betta-new aquarium

Question
I have had a betta for about 2 weeks now.  Currently he is in a 1 gallon tank. I just bought a 5 gallon tank, which I set up tonight. I also treated the water, and am going to let it sit until Sunday before I put him in it. I am thinking about buying a heater for the tank. My question is: should I wait until he is in the tank to turn the heater on, so that the water heats up slowly and he can adjust to it? He currently does not have a heater, and I thought if I turned the heater on in the new tank before I put him in it, the sudden temperature change would shock him. Thanks for any advice!

Answer
Hi Michelle;

A heater is a necessity for bettas really. It will keep the water temperature constant instead of the usual ups-and-downs of room temperature. You should put it in and get it working before you put the fish in though. It can take 24 hours or so to get it to be just right. After it's stable, slowly acclimate the fish to the new tank temperature. Bettas like their water to be 78f to 82f.

Just a regular ziploc sandwich bag will work to acclimate him to his new home. It's basically the same method used when bringing new fish home from the fish store. Fill the bag about 2" deep with his old tank water. Net him into  the bag of water. Seal the bag with a big bubble of air in it and let it float on top of the water in the new tank. Let him float like that for about 10 minutes and then open the bag to add about 1/4 cup of new tank water to his bag. Pour it in slowly. Seal the bag again and let him float for 10 more minutes. Open the bag and net him from it. Release him from the net into the new tank. Do not add the old bagged water to the tank. It has stress hormones and ammonia toxins that the new tank doesn't need. Just dispose of it.

I hope Mr. Betta enjoys his new home!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins