Do Bettas Need Heaters ?

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Steven A

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Do Siamese fighting fish (Bettas) need heaters. As I have to small tanks that are empty at the moment and would like a male and female betta.

Tank sizes are:

7 Gal (With Sponge filter, gravel and plants)
4 Gal (With Sponge filter, gravel and plants)

If I leave wate rin the tank without a heater (experiment lol) the water temp remains at about 72 - 75 F (Mainly 75F)

Is this ok ?

What doy uot hink as I have seen them in smaller tanks so I know tank sizes are ok and have seen them in tanks without heaters and also with them.

Would the eggs hatch if the tank did not have a heater ?
 
I think bettas need a heater to keep them at a temp about 75 as well as to keep that temp stable. All fish do better when the temp is stable anyway. A few degrees of change for us is nothing, but it is a little harder on the fish. With the tank you left water in, was that done with lights on and off? I have a friend who had a betta in a tank that during the day it would get up to 82 degrees with the lights on and then at night would drop down to 65 :( Unfortunatly the betta died about 6 months later (and mine, that I got at the same time, is still living nearly a year later ... and my tank stays at a stable temp of 75).
 
Bettas are much, much more sensitive to water conditions and temperatures than most fish. The temperature needs to stay stable, and not drop too low (72, is kinda chilly). You can find cheap small heaters for small tanks for less than $10, and it will keep your fish healthy and happy.
 
Ok, Thank you every one for clearing that up for me. So What size heaters will I need for a 7 gal and a 4 gal. Links would be great but remember if they are USA sites they must be able to ship to UK lol. :lol:
 
Betta's tend to be a lot tougher to environmental factors than other fish. They do better at temps of at least 75... i don't keep a heater in with mine becuase i live in Florida and my room temperature is usually 78-80 (gootta save on the electric bill!) and my water temp never drops below 75. Also since i have him in a 1 gallon, the light on the top makes it a bit warmer during the day.
 
OK, by now you've gotten the impression that Bettas do need heaters in enviroments in which their water temps will fall below 75'f.
I'll just chime in with my $0.02 and say that after keeping/breeding Bettas for years...
We don't keep solitary 'adult' Bettas for extended periods in anything less than a gallon (1gal), some type of filtration and/or bi-weekly PWC's and a steady temp of 76'-80'f via either a heater or ambient room temp. We prefer to use divided ten gallon tanks with filtration and heat.
 
ChileRelleno said:
OK, by now you've gotten the impression that Bettas do need heaters in enviroments in which their water temps will fall below 75'f.
I'll just chime in with my $0.02 and say that after keeping/breeding Bettas for years...
We don't keep solitary 'adult' Bettas for extended periods in anything less than a gallon (1gal), some type of filtration and/or bi-weekly PWC's and a steady temp of 76'-80'f via either a heater or ambient room temp. We prefer to use divided ten gallon tanks with filtration and heat.
Click to expand...

so.. would you divide the 10 gallon tank once... twice.. 3 times?? Just wondering.
 
Three to four times, five or six if necessity dictates.
Its all about water volume, stability and habitat, more is better and five or six Bettas don't put much pressure on 10gal's of water.
 
Steven_Askham said:
Ok, Thank you every one for clearing that up for me. So What size heaters will I need for a 7 gal and a 4 gal. Links would be great but remember if they are USA sites they must be able to ship to UK lol. :lol:
Click to expand...
I don't have links, but I know when it comes to heaters you need 5 watts per gallon, someone please correct me if I'm wrong. So, for the 7 gal.. a heater at least 35 watts (not sure exactly what wattage they come in, but you should probably go with a 50 watt). And for the 4 gal... 20 watts, but I think they come in 25 watts. Hope that helps. :)
 
I've read that they like around 80deg ... but I have min in a 1-gallon with no heater, the temps according to my thermometer are around 70 and mine is fine ... swimming, holding out its fins, eating, and blowing bubble nests ever so often.

Sure, I'd like to put a heater in there (which I may do come winter time), but my betta has been fine even in the colder water. I guess some fish just adapt alright. Plus mentally, its kind of hard to justify buying a $10-15 heater for a tank I got for $2.
 
I don't think you can put a heater in a one gallon tank unless youd like to cook him
 
You know, I'd quite fancy a cooked Betta now :p!

Don't worry, I would'nt really but maybe they would make a good meal, i'm open to suggestions :D!

Alright enoguh of the fun, you really should'nt put a Betta in a one gallon tank with a heater of any size unless you do indeed want it cooked! I mean what happens if the thermostat breaks in the heater and it is left in the on position? Yes thats right, the water gets pretty warm. Never a good idea in a one gattlon, just my opinion :)
 
or in any tank for that matter...lol

there are warm pads that some say you could put under the gravel and the tank to keep it warm, but i dont have one so i dont know how warm the water would actually get

HTH
 
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