Betta tank suggestions?

[astraldisaster]

I just got a beautiful new super delta betta, and I want to set up a small tank for him. Right now, he's in a bowl, which I'm feeling a little guilty about. I know people that have had bettas live for years (and, apparently, thrive) housed this way, but I've been doing some research and it seems that they ideally need a five-gallon tank. I'm working on getting that going, or maybe something slightly smaller (it'll have a filter, and if it's less than five gallons I'll just do water changes more often). Anyhow, I was just curious -- what other animals (fish, inverts, etc) could I keep with him, if any? I was thinking perhaps a snail or a dwarf frog, or both. Another thing: he'll be okay without a heater provided room temperature stays at 70º+, correct? Thanks in advance!

[Frostbite]

That is a beautiful Betta! I have 11 Bettas, mostly smaller half moons. I have some of the smaller ones in half gallon cubes. The bigger ones are in individual 2 1/2 gallon tanks. Some of my tanks have filtration. I do partial water changes frequently and add water every couple of days between changes. A five gallon tank will be absolute luxury for your Betta! Good luck!

[astraldisaster]

Thanks! So they do okay in 2.5 gallons or less, eh? In that case, I'm considering this tank, this one (more expensive, but seems like better quality), or maybe even this one (smaller, but seems like a good deal).

Do you add a heater for your bettas?

[Hayden]

No, you do not need to heat your bettas. And while they can live in a smaller space, if you can offer him more, please do. As far as companions go remember that every betta is different. No match will ever be foolproof. That being said, your best chance is to go with smaller, dull fish with short fins. I'd say white cloud mountain minnows would be your best bet.

[LordRaiden]

I have a 2.5 G planted tank for bettas.

I had a dragonscale B. splendens that I kept in there with some Boraras brigittae rasboras. B. brigittae is a very small rasbora that comes from marshy aquatic habitats that also play host to species in the genus Betta.

The plan for the tank was to have three of the rasboras and one dragonscale (the one in question was rather small).

Then during an exam week the filter broke, and all the fish died. T^T

I went out and bought a better filter, which is performing much better. There's one P. reticulata fancy guppy in there right now, but that was mainly just to help make sure my nitrogen cycle remained intact while I had no fish.

The new plan is to get a few more of the rasbora and either pair them with other small fish from a similar biotope, or some Trichopsis pumila, or some other small Osphronemid/Nandid/Anabantid fish from a marshy biotope.

Astraldisaster, if I recall, you live in Oregon. I do too, and there's a really great fish store in Portland called The Wet Spot; they have higher prices on things in general, but they have the largest selection of freshwater fish for miles and miles; I've never counted, but they've gotta have nearly 1000 species/varieties in stock at any given time.

They have a wider selection of fish that might wind up being better suited for life with a betta and might be more interesting to boot; here's a link to their fish list:

http://wetspottropicalfish.com/index...d=51&Itemid=64 (it's updated weekly on the weekend)

Also, if I like something there, I usually go here to look it up:

www.seriouslyfish.com

This is a fantastic and seemingly poorly known website that has a large and very well-kept encyclopedia of freshwater fish kept in aquaria; simply look up the sci. name of the species you wish to know more about and you'll find what you need.

As for your fish, I would get a 5 gallon tank with a small filter (I usually look up reviews of the product to see if I can find anything about it before buying) and some floramax plant substrate for the bottom; then I would buy some Cryptocoryne undulata and a smallish piece of mopani wood, plus some Anubias barteri nana and some Microsorum pteropus. Plant the C. undulata in the substrate and use rubber bands to tie the other two plants onto the wood, relatively far from one another and reasonably deep so that they won't grow out of the water. The C. undulata should grow alright in the bottom and the two other plants are epiphytic and should attach to the wood in a few weeks to a month or so depending on light and nutrients. I use some seachem Flourish fertilizer, which seems to help them out a little. You might also want to use a compact flourescent bulb to provide light for the plants. Java moss would be another epiphyte that you could add to the tank, and frogbit or water lettuce would make for nice floating plants to help support the marsh fish's lower light preferences.

