[Show me your livebearers]

Four out of my five female platies. 29G. Now only females bc I don’t want more. But they are BIG beautiful ladies, 3 inches. Plump and happy. They live well. One of them is from the original group. The others were born here.   😄

[Bettas and heaters]

Okay, thanks MattyIce! Very helpful. That's a great idea about switching out the heater. Thank you!

[Bettas and heaters]

13 minutes ago, ange said:

 

 

Thanks for the link, Ange. I seriously thought I'd watched all of Cory's videos by now, but no! 😄

[Heat lamps instead of heaters?]

We all agree that low-end heaters are pretty horrible. I'm wondering if anyone out there uses heat lamps to warm the water top-down like the sun warms a pond or stream. Or even a pendant light or sconce with an incandescent bulb that gives off some heat. Like the picture below I found doing a google search, but intentionally using a bulb that gives off heat. Anyone tried this?

Top dwellers like bettas would get the warmth they need during the day, with some variation at night when the light is off. Wouldn't have to worry about accidentally cooking your fish or electrocuting them as with a regular cheapo heater. I'm thinking of scenarios with smaller tanks around the house (without the luxury of a fish room where you could just heat the entire space) and you'd rather not invest in a high end heater.

[Bettas and heaters]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Much appreciated. Seems like my tanks are always about 3 oF lower than the room temp regardless of lid. I think the lights being LED don't affect the temp much if at all. I'm thinking wouldn't it make sense to use an incandescent or other bulb deliberately to warm the water top-down just like the sun does. I wonder if anyone else does that? Might start a new thread with this question.

[Bettas and heaters]

17 hours ago, Ben Ellison said:

From what I've seen bettas often live in glass bowls with no air or heat. I feel that if your house is kept comfortable for humans the betta would probably be fine.

 

Second thought adding a light and filter would even keep it a degree or two warmer than the room so that might be a factor too

True, Ben. Really hate those bowl and jar setups. Yes, I always have a light and a snug-fitting glass lid.

[Bettas and heaters]

22 hours ago, Daniel said:

I used to keep and breed hundreds of show bettas 20 years ago. I just kept the room they were in at the mid to upper 70s and they did just fine. Take @ange advice, heaters fail.

When I lived in Florida in the early 80s, I would see bettas in the canals and that water wasn't 80 degrees.

But a caveat to the above...if breeding is your goal, in my experience Betta breeding works best at about 80 degrees.

Wow, Daniel. That's a lot of betta experience! 🙂 Okay, good to know. Heaters are the worst. Can't believe we don't have better options after all these years. Cory...? Counting on Cory to bring something new to the market. 

[Bettas and heaters]

22 hours ago, ange said:

I had the best results between 77 and 80 degrees. They're definitely more active at higher temps in my experience though I've never deliberately put the temp over 80 unless treating a bacterial infection.

Good to know! I've seen other people say they are more active when it's warm. 

[What's your dream aquarium product that doesn’t exist?]

Really cheap, mega strong aquarium stands or racks with adjustable shelving. They would be perfectly level every time and can take any combination of tanks. They would fold flat for shipping and pop up when you press a button. They would also look good. Made of some futuristic metal or some other substance that hasn't been invented yet maybe... 😃

[Bettas and heaters]

Hi all! I agree with Cory that most tropical fish can do without a heater and that we should not be afraid to subject them to gradual temperature variations (day/night, seasonal etc). What do people think about bettas? Does anyone out there keep them without a heater? Everyone says they should be kept at around 80'F and must have a heater. But I think a lot about Cory's videos on the subject and wonder how much of the "bettas must be kept at 80oF year round" stuff is just inherited wisdom not really founded on actual fact. My 3 new betta babies (from breeder not petstore) are currently in water that's 74'F and they seem plenty active and doing well. Room temp is 78oF most of the year (Florida). Room temp gets down to 68oF in winter. I want them to be happy and healthy, but it seems like so many people have problems with heaters exploding and overheating etc. I'm so confused. Do they need a heater or not? Does anyone out there keep them without heaters?