The matter of saving a Betta Fish's equanimity!!

[Jferrante]

So this is a question I've been asking myself over and over again in my head.
My sister has had this Male blue with a faint (reddish bottom fin) betta fish in a bowl almost around 3 years and he often experience 100% water changes every week sometimes two whole weeks. Despite the torture of living in a bowl that's only like a half gallon for three years I want to know if I can add him to my 55 gallon tank. He's a hardy fish as seen in his environment. He gets active randomly and has decent color for his environmental conditions.

My tank so far it has only 8 Rummy nose tetras. But soon there will be Cory cats, Apistogramma, Bolivian rams, and pearl/ neon gourami's. Possibly some amano shrimp as well but i"m not sure because I find it kind of morbid to feed brine shrimp when there is actual live shrimp in the tank ...
So please help on this. If it' a green light I'll add him tonight even. I just don't want him to comprimise the tank by adding him.

It's a 55 gallon heavily planted tank BTW.

 

[NigelK8485]

I don't think the betta would do well with the apistos or rams. Why not just get your sister to buy a little 5 gallon starter kit?


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[Jferrante]

she's in college and couldn't care less. She even bought a new betta with her roommate that ended up dying. I have a 5 gallon right now but it's being used by also failed leopard gecko that she bought after the betta fish died. So we're stuck with two failed "unwanted" pets. If they have a 1$ gallon sale at petco/petsmart I will definitely jump on it and buy a 5 gallon and a heater and small filter with simple plant for it. I have two 50 watt heaters I got for free but they have no way of adjusting the temp so figure I shouldn't trust them.

 

[Jferrante]

would a 5 gallon version of this work you think?
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Roots-AquaFarm-Packaging-Vary/dp/B00CN52TRM

I already grow herbs just figure it'd be nicer than what he's in now and also grow some plants for filtration on top of it.

 

[NigelK8485]

The leopard gecko needs a larger tank than 5 gallons. I'd get him a bigger one such as a 20 gallon and transfer the betta to the 5. If you're looking at spending $60 on a gimmicky tank like that, I guess it'd work. Five gallons is five gallons, but the reviews on it look pretty terrible.


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[Jferrante]

I've got two 20 gallon tanks in my basement. Ready to go. Its only one leopard gecko too and its a baby so its tiny and very shy. Id rather just sell it though because we already have a sun conure, cockatiel, bearded dragon, papillon ( doesn't count really cause we love it to death and its a dog so we've had for many many years.)


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[NigelK8485]

I mean it sounds like you have plenty of places to go ahead and put the betta. Give him his own 20 gallon for the remainder of his life, he wouldn't know what to think after being stuck in a tiny bowl. Basically though, obviously he'd do better in a larger tank with a heater and filter and just some basic care. He wouldn't do well with your future stock in the 55 though. So it's up to you what you do with him.


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[addisonnolann]

If you already have extra tanks, stick the betta in one of those. I know 20 gallons seem like a lot for a betta, but after about a week they truly seem to love their "palace." A cheap filter, and use the heater you said you already had, and you'll be good to go. You did say the betta was around three though, and with his living conditions I can't see him living too much longer. That being said, it's best to at least try to give him a better quality life. You can even add some corydoras and some White Cloud Mountain minnows, amount many other fish, in with him. Just so the tank doesn't seem empty.


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[ScaryFatKidGT]

Keep for your self, give it a home. Get an Aqueon evolv 4 or the marineland little 3g thing, or for cheap just a 2.5 or 5 g with a filter and heater.