I am currently using this (what I assume to be a 2.5 gallon tank) to hold a betta temporarily as I have no other tanks he can go in. I’m worried about whether or not this is cruel considering that the tank has no filter or heater. If this is wrong, what options do I have to get rid of the fish ethically? Will petsmart take him back? Or can I just release him into a natural freshwater pond near my house?
Any advice or criticism is welcome, thank you for any help you all can provide!
Posted by Hefty-Departure-3686
26 Comments
Absolutely no to releasing him locally. If you have a PetSmart by you, you should be able to get a small filter and heater affordably.
I mean, short term it’s better than a Petco cup, but get him in a proper home as soon as bleeding possible
Heater and small pump won’t be much and you can always use it later as medical tank. I would get that and maybe see if someone is giving away some plants on FB market. Or in area even used stuff
You can get a heater for around $10, they arent good but it will work in this tank for some time. I’d buy the smallest air pump you can which will be around $10. Lastly i would buy the smallest sponge filter you can find for roughly $5. You can turn this into a good setup for around $25-$30. Long term look for a 5 to 10 gallon tank.
Just commenting to say never release pet fish into the wild! If they survive they can cause problems.
I’m sure if you post him on fb marketplace someone might be able to grab them and I’ve heard many people say fish shops have taken back fish(: Goodluck with your decision.
It doesn’t sound like you want to keep him so find someone who does, you can post on FB marketplace or r/aquaswap to find him a home. Or check with your local fish store but ideally he wouldn’t go back in the cup. Don’t release him he will just die. He’s counting on you to see to him, don’t let him down OP. If you decide to keep him you can find the supplies cheap or free with a little effort.
You could definitely find the stuff for a proper setup cheaply on Facebook marketplace
Despite what many will say, that tank is sufficient for now. Optimal? Nah, but it’s far better than the tiny cups they often live and suffer in.
You should be able to get a small heater and filter for very little money.
Say 12 bucks for a small heater, another 12-15for a small hang-on-back filter.
Check FB marketplace or similar. People give away piles of random aquarium stuff.
Absolutely never release aquarium critters in the wild. They will either die horribly or could even ruin the ecosystem, like carp in the great lakes.
Where I live it’s illegal to release a fish into the wild
Where are you located? I probably have 5 filters laying around I can send.
He is completely fine *short term*, assuming the water parameters are kept safe and you know how to prevent/deal with ammonia spikes. You can probably find him a good home in just a few days if you don’t want to invest in an affordable filter and heater, which would be the minimum you need to keep him healthy.
Do NOT release pet animals into the wild! Why are you so set on getting rid of him? You can buy a filter and heater for pretty cheap.
Despite being small and unfinished this 100x better than the cups at petsmart lol
looks good to me
Needs air
Do not release that fish.
dumping him outside would be infinitely more cruel than leaving him in this. get a filter and a heater if you can like others have suggested and this is sufficient for the short term while you search for a bigger tank. if you have local fish stores (or even petco/smart) and really don’t feel equipped to take care of him, call them and ask to donate him or coordinate rehoming via facebook groups/craigslist/etc. but i promise this setup is fine for the short term lol, don’t do anything rash
Walmart sells small filters for like 8 bucks, theres mini cheap heaters at petco, they aren’t enough for regular Betta sustainment but for a temporary 2.5 it will suffice, the ethnics of it really boil down to intent, you worrying about the comfort of your fish is telling already of its future
So what happened to the heater and filter that was in his original tank? the tank that was also a decent size.
https://preview.redd.it/8wjv59kscesg1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dab8c4516404586d55c2beb026c9f5c9fe429dde
What is the long-term plan for this fish? You said this is a temporary holding area. Did you just get him and plan on upgrading? Are you moving and need to downsize? Like, what’s the plan here?
NEVER release aquarium fish into a natural water body. Pretty much everywhere it’s illegal to do so. Many pet stores will take back fish, but if your intent is to get rid of it, I would find a local fish store or a local aquarium club on social media and see if anyone wants him. OR if you are wanting to upgrade but don’t have the funds at the moment, you can probably get used filters and heaters from the same groups/clubs free or cheap. Heck, they might even throw in some live plant starts.
Where are you located?
It depends on temperature of the water if you are lucky enough to live in a beautiful climate or have heating where the tank water temperature is between 24°C to 28°C then your fine and dont need a heater
[Someone may need to translate this into °F]
[You would find people who keep multiple tanks fish rooms find it cheaper and easier to heat the fish room over running individual heaters too]
However it is good to have one as a just in case especially for winter months anywhere in the world the weather can be kinda freaky sometimes. Or in case you need to treat for something later down the line [hospital tanks are kept warmer to improve immune system (can be up to 30°C for treating white spot for example)
I would recommend a filter even just a cheap hang on back filter especially with the size of the tank while you figure out a larger one this will remove un eaten food and some poop to give you more time between water changes to keep ammonia levels down.
It also creates some surface agitation which adds a bit of oxygen and co2 into the water which fish need and co2 plants need.
you can also remove some substrate especially near the front create a slope in the current tank to increase the amount of water available to your fish in the meantime.
He is good in there, no need to get rid of him, not optimal tank but its still fairly good, but its not good yet, you can keep the tank filterless but you will need lots of plants, buy some cryptocorynes, anubias, microsorum or stem plants, also some floating plants, you need to make that aquarium look like a jungle, pick easy plants. And depending on where you live you will need a heater, there are lots of options of cheap heaters out there
This is fine for a temporary setup, just be sure to stay on top of water parameters. Providing some more plant cover will prevent stress too. Never release fish or other pets into the wild
He seems healthy and happy. Don’t just release him either, now THAT would be cruel!
This is better than PetsMart, but he needs a heater, a filter, plants to rest on, and 5 gal soon to not have adverse health effects and to thrive. Check out fb marketplace for free aquariums and water testing kits and conditioner, Craigslist for free aquariums and live plants, Temu for a cheap filter/heater/fake plants and your local fb aquarium group for all of that. I’ve had about a dozen bettas, all from Craigslist and fb mp. Most of my tanks were too. It’s good you’re asking about his quality of life
Look at this person’s profile and see what the fish was in before