Good fish with betta in 20 gallon tank

[Kiseki]

I like bettas, but one betta for a 20 gallon tank might be too big. But I don't know any fish that can go with bettas. I don't know the pH, temp., and what it eats. I had bettas before but they did not survive long. I also heard that strong filters can kill bettas. So it could help if you gave me a brand of filter.Thanks!

 

[jsoong]

If you look at a betta fancier's site, you'll often find show bettas having 20 gal palaces all to themselves!

However, you can keep 2 or even 3 bettas in a 20 PROVIDED they are seperated. People often use 1 or 2 tank seperators (basically a piece of plastic with perforations) to divide the tank into sections and put one betta in each compartment. Then you can use one filter, heater for the whole setup.

As to filter, sponge & internal box filters are good as they have low currents. I am not up on bettas so one of the betta experts please chime in!

 

[Kiseki]

I also want to keep some live plants. Since I will be using some sort of florit or eco-rite it is gravel right. So I would like to have coolie loaches and corydoras catfish. I heard alot about ottinculus catfsish and I think they will be a good asset to the tank. But I want some fish that swim around more unlike the betta ect. So can you guys/girls tell me any hardy colorful fish species that are compatible with betta. Also some species of hardy plants that can live in flourescent(I think) lighting.Thanks!

 

[jsoong]

florite/ eco-complete is basically soil - not gravel. You can use it on its own, but lots of people put a layer of pebbles/small gravel on top to keep down the mess (esp. if you have fish that digs).

Look in the plant forum ... There's a sticky on plants that is quite good. You can grow pretty much any plant under flourescent light - as long as you have enough! A stock 20 gal's light won't do for anything but really low light plants - like java fern. And if you really get into plants, you'll soon wish you have a bigger tank for more light, etc .....

BTW - This is one hobby where Bigger is better & 2 tanks are better than 1!

 

[Kiseki]

I want to have glass catfish for the 20 gallon tank. But I am afraid the bio-load will be too big. Since it is reccomended to have them in schools in 6 or more. So would glass catfish be a good choice for a tank with one betta and 4 coolie loaches?

 

[Kiseki]

Well any fish that come from asian.I plan to have an asian bio-tope

 

[Regen311]

I'm confused, the title of your post is gold fish with betta in a 20 gallon tank? Aren't bettas tropical fish? They would need warmer water than the goldfish, so those wouldn't be good tank mates, at least I wouldn't think so...

 

[verucaproduce]

How about male cherry barbs?

 

[Kiseki]

Barbs...arn't barbs very aggressive and they might tear up the betta's fins? By the way I have not set-up the tank yet.

 

[An t-iasg]

Cherry barbs are probably the least aggressive of the barbs, but I don't know if I'd put some with a betta. I have never had any barbs, so I can't say for sure. I think that some good fish to put with the betta are some cory catfish or otocinclus catfish. I would stay away from guppies and tetras.

 

[megladonsharky]

I have a betta with p. australians , pitbull pleco and a dwarf cory... he likes the playmates... another tank i have a female betta with three white clouds..