Some Betta questions.

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Hey guys, well I've always have seen those sad looking bettas in just small bags and cups and always feel bad for them. Even though they say they can survive in those small places, doesn't mean they should be in there. Tons of fish can survive in little cups but still thats not the point. The point is a feel bad for these little guys and wanted to get one to put in a bigger tank. So I got a few questions.



1. Can I feed them just regular flakes or do I have to get betta food.
2. Can I put them in a tank with other fish, if so does it have to be male or female.
3. If I can put them with other fish, what kind of fish would be could tank mates for them.
4. Do I need to watch out for anything special and do anything extra for these guys or just the typical.


Please answer them as best as possible. Thank you!

 

[Alaris]

I assume the betta is for your 5 gal? That's how I'm going to answer these questions.

1. Can I feed them just regular flakes or do I have to get betta food.
I'd like to know the answer to this, too.

2. Can I put them in a tank with other fish, if so does it have to be male or female.
I have a male betta with pygmy corys and otos. Guppies, neons, and danios are not good tank mates for a male betta. A female betta may or may not be a better community fish. For a 5 gal, you might just want to stick with a single betta (male or female) and an oto.

3. If I can put them with other fish, what kind of fish would be could tank mates for them.
Same answer as above.

4. Do I need to watch out for anything special and do anything extra for these guys or just the typical.
Definitely need a heater as bettas like a really warm temp about 78-82F. Some nice plants would be great for the betta to rest on (looks like you're going with a planted tank). Bettas generally don't like a lot of current, so try to keep the flow on the filter down or dispersed. If you see a bubble nest, that means your betta is very happy. ^_^

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

I assume the betta is for your 5 gal? That's how I'm going to answer these questions.

1. Can I feed them just regular flakes or do I have to get betta food.
I'd like to know the answer to this, too.

2. Can I put them in a tank with other fish, if so does it have to be male or female.
I have a male betta with pygmy corys and otos. Guppies, neons, and danios are not good tank mates for a male betta. A female betta may or may not be a better community fish. For a 5 gal, you might just want to stick with a single betta (male or female) and an oto.

3. If I can put them with other fish, what kind of fish would be could tank mates for them.
Same answer as above.

4. Do I need to watch out for anything special and do anything extra for these guys or just the typical.
Definitely need a heater as bettas like a really warm temp about 78-82F. Some nice plants would be great for the betta to rest on (looks like you're going with a planted tank). Bettas generally don't like a lot of current, so try to keep the flow on the filter down or dispersed. If you see a bubble nest, that means your betta is very happy. ^_^

Awesome thanks. Well I have found videos on youtube that has a betta and a 10 gallon with other fish like dianos and red-tailed sharks and some bloodfin tetras. So idk. I guess it is just chance. If you want to see the video here is the link YouTube - 10 Gallon Freshwater Aquarium
So yeah thanks a lot, I might end up puttin the betta in my planted aquarium then doing another planted aquarium in my 10 gallon and get a bunch of tetras for the 10.

 

[Bidgette]

1. My bettas eat the tetra flakes, but I also feed the betta bits for a little variety. He seems to prefer taking his food from the top.

2. I have mine with tetras, siamese algae eaters, black skirt tetras, tiger barbs, and some neons. He's not aggressive toward them, but, sometimes, the tiger barbs will chase him.

3. I agree with Alaris.

4. Altho mine at home likes to play in the bubble wall, the one at work doesn't like any kind of current in the tank. Keep in mind that Bettas are Siamese fighting fish, and as such, generally survive really ugly pond, dirty water kind of conditions.

They have an organ called a Labyrinth (SP?) that allows them to take in air from the surface of the water and use it throughout their bodies. You don't want to have any type of setup that will deny them the top of the water.

Yes, when I put the moss in that Alaris gave me, Bubba immediately claimed it for his own, so a bed of sorts would be nice. He does a lot of napping at the bottom of the tank. Guess having all that finnage is tiring!

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you come up with! Pics are always good!

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

1. My bettas eat the tetra flakes, but I also feed the betta bits for a little variety. He seems to prefer taking his food from the top.

2. I have mine with tetras, siamese algae eaters, black skirt tetras, tiger barbs, and some neons. He's not aggressive toward them, but, sometimes, the tiger barbs will chase him.

3. I agree with Alaris.

4. Altho mine at home likes to play in the bubble wall, the one at work doesn't like any kind of current in the tank. Keep in mind that Bettas are Siamese fighting fish, and as such, generally survive really ugly pond, dirty water kind of conditions.

They have an organ called a Labyrinth (SP?) that allows them to take in air from the surface of the water and use it throughout their bodies. You don't want to have any type of setup that will deny them the top of the water.

Yes, when I put the moss in that Alaris gave me, Bubba immediately claimed it for his own, so a bed of sorts would be nice. He does a lot of napping at the bottom of the tank. Guess having all that finnage is tiring!