[argolupin]

Thanks! So they do okay in 2.5 gallons or less, eh? In that case, I'm considering this tank, this one (more expensive, but seems like better quality), or maybe even this one (smaller, but seems like a good deal).

Do you add a heater for your bettas?

i think your best bet is going to be the fluval tank. i worked for petsmart for awhile and the first and the last tank you listed kept getting returned for being broken ir filters not working. if you are doing a 5 gallon tank i would put in a cory cat fish to eat any food that hits the bottom or some ghost shrimp which will help with food on the bottom and alge(or both) i have my betta in my 20 comminuty tank. just watch if you have any guppies in there or anything with fancy tails as bettas nip fancy tails. my one betta in a vase ( i am working on ideas for wedding centerpieces and i love bettas so they would always have a home) does great without a heeater but if the watter feels a little cold they make betta heaters now.

[Obelisk]

I don't think the fish will do well long-term at 70 F. Bettas come from a warm, tropical climate. I wouldn't keep them in anything less than the high 70's F (I have mine at 80-81 F).

I guess people will give you different opinions on the what best size tank would be for a betta. I have one in a heated, filtered 10 gallon that I have for growing plants. He's pretty active, and uses the entire tank for swimming. Given that, I wouldn't use anything smaller than a 5 gallon.

A filter isn't necessary, but using one will make it easier for you in the long run. Also, if you use a water heater, you'll need some kind of circulation going for the heater to work effectively.

[astraldisaster]

Thanks for all the suggestion and input, guys! I actually found a really cool little aquarium on Craigslist that came with lights, a heater and a filter. I'm not sure how big it is...maybe two or three gallons. Not as ideal as five, I know, but hopefully he'll be happy enough in there. He already has more space than he did in his bowl, and the temperature is now around 78º.

LordRaiden, I'm planning to take a trip to the Wet Spot in the next couple of weeks and look into getting some of the plants you mentioned. As for other fish, I'm thinking maybe just some type of Corydoras catfish and a couple of snails. I don't want to overcrowd such a small tank.

New tank, with fake plants for now:



Sir Fish looking pleased:

[beetleman]

awesome betta! great setup too. i keep alot of bettas,kings giant kinghalfmoons,deltas,doubletails,crowntails,dragon scales etc,they are very addicting,i'm always seeing another cool type,and i get it,it's a sickness i tell ya enjoy yours........you'll be getting more.

[philge]

Nice setup you've got there! I hate seeing people keep these fish without heat or filtration. I have my betta in a 10g community tank. I don't know why there is such a common myth that these cannot be kept with other fish. Since it's a small tank, I would not get any more than another 3-4 small fish tops. Corys are great, but they will outgrow the tank quickly. I think some small tetras like neons would be a good choice.

[astraldisaster]

Hmm, so a Cory would get too big for the tank even if it was the only other fish I got? I'm not a huge fan of neon tetras, so I was hoping to find something more interesting I could put in there.

[tarantulaholic]

that is one lucky beta!

[astraldisaster]

Made a couple of improvements! I added two live plants and another fish. I think that's all I'm going to put in there for now.

[LordRaiden]

What kinds of plants? One of those looks like an Echinodorus sp.; they need a lot of light, and some species get really big.

Also, I happen like Corydoras catfish a lot, but they really don't thrive unless they have others of their own species to congregate with. If you want some bottom dwelling fish that don't need to be in larger groups and can do well in smaller tanks, Otocinclus sp. catfish are small herbivorous catfish that don't need a very large tank.

If you want some schooling fish that work, I'd still recommend some smaller barbs, such as Boraras brigittae and fish in the genera Microdevario and Danionella.

You might need to modify the tank for those fish (mainly denser planting) but they should get along alright with the Betta.

[astraldisaster]

I don't know what sort of plants they are...I'm a moron and went to PetSmart and listened to the clerk who told me I could put any of the plants in my tank. I figure, worse comes to worse they don't do well or I have to prune them or whatever.

So you think that cory won't do well? :\ Would you advice returning it, or maybe getting another to keep it company? I'd consider some of the schooling fish you mentioned, but at this point I don't want to put too much more in there if I'm keeping the cory and possibly adding another...

Geez, I'm one of those obnoxious people who didn't do enough research this time. Apologies for all the questions.