betta tank mates

[noobaquarists]

hi everyone once again i find myself turning to the best online site for fish lovers i recently was given a 5.5g tank and i was thinking of getting a colourfull male betta for it but i dont want him to b lonely so my question is what can i put in with him that will peacefully coexist with him and wont outgrow my small meager tank? also as ive nvr had a betta b4 any tips on keeping them (water temp,filtration needs) and their diet also whether or not they like plants because im thinking of putting some dwarf hairgrass or willow moss in with him. any and all advice will b greatly appreciated thx again everyone

 

[Bettababe1011]

In that size tank I would leave him by himself. He won't be lonely, trust me.

 

[noobaquarists]

In that size tank I would leave him by himself. He won't be lonely, trust me.

what about plants or water temp lvls any idea?

 

[noobaquarists]

i heard you could put corycats in with betta's but im not sure i have 2 albino cory's tho less than an inch long

 

[Bettababe1011]

Oh, and I would feed him pellets every other day, and then skip a day once a week. Peas once a week are helpful to prevent bloating and constipation as well. As for the filter, they need a proper one for the tank size, but may not like the current. If he seems to be having problems swimming, you can cut the middle of a pop bottle in half and attach it to the filter to lessen the current. Some bettas love the current though, and play in it.

 

[Hholly]

Plants would be good. I think Bettas prefer temp around 76-80 degrees F.

 

[Bettababe1011]

i heard you could put corycats in with betta's but im not sure i have 2 albino cory's tho less than an inch long

They need at least twenty gallons in my opinion. They need room to swim, and in a five gallon, the Betta may feel it doesn't have enough room to share. You could try some ghost shrimp, but be aware that the Betta may eat them. Ghost shrimp are a bit harder for them to see though, and cost much less.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Plants would be good. I think Bettas prefer temp around 76-80 degrees F.

Yeah, my bettas seem to do best at about 80*F. Real plants are good because the plastic plants can cut the bettas long fins. Also, the Betta shouldn't eat the plants, because they are carnivores.

 

[noobaquarists]

thx for all your info and when u say to give him peas how do i prepare them for him fresh or canned ive nvr had a fish that you give peas to b4

 

[Bettababe1011]

thx for all your info and when u say to give him peas how do i prepare them for him fresh or canned ive nvr had a fish that you give peas to b4

I'm still not exactly sure about peas either. I've heard it's good, and am planning on using them when I get my next Betta, but I need to do some research on how you prepare them. Maybe someone else can answer.

 

[noobaquarists]

and i was thinking about using pfs for the bottom of the tank do bettas dig at all?

 

[Bettababe1011]

My bettas have never dug. So it would probably be fine.

 

[noobaquarists]

ok thx again im off to see my lfs

 

[LyndaB]

i dont want him to b lonely

Bettas don't get lonely. This tank is too small to even attempt tankmates with him.

 

[LyndaB]

thx for all your info and when u say to give him peas how do i prepare them for him fresh or canned ive nvr had a fish that you give peas to b4

You can take frozen peas and blanch them, remove the skin and basically feed the fish the pea guts.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Depends on what you want to do. It is all dependent on the betta. All my bettas have been docile, but many have had contrary experiences. If he shows any signs of aggression, like flaring of anything, he may be aggressive. Best way to test out a betta's personality IMO is to add a nerite snail to the tank and see how he reacts to it.

If he tests positive with the nerite, all I would add would be a small school of ember tetras or chilli rasboras, nothing else.

 

[noobaquarists]

dont rlly want snails in my tank tho and i dont know anyoneelse with an aquarium to give the snail to after testing

 

[Galligak]

dont rlly want snails in my tank tho and i dont know anyoneelse with an aquarium to give the snail to after testing

Why not a snail? Sorry, but I find them to be awesome little guys that will help with cleaning The fish stores around me have a 14 day return policy, see if the stores around you do. If they do you could always buy a snail, test the betta, then return it if you really don't like the snail.

 

[Viperchaos]

They need at least twenty gallons in my opinion. They need room to swim, and in a five gallon, the Betta may feel it doesn't have enough room to share. You could try some ghost shrimp, but be aware that the Betta may eat them. Ghost shrimp are a bit harder for them to see though, and cost much less.

Just a personal statement on this , i agree with not having any tank mates . but in a 5.5 gal (18 litres) is more than sufficient space for 1 Betta Splenden.
To your suggested 20 gal (75 litres) or to be technical 4620 cubic inches for 3 inches of fish is reaaally drastic!

I keep Fighters with Dickfield cichlids with no issues. in a 8 gal.

All other information you provided is sound and fully correct

 

[Bettababe1011]

Just a personal statement on this , i agree with not having any tank mates . but in a 5.5 gal (18 litres) is more than sufficient space for 1 Betta Splenden.
To your suggested 20 gal (75 litres) or to be technical 4620 cubic inches for 3 inches of fish is reaaally drastic!

I keep Fighters with Dickfield cichlids with no issues. in a 8 gal.

All other information you provided is sound and fully correct

I was talking about the cories the op asked about.