Advice on new Betta tank!!!

[FishyWater2525]

Hey guys!
So my little Primrose has been cramped up in her (temporary) 1g for a while now, and I finally got her a 2.5g! It's plain, I just bought the actual tank itself, but I'm planning on getting the heater today.

I've got some questions! Lol
Is a 25W heater good for 2.5g?
I was wanting black sand as the substrate, but I'm not sure how to rinse it or how to put it in??
I don't have a hood for the tank, but I've never known Primrose to jump.... Is there a DIY hood, or one I could buy somewhere?
I was going to use live plants, starting with some Anarcharis Elodea clippings from my other tanks, and maybe some java moss.. And for hiding, I was going to do one of those flower pots (the name completely slipped my mind. Haha). Decorations are rocks from her old tank, her silk plant, and maybe some gravel EXTREMELY lightly sprinkled over the sand as accents.
I was maybe wanting to add a Nerite snail too...
Oh, I almost forgot, I was needing filter suggestions, as of right now, I'm thinking of the Tetra 1-3i filter from Walmart.

All suggestions and tips are welcome!! Thanks in advance!!!

 

[wildroseofky]

Your Beta will love more room. I have mine in a ten gallon and he loves to explore it. I do not have a top on it. I have never had a fish jump yet but I know it can happen. You can buy Plexiglass at any hardware or home supply store. It is easy to cut with a jigsaw. You could also just use some window screen or plastic canvas found in the craft department as a temporary fix. It will reduce some of the light getting to the plants though.

To rinse the black sand you can put it in a bucket and use a water hose to stir the sand around. Tilt the bucket to one side a little and the dirty water will flow out. I shoved the hose down to the bottom of the bucket under the sand. It stirs it up and gets it clean in no time. You can also do this in a bath tube or sink.

A sponge filter works great in a Beta tank. Tetra makes a quiet air pump and so does Fusion which is available at Dr Fosters and Smith online. An Azoo Palm Filter is also a good choice for small tanks. It has a flow adjuster too so you can lower the outflow if it is too strong. I used one on a 5 gallon and it works great. Some type of plant with large leaves make good Beta hammocks. My Beta likes the small Amazon sword that is floating in his tank right now for sleeping. My other Beta liked the Banana plant leaves to sleep on. Just watch for sharp edges on anything you put in your tank. Their fins can get ripped easy.

 

[FishyWater2525]

Thanks so much!!! Leaving for the pet store now! I will update soon!!

 

[FishyWater2525]

So, it turns out the pet store had no aquarium sand(crying inside), and instead I bought some black, real small gravel (5lbs). I also got a 25W heater! Super excited!!!!

 

[theycallmekhan]

Well, a tank cover should be used in case since bettas are jumpers, and you don't want to take chances. A plant I would recommend is water sprite. It grows like a weed when floating and develops many floating roots which suck nitrates and stuff out of the water, and besides sand isn't that good of a choice either way, since bettas like to pick in their substrate a lot, and they could swallow it. Some companions could be shrimp and boraras micros. These fish are like 10-13 mm long. I wouldn't go with snails in that small of a tank either since, snails do produce a lot of waste.

 

[FishyWater2525]

Ok!! Thanks!!!
I will definitely look into fish and shrimp, although when I set her tank beside my ten gallon (this was a while back) she seemed pretty aggressive. She flared at the fish and tried to race toward them.. The shrimp were ok as long as they didn't come close or she would flare.... Sadly, it might be difficult to find her some companions... Might try some ghost shrimp.....

 

[theycallmekhan]

Any shrimp with not too bright colors should be fine.

 

[dragon14]

I've heard Bettas like to snack on shrimp. If you do that, make sure they have hiding places and are bigger than the Bettas mouth.