Bettas - Who do they like?

[jaydawg53]

I have 2 male bettas in a 2.5 gallon tank at work. (Yes, it has a divider) I'm planning on moving one of them to my house in another 2.5 gallon by itself, and removing the divider. It's obvious that one of them is more aggressive than the other, (When a put my fingertip on the tank, he flares up huge and doesn't back down, whereas the other one darts away) so I'm planning on taking the more aggressive one home to live by itself.

Now, I'd like to maybe add one or two more fish to the tank at work, with the less aggressive betta. I've heard lots of people say that Bettas don't like to live with other Bettas, but they're usually fine with other types of fish. I was hoping that some of you folks could help me decide what kinds of fish may work well with a male betta. I'm leaning towards a goldfish, since this tank does not have a heater, and I don't have a whole lot of time to maintain it since it's at work. If I need to add a heater, it wouldn't be a big deal, I just don't see much point in buying one if I don't need it.

I also thought about adding a snail to the tank, but I don't want him to starve. The water looks sort-of green when the light is off; I just established this tank around 6 weeks ago, and it's acrylic. How do you know when a tank is ready to support a snail? Is 2.5 gallons big enough to keep him fed? I just changed the light bulb from standard to a fluorescent about 2 weeks ago; I was told that algae doesn't really grow unless you have a fluorescent bulb. (Plus the fluorescent light looks SO much better) Is there a test that i should run to know that the tank can have a snail in it?

Thanks so much, I'm still a bit of a newb at this!

j

 

[Nell]

A 2.5 gal tank is a good setup for a betta. Kudos to you for giving him more than a tiny bowl! I would suggest you add a small heater, though. A high quality 25 watt heater would be good if you can find one. Bettas are tropical fish and really do best at about 80 degrees. Lower temps make them lethargic and susceptible to disease.
If you don't have a filter, I would suggest adding one of those too. Bettas are able to breath off the surface, but like any fish, they need those good bacteria to break down the waste they produce, and a filter is prime area for these bacteria to colonize. A small HOB filter with ajustable flow (I suggest aquaclear) would work, or even a simple sponge filter would do.
Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle?

As for tankmates,
Personally, I don't feel that a 2.5 gal is big enough for much more than 1 betta, but there may be a few that you could make work.
A goldfish is certainly not a suitable tankmate, and a 2.5 gallon is WAY too small for goldfish. Goldfish actually will grow very large if given an appropriate home, and if not, they will become stunted and live out a short life of misery. Goldfish are also heavy waste producers, and even a itty bitty baby gold would produce too much waste for a tank that size. If you want goldfish, think 30 gal minimum and 10+ gal per fish.

A snail may work. I've known some bettas to pick at snails, yet others don't mind them at all. Some sort of freshwater shrimp may also work, although I'm sure there are bettas that have picked on those as well. Bettas and tankmates are sometimes a hit or miss kind of thing. I think it depends a lot on the betta. It is worth a try, I suppose, just be prepared to return or rehome the new inhabitant if it doesn't work out.
If the tank has been set up for 6 weeks, I think it would probably be okay to add something else, but make sure to do extra partial water changes in the 2 weeks following.

As for feeding a snail, you shouldn't expect it to survive on just algae. Little pieces of blanched or frozen vegetable, such as a squished pea, romaine lettuce, or zuccinni, can be given, as well as a little piece of algae wafer. Just be extra careful to give only a very little amount and remove uneaten food, as decaying food will pollute your water very quickly.

And now that you have a florescent light, you may want to give a few live plants a try. Live plants will help keep water parameters stable in such a small tank. I'd suggest some java fern, anubias or anacharis to start with.

 

[Zagz]

I would leave the bettas alone in a 2.5 gal. IMO that tank is too small for any other fish.

Goldfish require a minumum of 10 gals per fish. It is recommended that you allow 20 gals for the first goldie and 10 gals for each additonal one. A goldfish is not an option for a 2.5 gal.

It is extremely advisable as Nell mentioned to get heaters for your betta tanks. Because the tank is small you will want to do water changes once a week minumum of 50% per tank. Feed only a small bit twice per day max. No more than the betta can eat in a minute or two.

