Temperature in betta bowls

[mlgunter]

Hi

I am new to the forum. Yesterday I bought two male bettas. I put each one in a 1 gallon bowl. Overnight, it gets very cold in my house and I am concerned about my fish's well-being. I don't have a thermometer but when I checked on them this morning, their water was SO cold. I turned the heat up in the house and put a space heater on in the room and they are fine and swimming around.
But... the house gets freezing every night. They are in bowls and I can't afford to buy small tanks and/or small heaters. (do they even make small heaters that would attach to a 1 gal bowl???)

any advice would be great. I just dont want to freeze my fish to death.
mLG

 

[betta4me]

Hi, bettas do best in water between 70-80, below that they will become lethargic, stop eating, and eventually die because the fluctuation in the water temperature will leave them weak and susceptible to diseases. I would suggest moving them somewhere in the house where you can control the temperature a little better. I don't think there are heaters you could use for a one gallon bowl without cooking the little fellas, but someone else may chime in if there are.

 

[FastFly67]

I started out with a betta in a bowl. I know, sad but true. PorkCop seemed perfectly content swimming up and down the 10 inch vase I had for him. The temperature didn't fluxuate much because my house stays at a pretty constant 68 degrees. Then I discovered AA. My world was enlightened.
PorkCop was promptly moved to a 2.5 (still not large enough IMO) gallon with a heater, a hidey pot and some driftwood. He blossomed! PorkCop went from living to being a happy, content, active, beautiful member of my zoo. I now keep 4 different bettas in varying size tanks (I still have that awful 2.5 gallon but it's my quarantine/new arrival/rescue tank). They all have heaters and filters and some even have tank friends.
At work, I encourage everyone looking at bettas to get at /least/ a 5 gallon tank for their new friend. I tell more people about this site and fishless cycling (and cycling period) than not. Unfortunately not everyone takes my advice.
I guess what I'm getting at is that you're that fishes keeper and that fish deserves more than just a bowl with fluctuating temperatures and stagnant water. Maybe you should return those little guys back to the store until you can afford to get a proper setup for your fishes happiness. This forum and other forums have barter/ trade/ classified sections and members are always upgrading and selling their old stuff for /really/ good deals.
I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but I speak what's best for the fish.

 

[An t-iasg]

Here's a heater that I have used in 1 gallon bowls: (7.5 watt heater)

Aquarium Heaters & Water Temperature: Mini Aquarium Heaters

Be sure to read the directions carefully. I had trouble making the suction cups stick to the bottom of the tank, so I just suspended it in the bowl and that seemed to work. It hung down on the side of the tank and didn't float along the top of the water. I only used it for a few days when we moved and I needed a few days to set up the new betta tank. But it seemed to do okay. As the directions state, don't use this heater and then put the bowl under an incandescent light. The water will get very hot. You should also use a thermometer to double-check the temperature. You could get one thermometer and rotate it between bowls.

Hopefully these heaters can be an alternative for you. Or as betta4me suggests, put the bowls in a room that doesn't vary in temperature so much, if you can. Bettas need temperatures of 78-80 degrees. 80 degrees is the best temperature. Otherwise they can be susceptible to finrot and other diseases.

 

[FishyLuva]

I had the same problem before wat i did was get a sticker thermoniter and had this little wood shelf and put near the heater thats practikly wat i did and problem was solved 4 me. The tempature stayed about 75 degrees.