Betta in bowl with no heater?

Question

I used a fantastic traditional fish boel for an art projecta nd I think it would be a nice idea to use it with a fish in it.

At the shop I was going to choose two gold fish however the lady told me I would be okay to put one male betta in the bowl instead.

I found this odd because doent a betta need heater water?

is she right? Is it okay to do this?

Can I put any other fish in with him?

Thanks xx

Answer 1

1: the betta will need a heater

2: putting a betta in a bowl is mean. They should have a proper tank.

In fact - don't put *any* fish in a bowl. It's not big enough.

EDIT: how about half-filling it, and having some sort of tropical crab?

Answer 2

bettas need heaters, and 5gallon filtered heated tanks. goldies, on the other hand, need 3gal for the first fancy, plus 10gal for each aditional fancy.  and for commons/commets,, 50gal per fish.... these fish get huge and need excellent filtration.

Answer 3

I had a Betta in my office once. It did OK without a heater (anything is better than those little cups they keep them in at the pet store). If you keep it near a lamp or indirect light that would help to heat the water. They also sell heating mats that you can place underneath your bowl to warm the water. If you get a heater, the fish will just be more active. Without the heat, the fish may just sit and stare at you.

Answer 4

Betta does not need heater, it has good immune system. My betta lived very well during winter time without a heater. Goldfish are cold water so if you use heater they will die.

It is ok to put betta with goldfish, people said that betta will nip the fins off goldfish, but i saw in fishstore that they were fine within a 10 gallons tank.

Answer 5

You'd be better off considering a shrimp.  

Bettas do better with heated water, preferring 78-82 F, although they will usually survive in slightly cooler water.  It's difficult to regulate heat on such a small container.  I'd recommend a paradise fish instead.  Similar to the Bettas, but don't need a heater.

Although they can survive in a one gallon container, most knowledgable fish keepers would recommend against it.  The water will need to be changed more often than a large container or wastes will build up.

No other fish in a one gallon bowl with him.

Having said that, it would be okay to keep it in there temporarily.

Definitely no goldfish.  They will quickly outgrow the bowl.

And I think One Strange Cookie meant 30 gallons for the first goldfish, not 3.

Answer 6

No fish belong in a bowl - they all need some form of filtration, which cannot be provided in a bowl setting.

And anything tropical (bettas included) need a steady form of heat (via heater) in order to be healthy and happy. A light is not sufficient, as it is not on 24/7, and cannot regulate the temperature within the tank.

Most small fish need at least 5 gallons of water to live a healthy life. Bowls max out around 2 gallons, which makes them quite a bit smaller than the minimum.

A plantscape with bamboo and some of the grass species that are meant for partial submersion in water might do well in the bowl that you've got, perhaps with some colorful rocks for a substrate.

But I really would not recommend putting any other living beings in the bowl.

Answer 7

...the Betta does not have to have a heater, although prefers 78 to 80F

...Bettas also grow up to 3" inches full grown

...however.....other small sized tropicals could add even more interest, while remaining perfectly happy in room temp water, less than 78F

....consider white cloud minnows, grow up to 1.5"

.....serpae tetras, 2.2" fully grown

.....blood fin tetras, 2" fully grown

.....flame tetras, 1.5" fully grown

...you could keep 3 of any of those in a bowl too

...either way you choose, either Betta or tropical , water changes should occur weekly 5 days apart 25%

...any air circulation from an air pump with an airstone is also good....run the air several hours each day

....add some live plants too

.... plants absorb ammonia and allow the fish a place to rest

....finally, reconsider any goldfish, they produce soo much ammonia and will not be healthy or happy for long

...also they grow too large too fast