8 Gallon Tank

[Arkacy]

Hi, I have an 8 gallon tank. I am pretty new to bettas but I like both genders of them.

I was wondering if I should get one male or get a couple of females. Can someone suggest something? Perhaps throw in some pros and cons.

 

[stang1]

Hi Arkacy,
It really is down to personal preference when it comes to choosing. I prefer males because I love their long flowing fins but some of the females are so pretty.

 

[K.J.]

You can actually divide some tanks. There are some neat articles around. You could do a 4 - 5 female sorority if you have super good filtration. You could have a divided tank with 2 males, 2 females, or 1 male 1 female.

 

[Glod]

Hi, I have an 8 gallon tank. I am pretty new to bettas but I like both genders of them.

I was wondering if I should get one male or get a couple of females. Can someone suggest something? Perhaps throw in some pros and cons.

Well your options are (In my opinion)

Get one male with the whole thing to himself, he'll love it. Especially if you plant it up for him so he has lots of hidey holes to investigate. Pros: Easy to keep him healthy and happy with all that space. Cons: Only 1 fish, the tank could seem empty.

Or

Split the tank and have 2 males. Again nicely planted or at least plenty of Betta safe decor.
Pros: 2 handsome fish to entertain and be entertained by. Cons: Need to be really sure they can't get at each other.

Or

Have a sorority tank with about 5 females. Again lots of hidey holes are needed.
Pros: More fish to look at, and females can be really nice too. Cons: But usually not as nice or showy as males (Still very "interactive" tho.) There could be strife if some of them are exceptionally aggressice or not enough hidey holes.

Bettas in general are great fish, especially since they are happy to interact with their keeper. You've probably seen the wiggle dance mentioned, just wait 'til your Betta is dancing for your attention.

 

[Arkacy]

There is this fantastic Capitol Aquarium were I live in California. It has a lot of varieties of bettas there and I am planning on getting some this weekend. Most likely I will get a male betta. Just curious, how can I clean the tank? Take out the betta or leave it in there.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

You can take him out or leave him in there. It's up to you. I usually take my betta out, but my tank is only 2 gallons. If you do choose to leave him in, you can only do partial water changes of course, and you have to be careful not to suck him up with the gravel vacuum.

 

[somethinfishy]

You can take him out or leave him in there. It's up to you. I usually take my betta out, but my tank is only 2 gallons. If you do choose to leave him in, you can only do partial water changes of course, and you have to be careful not to suck him up with the gravel vacuum.

question in regard to the gravel vac - do you need one if you have sand? Wouldn't it clog it up?

 

[zippa]

ignore this post its edited. i commented without realising the size of that tank. even though the thread is called 8 gallon tank hahahahah

 

[jollysue]

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

You can take him out or leave him in there. It's up to you. I usually take my betta out, but my tank is only 2 gallons. If you do choose to leave him in, you can only do partial water changes of course, and you have to be careful not to suck him up with the gravel vacuum.

question in regard to the gravel vac - do you need one if you have sand? Wouldn't it clog it up?

I'm pretty sure a gravel vac would just suck up sand along with all the water and fish poo. So, I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to use a gravel vac with sand. I'm not sure how you'd go about cleaning the sand. I've never used sand in a tank.

 

[zippa]

i think the clue might be in the name.

 

[gilaesther]

You can take him out or leave him in there. It's up to you. I usually take my betta out, but my tank is only 2 gallons. If you do choose to leave him in, you can only do partial water changes of course, and you have to be careful not to suck him up with the gravel vacuum.

question in regard to the gravel vac - do you need one if you have sand? Wouldn't it clog it up?

There have been discussions about gravel vaccuming on the other forums, the consensus it that if you swirl the gravel vac about 1/2 - 1 inch off the sandy floor, you'll mostly only suck up the dirty stuff, and not the sand. If you want more specific methods, post on the New to Hobby forum.