What's the right tank size for my Betta fish and can I use a DIY container?

I would not recommend to keep a Better in a plastic container as their could be contamination and leeching issues. The actual minimum recommended tank size for a Better is 5 gallons. It's even better if you have a filter and a light to improve to water quality and your Betta's quality of life. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there! The general rule of thumb is 1 gallon for each inch of fish, so I think that you may need a bigger tank. If the bettas are 2 inches each, they each require 2 gallons of water, making the minimum tank size 14 gallons. Since male bettas can be territorial and aggressive, I highly recommend a larger than normal tank with lots of hiding places for 7 fish (at least 20-25 gallons). You should also watch them very carefully for fighting, and have a backup plan in case any of them need to be separated. Good luck!

Hi, and thanks for your question. There is a general rule about it which is a rough estimate not to overcrowd your aquarium and avoid excessive production of feces and organic debris. The rule is one Inch per gallon, so in 10 gallons there should be ideally 10 inches of fishes in total. You should consider as well the presence of plants and gravel and any other sort of things, which decrease the water volume of 5-10% (so 10 liters are actually 9-9.5). This rule does not consider modern filtration systems. These fish suffer genetically from a certain grade of visual impairment, so overcrowding (especially competition for food) is not recommended. At the same time, please consider as well that schooling fish (like they are) should be kept in numbers, which means more space will be needed, so be generous.

A 2.5 gallon tank is fine for a Betta and 2 snails. If you have artificial plants, use ones made of silk instead of plastic which can harm delicate fins. You'll need a heater also. Bettas are tropical fish and do best between 78 F and 80 F.

The small size will limit the species of fish as well as the number. White Cloud Minnows or Guppies would do fine in a small tank. You could keep no more than 2 or 3 fish total. If you are looking for company for your Betta, the same species can be kept. Other options include Otocinclus (Otos), Corys, Platys or Harlequin Rasboras. Again, no more than one or two in addition to the Betta. Water changes for any tank are simple. Change no more than 30% total volume at a time. Use a water conditioner to remove harmful chemicals and make sure the water is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Rinse the filter in tank water, not tap water, to preserve beneficial bacteria. Vacuum the substrate every couple of weeks.

Mushu is very cute! Betta care is very easy. Ideally, a 5 gallon tank should be used to house your Betta. A smaller tank can be used, but the maintenance (water changes) will be much more frequent. A filter is always recommended otherwise water changes will be required every few days to maintain water quality. With a filter, 20% water changes can be done weekly or every two weeks. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Choices for conditioners include AmQuel Plus, NovAqua, StressCoat, Prime or StressZyme. A small submersible heater is necessary since Bettas are tropical fish. They do best in slow moving water between 78F and 80F. You can feed a pelleted diet such as Hikari Micro Pellets until he grows bigger. Baby brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms and blackworms can also be fed. Feed one or twice daily. He should only need 2-3 pellets at each feeding. The conditioners and food can be found in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Please request a consultation to discuss care in greater depth or post another question in the Forum if necessary.

It may be easier (and more economical) to use a one or two gallon vessel to use as a "hospital tank". Use the water from the main tank initially and change the water in the smaller tank every couple days. For the small amount of water, you can use a water conditioner such as Prime (by SeaChem). Find it in your local Petco. A bit of StressCoat will also aid in recovery. Maintain pristine water quality and proper temp (78F to 80F) to aid in healing. Make sure he continues to eat normally as well.