Betta Fish Care Bowl Size
The goal of this commodity is to prove you how to setup a betta fish bowl that isn't a tiny, polluted prison for your fish.
Before we dive into a step by step guide to creating your own planted betta bowl, let's address whether betta fish are suited to living in bowls.
Annotation: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases through links on this folio (at no extra cost to you).
Tin Betta Fish Live in Bowls?
Keeping a betta fish in a bowl is a controversial subject.
The contention centers around how betta fish are typically sold: in small-scale cups or jars.
The thinking seems to get like this: because betta fish are sold in small-scale cups, information technology must be ok to continue a betta in something similar a vase or that 1 gallon fishbowl that used to house the goldfish before he/she croaked.
The problem is that minor containers usually doom a betta fish to a short life.
The reason is h2o quality in small containers and tanks quickly becomes toxic without frequent water changes.
And near people don't program on changing the water in their betta'southward one gallon basin every three days.
And then, in general, keeping betta fish in bowls has get antiquated and a sign of an uneducated fish keeper.
Simply, does that mean yous should never keep a betta fish in a bowl?
Is there some style a betta fish can alive in a basin and thrive?
Yes!
The solution is to find a bowl that holds the minimum volume of water needed to provide a betta fish with a safe and salubrious environment.
How to Setup a Betta Bowl Aquascape
This betta bowl setup covers half dozen steps:
1. Finding a 3-5 gallon bowl.
2. Filling a Mesh Filter Bag with Gravel
3. Calculation Plant Substrate
4. Positioning Your Driftwood and Seiryu Stones
5. Calculation Aquatic Plants
6. Calculation Water
For those who enjoy watching a tutorial, I've created a video on how to setup a betta bowl aquascape.
And, for those who enjoy a detailed written explanation of a betta basin setup, including which plants are best for a betta bowl, proceed reading, the steps and equipment I apply are outlined below.
Step 1: Notice a Betta Fish Bowl
The ideal size for a betta fish bowl between three and 5 gallons.
This detail bowl holds close to iv gallons:
Bowls larger than five gallons are difficult to find and typically price more than a similarly sized rectangular tank.
Betta bowls smaller than 3 gallons are not recommended because in smaller bowls,
1) Water quality decreases chop-chop
2) Equipment, similar a heater and sponge filter, crowd the infinite; and
3) Room for aquarium plants and décor is severely limited.
If your goal is to create a stunning betta bowl aquascape, so getting your hands on a iii gallon bowl or larger is best.
If y'all are just able to find fish bowls smaller than 3 gallons, consider creating a planted shrimp tank instead.
Once y'all have your bowl, it's fourth dimension to choice out gravel or substrate.
Dark substrate is ideal for planted tanks because it contrasts well with the green aquarium plants and likewise with colorful fish like neon tetras and koi betta fish.
Lighter colored substrates are suited for creating tropical beach inspired aquascapes or for mimicking the habitat of certain cichlid species.
If you lot desire to learn about picking the right gravel or substrate, bank check out my article on the best substrates for planted tanks.
Footstep 2: Fill a Mesh Filter Pocketbook with Substrate
The second step is to fill a mesh filter bag with gravel or substrate.
The mesh bag will be covered by a layer of substrate so it can be filled with erstwhile gravel, small rocks, or whatsoever other aquarium prophylactic medium.
The purpose of the mesh bag is to create an incline on the bottom of the fish bowl.
This allows driftwood and stones to sit down at slightly different heights, which creates a more natural and pleasing advent.
Footstep three: Add Plant Substrate to the Bowl
Now, take your preferred substrate (I often employ a mix of Eco Consummate and Fluval Stratum) and pour it into the fish bowl, covering the mesh bag completely.
Keep adding substrate until you have roughly a 45 degree incline of substrate.
Make sure the substrate is deep enough for plants, 1/two inch is typically enough for plants similar cryptocoryne.
Footstep 4: Position Your Driftwood and Seiryu Stones
The quaternary step is the fun part.
Get together your hardscape (aquarium prophylactic driftwood and stones like Seiryu stone) and brainstorm placing them into your betta bowl.
Avoid cluttering the middle of the basin, and instead position your stones and wood off-center.
This will create a more natural look.
Aquascaping a betta bowl is an art, not a scientific discipline, then place your rocks and driftwood in a manner that looks interesting to you.
