Another Betta Thread

[Aces11]

So...
I got a betta fish earlier this year for my birthday to put in my community tank. My fish (platies and endlers) followed him around a little as they usually do with new fish. Once the betta settled in though he started chasing my fish around and flaring at them. I didn't want him to stress or kill my fish so I sadly put him in a bowl. He's been in there for a few months now.
I was wondering if I could give him another chance in my 20g tank.
My question is if I put him in my breeder net for a while, will he get used to the other fish so I can let him out after a while and he won't flare? Is it even worth trying to put him back in the community tank?
Sorry for my rambling and thanks in advance.

 

[jnizzle]

Hey! im definitely no expert, but i have a betta in my 18g with 4 serpae tetras and 3 lemon tetras, as well as 7 ghost shrimp. He does really well in there and is usually shy but he is playful sometimes. So my question is what fish will he be with? and make sure he has a place or two to hide on the surface of the tank, thats really important i think for bettas in community tanks.

 

[ashleynicole]

If he was aggressive the first time then it is probably his personality. Some bettas can be community dwellers and others are just a tad to feisty. They tend to be more aggressive against fish with similar body shapes, your endlers and platies unfortunately probably looked like competition to him. I have had luck with bettas in with tetras and angelfish in the past.

I would just get him his own little tank. I ordered two 5 gallons from walmart.com, they were only $26 and they come with a HOB filter. Hawkeye AQ15002 Aquarium Kit - Walmart.com

I also bought a couple of these heaters from amazon, although walmart does also have a pretty cheap 50W heater, these were a little more expensive, but they have a thermostat :
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submers...X8QG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319415794&sr=8-2

 

[Aces11]

He'll be with platys and endlers. When he was in the tank before, he would hide out in this little hut decoration that I had and would chase any fish that swam past. Do you think my net idea would work?

 

[Aces11]

If he was aggressive the first time then it is probably his personality. Some bettas can be community dwellers and others are just a tad to feisty. They tend to be more aggressive against fish with similar body shapes, your endlers and platies unfortunately probably looked like competition to him. I have had luck with bettas in with tetras and angelfish in the past.

I would just get him his own little tank. I ordered two 5 gallons from walmart.com, they were only $26 and they come with a HOB filter. Hawkeye AQ15002 Aquarium Kit - Walmart.com

I also bought a couple of these heaters from amazon, although walmart does also have a pretty cheap 50W heater, these were a little more expensive, but they have a thermostat :
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319415794&sr=8-2

Getting him a 5g was another idea but I'm not sure where I could put it. I already have two tanks in my room.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

With bettas it's usually a hit or miss whether or not they'll do well in a community. If your betta responded badly the first time, and was then moved to it's own "tank" I doubt it would act well if introduced again. It might be worth an attempt however I have never tried to reintroduce a betta. Since your Betta was showing signs of aggression the first time I would just get him a 5g tank, thinking he wouldn't do well if introduced again.

 

[Aces11]

Well I didn't give him much time the first time around. I think he was in the tank for like 2 days maybe. I thought maybe if I put him in the breeders net, he might get used to the fish and won't flare. Does anyone think that may work?

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Well I didn't give him much time the first time around. I think he was in the tank for like 2 days maybe. I thought maybe if I put him in the breeders net, he might get used to the fish and won't flare. Does anyone think that may work?

If he can't actually see the fish it won't do much. If he can see the fish it may or may not help

 

[Aces11]

If he can't actually see the fish it won't do much. If he can see the fish it may or may not help

No it's see-through. I feel so bad for him in his bowl

 

[Fishkeeper26]

No it's see-through. I feel so bad for him in his bowl

Try to get him a 5 gallon

 

[Aces11]

Try to get him a 5 gallon

I would love to but idk where to put it in my room.

 

[aqua_chem]

I would love to but idk where to put it in my room.

Story of my life...

 

[Aces11]

And I have this great idea if I even got him 5g. I would have black sand with some of these rocks from a lake in Wisconsin that my brother grabbed when we were on vacation a few years back. I would also have some beautiful live plants and the tank would look so awesomely natural.
If I only could find space.

 

[New]

you could put it on your desk?

 

[ashleynicole]

A 5 gallon is small enough to fit lots of places, on a dresser ( as long as you don't overfill), kitchen counter, bathroom counter (depending on size), ... Im sure you could fit one somewhere!

 

[Aces11]

It would most likely have to be in my room and I already have 2 tank going right now.

 

[KatieJ]

As it is, putting a betta in a bowl is cruel enough. Find a place to put a five-gallon tank or try to find the fish a better home. I'm sorry I'm so blunt, but putting it in such a small environment is very dangerous to its health. Put the tank on the floor if you have to.

 

[ashleynicole]

As it is, putting a betta in a bowl is cruel enough. Find a place to put a five-gallon tank or try to find the fish a better home. I'm sorry I'm so blunt, but putting it in such a small environment is very dangerous to its health. Put the tank on the floor if you have to.

To be fair it depends on the size of the bowl. Some bowls are huge and big enough for a sponge filter and small heater. With no filter you would need to do daily 100% water changes to keep the water safe. Maybe throw in a clump of java moss if you have it. This I think would be safe until your betta has a more suitable home. Can a 5 gallon tank fit in the spot where you are keeping the bowl?

 

[Aces11]

To be fair it depends on the size of the bowl. Some bowls are huge and big enough for a sponge filter and small heater. With no filter you would need to do daily 100% water changes to keep the water safe. Maybe throw in a clump of java moss if you have it. This I think would be safe until your betta has a more suitable home. Can a 5 gallon tank fit in the spot where you are keeping the bowl?

Possibly. That's where I was thinking of putting it. Do you know what the dimensions of a 5g are? The bowl is currently on my old nightstand so I'm also not sure if it will hold the weight.

 

[absolutangel04]

Possibly. That's where I was thinking of putting it. Do you know what the dimensions of a 5g are? The bowl is currently on my old nightstand so I'm also not sure if it will hold the weight.

Roughly speaking, the footprint is usually about 16inches by 8 inches and its a bit over 10 inches high.