10 Gallon Tank For A Crowntail

[Rhykiru]

So i went to my friends house yesterday and he had a crowntail betta, it was a gorgeous color of red and black and i knew immediatly that i would love to have one. Heres what i was thinking of:

a 10 gallon tank (dont have the heard to stuff it in those small petsore containters ._.) with gravel that is black and has specks of neon colors in it. It will have a hood with fluorescent tube lights and a good stand. I will have a hang-on filter although i dont know what i size i want yet. I will buy a background that is blue on oneside and black on the other so i can alternate which one i want. Uh, i will buy fake plants unless bettas need real plants to live with but i will also have an airstone so oxyenation wont be a problem. The food that i plan to feed my betta is those special kind of small pellet food especially for betters and i will also have a feeding ring so that my better will immediatly where to go if he is hungry after (i hope) a week or so and the food will not float somewhere where he cant see it. Do bettas need heaters? i live in Orlando Florida so it will get hot during the summer although i will put the tank in my room away from direct sunlight. I plan to put plants, not sure if fake or real yet , along the back with a clay pot for hiding and an open space in the middle with maybe driftwood or rock (maybe even decor).

The betta will be the only fish in the 10 gallon so i think it will have a lot of room and his own territory. The type of fish i want to get is a crowntail betta that is blue, kinda like this fish:

I want the tank to be made in a way that will show off the betta's beautiful colors and i heard that darkon gravel and background can usually pull that off. Is this tank setup good? i read somewhere that if you keep one betta in a 10 gallon tank, you dont need to do a fishless cycle because the tank is big enough to adjust betta waste quickly. Can someone clarify this for me, because i will happily do the cycle if needed.

I havent bought anything yet because im still planning and i want the best for my betta

I already want to name it Isaiah after my friend at school XD
Thanks for anyhelp

~Rhykiru

ps. Sorry for my runon sentences >.>

 

[Betta_luver]

No you will still need to cycle the tank.

It sounds good they don't need real plants but it would look beautiful with them. Also you don't need an airstone bettas breathe air from the surface. They have a special organ called a laberynth(sp?) organ that allows them to do so. Well as long as the temperature stays in the high 70s low 80s then you won't need a heater.

 

[Rhykiru]

Ok, i will cycle the tank

and i was thinking of putting some fake plants along with real ones. Anyone got any suggestions on what types of real plants? one that will not grow to quickly and are easy to take care of. I really wanted an airstone because i love those bubble walls lol i so might still get on if i have money left over. About the heater, ill just buy an aquarium thermometer first and if the temp stays like you say, i wont get a heater. thanks ^^


*waits for my parents to change my room from carpet to tile so i can keep fish*

 

[Maxsmom]

Yes, you will still need to cycle your tank. Your set up sounds lovely - but I would stay away from an airstone or bubble-maker for sure. Most bettas really prefer still water... and even a filter pump that's too aggressive can stress the betta - so a bubblemaker will make your future betta very unhappy. As betta_luver mentioned - bettas have a labrynth organ to breathe atmospheric air - so they don't "need" airation... just some space above the water line that has circulating air so they can take their gulps. They still do use their gills to breath water - but their supplementary organ is normal for them to use.

I don't have real plants in my tank - but I've heard the Java Fern is very popular in tanks and bettas like to rest on the leaves. You do have to take care of it (don't know what that entails)... b/c if you don't, and it rots in the water - you'll be poisoning the water. If you use artificial - just be careful if you choose the plastic ones that the edges aren't too sharp that they could scratch or cut your betta. Most are fairly soft and silk (marine quality - not ones you get in a craft store) is even better.

Undertaking a large 10 gallon - if you have no experience - is a huge undertaking. When I got my betta, I started off with a smallish tank and did 100% water changes every few days (which is pretty easy). You also need water conditioners - tap water contains chlorine and chloramines - so you need conditioners to remove them as they are toxic to your fish.

You don't have to take my advice, but I would start off small and work your way up. Read, read, read everything you can on betta keeping so you do right by your betta... I would recommend you get your betta and set him up in a 1.5 - 2 gallon tank for now (where water changes are still easy to do)... and research getting a larger aquarium in the meantime. Knowing stuff like water parameters is vital in keeping a larger tank (but also in small tanks too...)

Good luck with what you decide to do!

 

[Rhykiru]

Ok, so i wont use an airstone. But i will be using a hang-on filter, should i get a 10 gallon one and put it on minimun flow?

oh yeah, i also have water conditioner for fish that my friend gave me so i can take the chlorine out of water. I used to have a betta fish a long time again in a 1.5 fishbowl but the fish i got was really active and seemed unhappy after a week because to me, it seemed like even 1.5 gallon was small for it so i gave it to my friend who had a 10 gallon tank. Now, i want one myself ._.

 

[zoekin8yg]

the min flow will probably be ok, there are ways to stem the flow if the fish isnt happy. The CT in that pic is stunning! Def use the water conditioner. Its always handy to stock up an emergencies box so that if the fish gets sick you already have what you need to treat him.

 

[joycould]

I would stick with java fern and most any of the anubias, they are both slow growing low light plants. They do best tied down to either drift wood or rocks, don't plant them in the substrate. Java moss is great but seems to grow pretty fast they can either be tied down or they just float around the bottom.

 

[Rhykiru]

How do i tie them to rocks or drift wood?

with regular strings? i know your not supposed to use rubber bands though

 

[Kyrielle]

You can use rubber bands...but they're kind of unsightly. Cotton thread works nicely, as it will rot away by the time the plants have taken root.

 

[zoekin8yg]

i use fishing line/jewelery making line

 

[Maxsmom]

I wouldn't use rubberbands as they degrade in the water - then a betta would think it might be a worm and try to eat it - which could be distrastrous!