Most Likely To Survive With Betta?

[FishOnTheSide]

Alright, I am new to the forum and relatively new to fish. I have had my boring blue Betta since January 2012. He lives in a 3 gallon tank. I want to expand my little fish hobby, so I was wondering what would be able to live with him? I know the standard answer is "Nothing, they are fighting fish." However, the local aquarium shop houses a Betta in their tanks with numerous other species, but wonder if this is because they are in much larger tanks and with many tetras/minnows/etc? Any tips for Betta "friends" or a second starter species is appreciated.

 

[Essjay]

A 3 gall tank is too small for any tankmates except perhaps a few shrimps - though he might decide to eat them. If you were to move him to a bigger tank, say 10 gallons, tankmates might be a possibility. I have had pygmy cories and endler-guppy hybrids with a male betta in a 13 gall tank with no problems.

 

[McCool]

I agree with essjay! You would have many more options in a ten gallon!

 

[FishOnTheSide]

I had been contemplating getting a larger tank with more water surface area. He is currently in one of those cheesy upright cylinder tank with the undergravel filter and the riser tube right in the center, which makes it difficult to catch him, clean it, remove plants, etc. However, I have never had a tank as large as 10 gal with the legitimate filters that require cartridges, etc. I've also heard of fish getting sucked into them, which would not be very nice. Again, beginner fish owner here!

 

[LDBartholow]

I own a 5.5 gallon tank. This is probably the smallest size I would recommend for a single male betta. His tank mate is a single ivory mystery snail, and I have tried ghost shrimp. Deathwing ate the ghost shrimp.

I plan on upgrading to a 10 gallon tank within the next few months. In my short and limited experience, buying small always ends up with you spending more money. I would suggest going no smaller than a 10 gallon. Currently, I have an AquaClear/Fluval 30 hang on back (HOB) filter. Works great. The intake pipe is such that you don't have to worry about your fish getting sucked up. If you are still worried about it, they make "baffles" that fit around the intake tube usually used in tanks with small fry/shrimp. I would not purchase any filter that doesn't have adjustable flow. I don't remember why, but through my betta research, I recall more experienced fish keepers' advice to stay away from under gravel filters. Bettas don't care much for strong currents, so I have waterfall portion of my filter baffled with an extra sponge. Keeps the current down since I have such a powerful filter on a small tank. You should probably aim for a 75w heater. Bettas like warm water. I'd also avoid the pre-packaged starter tanks. They seem like a savings in the beginning, but as you start learning more about tanks and fish, you find out that the filters/heaters/etc. they package are not sufficient enough for a healthy tank. I have replaced everything that came with my 5.5g starter kit. Had I just bought the items I have now with a glass 10g, I would have saved close to $100.00.

I have also heard/read of people keeping African dwarf frogs with their bettas successfully.

 

[LaurenRhiain]

There are actually quite a few fish you can keep fighters with as I keep mine with 2 Platys, 1 Black Sailfin Molly, 1 African Dwarf Frog and 1 Khuli Loach. My Siamese Fighter was also happy living with gouramis, Shrimp and clown loaches. Just stay away from mixing him in with Cichlids, guppies and anything that could nip at his fins. Hope this helped you!

 

[PlumbersMerchant]

I really wouldnt suggest neon tetras. i was told at my LFS that betta/fighting fish only fought with their own kind. HE LIED ! in the space of maybe 48 hours i lost 6 tetras and some others due to white spot (which i think came from the stress of the beta) i personally would never get one again.

i do no they are beautiful fish and can see why people keep them

 

[Essjay]

You have to be careful choosing fish to keep with a betta. They are such variable fish that what will work for one person will be a disater for someone else. Some bettas will attack anything that moves (tales of them ripping antennae off snails etc) and some are so laid back they can get bullied to death. And everything in between.
Fish to avoid with bettas are other bettas, both male and female; gouramis as they are likely to fight (although some people have kept them together); male guppies as some bettas think they are small male bettas and attack them; anything with a reputation for fin nipping as they won't be able to resist the temptation of a betta's big fins; and with bettas on the aggressive side, nothing brightly coloured as their 'attack the other betta' reflex could be triggered.

