preset heater vs no heater?

**genocidex** · 06-17-2013, 04:21 PM

Just got forced to adopt 2 female bettas. The person who forced me to adopt them told me i had to keep them in the same vase without a filter or anything..... Some how the vase experienced a fit og gravitiy and broke..... Wink wink.... Any ways i set them up in my 5.5g tank, made an airpowered filter out of a bottle and existing biomedia from my healthy 55 g. Was going to wait a few weeks to buy a heater for them but was gifted a preset tettra heater. I dont like them, but would it be better for them to have that heater or no heater? Since its summer the room they are in stays above 70* and below 80* ...

**Slaphppy7** · 06-17-2013, 04:44 PM

Shame about that vase....accidents happen

**mommy1** · 06-17-2013, 04:48 PM

You seem to have that problem with glass breaking sometimes.

I would try the heater you have and see how well it works, betta's like the water on the warm side.

**korith** · 06-17-2013, 04:52 PM

I think the preset heaters are usually set to 78F, you'd have to look up the brand and model to be sure. Preset heaters are ok, though they are limited to just the fish kept at that temperature. Since it's free, can't complain. If you were going to buy a heater, probably better off getting a heater you can set. I tend to not use heaters in most tanks, only use them in my discus tanks.

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-17-2013, 05:05 PM

Agree to use the heater rather than none. Different if you lived in the tropics. Just how did this person "force" you to take those Betta's? Seems odd you are willing to take them off her hands but then she dictates how you keep them. All fish, including Betta's, belong in a tank with a filter and heater. If people want to keep fish in a vase, then they shouldn't have them.

**madagascariensis** · 06-17-2013, 05:12 PM

Stagnant, shallow marsh water gets very warm...
Agree with all above posts. Better a heater than none.

**talldutchie** · 06-17-2013, 05:18 PM

Sorry and you probably know this but... TEST IT FIRST! there's batches on tge market with very iffy thermostat switches so check it in a bucket for 24hrs before it goes in.

**genocidex** · 06-17-2013, 06:06 PM

@ lh. Its a semi long story, basically they we bought by the person and she had them with a full grown male (these are young females) kept them in a 3 gallon vase and was surprised the male was beating on them. She killed 9 bettas before this. Then when my bh got her surgery done she "gifted" them to her. When i said i woukd order a heater and set up my 5.5g for them she started yelling at me about not knowing anything about fish and im just lucky my fisb are healthy blah blah blah. She comes in randomly and to avoid conflict my bh told me to humor her. Well a little less than a week of turture was all i could take and i pleeded with my bh to let me give them a proper home. She wanted to avoid conflict so the next time her aunt was her the vase randomly fell and broke.... Strange thing is the bettas were in cups at the time cause i needed to change their water.... Conflict avoided and the bettas are on the road to recovery. Thats the story of being forced on these bettas and i cant put bettas to death just because the owner stinks.

I will test the heater, i guess i will set the heater in the tank after the test and try to adjust the bettas slowly some how....

**Goes to 11!** · 06-18-2013, 04:12 AM

As mentioned, Test the heater and see if it's up to snuff... If so, USE the heater.

If the former owner wants to dictate terms of care.. Well, Good luck with that

... They're YOUR fish now.

That IS a relevant point but it needs no further discussion/replies to her IMO.

**koaladarshana** · 06-18-2013, 05:50 AM

I think you're talking about the Tetra HT10. I had that same heater. It kept my betta cozy enough to build a bubble nest, but the temperature always fluctuated between 76-78 f... I swapped it out for the Aqueon Pro 50 and couldn't be happier. My temperature now seems to stay exactly at 80 f and Barnabas is blowing even bigger bubble nests!