1.5 gallon fish bowl can I keep a betta?

I was given a 1.5 gallon fish bowl through freecycle when I collected a bag of shells for my hermit crabs. I'm not 100% sure on the size but it's much larger then most bowls I see. I've always wanted a betta fish but I don't want them to live in really cramped conditions.





If I can get a small bubbler or filter to go with it would it be a safe home for a betta? Or is this too small?


If that is the case I might get some nice aquarium plants and keep it as an aquatic flower pot for my living room.


Betta keepers please share tips.

1.5 gallon fish bowl can I keep a betta?
Monkey is right - Heather is wrong.





If she was told bettas were used to only live in a gallon of water, the person who told her that is an idiot.





Pet store employees will tell you ANYTHING to sell fish. I've heard countless times people say "the pet store told me the PREFER to live in a bowl!"





Well for all you novices out there, the pet store employees are mostly idiots. The only ones you can trust are ones that own a local fish shop - they want repeat business, so they tend to give out better information.





I've had pet store chains tell me a bunch of stupid stuff: you can't put a betta with other fish (WRONG) a common pleco only gets about 4" (WRONG) apple/mystery snails breed asexually (WRONG - they need a male and a female.)





Your betta will be much happier in 5 gallon heated and filtered tank, as Monkey said.





Think of it this way: would you rather be confined to your bedroom, and no where else the rest of your days? Or would you like a whole house to wander around in? Sure, you could survive in the bedroom, probably not as long, and not as healthy, but you'd be HAPPIER in a whole house. Same with the betta. Just do what's right for him - 5 gallon tanks aren't that expensive. (If a 5 gallon tank is too expensive for you, you really shouldn't be keeping fish - fish keeping is an expensive hobby.)





Good luck!
Reply:I have a Betta with my other tropical fish in a 55 gallon planted tank.


If you could see her , how she loves to swim around , hide between the plants and interact with the other fish , you would not want to put your Betta in such a little "water puddle".


Sure they can survive in a 1,5 gallon tank , sure they survive bad water conditions but I doubt that they are happy .





Betta's are hardy fish , but not for their own good.
Reply:you can put fake plants in the 10 gallon if you cant afford the bubbler. it would be nice a 10 gallon with a filter and a heater. at least buy the heater and filter and the fish should do fine. you can later on add some fish with the betta. they get along with neon tetra. but first put the betta so it can get used to it enviornment.
Reply:yes they do very well in ten gallon tanks especially if they are heavilly planted no you will not need a bubbler or even the filter really" but it is still heavily reccomended" but you will need a heater
Reply:It's really too small. A betta does best in a 5 gallon heated filtered tank.





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Reply:1.5 gallons is a bit small, especially if it is a bowl rather than a rectangular tank as bowls have less surface area for gas exchange. I would not keep a betta in something that small except as a temporary measure, you can probably keep a betta alive in a container like that but I doubt that it would thrive. If you do decide to get one anyway you will need at the very least a bubbler, filter and a small heater, and you will also need to do frequent, small water changes and really keep an eye on water quality.





Small tanks are difficult to maintain, both you and the fish would be happier with a larger tank.





Edit: Ten gallons should be fine, and they love having plants to rest on and swim around. Silk or real plants are fine but beware of plastic plants with sharp or pointy edges, they can rip fins.





If you just put plants in the bowl it should be fine without a bubbler as long as there are not too many plants.
Reply:In reality mokey and heather are both right. The betta fish would do best in a 5 gallon but let you know that if you allow the betta fish to be in a 5 gallon tank it will be understocked and your 10 gallon tank you aquarium would be really understock. the 1.5 gallon fish bowl is more than enough for the betta they dont die from stress or any other problem ppl may answer they stay relatively calm and in the 1.5 gallon they still have room to swim which makes them happy :D throw in a small air pump it doesnt hurt and helps the betta fish to stay even more calm. (look if betta fish werent meant to be living in smaller space then how do they stay in stores like petsmart for over 2 months of a time in a small cup??? and still be in excelent shape)
Reply:A lot of people think that it is cruel to keep Beta fish in small aquariums, but that is actually what they are used to, in the wild they live in much more confined living spaces. I was told they that will live in a rice marsh under the plants, much like you see them in the decorative planters you are speaking of.