# Critter Keepers



## TorukBetta (Nov 11, 2012)

I was thinking about getting a 3 gallon Critter Keeper for my male betta. 

Are critter keepers good to use? C:

Any pictures?


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

alot of users use kritter keepers
their decently sized and cheap


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## titusthebetta (Sep 2, 2011)

They get the job done. I like mine well enough. The main thing is to keep a towel or something over the hood because they let heat escape.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I have one by my window!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I have read of them having problems with heaters.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

nope, mines heated just fine.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I guess it is not always true then.


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## katydidmischief (Aug 19, 2012)

The first photo is the medium size (~2gals) and the the second is the large (~3gals). Both were heated and filtered and were perfectly fine homes.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I prefer glass because they can take more water pressure.


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## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

I have a ton of them  I'm not using most of them right now, but I like them a lot. They're a good, cheap option. Just make sure you buy them in person instead of ordering them online. I've had 3 break during shipping because they were packed poorly.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I hope it works out I prefer the classic glass tank.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I have two 3 gallon critter keepers. I like them. I have heaters in them, and the water stays around 79F. I can pick them up and carry them to the sink for water changes. (The glass tanks are a lot heavier.) So I'm happy with them.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Really I do fifity percent weekly on my tank and I carry it 2.5 gallons at a time and it hurts my Scolosis.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I have several of them but am only currently using 2 - one as a hospital tank and one for a pink male I picked up yesterday. I switched over to divided 10 gallons because I have 16 bettas. Less heaters/filters and water changes for me :-D

Here are some I have had:


















The only issue I have is that since they are not very tall- a few 25 heaters won't fit into them because they are too tall. However the Hagen Elite 25 watt adjustible heaters are shorter so they work nicely.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Not my style but those are awesome.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I have one. It has a fake plant, and a cave, with blue flat aquarium marbles in it, along with a aqueon mini heater


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I prefer live plants.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I can't keep aquarium plants alive which is ironic because I majored in horticulture in HS


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am better with cardinal plants than I am with spider plants. My tanks are bursting with plants the lids have lucky bamboo growing out of it and lucky bamboo, peace lily, and pothos in the filter.


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## TorukBetta (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks guys!!


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## rezicca (Oct 8, 2012)

Yeah, going to agree with everyone. They're pretty much the best ever. I have two larges and they handle being heated just wonderfully. Although.. I'm a little envious of everyone's tanks. Mine are so bare in comparison.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Even a 2 gallon is atleast 24 pounds how do you carry that?


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## horsyqueen (Nov 13, 2012)

I have a empty critter keeper but the thing has terrible water marks and lime scale it looks horrid. I think they are nice for keeping fish though and very cheap. The only problem i find is that they are plastic and that scares me incase it breaks.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Even a 2 gallon is atleast 24 pounds how do you carry that?


haha everyone has different strengths and weaknesses...24 pounds is nothing to me, i move between 800 and 2000 boxes at work every day, ranging in weight anywhere from 15 to 50 pounds each, but if you asked me to sit in a chair in an office for eight hours a day my back would be screaming at me in the kind of curse words that would turn a street-walker into a nun out of sheer horror for humanity


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My Scolosis really hurts when I lift 24 to 40 pounds twice a week. A few different buckets at a time.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> My Scolosis really hurts when I lift 24 to 40 pounds twice a week. A few different buckets at a time.


depending on how close your tanks are to the nearest sink, you might just want to get a roll of thick-gauge airline tubing and attach the cylinder from your gravel vac to it, and vacuum your tanks directly into the sink, thereby saving a whole lot of water-carrying (interesting note, in japanese schools, it's a common punishment for disobedient students to make them walk up and down the hall carrying buckets of water. i don't, however, know if it's just meant as corporal punishment from the weight of the water, or if the water has some significance.)


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I go down the stair case and throw it outside.


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## Rockandrollgirl09 (Oct 22, 2012)

I am using one presently and I love it. They are nice and big and cheap. I highly recommend it if you have little kids or cousins or something running around. Like my brother has 2 bettas and he keeps them in a critter keeper and its perfect for him because if he drops it it wont break because its not glass. ( Dropping while Cleaning it I mean).


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## rezicca (Oct 8, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Even a 2 gallon is atleast 24 pounds how do you carry that?


I'm in a dorm, so what I typically do is remove the fish, empty at least a gallon using whatever container I have on hand, and then carry it to the kitchen. Makes it much easier that way.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Even a 2 gallon is atleast 24 pounds how do you carry that?


