Marina 1.77 gallon aquarium kit? First time fish pet owner?

Question

I just recently bought a 1.77 gallon marina goldfsh starter tank (after being pressured in time). Of course I plan to get one beta, not a goldfish, to have as a pet. Yes, I am giving away the food and conditioner menat for gold fish, but I feel that the tank came at a good price for $17, having a filter, and for a plastic aquarium it looks in very good shape.

I was going to get a mini-bow aquarium, but I had concerns about cracks I have heard of in previous reviews. I had not looked up the Marina brand aquarium, and just bought it on a whim, but now I am unsure.

For anyone who has had this aquarium, is the filter really as bad as the reviews say?

And for anyone experienced in aquariums, is the shape of this tank too irregular for me to buy a new filter if needed?

Is it too irregular to use a heater on? Too small for an "up to 3-gallon" water heater?

Also any information about toys/plants/cycling you would like to offer to a first-time fish owner would be very helpful, thank you in advance.

Here is an information link to said aquarium- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753109

Answer 1

The filters on those small tanks don't really do much.  More of a thing to stir the water around.  A tank that small is almost impossible to maintain a cycle in so it's best to just treat it as a bowl and clean it every 3 to 4 days.  You can add a heater but it may make the water too hot.  The small heaters usually have a preset temperature and can be very irregular.  You'd have to check how much room there is for the cord to come out of the top when the lid is closed too.

A betta is really happiest in a 5 gallon tank with a filter and heater.  That size tank can maintain a cycle and your fish won't be stressed from constant water changes.

Glad to hear that you know you can't keep a goldfish in there though!

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Answer 2

if you're planning on housing a betta you really have no need to worry about a filter. They do just fine with no air flow. You also have no need for a heater. Betas are cold water fish.  

Answer 3

I would just like to add to Mokey41 advice that if right now a 5 gallon isn't possible a betta will do very well in a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter and although a 5 gallon is better a 2.5 is also good.

Answer 4

I have the 2.5 gal minibow and have never had any problems.  I recommend that over what you have there.  The filter is big on minibows, but you can purchase a red sea nano filter for less than 10$ that works for the tank.  Also, the 25 watt heaters are ok in a tank that size.