that the water is well past the minimum water line. Im also experiencing lots of condensation on the lid of the tank :| Oh well! If its keeping my fish warm I suppose its okay right?! :-D I am picking up another heater + thermometer for lewis today as well


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

When you say "let it sit" was that in water? Most heaters will short circuit if used out of the water. If it was in water, just keep an eye on it. If you let it sit warm up outside of the water, read your directions and make sure that is ok. 

Great job on giving your betta a nice warm home!


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

EmmyFishyPoo said:


> Okay! update! So I read the instructions on the instruction manual (before reading your answers *whoops*:roll I let the heater sit for about 20-30 minutes before plugging it in. When i plugged it in it slowly went up over the course of the night. It is now sitting at 80 degrees. Is this okay for a tank? keeping in mind Its not adjustable.:-? Also It evaporates the water *sooooooo* fast! just over night it evaporated to at least 1cm below the minimum water line. jeeez :| So I filled it back up and pushed it down slightly so that the water is well past the minimum water line. Im also experiencing lots of condensation on the lid of the tank :| Oh well! If its keeping my fish warm I suppose its okay right?! :-D I am picking up another heater + thermometer for lewis today as well


That heater keeps my 1g tanks at a consistant 80 degrees too & my fish love it. Let me know how your fishies like their warmer homes.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

VJM said:


> When you say "let it sit" was that in water? Most heaters will short circuit if used out of the water. If it was in water, just keep an eye on it. If you let it sit warm up outside of the water, read your directions and make sure that is ok.
> 
> Great job on giving your betta a nice warm home!


I mean I let it sit in the water to adjust to the water tempurature


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Fishy Mom said:


> That heater keeps my 1g tanks at a consistant 80 degrees too & my fish love it. Let me know how your fishies like their warmer homes.


 I will :-D


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Do you feed them only with flakes? Flakes cause swim bladder issues more readily than most pellets. You should be using a high quality protein based pellet with the first two or three ingredients as whole fish not fishmeal or wheat. The flakes will also muck up his water quickly and if you're not running a cycled tank that means ammonia builds up much more quickly.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

ANHEL123 said:


> Do you feed them only with flakes? Flakes cause swim bladder issues more readily than most pellets. You should be using a high quality protein based pellet with the first two or three ingredients as whole fish not fishmeal or wheat. The flakes will also muck up his water quickly and if you're not running a cycled tank that means ammonia builds up much more quickly.


I think you posted on the wrong thread of mine  Im using pellets only now because they didnt take a liking to the Omega One flakes


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## Hadoken Kitty (Jan 24, 2013)

Maybe you could bust out your awesome geographical knowledge? Explain that Thailand is right between the tropic of cancer and the equator. They are below China, and due to their location, they typically have warmer weather year round. 










They definitely don't live in puddles, though. They live in rice patties and flooded areas. IF they live in 'puddles', these are thousand gallon 'puddles' (which don't equate to puddles at that point if you ask me ). 

Putting a betta in a cold environment is like having a polar bear in a hot zoo with only cold water (not a cold, enclosed environment). Sure it lives and _can_ reproduce, but it doesn't mean that it is happy or healthy doing so.


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## Hadoken Kitty (Jan 24, 2013)

OMG I'm so late. What is with this site and my computer. It shows me the second page, with the whole "get free things". So I posted that. Now it's showing me that you have a heater. -bangs head against a wall-


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Hadoken Kitty said:


> OMG I'm so late. What is with this site and my computer. It shows me the second page, with the whole "get free things". So I posted that. Now it's showing me that you have a heater. -bangs head against a wall-


Ahahah! :lol: Oh well It was nice to read ;-)


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## Hadoken Kitty (Jan 24, 2013)

EmmyFishyPoo said:


> Ahahah! :lol: Oh well It was nice to read ;-)


Well thank you! Sorry I wasn't of any help.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Hadoken Kitty said:


> Well thank you! Sorry I wasn't of any help.


Nah dont worry about it :-D

So I got my mother (with my money) To pick me up another heater + thermometer from the petstore today on her was home from work. I set it up in lewis tank a few hours ago and its working well :lol: Only thing is they sold out of regular thermometers and so the one she picked up had to be bent into shape to fit decently onto my tank! 















Its originally supposed to be like :


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## Hadoken Kitty (Jan 24, 2013)

Lol, that's funny. As long as it works, though!!


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Hadoken Kitty said:


> Lol, that's funny. As long as it works, though!!


Yea! I just hope lewi wont catch his fins on it at all seeing as it is metal and doesnt sit very flat to the glass:-?


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## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

ryancalif said:


> If you have an uncycled tank, you'll be cleaning the thing five times a day to keep your nitrite and ammonia levels at zero. That's just impractical and arguably unnecessary.
> 
> I would say clean it as many times as necessary to keep nitrites and ammonia below 1 ppm. Your fish will be fine, and you'll be promoting bacteria growth.


Sorry i am late for this discussion but i really want to say something about not cycled and too clean tanks. I actually never cycled any of my tanks even my 5 gall tank. And for 2.5 gall i do 100% water changes every 5 days and for 5 gall every 9 days . I do rinse everything in the tank (gravel , plants, heater, even walls i rinse and wipe) So you guys will considerate it to be too clean. Well my oldest betta is about now 4.8 years old and my youngest one about will be 2 years. And the temperature is 76*. And my friend does the same and we don't have any problems . Sorry i am not arguing, it just the fact that it really not bad if you don't cycle .....I have 5 bettas


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## JBonez423 (Mar 11, 2013)

EmmyFishyPoo said:


> So I have 2, 1.5 gallon tanks. They both have awesome filters, are cleaned 50% every friday, are facing a heat vent and are located up against an outside wall. Both fish are happy and (as far as I can see) healthy. The one boy is new (as of yesterday ) But my other guy has a bubble nest built and is very agressive. Both flare and do not seem to have clamped up fins and are very active. Anyways! My mom has this thing... She thinks bettas live in small puddles and therefore refuses to buy heaters. *Sigh* I did point out they live in water in thiland (sp?) and indoisia (again sp?) where it is warm. we are in canada...so what could I possibly do to convince her and make up for the absence of a heater? :roll:
> Thank you guys
> ps. I ask that you dont judge on the size of tanks...I dont have my summer job and sadly have no money for a bigger tank..  grrr.


