Perfect Tank For A Betta

[LeopardPerch]

So I am setting up a 10 gallon betta tank with right now 2 small amazon swords (will move later but love the look of swords) really long rooted floating plants and a crypt.
So what else could I do to to make the tank better for a betta? I think it would look nice to have only live plants and a small peice of driftwood.
I'm just looking for tips but experiences are really good
P.S. I'm hope to get a half moon or pla kat
P.P.S. I saw this awesome betta called a dumbo halfmoon betta and they were selling it for $ 76 for one betta what a rip!

 

[danele]

Great start, cant beat live plants for betta tanks
I have two small betta tanks
First one has java fern, anubias, driftwood and a moss ball.
Second one has anubias, driftwood, frogbit and just added some baby java fern from my other tank because although my betta loves whizzing around the frogbit he needed abit more hiding space at the bottom of the tank.
Make it interesting for your betta, use various plants, the more you use the more interesting it will be
Your tank is twice the size of mine, so im sure you'll have lots of fun doing it

 

[pablothebetta]

If you like the look of amazon swords, there are varieties which would fit nicely in your 10G, just look on the tropica site (click here to see the plant list) What about some plants such as hygrophila polysperma? It might well outgrow your 10G as it did my 7.4G, but IME it provides a fair bit of cover and my old betta often enjoyed resting in it (mine grew at a funny angle - it seemed to prefer natural light from my window opposite the tank rather than the 11W light above it).

While it seems unlikely as you appear to be going for a 'natural' looking tank, I thought I'd just add that you should avoid decor with sharp or 'spikey' edges, especially if you're going for a HM, as such things can damage delicate fins.

$76, that's around £50. I know a UK store sells them for £35 + £13/£15 postage, so I guess that's not far off. They're stunning, but very expensive for a fish IMO unless you're going to use it for breeding. I'm sure I once read something about them sometimes having issues swimming because of the amount of fins too.

You'll have to keep us updated with pics

 

[LeopardPerch]

Thanks for replying so fast I have larger ones of this swords so I know it gets bigger
I forgot to mention the tank is dirted for plant so there's dirt under the gravel but I've had temporarily some less hardy fish and there still doing fine
Here is the tank a month ago all these animals and most the plants are out though http/m.youtube.com/watch?v=E-yLfuCN1fI
I'm assuming your all from Europe because of the time at which you replied and the euro sign

 

[LeopardPerch]

I think for tank mates I'm going to put in 3 oto's and 3 bronze Cory's

 

[Man of fish]

Cories like groups of 6+ and a ten gallon tank isn't large enough for a sufficient group of them. You should get 6 panda or Pygmy cories if you want cories, and wait at least 6 months after your tank cycles before getting Otos. They're very fragile to newly mature tanks.

 

[OldMan47]

I keep my tanks planted whenever I can. I think, my personal opinion, that fish do better in a planted tank. I have several with a fertile layer under the gravel layer and find that a good way to do plants. The dirt or potting soil in my case, provides a good place for the plants to root while the cover of gravel keeps the soil from making a cloudy mess of the tank water.
As far as stocking, I would avoid any otocinclus because I have given up trying to feed mine. If I bring home an otocinclus, I inevitably lose it to simple starvation. Otos do not take artificial foods and I never seem to have enough algae in my tanks to feed them. It saddens me to see them starving and know that there is nothing I can do about it because I don't have enough algae in my 26 tanks for them to eat and stay healthy.
For cories, choose a specific species and get at least 4 or 5 of them. There is no such thing as too many cories in a group although there can be too many for a particular tank size. One of my favorite things to do is get at least 12 cories of a single species in a large tank. These guys are so playful that they are a delight to watch. If I had to decide on a single genus of fish to keep, it would probably be Corydoras.
Be careful when selecting cories to use with a betta. Most cories do better at around 70F to 75F while Betta splendens does best at about 80F. Some of the cories bdo better at high temperatures but the species that do so are few in number. Be sure to research the Cories you intend to keep.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I don't think most cories will be happy in a 10g. There are dwarf varieties, but every betta is different and you need to go ahead with caution. That said...you could use that space for a nice small schooling fish. Celestial danios are very cute and you can have a nice school of them. Schooling fish are often too fast for a betta to bother. If your betta is a nicer one you could have some snails.

Broad leaved plants are Perfect for a Betta! Some will rest on the leaves. There are some Echinodorus "Sword" types that will stay short enough for a 10g. I had an Echinodorus Osiris that grew very rounded and not tall. A Betta would have loved it.

 

[OldMan47]

I like the pygmy cories like pygmaeus

hastatus

or habrosus

Unfortunately I don't think any of them would really appreciate the temperatures in a betta tank. For that you probably would want something like C. sterbai, which you would only be able to keep in small numbers in such a small tank. Is that tiny tank really your limit? If not, forget the advice of betta people and get a nice big tank for a community of fish. I find that my bettas do best in rather large tanks where they are one of many fish. I don't get to keep many bettas but the ones that I have definitely thrive as "fish".

 

[LeopardPerch]

If you watched the video the tank is dirted and I have put some better amazon swords?.
And I have never found oto's to be a fish that is difficult too keep and eat whatever falls to the bottom
But I do want to replace the Cory's with 1 male and 2 female chameleon fish (badis badis)
Cheers
P.S. I already have a couple of Pygmy habrosus and pygmaeus

 

[pablothebetta]

I used to keep c.pygmaeus with a betta without issues but decided in the end that they'd be better in a bigger tank. I wouldn't reccommend badis badis with bettas myself as I feel they'd probably do be nicer in a species tank or with some tiny tropicals (or something along those lines). Not sure how they'd be on water requirements though.

 

[LeopardPerch]

I am going to actually turn this to a part time spawn tank (occasionally going to put a female in there) so I put my floating plants in and my other plants will go in soon to

 

[LeopardPerch]

I love bettas but had to get the sparkiling gourmaris instead, at the moment I have four but I want 6 eventually