You could add a snail to the tank but keep in mind that pond snails for example, will multiply without any other snails in the tank. So do research the various types of snails before adding one. Snails will eat left over food, it's unlikely a snail would starve in your tank. You could throw in an algae wafer once a week if you felt he wasn't getting enough food. Although I find it darn near impossible to have a snail die on me!

 

[jaydawg53]

Well, I think that I'll just leave the one betta in there by himself, although i may think about putting a snail in there. Oh, and someone asked if I have a filter, yes, this tank has a filter. Actually, that was one of the main reasons that I wanted this tank kit, I don't ever want to deal with a filter-less tank again, no matter how small it is. Also, I'll make it a point to pick up a small heater next time I'm at the LFS. Oh, and I checked my NO2 levels this morning and they're down; I am going to bring in the rest of test kit with me Monday to make sure, but it looks to me like the tank has cycled. I also went ahead and did a PWC this morning.

What's confusing to me are the posts about goldfish; I thought that it was very common to have goldfish in a small tank. I've seen goldfish at the store that are huge, but I thought that was just a certain type; heck, my wife has this same tank at her office , and she has a fantail goldfish in it that sure seems to be happy. Actually, a lot happier since she moved him from a small bowl to a filtered tank . And her tank is super clean compared to my betta tank...

Oh yeah, another quick question: I'm considering buying another small tank for the betta that i am going to move home, and one of the tanks I'm lookign at has a filter under the gravel; that seems liek it would be super cool since it would keep the gravel cleaner (I assume, at least) but does it keep the bacteria at proper levels?

Here's the link to the one I'm thinking about: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=290090088260&rd=1&rd=1

There are some other tanks on there that I'm interested in, but they say that they have air pumps, but don't necessarily say that they have filters; what exactly would be the point of any kind of pump if there's no filter?

Thanks again for all the advice, this place freakin rocks!

J

 

[Nell]

The filters that are under the gravel are referred to as UGFs (undergravel filters). A UGF is a very simple filter. It usually consists of some sort of raised plate with holes in it. The gravel is placed in top of it and and airstone is placed in the uptake tube. The rising bubbles from the air pump pull water out from under the plate and it is displaced by water from the tank flowing through the gravel. This causes a lot of water and oxygen to flow through the gravel, which makes it prime area for biological filtration. With a UGF, waste is actually pulled into the gravel, so the gravel won't actually be cleaner, but will require regular cleanings with a gravel vac. Also, it becomes necessary to occasionally take all the gravel out and clean under the filter plate, where waste has a tendency to fall through and build up. In a small betta tank, that shouldn't be a problem, but in a larger tank it can be a real pain. The benefit to a UGF in a betta tank is that it doesn't create much current.
As with the UGF, air pumps can also be used to power other types of filters, like a simple sponge filter. A sponge filter works in much the same way as a UGF, except that it pulls water through a sponge instead of gravel.

That tank on ebay is better than an unfiltered bowl, but it isn't very big and it would be hard to heat. The smaller the tank is, the more chance of water paremeters fluctuating drasticly, too, which is unhealthy for the fish. I'd suggest something more like the size you have now- at least 2.5 gal.

As for goldfish,
Keeping goldfish in bowls or small tanks is common practice, but it doesn't make it okay. It is actually very unhealthy and rather cruel to the fish. All goldfish grow quite large. There is no variety of goldfish that stays small. Those huge goldfish at the store all start out like the little fantail your wife has or as the little feeder goldfish you see in those overcrowded tanks. If you were to move your wife's fish to a big tank, and provide it with good water maintainance and a good diet, it would probably grow very large too, but if you leave it in the tank he is in, the goldfish will become stunted (which is very unhealthy for the fish) and probably only live for a few years instead of its potential 15+ year lifespan.
Fancy goldfish can grow to the size of a grapefruit with fins, and the commons and comet goldfish (feeders) can get over a foot long with proper care.
If you bring the little fish home and give him a bigger tank (at least 20-30 gal to start- but you'll need to upgrade), you'll probably have a very impressive big beautiful goldie in a couple years.

 

[zebbyboy]

Like everyone else said, if you plan to add more fish with the betta you will prob. want a larger tank.

The tip I learned with betta fish and tanks from my LFS is that when adding fish with a betta or adding a betta fish with another fish is that not to let the betta see it. If the betta does not see the fish then it will most likely treat as if it was part of the scenery of the tank and go on in its little world.