1.5 gallons is fine. The only amount I honestly think is too small for a fish is anything less than a gallon. I've seen some people on other sites saying you can't have anything less than a 5 gallon, but I think that's a little excessive.. I mean, if you have the cash and space to give every betta a 5 gallon, more power to you lol but it shouldn't be considered a requirement. If they're unfurled and active and generally happy looking, they're fine in the size tank they have. =]

As for trying to convince your mum on certain things, I would definitely try to highlight that they are tropical fish and need heaters. I'm not gunna lie... none of my bettas have heaters. I'm on the fence about getting them one, since their tanks maintain steady at 75-77 degrees, and everyone is happy and active as can be. I think it's partially because this house is always so hot. My grandma likes to keep the heat at 80... at the very least. If your house is cold, simply explain to your mum that your environment is too cold and you're afraid they'll get sick.

As far as asking you why you're cleaning them so often, just tell her that while it's true they live in small puddles in the wild, they can also jump into another puddle when theirs gets too dirty. They're good jumpers. How often do you clean your tank? I do a 50% and a 100% a week on my one gallons.

Sorry if I'm repeating any info, I haven't gone through the whole thread lol.


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## EmmyFishyPoo (Jan 22, 2013)

JBonez423 said:


> 1.5 gallons is fine. The only amount I honestly think is too small for a fish is anything less than a gallon. I've seen some people on other sites saying you can't have anything less than a 5 gallon, but I think that's a little excessive.. I mean, if you have the cash and space to give every betta a 5 gallon, more power to you lol but it shouldn't be considered a requirement. If they're unfurled and active and generally happy looking, they're fine in the size tank they have. =]
> 
> As for trying to convince your mum on certain things, I would definitely try to highlight that they are tropical fish and need heaters. I'm not gunna lie... none of my bettas have heaters. I'm on the fence about getting them one, since their tanks maintain steady at 75-77 degrees, and everyone is happy and active as can be. I think it's partially because this house is always so hot. My grandma likes to keep the heat at 80... at the very least. If your house is cold, simply explain to your mum that your environment is too cold and you're afraid they'll get sick.
> 
> ...


Well I am not planning on taking out the filter as my tanks are doing well right now  I also got a heater but before that (my house is very cold) the tempurature in the tanks was like... 70. Also I clean the tank 2 times a week, both about a 50-75% water change. I also top up the water every few days because the new heaters make the water evaporate super super super fast!!! :lol:


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## JBonez423 (Mar 11, 2013)

EmmyFishyPoo said:


> Well I am not planning on taking out the filter as my tanks are doing well right now  I also got a heater but before that (my house is very cold) the tempurature in the tanks was like... 70. Also I clean the tank 2 times a week, both about a 50-75% water change. I also top up the water every few days because the new heaters make the water evaporate super super super fast!!! :lol:


Perfect, sounds like you're doing all the right things! =] I'm with you on the filter, I know some bettas don't like them but mine actually love their filter! Plus anything to reduce water changes and make life less stressful for them is good in my book!


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## Breyercrazy (Dec 20, 2012)

Try brining this up;

Domestic Bettas are different from wild ones and their water is warmer in their habitat because it is closer tot he equator.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

sunlight said:


> Sorry i am late for this discussion but i really want to say something about not cycled and too clean tanks. I actually never cycled any of my tanks even my 5 gall tank. And for 2.5 gall i do 100% water changes every 5 days and for 5 gall every 9 days . I do rinse everything in the tank (gravel , plants, heater, even walls i rinse and wipe) So you guys will considerate it to be too clean. Well my oldest betta is about now 4.8 years old and my youngest one about will be 2 years. And the temperature is 76*. And my friend does the same and we don't have any problems . Sorry i am not arguing, it just the fact that it really not bad if you don't cycle .....I have 5 bettas


I don't think anyone thinks it's bad to not cycle a tank as long as you keep up the water changes  Cycling just makes it easier, because you don't have to do as many water changes - I definitely couldn't cope if I had to do 100% changes on my tanks! I can't even lift my 5 gallon when it's more than half full. 



JBonez423 said:


> As for trying to convince your mum on certain things, I would definitely try to highlight that they are tropical fish and need heaters. I'm not gunna lie... none of my bettas have heaters. I'm on the fence about getting them one, since their tanks maintain steady at 75-77 degrees, and everyone is happy and active as can be. I think it's partially because this house is always so hot. My grandma likes to keep the heat at 80... at the very least. If your house is cold, simply explain to your mum that your environment is too cold and you're afraid they'll get sick.


I think this is a good example of when you don't need a heater.  I pity you, having to live in 80F all the time, though! I hate the heat (says the girl who lives in Australia). I'd grab a heater just in case, though - it never hurts to have one on hand in case the heating breaks or a fish gets sick and needs warmer water for a boost.


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## JBonez423 (Mar 11, 2013)

Once I have the extra cash for it, I definitely want to get a few just in case! Especially for my grandma's fish, she insists on keeping it by the window. -.-" I actually love the heat lol I want to move to California one day, in fact. I do enjoy the cold, but only for about a month before I miss the warmth! Barely 4 months out of the year just doesn't cut it for me. =P


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