New Betta

[mark7616]

Im looking to get my little boy a betta as her prefers them to the goldfish he used to have.
The fish will be going in to a 5g hexagonal tank with light and filter. Do i need to put a small heater in the tank as some people say the water doesnt have to be heated as room temprature will be enough for them is this true? also could i have 1x male and 1xfemle in the tank?

 

[catxx]

never ever mix male and female! bad idea.

5 gallon is a perfect size
he will need a heater, a 50 watt heater will be fine, keep his tank temp at around 75-76 degrees.

also, watch and see how fast the current is with your filter, if it's adjustable put it on the lowest setting
and get some tall plants that break the surface of the water for the betta to sit on, they can be so lazy!

 

[mark7616]

I have a small heater already but didnt know if i needed it as i was told there fine at room temp the shop were getting it from has them in plastic pint glasses on the counter

 

[catxx]

don't believe everything the LFS says!

if you were in the tropics then yes, room temperature is fine, but unless you have your heating on 24-7 in your house, this end of the world needs tank heaters. temperature fluctuations will upset the fish.

 

[grahamsokel]

I am not certain but i think they mean they want to get a Betta for the little boy as HE (i think Her could be a spelling mistake)prefers them to goldfish

I would def add a heater to the tank as i have found although mine are a good temperature when the heating is on in the house it drops too low when the radiators are off

 

[catxx]

edit: shhh ignore. me.

anyway, is the 5 gallon already set up?
has it been cycled?

 

[mark7616]

yep it is cycled its been set up for about 2 months it had tropical fish in there but i moved them a few weeks ago to a much larger tank i have bought three tanks in 2 months i started with the 5g the bought a 25g which now has a community set up and im now fishless cycling a 55g got a bit hooked but the little tank is now for my little boy so if i got a male how comes i cant put a female in there also what would be a good tank mate for him in that size

 

[catxx]

in a hex, not much, possibly some ottos, but with the lack of length space, just height, it's tough to stock.
snails?

unlike a lot of fish, bettas thrive on being alone in the tank, as long as there's lots of human interaction they're happy!

male and female bettas should only ever be together during breeding, and even then it's risky.
female bettas can be just as aggressive as males.
groups of 4+ female only betta tanks can be kept, but they must be 10 gallons or over with lots of hiding places.

 

[mark7616]

are ottos good then any other ideas as i was told teras are not good with bettas so anything else?

 

[catxx]

you couldn't keep tetras in a 5 gallon anyway.

most other small fish either need to be kept in schools, need lots of swimming space, or lots of ground to play in.

5 gal hex's are very limited in their stocking.

i have a 5 gal hex with one betta and lots of plants (silk + 1 java fern on bogwood), and that's plenty!

 

[mark7616]

well my little boy just got his betta here he is what do you all think?
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=133412

 

[Synirr]

Lovely red on that betta
Good tankmates in a 5 gallon would be a couple of African dwarf frogs. Just make sure they're not the African clawed kind, as these get as big as your fist! Here's a good site on how to tell the difference if you don't know already:
http/allaboutfrogs.org/info/species/clawedordwarf.html