Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am completely new to keeping fish of any kind. I have two Bettas each in a 1-gallon bowl and would like to transfer him and her to a 10-gallon tank with a divider wall.
My question: How many times will I need to change water completely and partially?
What kind of filter will I need? To what temperature will I have to set the heater?
I assume I won't need an air pump, correct? Can I have a filter without a pump?
How do I treat the water for chlorine?
Can I have them both together without a divider if I supply them with hiding spots?
Thanks so much for your help!
Carolin
and Edward and Minno, the bettas.

Meanwhile I've done my homework and informed myself. A nice gentleman at the pet store informed me that I would need a filter and a heater. I would only need to change part of the water (10-20%) once a month. He said I could keep the male and female together, but I have checked out many websites and some say that one needs a rather large tank to keep them together. Not sure what "rather large" means. Is 10-gallon rather large?

As for the filter (wheel): it seems that it creates quite a bit of water movement. Will the bettas like this? Not sure what other filters there are. Any recommendations?

I have not decided if I'd like to get the 5-gallon or the 10-gallon tank. It will have to hold the two bettas, but no other fish. I am thinking 5-gallons would be sufficient. Any suggestions?

One more thing: the man at the petstore said the first 4 weeks will be critical. The fish might even die. This sounds very scary to me and I am alomst convinced I should keep them in the bowl. I'd love for them to be in a larger tank, though. Any suggestions how to make this work?

Thanks so much for your time!

I couldn't even stand to read this whole post without commenting on it first. The pet store guy is so wrong. I never listen to those people, as they think they know everything, but they don't (sorry to the few who actually do). You need to do biweekly 10-20% water changes, more than likely 10% will do. A heater is only necessary if your house gets cooler than 78 degrees. And my bettas always hate filters.
You CANNOT keep male and female bettas together because the male WILL kill the female. Even when mating you have to watch them because he can seriously hurt her.

Five gallon would be fine, or ten (which would give them more room to swim, but it's totally up to you)

I think he's just trying to scare you. If you do all the right things to acclimate your fish, and your fish is healthy (as most I've seen at the pet store are not) you and your fish shall have at least 3-5 years together. Bowls are worst than tanks if you ask me. The bigger the tank, the better for many reasons.

Also you might want to check this out... it's got A LOT of helpful info.
Betta Talk

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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Thanks so much for responding. I really appreciate your input.

My house is definitely colder than 78 degrees, so I will need that heater.

I understand that the bettas might not like the filter. Just to clarify: shall I use the tank without any filter? And if I use no filter, would the biweekly waterchange of 20% you recommended be sufficient?

Thanks for the link. I will check that out right now.

If you put the 2 bettas in a 10 gallon with a divider, with no filter, I would do weekly water changes of about 3 gallons. If you do want to use a filter, I would use one with a low flow rate, such as the whisper internal filter. (http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyid=12460)

With the filter a water change every other week of 3 gallons would be sufficient. If you want to keep males and females together without a divider (yes it can be done) you need a minimum tank size of 30 gallons and you will need several females (at least 3 or 4). Then it is not always guaranteed that they will get along. You would want to use lots of plants and hiding spaces. Bigger tanks make it easier to keep them together, such as a 40 long or a 55 gallon.
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Melissa
Aquariphiles.com - where I blog about aquarium stuff

A 3 gallon water change once a week would stress your fish out. That's over kill. If must do a weekly water change it can only be 10% without harming your beneficial bacteria.

I don't know where you got the 30% water change, but 20% is the most you should do for the reasons previously stated.

Male & female bettas CANNOT be kept together. There IS a reason they are called aggressive. Whether or not you personally can keep them is another thing. Not all bettas have the same tolerance as your personal bettas, and you shouldn't judge others to yours.

Now, bigger tanks with lots of hiding places is good for a breeding tank, but the bettas shouldn't be left alone unsupervised.
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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."