Siamese Fighter

[lawrie]

hi, i have a fighter (male) and wondered what i can keep him with? i have him inmy 120 gallon tank with neon tetra, mollie, guppies, pleco, albino cory and clown loaches. should i move him to his own tank?

if i move him will he need his own filter and heater? i've heard this isnt a good idea but what do you think?

 

[FBTgirl]

I don't think he would need his own filter and heater if you move him. But I am not sure.

 

[catherine896]

Alot of people keep bettas without filtration and heating. However I think they do much better with heating and filtered water.
They are tropical fish and like warm water, they can survive in cold water but I have seen bettas in cold water and they arent very active atall. They will be much happier and active with heated water.
As for filtration, I keep one in an unfiltered tank, but I do plan on getting a small filter when I can. Most dont like the current from filters, but a few people on here have seen there bettas playing in the current of water, if you are going to add a filter, try to get one with a really small current.

Also if you plan to keep him in the big tank go careful with the neon tetras, Ive had a betta kill one before in an attempt to eat it! Also they arent really supposed to be housed with mollies or guppies. The mollies usually bully bettas and the bettas get confused with the bright colours and big tails on guppies thinking they are another male betta and may attack them. However you may be one of the lucky ones with a laid back betta!
Id say it was best to give him his own tank just incase of any fighting/nipping.

Hope this helps

Do you have any pics of him?

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

hi, i have a fighter (male) and wondered what i can keep him with? i have him inmy 120 gallon tank with neon tetra, mollie, guppies, pleco, albino cory and clown loaches. should i move him to his own tank?

if i move him will he need his own filter and heater? i've heard this isnt a good idea but what do you think?

I would move him to his own tank, only because tetras are nippy little things and will most likely go after his tail. Mollies can be, too. I got Goose out of a tank with mollies and the poor boy's all torn up. He may also go after the other fish, bettas may or may not turn on the fish when he gets annoyed with them.

I do not have filters or heaters in with any of my males and they're all perfectly fine. My girls do have heaters/filters and they're doing great, as well. IF you don't put a heater in, keep him in a room where the temperature's at least above 75F and a constant temperature. If you do get a filter, make sure it has an adjustable flow. The one boy I had in with a filter for a short amount of time absolutley hated his filter. He would stay far away from the filter and really not do anything. Because of their flowy fins, it makes it harder for them to swim with currents. Without a filter, you have to do water changes at least once a week, depending on the size of the tank. I have all but two of mine in 1+ gallons (the other ones were gifts. i'll upgrade them when i upgrade another so my friends/family dont feel bad ...should be soon) and they get water changes 2-3 times a week.

As for the active-ness in unheated water, all of my boys are very active without the heater. It all depends on the fish and the actual temperature of the water (obviously if you had a "crazy" fish in 20F water, he wouldn't move, either ). Then again, my room's insanely hot so their tanks are about the same temp as my 10g (with heater & filter).

Love to see pics

 

[faithless1294]

bettas dont need to have filtered tanks but its best to have a heater. if it is a small tank dont have a filter but if the tank is larger than you could put a filter in there.
Good Luck.

 

[girl4God81]

I've found my bettas stay healthier with a filtered tank because even doing water changes twice a week doesn't get anything off the bottom. It also seems a little better to have the water moving a bit to prevent collecting debree at the top (dust, etc). My little girls do not have filter tanks while my little boy does, but I am having to constantly do water changes (which means more money on dechlor) and suction the poo out of the bottom of the girls tanks, while my little boy is fine for weeks with partial water changes once a week at times. His tank is always much cleaner and he seems happier since I have give him the filter.

Bettas do like warmer water and they can often times stay healthier with temps between 78-82F. I live in texas so I don't typically have a problem with needing heater (except in the winter time, then they all have to have one). My little boy has a heater but none of my fish need one because our house is lately at 80F keeping the water a consistantly warm temp, but I try to keep a thermometer to keep tabs with the water temps. My little boy only has a heater because I had an extra and decided to keep his water a few notches warmer for comfort.

 

[na9la]

one guppy just died cause of my betta
+

 

[mandiemoo]

My betta likes to play in the current, he likes dive bombing the gravel - he's a strange boy, but that's what makes him fit in so well!

I've had a betta in with guppies before, and he was fine with them and they with him, it just depends on the fish really, but he would probably be happier in a tank of his own. If the tank is big enough you could add a couple of bottom dwellers, but again depends on your betta and if he would tolerate others in the tank.