Does my Betta fish like its tank?

Question

His name is Walli

and i got him just a few days ago

I really love him and i want him to be happy

Hes in a 1 gallon tank, with pretty pink marbles at the bottom

To ensure hes not bored, i put little mini breyer horses at the bottom

[that i soaked heavily in hot water to be positive it was clean-no soap!]

But im not sure what else he needs?

Does he need a filter...?

are plants a neccessity..?

He swims around alot which is good and he makes little bubbles.

any advice would be great!!

Answer 1

he doesant need a filter but needs weekly water changes and you have to treat the water h**l be in a 1gallon tank for now but you should have a tank at least bigger than 2 gallons.

Answer 2

He sounds like he is happy right now. But my concern is how small your tank is. Really bettas need 2.5 gallons of water at the minimum and they also need water that is filtered and heated. So if you could I do think you should upgrade. Buying the tank in a starter kit and the heater will be around $50 and it sounds like your have everything else. Please do try to upgrade as the long term health of your fish may be in jeopardy if you don't.  Bettas would also like silk plants and some type of decor they can swim through and investigate, but in a one gallon tank you can't fit these which is another reason to think about upgrading your tank.

Answer 3

I had a Beta that lived for 3 years!! her name was Barbie! All i did was put her in a Medium size Vase and put a Plant On top of the vase (vines hanging down into the water) so it looks pretty and your fish can get nutrients from the plant as well. You can get these plants from your local fish store (ask them what type). All you need to do is get a plastic plate that fits the rim of the vase, poke a hole in the middle and stick the plant in. Its beautifuL!

ALSO- do not over feed your beta, i can't remember, but i think i fed her every 3 days?? Sometimes went a whole week! (but she had the plant to munch on)

AND- Do not keep the tank totally clean- they like to live in "dirtier" environments. If you clean it too often it will die. Maybe only once a couple of months. No Filter is necessary!

Answer 4

I would take out the horses. Even though you cleaned them, they are made of plastic that could leach chemicals into the water without your knowledge.

Filter would be good. Even though they can "live" without them.. They are much happier with a clean tank.

He does sound happy though. The bubbles are probably a bubble nest, which they do when they are ready to spawn. Generally, they are happy when they do this. So long as he has something to hide in/behind if he ever feels scared, he should be fine.

=]

Answer 5

Betta's breathe the air from the top off the tank.  If you put a plant there they will not be able to breathe very well.  My Betta goes to the top pretty often.  I bought him a small castle that he likes to hang out in.  He also has a fake plant that he likes to lay on the branches.  I give him 5 pellets every other day.  I change out 10% of his water weekly.  If his tank looks a little dirty I change out more.  I hope this helps.        

Answer 6

he should have a five gallon filtered heated aquarium with live plants and nice dark coloured natural gravel as this will make him show up better

Answer 7

no plants arent neccesary

and how can we tel if a fish likes a glass bowl with waer in it omg

Answer 8

usually if you have a big tank they can grow bigger so if you ever want your fish to grow bigger buy a big tank

Answer 9

Silk plants would be nice for him to hide in.

It's good that you got him a 1 gallon tank... the itty bitty tiny "betta bowls" usually marketed are too small for them, but a 1 gallon should be okay as long as you change the water regularly (please do!)

You don't -need- a filter if you very frequently do water changes, but it might help if you can't change it that often. The waste in the water, both of his food and his poo, will attract bacteria whose own waste will produce dangerous chemicals - first ammonia (like you find in some cleaners,) then nitrites. Yuck! This is why a lot of people are under the false impression fishies are short-lived... the chemical cycle kills the fish before it settles down and evens out.

Some nice info on the chemical cycles can be found in the source I linked. Good for you for looking out for your fishie. :)