5 gallon ideas?

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D_Tristan22

Aquarium Advice Freak
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Jan 3, 2014
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Hi I'm starting a 5.5 gallon and fer sure I'll have a male betta in it.
Though I was also wondering what other types of fish will be safe with the betta and if it is even possible to keep other fish in a 5.5 gallon with a betta.

Any ideas?
 
5.5 is pretty small to add other fish besides a betta. Bettas getting along with other fish depends a lot on the personality of the individual betta. Most of the bottom dwelling fish that are a pretty safe bet do best in a larger school so 5.5 would just be too small to keep a good amount of them and a betta.

However, you could add a few interesting invertebrates to the tank pretty easily. 1 - 2 nerite snails, or a single mystery snail maybe. You can try shrimp, but I keep hearing that some bettas will eat them quite enthusiastically even with plenty of hiding spots.

I have a little nano tank with a betta I just added recently. Just him in the tank is a lot of personality and he only has a single young nerite snail to keep him company. : )
 
Okay thank you guys:) what are pretty good looking snails or ones that don't really reproduce on their own
 
Nerite snails are pretty small and can't reproduce in freshwater, only brackish. One mystery snail can't really produce on its own, but females cans store sperm for months and lay fertilized eggs, so they may not be the best idea. Apple snails lay eggs above the water line, and can also store sperm. The mystery snail is actually in the apple snail family.
 
I think you could do an African dwarf frog or a couple endlers livebearers. There are a lot of cool nano fish but most are pretty timid. A beta probably wouldn't eat an amano shrimp if you really want shrimp.
 
Some plants would add some color and life. Cryptocoryne is a great option.
 
Hi I'm starting a 5.5 gallon and fer sure I'll have a male betta in it.
Though I was also wondering what other types of fish will be safe with the betta and if it is even possible to keep other fish in a 5.5 gallon with a betta.

Any ideas?

well I would say a few aquatic frogs (like 2. keep a separate tank handy. they might fight rarely) also I tried a really small goldfish that will most likely stay smaller than the betta. :fish2::fish1: although when you get a betta choose one that is energetic and heathy. DO NOT GET A BABY BETTA THEY DIE EASILY AND ALSO LOOK LIKE THE FEMALES. also bettas that just sit at the bottom are ok but I don't recommend them. GOOD LUCK1(y)
 
ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1391407598.080540.jpg
This is a beta I got from petco as a baby, he turned out to be beautiful bright red with a blue shimmer to his scales and is very healthy.
A gold fish is a bad idea.. There are no goldfish that stay as small as a beta. They need a 30 gallon tank minimum.
 
Okay thank you. I think I'll get a snail. But I'll wait till my betta feels safe. I bought a bright red veil tale male betta. He is still on the smaller side but I'll watch him grow. He is gorgeous. Thank you for the help.
I also want to have live plants and a driftwood. But will a drift wood also be okay with the betta?
 
Driftwood would be fine with the beta:) he will probably love it. The only thing about driftwood is that most kinds release tannins into the water which will color the water yellow or brown. This is actually beneficial to fish because it is more like their natural environment. But- if you do not want your water to be colored you can soak the wood in a bucket of water for a few weeks or boil it to get most of the tannins out.
Anubias are a beautiful plant that are very hard to kill and look very nice tied onto driftwood. Their roots will gradually grow into the wood.
 
Awesome. I have a sucky light right now. Came with the tank it's so dull so I'll most likely replace the bulb before I get plants.

My betta also has been flaring up at his reflection. I know it stresses him out because he looks so angry. I tried covering the sides but he keeps doing it. Idk what to do about it
 
Really the only solution for reflections is to keep the room brighter than the tank. But I realize if you want live plants you'll need to keep the light on atleast 6 hrs a day. Maybe if he had some frog, shrimp or snail friends he would be more preoccupied with them and less with his reflection?
 
Really the only solution for reflections is to keep the room brighter than the tank. But I realize if you want live plants you'll need to keep the light on atleast 6 hrs a day. Maybe if he had some frog, shrimp or snail friends he would be more preoccupied with them and less with his reflection?


I'll look for some this week to keep him occupied. :)
 
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This is a beta I got from petco as a baby, he turned out to be beautiful bright red with a blue shimmer to his scales and is very healthy.
A gold fish is a bad idea.. There are no goldfish that stay as small as a beta. They need a 30 gallon tank minimum.[/QUO

yeah, but when I got a baby, he/she died within 2 days. I just had 1 goldfish, but somehow it exploded and my betta just left it alone... :I :T
 
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