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you come up with! Pics are always good!

How big is your aquarium with your betta in it?

 

[Bidgette]

Sorry....should have said!

I have a 55 gallon. It's WONDERFULL!!!!!!!!! I don't ever want to go back to a smaller tank again!

Actually, this afternoon, I added two female bettas in with the male. It's been pretty funny watching the male go from scared to death to "Hey! this is MY territory!"

)

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Sorry....should have said!

I have a 55 gallon. It's WONDERFULL!!!!!!!!! I don't ever want to go back to a smaller tank again!

Actually, this afternoon, I added two female bettas in with the male. It's been pretty funny watching the male go from scared to death to "Hey! this is MY territory!"

)

I see well I think my betta is either going into a 5 gallon planted by himself or a 10 gallon (soon to be planted) with some other guys. Or I could always try him in my 55 gallon with 3 black skirted tetras, a gold gourmi and 4 p. corries and a chinesse algea eater.

Lol yeah it's funny watching fish personalities change because of new fish being added to the community.

 

[Sahabo]

Hey guys, well I've always have seen those sad looking bettas in just small bags and cups and always feel bad for them. Even though they say they can survive in those small places, doesn't mean they should be in there. Tons of fish can survive in little cups but still thats not the point. The point is a feel bad for these little guys and wanted to get one to put in a bigger tank. So I got a few questions.



1. Can I feed them just regular flakes or do I have to get betta food.
2. Can I put them in a tank with other fish, if so does it have to be male or female.
3. If I can put them with other fish, what kind of fish would be could tank mates for them.
4. Do I need to watch out for anything special and do anything extra for these guys or just the typical.


Please answer them as best as possible. Thank you!

1. Some bettas are picky eaters. Mine absolutely loves hikari betta bio pellets and won't eat flakes. Bettas will go wild for the occasional bloodworm as a treat. They are notorious pigs and it's really easy to overfeed them because they will just keep eating. I wouldn't follow the directions on the food package. If you are feeding pellets, give 5-7 a day and soak them for about 2 minutes in tank water before feeding as they expand. This makes them easier to digest and less chance for constipation and bloating.

2. As long as the other fish don't have long finnage and are peaceful community fish then it should be ok. That said, many bettas are really territorial and do best on their own in a 5 or 10 gallon tank

4. Bunch of moss, plants, holes to swim through...bettas are really interactive when they get enough stimulation...mine seems to enjoy swimming in and out of small spaces.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

1. Some bettas are picky eaters. Mine absolutely loves hikari betta bio pellets and won't eat flakes. Bettas will go wild for the occasional bloodworm as a treat. They are notorious pigs and it's really easy to overfeed them because they will just keep eating. I wouldn't follow the directions on the food package. If you are feeding pellets, give 5-7 a day and soak them for about 2 minutes in tank water before feeding as they expand. This makes them easier to digest and less chance for constipation and bloating.

2. As long as the other fish don't have long finnage and are peaceful community fish then it should be ok. That said, many bettas are really territorial and do best on their own in a 5 or 10 gallon tank

4. Bunch of moss, plants, holes to swim through...bettas are really interactive when they get enough stimulation...mine seems to enjoy swimming in and out of small spaces.

Ok thanks, that helps a lot actually. So you think if I wanted to add some fish in a 10 gallon with a male betta it would work? Or If I added one in my 55 gallon with 1 gold groumi, 3 black skirt tetras, 4 p cories and a chinesse algae eater and I might get some silver hatches.

Or a 10 gallon with some tetras

 

[Sahabo]

here's a great article that might help:

Betta Tankmates - UltimateBettas

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

here's a great article that might help:

Betta Tankmates - UltimateBettas

Great link. Thanks!

 

[nuclearbroccoli]

Just my experience:
1. Betta pellets with occasional bloodworm as a treat.
2. No idea about that one...
3. I keep mine alone, but some fish that have been suggested to me: dwarf gourami, mollies, and generally any peaceful fish that doesn't have long fins.
4. Give them some plants to hide in or around, try to use a filter that produces minimal current (my 5 gal has a stingray filter with the out pointed at the wall it's attached to.). Air stone maybe - seems to depend on the fish. I have one betta in a 5 gal - he hates the bubbles. I have another betta in a 10 gal - he loves to swim through the bubbles. All depends..

ALSO, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT! Ignore the feeding directions on the betta food! A couple of pellets twice a day is plenty. I lost a betta due to following the feeding instructions.
Good luck.

 

[aveldina]

Our betta seems to have no interest in the pellets but does like a red flake product with bloodworms in it. I can't remember the brand. It also gets the occasional frozen bloodworm treat when I feed the tetras & catfish bloodworms. Actual bloodworms are pretty much the only thing he's not too lazy to chase down to the bottom!

