Ultimate set up for a betta

I wanted to set up a smaller tank for a betta that I plan to get. What would be the best setup? (tank size, equipment etc.
Should I get lots of plants or not too many?

connorlindeman said:

I wanted to set up a smaller tank for a betta that I plan to get. What would be the best setup? (tank size, equipment etc.
Should I get lots of plants or not too many?

Click to expand...

A 20 gallon long would be a very nice tank size for a betta fish and then heavily plant it using tall growing plants and floating plants... Also using woods like spider wood are great!

A 20 long would give you a ton of room to make an epic scape, but anything larger than 5 gallons is fine. I would personally opt for a 10 gallon. It is large enough to give the betta TONS of space, but small enough to make a single piece of driftwood look really awesome lol. Bettas thrive in as natural of a tank as possible. If you want the ultimate betta setup, match it to their natural habitat as closely as possible. If it were me, I would do

10 gallon tank
No filter
Heater, 78 degrees F
Natural sand substrate (pool filter sand is great)
Indian almond leaves
A large piece of driftwood as a centerpiece piece of decor
Amazon swords, water sprite, dwarf sag, Italian vals, a variety of anubias, lots of floating plants, bamboo, Anacharis, red ludwigia
Betta
2 nerite snails


Again, 10 gallons is a great size. I have a piece of driftwood that looks awesome in a 10 gallon, it spans the entire length and is a real centerpiece. In a large 55 gallon tank it looks nice as a decorative touch. In a 20 gallon though it just looks off. Kind of like “either commit and be the centerpiece, or be smaller and just a subtle decorative touch. Just pick one!”

Here it is to show you what I mean.

OliveFish05 said:

A 20 long would give you a ton of room to make an epic scape, but anything larger than 5 gallons is fine. I would personally opt for a 10 gallon. It is large enough to give the betta TONS of space, but small enough to make a single piece of driftwood look really awesome lol. Bettas thrive in as natural of a tank as possible. If you want the ultimate betta setup, match it to their natural habitat as closely as possible. If it were me, I would do

10 gallon tank
No filter
Heater, 78 degrees F
Natural sand substrate (pool filter sand is great)
Indian almond leaves
A large piece of driftwood as a centerpiece piece of decor
Amazon swords, water sprite, dwarf sag, Italian vals, a variety of anubias, lots of floating plants, bamboo, Anacharis, red ludwigia
Betta
2 nerite snails


Again, 10 gallons is a great size. I have a piece of driftwood that looks awesome in a 10 gallon, it spans the entire length and is a real centerpiece. In a large 55 gallon tank it looks nice as a decorative touch. In a 20 gallon though it just looks off. Kind of like “either commit and be the centerpiece, or be smaller and just a subtle decorative touch. Just pick one!”

Here it is to show you what I mean.View attachment 148361View attachment 148362

Click to expand...

A 10 gallon is a cheaper option and still provides a nice roomy space for em!

I’ve got a Betta in about a 9 gallon tank (we’re metric over here and use litres!)

I do have a filter, it’s a small Eheim that is set to the lowest setting and doesn’t cause Blue any issues. They like lots of live plants those with wide leaves that they use to rest on and floating plants to hide under and make them feel safe. You need to be careful with wood and other decorations, they can get their fins caught on them and they can tear. @Essjay suggests the “pantyhose” test, put your hand into the leg of a pantyhose and ‘feel’ your decorations, anything that the pantyhose snags on is a potential hazard to delicate fins and tails. I had to remove my piece of wood for this reason.

OliveFish05 said:

A 20 long would give you a ton of room to make an epic scape, but anything larger than 5 gallons is fine. I would personally opt for a 10 gallon. It is large enough to give the betta TONS of space, but small enough to make a single piece of driftwood look really awesome lol. Bettas thrive in as natural of a tank as possible. If you want the ultimate betta setup, match it to their natural habitat as closely as possible. If it were me, I would do

10 gallon tank
No filter
Heater, 78 degrees F
Natural sand substrate (pool filter sand is great)
Indian almond leaves
A large piece of driftwood as a centerpiece piece of decor
Amazon swords, water sprite, dwarf sag, Italian vals, a variety of anubias, lots of floating plants, bamboo, Anacharis, red ludwigia
Betta
2 nerite snails


Again, 10 gallons is a great size. I have a piece of driftwood that looks awesome in a 10 gallon, it spans the entire length and is a real centerpiece. In a large 55 gallon tank it looks nice as a decorative touch. In a 20 gallon though it just looks off. Kind of like “either commit and be the centerpiece, or be smaller and just a subtle decorative touch. Just pick one!”

Here it is to show you what I mean.View attachment 148361View attachment 148362

Click to expand...

thanks for the advice!

NannaLou said:

I’ve got a Betta in about a 9 gallon tank (we’re metric over here and use litres!)

I do have a filter, it’s a small Eheim that is set to the lowest setting and doesn’t cause Blue any issues. They like lots of live plants those with wide leaves that they use to rest on and floating plants to hide under and make them feel safe. You need to be careful with wood and other decorations, they can get their fins caught on them and they can tear. @Essjay suggests the “pantyhose” test, put your hand into the leg of a pantyhose and ‘feel’ your decorations, anything that the pantyhose snags on is a potential hazard to delicate fins and tails. I had to remove my piece of wood for this reason.

Click to expand...

thats really a good idea!

5.5G minimum....personally, anything bigger, I'd want more than a single fish in the tank...but bettas are best kept alone