Betta home

[fishwatcher]

I am wanting to get a betta (my first!) and am trying to decide what to house him in. I like the way it looks in those big vases with the plants (I am thinking of a talk piece of that good-luck bamboo), but I also want it to be the healthiest place for him. What do you think? I only have a small space to put it, so if not a vase then it will probably be a fish bowl. Since I have no lighting for it, will Java fern live ok in it? I'll have it next to my 10-gal, so it'll get a little light from that. Should I put a piece of cardboard between the glass to keep him from puffing up at the guppies in the other tank?
Thanks for the help, and sorry for the long post!

 

[eudielynn]

Please read the pinned topics before you get a betta. The vase and plants are terribly cruel and should not be used for bettas. The smallest they should be housed in is 1 gal with 2+ gal even better. If you can't go with at least 1 gal. you would do best not to get one. I am not a plant expert so I can't help you with java fern, but they do need some sort of plant to rest on (no plastic as it tears fins) and like little caves or arches to swim thru. As far as having it by the 10 gal. it depends on the betta. Some like to have company near by, others get totally stressed out by other fish. You will just have to see what yours likes when you get it.

 

[fishwatcher]

Ok, thanks for the advice. Vase is out, and I'll try to find a 2 gallon bowl, if I can't I'll go no less than 1 gallon. Do they prefer rocks or those marbles in the bottom? Maybe the marbles wouldn't tear up their fins?

 

[eudielynn]

Either rocks or marbles will do fine as long as the rocks have no rough edges. The best advice I've heard is to take an old nylon stocking and run it across whatever you're going to put in with them (rocks, plants, caves, etc.) and if it snags the hose then it will snag the bettas fins, no snags on hose, okay for fins. I personally have gravel in the bottom of one tank and then have contrasting marbles on top of the gravel. It looks pretty cool.

Good luck with your betta and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.