You can ever rearrange them in the coming weeks.
In fact, modifying the design of your planted bowl weeks or even months subsequently is part of the enjoyment of maintaining a betta bowl aquascape.
Step v: Add together Aquatic Plants
After arranging your driftwood and stones, it is time to add aquatic plants.
Aquarium plants non only add together beauty to a betta bowl, but also one) fight algae and ii) boost h2o quality by filtering chemicals and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis.
Aquarium plants that do non require substrate to grow, or plants that crave shallow substrate, are the best choices for a betta bowl.
Plants similar Anubias and Coffee fern are well suited for betta bowls because these aquarium plants abound via a rhizome, which means they do not need to be planted in substrate and tin be attached to driftwood and stones.
The plants used in this betta bowl aquascape are:
1. Java Fern
2. Java Moss
3. Anubias Barteri
4. Brazilian Pennywort
5. Alternanthera Reineckii
If y'all want to learn more about easy plants for a betta bowl, check out my article on the best plants for betta fish.
Pace 6: Add Water
The final stride of calculation water may seem simple, only this is the step where you can disrupt your entire aquascape by flooding your betta basin.
If h2o is poured too quickly into the bowl, the stream of h2o will dig into the substrate and uproot plants, or dislodge stones and woods.
The solution is to cover your carefully designed hardscape and plants with a plastic bag.
This will prevent the water from unsettling your betta bowl aquascape.
Caring for Betta Fish in a Basin
Betta fish care in a bowl is not remarkably different from the intendance you would give your fish in a 5 or 10 gallon tank.
But, bowls, beingness spherical in shape, present a few unique challenges as compared to "normal" fish tanks.
1. Size
A 3+ gallon fish bowl is an acceptable size for a betta fish or a trio of Endler'south Livebearers, but continue in listen that water quality in small tanks tin shift quickly and dramatically.
I recommend at least two thirty% water changes a calendar week for a 3+ gallon basin to prevent ammonia spikes and nitrate accumulation.
This is especially important if y'all chose non to run a filter in your betta basin.
More frequent water changes will also assist prevent algae blooms in your basin.
2. Shape
The spherical shape of a betta fish basin is part of the visual appeal of this setup.
Simply, a circular shape also presents challenges.
First, cleaning the glass of a betta fish basin is trickier than a cleaning rectangular tank.
About algae magnets are meant for flat surfaces and will not function well in a bowl.
And, putting your hand in the bowl usually dislodges plants and rocks, messing up your blueprint.
The solution is to use a scrubber with a handle.
2nd, the round edges of a betta basin forbid the use of hang on back filters and clip on aquarium lights.
Hither the answer is to go out out a filter or use a small sponge filter.
Equally for lighting, desktop lamps and lights that perch on the edges of an aquarium serve equally fantabulous alternatives to prune on fish tank lights.
Can Betta Fish Live in a Bowl Without a Filter?
If your planted betta bowl is three gallons or larger, a filter is not strictly required because the bowl's aquatic plants will human action as water purifiers.
But, if the basin is smaller than three gallons (not recommended), waste accumulation is likely likewise quick for the plants to handle
If yous prefer to have a filter, a small sponge filter is an ideal choice for a betta basin aquscape and tin can exist hidden from view with plants or driftwood.
The advantages of a sponge filter is that it produces near no water current, which is of import in a betta basin setup considering almost whatever kind of water flow would button your fish around and uproot plants.
Nigh sponge filter are made for tanks of 5 gallons or larger, but the filter beneath volition work in a betta bowl setup if yous plan your design around it:
Remember, sponge filters need to be attached to an air pump, which can be loud.
I am still searching for the perfect air pump but this ane is serving me well so far:
How to Make clean a Betta Bowl
As mentioned, cleaning a betta fish bowl is more challenging than cleaning a rectangular tank.
The pull a fast one on for betta fish bowls is to utilise a scrubber, which is a stick with a sponge on the end.
This allows you to scrub off algae quickly and without uprooting your plants and knocking over your décor.
This scrubber should merely be used on your betta bowl and not for other cleaning projects, as chemical residue may kill your fish or plants.
My personal favorite, in terms of value, is this scrubber:
Betta Bowl Heaters
Unless y'all live somewhere tropical, putting a heater in your betta bowl is necessary.
