Betta's + Special Requirements.

[plecostomus-mad]

i can get a betta for £4.99 and i was wondering what special needs they have if any. ( i know i can only have 1 in a single tank )

i have a small filter that should be ok....its a rena filstar. specs are in the link. the tank i might use is my project 24l x 12w x 13h 60l / 13 uk gallons / 16 us gallons with live plants.. it has a 15w sunglow lighting unit.

My link

would that filter be suitible? i also have a 50w heater.

any info about betta's would be much appreciated

mark.

 

[Hunterprey]

The filter seems ok it has an adjustable flow, bettas don't like strong current. I use to have an internal filter (stingray) that I aim the water output to the glass wall. They like caves and tall plants that reach the surface of the water, they like to hangout there. Or you can buy those plants with suction cups too.

 

[grumpysteve]

i've been putting some thought into bettas and there's a few different species that will happily live as a pair or group. most of them are a bit bigger than B. splendens though, and aren't as brighlty coloured etc. (personally i think thats a bonus though). with a tank that sized you could get something else in there too if you wanted, like a small shoal of small cory's or oto's (you probably know that bit, just thought i'd point it out)
they prefer soft acidic water, plenty of vegetation, and its thought by some that rotting plant matter may be beneficial to them (and other blackwater fish) but that might be hard to juggle with good water quality.
i'd personally have the filter creating just enough flow to help the water circulate, but surface disruption isn't needed at all.
tall plants like vallis would be ideal, maybe with the addition of some floating plants too

 

[Honeythorn]

The tank size is perfect, a very realistic territory size ( so nice to see someone not cramming a betta into a 2 gallon for a change )

The filter looks ok. I have a Rena filstar in my bettas 12 gallon, but an older model than that. The flow adjust is good on mine so I would presume it's good on that one too. If it is still too strong you could attach a piece of coarse filter foam over the outflow to reduce the force of the water even more.

Or use a sponge filter, which are one of the very best types for bettas, very safe for fins and produce no current.

Lots and lots of plants, contrary to popular myth they like ( and require ) space, they just don't like great big tracts of open space, so plenty of plants to hide in, and a little open area or two to pop out and patrol every now and then, will make a very happy betta


Any wood or rock added to the tank MUST be smooth and have no protruding or sharp edges. Bettas have delicate fins which tear easily, and they are little devils for trying to squeeze past, through and around things. So aside from a coconut cave, most common aquarium decor is best avoided for fancy bettas.

A lot of people like to add IAL ( indian almond leaf ) to the tank, either as actual leaves or as the extract. Most breeders use it also.

I got a big pack of them on ebay for just a few quid, and I break mine up into 4 bits and drop them in. They float at first ( Bronson makes a bubble nest under them ) and then sink and start to break down. They have antibacterial properties and give somewhat of a blackwater effect in the water.

25-50% water changes once a week like any other tank, Set the temp to around 27 degrees C and away you go

 

[hamfist]

Feeding is also key for bettas.

They can get very congested and bloated with too much bloodworm, which is a real pity, as they do seem to love bloodworm very much.
The best dry, staple diet for a Betta that I know of is Hikari's Betta Bio gold. Although all sources agree that variety is the key. Alternate the bio gold with frozen foods (mine likes artemia and daphnia) and the occasional bloodworm, and your Betta will be very happy, and healthy. They also seem to like small pieces of shelled pea, which is also very good for moving things through their guts. About once a week for that would be a good start.

 

[PRW1988]

Betta's are one of the easiest fish to keep, and in my opinion they are given the least credit. The 16(us) gallons will be more than enough space, as people generally keep them in tiny 1gallon-7gallon tanks.

They breather air from the surface of the water, so the extra addition of the filter is going to allow you more species in that tank.

I'd recommend some cory catfish oh and don't feed your betta souly on bloodworms or they'll never eat anything else.

 

[Honeythorn]

Live bloodworm are also better than frozen, a lot fresher of course but bettas really love to hunt them down. Bronson loves a good worm murder spree


Also, I feed all my fish, bettas included on tiny pieces of chopped earthworm when I haven't got any bloodworm. If you do decide on that treat at any point, make sure the worms have come from a compost bin ( never the ground ) that has had no chemicals of any description used on it.

 

[plecostomus-mad]

thanks for all the good advice im still toying with the idea. what other fish can they be put in with?grumpsteve said corys,what about some plecos? neons? angels?

 

[LellowFish]

I wouldn't put Neons or Angels in with a Betta as either the Betta or the other fish will nip at each others fins. I have no idea on Plecs though...Presumably nothing that would see the Betta as food?

 

[meguro]

what kind of betta are u going to get? male or female?

 

[plecostomus-mad]

what kind of betta are u going to get? male or female?

probably a female, less colorful but less aggressive.

 

[hamfist]

I think a Betta might get on OK with a small species of pleco (something that doesn't get any bigger than about 5"), although I have never tried it.
However, many pleco individuals can get a bit feisty at feeding time, and a Betta might come off worst if there was any argy-bargy. It often comes down to the individual temperament of the plec though, as to how territorial they get about caves/food etc.
If I was going to try it, I'd get a couple of Clown plecs, which are a nice small and generally peacful species.

 

[plecostomus-mad]

I think a Betta might get on OK with a small species of pleco (something that doesn't get any bigger than about 5"), although I have never tried it.
However, many pleco individuals can get a bit feisty at feeding time, and a Betta might come off worst if there was any argy-bargy. It often comes down to the individual temperament of the plec though, as to how territorial they get about caves/food etc.
If I was going to try it, I'd get a couple of Clown plecs, which are a nice small and generally peacful species.

my 2 clown plecos are generally pretty feisty.usually when something passed there hideouts.

 

[hamfist]

I think a Betta might get on OK with a small species of pleco (something that doesn't get any bigger than about 5"), although I have never tried it.
However, many pleco individuals can get a bit feisty at feeding time, and a Betta might come off worst if there was any argy-bargy. It often comes down to the individual temperament of the plec though, as to how territorial they get about caves/food etc.
If I was going to try it, I'd get a couple of Clown plecs, which are a nice small and generally peacful species.

my 2 clown plecos are generally pretty feisty.usually when something passed there hideouts.

Lol. Yes, pretty much any pleco has the potential to get a bit possessive. It's what I love about them !

Maybe the pitbull pleco's (chaetostoma) might be a better choice.

 

[grumpysteve]

TBH i think you might have trouble fitting a plec into that size tank really, they do like their room, and they get pretty messy. if you're looking at female B. splendens it might be worth looking at other species of betta altogether. most other species you can happily keep in a pair or group and will leave most other fish alone (unless they can fit it in their mouth!) i'm looking into sourcing B. smaragdina or B. prima, but there's plenty of others too, finding them can be tricky, but they shouldn't be any more expensive