Band new betta owner: please help!

[tarable93]

I'm brand new to the fish world and I have been doing a lot of research to make sure my betta stays healthy. I have a 1.5 gallon tank (I live in a small apartment) and I am ordering a sponge filter to keep the current down. He also has a plant and a light. I have a few questions to make sure I'm taking good care of him:
What heater wattage should I get (if I should get one?)
Will a 5w be enough?
How often should I replace the water and how much of it?
Should I feed him once or twice a day?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lilme]

once a day feeding
needs 72+ temp
water change 1 a week or 2 depends

 

[Masha]

Notice his tummy when you feed him - the area just next to his gills. You'll notice it will get fuller and rounder the more he eats. It can be bad for him to eat too much, so rather feed only a little bit, he mustn't look as though he's swallowed a marble

I've heard some say that it's better to soak dried food like dried bloodworm before feeding, as otherwise it might swell in his stomach.

If you can, he'll be MUCH happier in a slightly larger tank. 1.5 really is very, very small for him. If there's any chance, he'll really appreciate a 5 gallon tank to make his own. You'll see his personality bloom

 

[bettaowner]

I would change 20-40% of the water at least twice a week. In terms of feeding think variety. I prefer to use freeze dried blood worms, betta pellets, frozen brine shrimp, and baby feeder shrimp as a treat. I've never had problems with feeding non-soaked dried food before.

 

[Chesmok]

1.5 gallons is a bit small so careful with the feeding. When in doubt, feed less and ONLY once a day. Like 3-4 betta pellets a day or 4-5 worms/shrimp. It's almost impossible to underfeed a fish and he will not starve trust me.

Water changes of 25% 2-3x a week. make sure you suck up uneaten food right away.

A healthy live plant can do wonders for keeping water quality good.

Any more and it will ruin your water quality. 5w should be enough for the heater. But if you're going to do up a tank with filter, heater and plants why not go bigger - get a 3-5 gallon tank they're not that much bigger and can still fit on a small table or countertop.

Good luck! & congrats for getting your betta

 

[dragon14]

We've used a 50 watt successfully in a small (almost 2g) tank. Actually we had a 100 watt in there since it was all we had at the time, then we ordered the 50watt. Aquenon pro.

I'd recommend getting a 25watt at least. Honestly smaller wattage always seemed too weak when we were trying them out. We returned two small heaters (that were also low wattage). Adjustable heaters are best. And a thermometer is a must! Don't get a stick on. Get one thats in tank. We have a nice white magnetic one in each tank. When you set/use a heater, go by what the thermometer tells you. The number you set the heater to won't always be spot on, so monitor it with a good thermometer.

Most small/low wattage heaters only keep around room temp (72ish), if that. Bettas should have 75ish min. 75-79 is great for them!

Congrats on your new friend

Fast him one day a week too. He'll beg cutely but it's good for him
I also agree; get him a 5g if possible. . He'll love it. Get an ammonia water test kit at minimum, and test regularly. You don't want his ammonia getting high. I found in the 2g after 48 hrs there was some ammonia in the tank. Not good. So when our betta was in there, we changed his water about 90% every 36-48 hours. We were able to use a small gravel siphon/vacuum in there, which was great.

 

[dragon14]

And he should have some kind of filtration. Did you get a small tank kit or? Our small 2g has a filter.

They hate current of course. We were able to buffer it to a minimum using a fluval pre filter sponge.

 

[emilygupps]

The op is getting him a sponge filter.


I would plan to change the water 90-100 percent every other day in a tank that small. I too started with my betta in a cube 1.5g and he mostly laid around moping in his moss ball. After a couple weeks, we got him a ten gallon planted and he was swimming every where!

For now, his home will do, but please keep an open mind about maybe an upgrade to a 5-10g in the future. they don't take up too much room. I have mine on my bedside table.

Agree with the fasting once a week.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[trennamw]

It's great you're off to a thoughtful start. I disregarded the suggestions for a larger tank and lost a few bettas in a 1.5 gallon before switching to a 3. Even with minimal feeding and frequent water changes, the water quality was tough to stay on top of.

I also found that once in a 3 gallon that was densely decorated, he started swimming around and playing all the time. He got to be very fun to watch.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[Fishfur]

If that plant is a live one, it will help keep the water condition good. I keep my Bettas in 2.5G tanks and keep quite a few live plants in with the fish. They seem to like sleeping on them and it certainly helps keep the water in good shape.

I have a clamp lamp fixture over the tanks. It's 8 inches, round, & sits right on the tank rim, with a 6500 K spiral bulb in it. This provides plenty of light to keep the plants healthy. I put them on a timer, it's easier that way. I keep a few stems of Hygro difformis, a ball of java moss, some patches of fissidens moss and some small anubias plants.