1 US gallon of fresh water weighs about 8.34 lbs.... So a 3 gallon critter keeper weighs about 25 lbs.

I just pick it up and carry it to the sink.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

horsyqueen said:


> I have a empty critter keeper but the thing has terrible water marks and lime scale it looks horrid. I think they are nice for keeping fish though and very cheap. The only problem i find is that they are plastic and that scares me incase it breaks.


I wonder if soaking it in vinegar for awhile would remove the lime?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> I wonder if soaking it in vinegar for awhile would remove the lime?


i've heard that tequila, triple sec and salt is the best way to get rid of a lime


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I want to get a large critter keeper and put my orchid in it.


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## rezicca (Oct 8, 2012)

Go for it, but get one in person. I've heard they crack easily in shipping.


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## paloverde (Nov 9, 2012)

homegrown terror said:


> i've heard that tequila, triple sec and salt is the best way to get rid of a lime


lmao!


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## KRTrenkamp (Nov 18, 2012)

When I went into the local Petsmart and saw Kelly I knew I wanted her. But with it being a spur of the moment purchase and the holidays nearing, I need to do something cheaper, especially since I was also buy a 10 Gallon tank kit with a divider for two of my other Bettas. So I ended up getting a large Critter Keeper for her when I couldn't find a smaller rectangular kit anywhere. I already had a filter, heater, light, and gravel to use on it from Castiel's previous set up (I hated the aquarium itself though, which is why I went for something else to put her in).

It works out great for her and she seems to really enjoy it.


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## TorukBetta (Nov 11, 2012)

It does look amazing! c:


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> 1 US gallon of fresh water weighs about 8.34 lbs.... So a 3 gallon critter keeper weighs about 25 lbs.
> 
> I just pick it up and carry it to the sink.



I'm afraid of the tank cracking. So I never move the tank...


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

For you water carriers not gifted with Terror's strength (or taste in cocktails), may I suggest cycling your tank to reduce the number and size of the water changes.

Yes a 2g or 3g tank can accept a stable nitrogen cycle if sufficient filter media and substrate are used.

More importantly, the ammonia is lower at all times than in even a carefully maintained and changed uncycled tank.

Cycling is not for the convenience of the keeper but for the health and safety of the fish.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

KR how big is that it looks huge and what is that cave?


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## KRTrenkamp (Nov 18, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> KR how big is that it looks huge and what is that cave?


I'm not good at guess or knowing how much it can hold, but it's dimensions are 14.5"L x 8.75"W x 9.75"H (a large kritter keeper)

And the cave is an actual shell of a coconut I got from my LFS.


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

Hallyx said:


> For you water carriers not gifted with Terror's strength (or taste in cocktails), may I suggest cycling your tank to reduce the number and size of the water changes.
> 
> Yes a 2g or 3g tank can accept a stable nitrogen cycle if sufficient filter media and substrate are used.
> 
> ...


Cycling anything less than 5 gallons is a pain in the rear. And if put in the inexperienced hands it could do more harm than good. Not to mention you should use a filter and sponge media to cycle the tank. 

Id actually recommend some strong and easy to care for plants for those who want to lessen their water changes a bit.


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

Oh. I just realized this is the critter keeper thread and not the 1-2 gallon thread. However, i still stand by my advice


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

hmmm quite a few users here amateur or otherwise have cycled their small tanks successfully and their tanks have held a stable cycle. I think the under 5 gallonis an old concept and we need to update accordingly :O


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## Matilda (Apr 25, 2012)

*I recently got 2 of the XL Kritter Keepers & I love them, would buy again in a heartbeat. My neighbor/friend downstairs liked them so much she had me order one for her new little girl betta! All have sponge filters & heaters with live plants. I transfered the old filters over to the new tanks & have let them run together so as to cycle the tanks quicker/easier.*


*I agree with Aokashi, I've successfully cycled 2 small tanks, a 2 gallon & a 2.5 gallon. IMHO the filter has a lot to do with it.*


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

KRTrenkamp said:


> I'm not good at guess or knowing how much it can hold, but it's dimensions are 14.5"L x 8.75"W x 9.75"H (a large kritter keeper)
> 
> And the cave is an actual shell of a coconut I got from my LFS.


 Sorry not good with dimensions what about gallon?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

aokashi said:


> hmmm quite a few users here amateur or otherwise have cycled their small tanks successfully and their tanks have held a stable cycle. I think the under 5 gallonis an old concept and we need to update accordingly :O


 I agree now a gallon or less may be very hard to cycle but possible.


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## LizzyP (Jun 21, 2012)

I have a fully cycled 3 gallon (not a KK) that's holding it's cycle quite well. I agree, I think the old rule of under 5 gallons really needs to be updated.

