Hello, people I am new in fishkeeping. I don't have any clear idea How much water do betta fish need to live in the aquarium. If anyone has any genuine suggestion then please help me asap.

2 1/2 gal works well, welcome to the site!

I hope it's not too late to answer this, but the smallest I would ever put a betta in is three gallons. I keep all of my bettas in at least five-gallon tanks though, because it is easier to keep the water clean and have good water parameters. You hear people say they are from really shallow water, but that shallow water is miles long and constantly flowing. You will also hear people say they don't need a heater, but you have to remember these are tropical fish and need temps of at LEAST 65 degrees or higher...

I agree with Jayce, often pet stores don't tell the proper care of bettas, did you know they can live up to 8 years! But rarely do they live more than a few months due to all the mis information given.

I'd say 5 gallons with a mini heater is good and slow moving filter, but they do great in 10 or 20 gallons with some live plants added (they rest on leaves floating near the surface at night). They can get along with some other tropical fish too that are peaceful and don't nip fins or have long fins. Bettas don't eat plants they are carnivores; so frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, and soft betta pellets are good but if you can find live of those foods even better! Yes they are tropical fish cold water will make them sick quickly.

I'm am not a pro on beta fish but I had one in a large glass 2 1/2 gal. cylinder container 2'x10" with lights and a plant with plant roots only in the water . The plant sat at the top of the container a kind of micro climate with fish, plant, water. There were glass marbles about 3" on the bottom with a bottom layer of fine charcoal to help control fish waste. I used distilled water because our well water was to harsh. Beta fish are air suckers so they don't require a lot of oxygen to be pumped in the water. The fish lasted for almost 2 years.

bumplbea said:I'm am not a pro on beta fish but I had one in a large glass 2 1/2 gal. cylinder container 2'x10" with lights and a plant with plant roots only in the water . The plant sat at the top of the container a kind of micro climate with fish, plant, water. There were glass marbles about 3" on the bottom with a bottom layer of fine charcoal to help control fish waste. I used distilled water because our well water was to harsh. Beta fish are air suckers so they don't require a lot of oxygen to be pumped in the water. The fish lasted for almost 2 years.

They can last for longer than that if given more space, a filter, and a heater... They do breathe from the surface of the water, but that is only when they can not receive enough oxygen from the water column, and it often puts them under stress and decreases their life span.

Years ago I kept Bettas, in a backyard pond outside over the Summer and indoors during the indoor season here in zone 6b. I moved them into a 30 gallon tank, ( that is what I had on hand) with lots and lots of Anacharis/ plants to hide in. I may have used a small bubbler/sponge filter in a corner. The Bettas were quite happy in this arrangement and spawned/built bubble nests in the corners. ( that's when I shut the bubbler off) Interestingly enough, in this environment I was able to keep several males, females and subsequent fry in the same tank without them killing each other, since there were enough hiding places and they were used to each other. I did try to have a ratio of at least 1:3 male to female fish.

Did they breed in the outdoor pond? Used to try and breed them when I was younger, could never get them past the tails hanging out of the nest.

Yes, they did! I think the key was the huge amount of Anacharis/green plant material which provided lots of infusoria in addition to plenty of hiding spaces.

Ursula, do you have any picture of your setup?? That sounds sooo cool! I've never heard of someone keeping males and females in the same tank before, let alone with fry!

Unfortunately not! This was too long ago, and I was not a great picture taker!
I know, everybody always keeps those single, poor males in those water glasses. I just felt sorry for them and tried to keep them in a more natural environment, as much as this was possible. It worked!
In those years, I kept three 125 gallon tanks and at one point had a set up of additional four 30 gallon tanks, connectively powered with one pump, + a few more smaller tanks. I was breeding Angel Fish /Pterophyllum scalare in those years.

I at one point had SEVEN tanks in my bedroom, ranging from 55 gallons to 5. I had yo downsize because I was having mold problems from all of the humidity.....

Jayce, that sounds like a fellow fish-lover! I would say keeping fish is the gateway drug to another addiction, plants! In those years the extra humidity made my leafy house plants grow like crazy!

You guys would be perfect paludarium keepers! I had one set up for a bit but I was told by the pet shop boys that I could not keep any of the really interesting things I wanted to get in there due to the small amount of shallow (unheated) water. I tend to like stuff that is kind of impractical like big angel fish, eels and stuff. So I converted it to a no water vertical terrarium. But I would like to try again with a bigger set up.

This is just a feeler....do you think there would be enough interest on the NGA to try and get a forum dedicated to Aquariums/Paludariums/Vivariums/Terrariums and the plants and animals that go in them?

Used to grow a lot of aquatic plants,
Think that should qualify for a forum just based on the plant material.

Gina,
thinking about your Paludarium - one of the best fish to keep in shallow water would be Paradise Fish/Macropodus opercularis. They are a really tough fish which can take a wide range of temperatures and don't need aeration unless the temperatures go really high. They are also anabantids, as the Bettas are.

Gina1960 said:This is just a feeler....do you think there would be enough interest on the NGA to try and get a forum dedicated to Aquariums/Paludariums/Vivariums/Terrariums and the plants and animals that go in them?

I think that would be AWESOME!

I think so too. Someone suggest it!

Gina1960 said:I think so too. Someone suggest it!

I just did!!