We keep ours alone as I doubt it would get along with my slightly hyper tetras. Our tank is not very large but we're looking into something bigger when we find the space for it. Bettas are so pretty! I had no idea how nice they were to watch until we bought this one.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Just my experience:
1. Betta pellets with occasional bloodworm as a treat.
2. No idea about that one...
3. I keep mine alone, but some fish that have been suggested to me: dwarf gourami, mollies, and generally any peaceful fish that doesn't have long fins.
4. Give them some plants to hide in or around, try to use a filter that produces minimal current (my 5 gal has a stingray filter with the out pointed at the wall it's attached to.). Air stone maybe - seems to depend on the fish. I have one betta in a 5 gal - he hates the bubbles. I have another betta in a 10 gal - he loves to swim through the bubbles. All depends..

ALSO, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT! Ignore the feeding directions on the betta food! A couple of pellets twice a day is plenty. I lost a betta due to following the feeding instructions.
Good luck.

Awesome thanks, to be honest it's funny because i've never knew there was feeding directions on the back of the fish food. I just gave them what I thought was good for them. Lol.

 

[new2betas]

I am continually amazed at how "community oriented" my bettas tend to be. At one point I had one male betta in a 10g with three peppered cories and they did excellent together. I now have a male betta in a 5g (Balthazar) and he lives with four very tiny (less than 1") guppy/endler's. It is pretty funny to watch him with them. At first I really do think he thought they were food, but he never really tried to eat them. He is so huge compared to them. I have also had two female bettas in a 29g community tank. All in all, I think bettas (male and female) are very adaptable and personable fish.

I feed mine a combination of pellet, flake, frozen bloodworms, and cooked peas once a week.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

I am continually amazed at how "community oriented" my bettas tend to be. At one point I had one male betta in a 10g with three peppered cories and they did excellent together. I now have a male betta in a 5g (Balthazar) and he lives with four very tiny (less than 1") guppy/endler's. It is pretty funny to watch him with them. At first I really do think he thought they were food, but he never really tried to eat them. He is so huge compared to them. I have also had two female bettas in a 29g community tank. All in all, I think bettas (male and female) are very adaptable and personable fish.

I feed mine a combination of pellet, flake, frozen bloodworms, and cooked peas once a week.

Awesome thanks!

 

[runninwoof]

zomg balthazar?!?!? you totally play warcraft!!!

and good idea, fish named after dreadlords!! zomg im steeling ur idea!

 

[JustOneMore20]

You don't want to put Bettas (males especially) with anything nippy, like Danios, some tetras (black skirts can sometimes be....but not always), or anything with long fins that the Betta might mistake for another Betta.

Most bottom feeders are fine (especially Cories). Sometimes Gouramis and Bettas have issues, but most times they are fine together. It wouldn't hurt to have a back-up plan in case there are problems.

I've mostly kept Bettas alone. I did have a 10g with some Harlequin rasboras and a male Betta for awhile and that worked nicely. I kept Neons with him at one point and they were nippy.

As far as your other questions go, my Bettas just ate pellets. I had one Betta that would eat flakes occasionally. I think if you start them out with flakes (might take 2-3 days for them to finally eat them) that they would eventually eat them fine. Like someone mentioned above, you just need to make sure the Betta has access to the surface for air. I wouldn't put them in any tank that is really tall. And some Bettas have issues with alot of water current....their tails act like sails so some water movement is fine, but if you see them struggling to swim, might want to cut the flow a little.

 

[new2betas]

zomg balthazar?!?!? you totally play warcraft!!!

and good idea, fish named after dreadlords!! zomg im steeling ur idea!

I wish I could take the credit....I got the fish from another member on here (rachel chestnut). She already had named him. He is a beauty though!!

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

You don't want to put Bettas (males especially) with anything nippy, like Danios, some tetras (black skirts can sometimes be....but not always), or anything with long fins that the Betta might mistake for another Betta.

Most bottom feeders are fine (especially Cories). Sometimes Gouramis and Bettas have issues, but most times they are fine together. It wouldn't hurt to have a back-up plan in case there are problems.

I've mostly kept Bettas alone. I did have a 10g with some Harlequin rasboras and a male Betta for awhile and that worked nicely. I kept Neons with him at one point and they were nippy.

As far as your other questions go, my Bettas just ate pellets. I had one Betta that would eat flakes occasionally. I think if you start them out with flakes (might take 2-3 days for them to finally eat them) that they would eventually eat them fine. Like someone mentioned above, you just need to make sure the Betta has access to the surface for air. I wouldn't put them in any tank that is really tall. And some Bettas have issues with alot of water current....their tails act like sails so some water movement is fine, but if you see them struggling to swim, might want to cut the flow a little.

Yeah I got a back up plan already . Yeah yeah he will most likely be put in a low-tech planted aquarium 10 gallon. So yeah, you think it would be ok if I fed him the flakes but then gave him the occasional cichlid floating pellet, there really small, plus my gourmi and black skirt tetras eat them aswell.

They should be fine right?