As far as the topic at hand: I really like the concept of a Critter Keeper. I don't personally have one, but would love to get some. I've heard many people have great luck with them, and they're cheap!


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## Matilda (Apr 25, 2012)

I believe the large Kritter Keepers hold about 3 gallons.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I think that rule comes from the fact we have better filters and cycling supplies today.


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## Wendyjo (Oct 19, 2012)

Yep, I've cycled my 2.5g tanks before and they've always stayed stable. I treat the small tanks just like my large one as far as maintenance goes.

And FYI glass tanks are much easier to break than acrylic ones. Acrylic tanks are made out of one molded piece of plastic - glass tanks are 5 seperate pieces of glass held together with silicone. You carry a glass tank of any size with water in it, or don't have it on a level surface, and the chances of it busting a seam from the pressure of the water is quite high. That is not an issue with acrylic tanks.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am pretty sure they are plastic not arcilic.


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## Wendyjo (Oct 19, 2012)

Hmm OK I know that plastic fish tanks are all made of acrylic, which is a type of plastic.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

KRTrenkamp said:


> I'm not good at guess or knowing how much it can hold, but it's dimensions are 14.5"L x 8.75"W x 9.75"H (a large kritter keeper)
> 
> And the cave is an actual shell of a coconut I got from my LFS.


The large holds about 3 gallons.... 

I have three silk plants and two small terracotta pots (with the bottoms removed) in one of mine. The other has silk plants, a terracotta pot, and two Betta hammocks. (Both have heaters also.)


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## Chris430 (Nov 13, 2012)

i have a 3 gallon plastic critter tank for one betta. it has done a great job. i even have a heater and filter in there, along with a couple live plants a tunnel and a fake fungus looking plant. its not bad sized, and has held up nicely with very easy maintenance, but i am upgrading for three big reasons 

1)having a betta in a 5 in the same room makes it look so cramped. we got baby blue as literally a baby, less than an inch long. as hes grown the tank has to seem less and less interesting to him. decoration options are limited, making that tank look like a throw-together next to houdini's castle. 

2)SCRATCHES!! ive been pretty easy on the tank, and its made it longer than i honestly expected. but getting a decent picture of blue without a bunch of shite blurs in front gets harder and harder. and hes just far too gorgeous to not photograph.

3)lighting. the top has proven to be quite the opponent in finding decent lighting that works. my 5 gallon and 40 look so great with their lights on, while baby blue is stuck under a house lamp

i would recommend the critter tank, but i am not keeping mine


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I used to use them as my main tanks - now I use the 1.75g (medium) for the fish that I am conditioning to breed, and I use the .75g (small) to house the fish that I am breeding. (Went to larger, divided tanks for my pet bettas as it's much easier on me to maintain those then having to do all those water changes on all those keepers.. would be way too much work lol)

The mediums and up are easy to heat - I keep 25w adjustable heaters in there with no troubles of keeping the water as warm as I want it, nor is there any weakness to the plastic. My smalls are kept in large, shallow plastic tub filled with water and a heater in the tub to keep the tanks warm. 

Yes, they can get that ugly scum on there easily, but it can easily be cleaned off with some scrubbing. 

You can decorate them real pretty, just have to use your imagination! 

All in all, if you can't afford a tank or don't have room for a larger tank then a kritter keeper is a great way to go. I give it an 8/10 for being a good, cheap tank alternative


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## KRTrenkamp (Nov 18, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> The large holds about 3 gallons....
> 
> I have three silk plants and two small terracotta pots (with the bottoms removed) in one of mine. The other has silk plants, a terracotta pot, and two Betta hammocks. (Both have heaters also.)


Thanks! I thought that might be it but I wasn't 100% sure. 

And I think someone else also answered and thanks to them too, I can't remember the name though.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

If I bred fish I feel like larger tanks are better for conditioning.


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## rezicca (Oct 8, 2012)

Well smaller tanks are probably more efficient. Plus, saves space for breeders.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

If I ever breed only one pair.


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## rezicca (Oct 8, 2012)

You'd still have to make sure you can handle all the fry. Can't put them all in giant tanks.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Unless you have 5 100 gallons.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

A KK which is 14.5"L x 8.75"W x 9.75" holds around 5.35 gallons (somewhat less because of the taper).

The magic number is 231.

Length x width x height divided by 231 = gallons.

Acrylic tanks, especially in larger and longer sizes, are less likely to break than glass when used on a non-level or uneven surface. The plastic will give and stretch slightly to compensate. They're less likely to break when dropped because they're lighter.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I also love glass in general.


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