Betta fish are tropical fish and feel comfortable between 76-lxxx Fahrenheit (24.44-26.67 Celsius).
Many of the smaller aquarium heaters on the market are notoriously unreliable, and break within months.
While I tin can't predict how long your heater will last, the heater I am currently using on my betta bowl is:
Betta Bowl Lights
Growing alive aquarium plants in your betta bowl means you will also need a light source.
Aquarium kit lights may be able to keep low light plants like Java moss and Anubias alive, but if you desire your plants to produce new growth and flourish then I suggest finding a upkeep LED.
One effective and affordable selection for betta bowls is a desk lamp style lite with a daylight LED daylight bulb.
The reason a desk style lamp with a long neck works meliorate for a betta bowl setup is that most aquarium lights are designed to stretch across rectangular and square tanks.
And clip-on type aquarium lights are virtually incommunicable to clamp to the border of a spherical betta basin.
So, desk lamps with longs necks that can exist placed behind or adjacent to your betta bowl work much amend than other types of aquarium lights.
The light I use for my betta basin is a World Electric Heavy Base Architect Desk Lamp, with a 5000K LED seedling.
three Gallon Betta Tank Mates
Infinite is limited in a 3 gallon betta basin and that means your options for betta fish tank mates is also limited.
Many betta fish, both males and females, will set on other tropical fish if they see them as competition.
So, finding a tank mate that is active at night or a fast swimmer is cardinal.
Otocinclus fish (besides known as dwarf suckers) make decent tank mates for bettas because Otos are skilled at hiding and tend to come out at night.
Otocinclus also eat algae, making them especially helpful for planted betta bowls.
But, the all-time tanks mates for a betta in a bowl are invertebrates, like aquatic snails and aquarium shrimp.
Invertebrates produce footling waste matter, pregnant they have a pocket-size bioload, which is critical in minor tanks where water chemical science tin quickly shift into a danger zone.
Both, mystery snails and cherry shrimp brand excellent tank mates for betta fish.
Some betta fish may try to eat the red shrimp, but if your shrimp are big enough they will easily escape.
Betta Fish Jars vs Bowls
I am ofttimes asked, "tin can I keep my betta fish in a jar?"
My answer is the same for betta fish jars as information technology is for betta bowls: "information technology depends on the size."
Similar bowls, big jar aquariums are difficult to observe.
If you happen to locate a jar that holds three+ gallons of water, then this article and my recommendations apply.
But, if the jar is smaller than 3 gallons, you are amend off creating an aquarium shrimp jar.
This is because aquarium shrimp produce much less waste than a tropical fish and practise not require pond space that a fish needs.
Betta Fish Stonemason Jars
Keeping a betta fish in a mason jar is a hotly debated field of study and sparks strong feelings.
Most mason jars are meant for food storage and hold less than a gallon of h2o.
The concerns are that mason jars do not provide enough pond infinite for a betta fish and too lack plenty water volume to provide stable water chemical science.
In well-nigh cases, keeping a betta fish in a mason jar for longer than a few weeks results in the expiry of the fish.
And the reason is usually due to something like an ammonia fasten from decaying and left over food or simply exceptional water changes.
The less h2o you have to work with, the quicker that water can become toxic for your fish or become a breeding ground for fungus.
And so, in full general, bricklayer jars are lousy setups for betta fish.
If y'all want to keep a betta fish for its lifespan (up to ix years in some cases), do yourself and your fish a favor and invest in a tank of 3 gallons or larger.
Conclusion
I hope you lot learned something or found inspiration for your next betta basin setup.
Keeping tropical fish in bowls is how the hobby gained popularity, just it as well led to poor weather condition for fish and unsatisfying experiences for keepers.
The goal of this commodity was to reimagine the fish bowl as an ethical and viable option for housing a betta fish.
Just, that goal is challenging to meet unless we educate others about tank size and water chemical science.
Function of ZenAquaria's mission is to strive for enlightened fish keeping, and what that means here is spreading the message of using properly sized tanks and live plants, for the enrichment of both the fish and the fish keeper.
If you want to join us, consider subscribing to the newsletter or the YouTube channel.
As always, stay zen aquarists.
0 Response to "Betta Fish Care Bowl Size"
Post a Comment