Betta Tankmates...

[breeb]

Currently, I have one male betta in a 5 gallon planted tank kept at 78 degrees. I'm looking for something that will help keep the algae growth down for my plants. Normally I would get a few ghost shrimp or a snail but I want to use Aquarisol to prevent parasites since I feed him frozen food, which may increase the possibility of ick. And Aquarisol can't be used with inverts, so that throws the possibility snails or ghost shrimp out the window. This leaves me with two options, either finding another preventative treatment or perhaps getting an otto. What I want to know is if it is okay to house an otto and a betta together in a 5 gallon tank, and, if not, what preventatives other than aquarisol could I use against potential parasitic infections that are not harmful to inverts?
Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Bettafanatic]

Don't get any other fish. In a tank as small as a 5 gallon, any other fish will stress out your betta immensely. Otos also like to have tankmates. If you upgrade to a 10 gallon, you can get one small school of nano fish.

 

[breeb]

Don't get any other fish. In a tank as small as a 5 gallon, any other fish will stress out your betta immensely. Otos also like to have tankmates. If you upgrade to a 10 gallon, you can get one small school of nano fish./QUOTE]
Right, that's why they weren't my first choice. I'm really just looking for a way to keep algae growth down. Generally this would require getting a snail or the like that eats algae. Since I can't do that, I'm looking for alternatives. I'd appreciate it if you could respond to my actual problem. I'm not holding a bag of ottos, waiting for your say so as to whether to dump them in there. And a school of nano fish will certainly not help as they don't eat algae. If I can, I won't even get another fish. Hopefully carefully taking algae off my plant's leaves with help. It certainly will help more than you advice has. Please read more closely the qualms of the next person you try to help, maybe they'll get some use of it.

 

[bud29]

A shorter photoperiod may help cut down on algae.

 

[CraigRets]

ottos need a tank bigger then 10g.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Right, that's why they weren't my first choice. I'm really just looking for a way to keep algae growth down. Generally this would require getting a snail or the like that eats algae. Since I can't do that, I'm looking for alternatives. I'd appreciate it if you could respond to my actual problem. I'm not holding a bag of ottos, waiting for your say so as to whether to dump them in there. And a school of nano fish will certainly not help as they don't eat algae. If I can, I won't even get another fish. Hopefully carefully taking algae off my plant's leaves with help. It certainly will help more than you advice has. Please read more closely the qualms of the next person you try to help, maybe they'll get some use of it.

You didn't have to be so rude. I was just trying to help. It's not the apocalypse.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Don't get any other fish. In a tank as small as a 5 gallon, any other fish will stress out your betta immensely. Otos also like to have tankmates. If you upgrade to a 10 gallon, you can get one small school of nano fish./QUOTE]
Right, that's why they weren't my first choice. I'm really just looking for a way to keep algae growth down. Generally this would require getting a snail or the like that eats algae. Since I can't do that, I'm looking for alternatives. I'd appreciate it if you could respond to my actual problem. I'm not holding a bag of ottos, waiting for your say so as to whether to dump them in there. And a school of nano fish will certainly not help as they don't eat algae. If I can, I won't even get another fish. Hopefully carefully taking algae off my plant's leaves with help. It certainly will help more than you advice has. Please read more closely the qualms of the next person you try to help, maybe they'll get some use of it.

Wow, that was really rude! He was just trying to help you out. You have 2 posts, and you are already going to get a bad reputation. Everybody tries to be as helpful and kind as they can be, and we expect the same as you. So, next time somebody doesn't directly answer your questions, please be nice.

But, to answer your question, like bud suggested, try having your lights on for 4-6 hours, then work your way up to 8 hours over 2-4 weeks.

 

[Rivercats]

Feeding frozen foods really won't increase the chance for ich. There is a product made by Seachem called Paraguard that is safe for plants, shrimp, snails, everything. It is mostly natural ingredients with alittle medicine in it.

As for algae decreasing photoperiod will help, try to cut down on feeding or even go to every other day. So if you use something like Paraguard you could get a couple nerite snails for the tank. Nerites eat the biggest variety of algae of any algae eater.. diatoms, bio-film, green dust algae, and even green spot algae. They aren't a cure all but can be a good aid in helping keep tanks clean without adding to a tanks bio-load.

 

[librarygirl]

I've never heard of foods causing Ich. I feed frozen foods to my fish once a week and don't treat it. As long as the food is kept frozen until you're ready to feed it shouldn't pose any risks. There are more risks of illness with feeding live food rather than frozen. ALso frozen foods are good for a treat but I don't know if they'd be good enough as a staple food. Bettas are prone to bloat too. I'd feed a good quality betta pellet most of the time, then use the frozen as a treat.

Also do you have algae now or are you just preparing for a what-if? Algae isn't a given in most tanks and usually there is a cause (imbalance of light and nutrients) so I wouldn't worry about it until there is a problem.