Corydoras usually do OK with most bettas as they live on the bottom of the tank and are drab colours. But as they should be kept in a shoal, they aren't suitable for small tanks. I had pygmy cories and endler-guppies with mine (until the betta developed a lump, so I moved him out in case it was infectious). Grey cories, grey female endler-guppies and a couple of males that the betta didn't seem to notice.
Other people have success with harlequin rasboras - not very brightly coloured and generally not nippy. But they need a bigger tank than 10 galls.

I now advise against keeping frogs with bettas. I had 2 in a 25 litre tank with my last betta. After being together for many months, the frogs suddenly started mistaking the betta's tail for food. I had to separate them and it took weeks for the betta to recover form the fin rot that resulted from his bitten tail.

As for a filter for a 10 gallon tank, as I'm in the UK I'm afraid I don't know what would be available in the US, so I can't advise here.

 

[FishOnTheSide]

LDBartholow - Thank you for all the pointers! I have looked into the tank "kits" but noticed that about 90% of the reviews state the tank leaks, hood lights don't work, filter died after a week, etc. What temperature do you keep your Betta at? Right now he is at 71 to 72 degrees (if the gauge on his tank is accurate). We keep the house at 72 for him, the water had been a bit cooler previously so we bumped up the heat.

LaurenRhiain - What size tank do you have them in?

Essjay - I went back to the local aquarium shop and she said that White Clouds might work well. They have the red fins, would this trigger Capt Kirk to attack? I think I've only ever seen him flare once, but he lives alone so I have no idea if he's calm or aggressive as far as Bettas go.

 

[Essjay]

I keep my betta at 25 deg C, that's 77 deg F, so your temp is a bit on the low side for a betta.
White clouds are temperate rather than tropical fish and prefer 16 - 22 deg C or 61 - 71 deg F. If you mean, can you keep them in the 3 gall with the betta, then no it's too small.
The colour of white clouds shouldn't cause a problem but they are lively fish and some bettas have a problem with lively tank mates. If it wasn't for the temperature issue, I would say to risk it in a bigger tank, but you really need to increase the temp for the betta, which wouldn't suit white clouds. Your current temp, although too low really for a betta, is at the top of white clouds' prefered range.
Be careful about taking advice from shop workers. Some of them talk a lot of rubbish.

 

[LDBartholow]

LDBartholow - Thank you for all the pointers! I have looked into the tank "kits" but noticed that about 90% of the reviews state the tank leaks, hood lights don't work, filter died after a week, etc. What temperature do you keep your Betta at? Right now he is at 71 to 72 degrees (if the gauge on his tank is accurate). We keep the house at 72 for him, the water had been a bit cooler previously so we bumped up the heat.

I aim for 79 degrees. That's Deathwing's favorite temperature. Anything lower than that, and he gets quite lethargic. His colors even dull.

 

[snazy]

71/72 is too low for a betta. You need a heater and to bump up the temperature. I also keep mine at 79-80.

 

[FishOnTheSide]

Ack! I really don't think there's room in his current tank for a heater, it's so awkwardly shaped. I know some of you aren't in the US, but what reputable retailers can I buy I decent glass tank from? I really do not want to go to Wal-Mart and I'm not sure now if I should trust the aquarium lady. I apologize for my lack of knowing these things. Friends that have kept Bettas had them in vases with maybe 5 pebbles in the bottom; I thought I was spoiling mine.

 

[snazy]

People do all type of possible animal mistreatment without consequences so I wouldn't compare if you like your fish healthy and happy.
There are some types of mini heaters you can get for betta tanks but if you can afford a bigger tank, it's the best way to go since you want a few tank mates for the betta. I am not in the US so can't really help in selecting the brand of the tank to be honest. Make sure it's not a square type, but rectangular. This will give you more option in relation to fish selection. If the betta tank is not filtered, make sure the new 10G tank is cycled first. There's is alot of information in the beginners section how to fishless cycle a new tank and what is cycling exactly. This will prevent any fish deaths.
If the betta tank is cycled, then take all the media/sponges from the old filter and squeeze them into the new filter, to jump start the cycle in the new tank. Move the betta too of course once you remove the old media from his tank and keep an eye on ammonia/nitrIte levels while the new tank is completely established(constant 0s for ammonia/nitrIte and nitrAte rising).

 

[Questions?]

fluval, topfin, seachem, aqueon, marineland and there are a few others