 

[SeanMurphy]

I can tell you from experience that a betta WILL beat the crap out of just about any livebearer you put in the tank. I lost 2 guppies and a lyretail molly (they weren't even fancy, flappy, big fin guppies) to betta attacks. Mine might have just been mean, but they're aggressive, territorial fish. Its like trying to keep a cougar with your pomeranians.

Sooner or later, you'll have a happy cougar and some tufts of fur.

 

[Zagz]

Bettas will attack most fish with flowy or fancy fins. I don't bother trying to keep bettas in with any colorful or flowing fins fish. I don't know if it is just an issue of bettas don't like competition with other colorful fish or if it is just the temptation of flowing fins and brighter colors.

 

[jaydawg53]

Well, it sounds like I'm definitely better off just leaving the bettas alone. I've always known that you aren't supposed to put bettas together and that they're extremely aggressive, but I had heard some rumors lately about people that have kept other kids of fish with bettas with no problems, and figured this would be the place to ask! Sounds liek my original information (and observation) was right, that they just aren't friendly fish and are better kept alone!


Thanks again for all your input!

 

[courtnee]

I had a tank like you posted and paid about $10 for it at Walmart for my Betta. He was in there for 8mo and happy. I moved him from one room to the other and he died on me. I could only pin point it had to be a temp change he didnt like. My bedroom is cooler at times.

I spent $30 at walmart and got the 10gl kit. The filter is not the best or the lights it comes with but it was a start.

I put florescent lights in the hood and kept the filter. I got a heater. I only have 1 male betta in there and he is king of the tank. He loves it. It works well for him. It looks great and I just love it.

There are some snails in there from his plant I put in there for his bed. He doesn't bother the two snails that are in there (that I can see there is only two lol) and they are growing as well.

That may be an option and gives you more room.

Mystery snails are great I always keep one in my 55gl. Many people keep them with Bettas but Bettas are also known to pick on them too. Its a toss up.

 

[Spanishearl]

I agree with Zagz about the 2.5g tank. Don't put any other fish in it. 2.5 is just barely fine for one betta (akin to you living in your bedroom, never leaving it. IMO). If the little guy isn't going to be sitting on your desk at work, and is at home, I'd suggest a 10 gallon with some nice plants (real or silk, not plastic as those can damage his delicate fins), and also a cave of some

Also, a Betta's natural enviroment's water temp is between 78-80F, don't let it get below 76F.
This will help with keeping him active, and really helping to bring out his colour (along with a good diet) If you really want to see an active Betta, get a heater, and perhaps a sponge filter with airpump. (Make sure that you can adjust the air flow, Betta's don't like rapids). Also feed him a varied diet, (You wouldn't like to eat the exact same thing day in and day out would you?) I suggest frozen bloodworms, frozen Daphnia, and Betta pellets. Fast him (don't feed) one day a week to help him with digestion. Only feed bloodworms and Daphina to your Betta once a week each. I feed bloodworms on Wednesday's, Daphnia on Saturday's, and Betta Pellet's, (and flake for the cories) the rest of the week except Sunday's, which is fasting day. They all eat up just fine!

I have 3 Peppered Cories in a 10 gallon with a single male Crowntail Betta. They all get along great. The Betta does chase the cories, but mostly only when they try to get into "his cave".

This is the tank while it was cycling:

I keep my temp at 79F, good for all the fish, as the Cories prefer water that is not as warm as a Betta likes it. My Betta is very active, and extremely colourful. Until I read pretty much everything there is out there on Betta's. I did has to petstore special's, each in thier own 2.5g tank. (An upgrade from the 1/4g tank with divider that a friend bought them in...) with no heater, or filtration, (water changes every week at that time) The poor guys didn't move much (in the 2.5g), and seemed lethargic.

As for the tank on ebay, use it as a plant holder, not something to hold fish in. Like I said before, never leave your bedroom, you can survive, but you sure won't be happy.

If you really want some amazing information on Betta's, please check out Betta Talk. Really read everything on these amazing fish. Read it twice.

We need to stop making standard's for most fish, while making exception's for Betta's.

At the bare minimum I would advise a 5 gallon tank for each of your males, and I know many other Betta enthusiast's that would back me up.

That is unless you are a breeder, and you have hundred's of Betta fry. But that too is covered at Betta Talk.