Siamese Fighting Fish.

[magicthise]

Hi,

My girlfriend just bought one of these:

http/www.aquarium-products.co.uk/A...ua_Fashion.htm

I've added a suitable heater to it and I have just started it cycling (fish free). I was wondering is something this size (20 litres) is suitable for keeping siamese fighting fish in. I was thinking of one male and perhaps three females with a couple of coolie loach at the bottom to help clean up the substrate.

I just wanted some opinions on the size of tank and if the number of fish sounded about right and if anyone had any tips about small plants they may like ect?

Thanks

 

[weejen]

you cant keep males and females together. as they will fght

 

[hollanda88]

you cant keep males and females together. as they will fght

Deffinately no males and females in the same tank. I would go for one male and a few bottom feeders like small plecs (pitbul, bristle nose...)

 

[Honeythorn]

No! No no no! Firstly, the tank is on the small side , only 4 gallons ( a bit too small to be honest but do-able with dilligent water care) but you may just about be able to get away with ONE male.

NEVER add females. These fish cannot be kept in groups or trios like gouramis. Males and females will fight, sometimes to the death, though many will more often die from the sheer stress or from wounds gained by fighting.

Males should be kept alone ( as in no other bettas of any sex ) unless breeding. And in that small a tank, a single male betta is all you can get away with in terms of fish load.

As for something to clean the bottom, No fish does that. If it eats, it craps and if it craps, it will add solid waste and ammonia to your water, thus not cleaning the tank in any way. Your substrate should not become so dirty as to require something to eat everything on it. A simple gravel vac once a week when you do a wtaer change is all that's needed.

To top all that off, khulie loaches are very social shy fish, and need to be in groups of at least 4, preferably many more, and that tank is not big enough for that amount.


If you really can't bear to have nothing living on the bottom, then a couple of ghost shrimp will not add too much to your bioload, and they are good scavengers. They would require some food of their own though.

 

[LauraFrog]

You could also keep three pygmy corys in there with the betta (but not with the shrimp as well). BUT you will need to do very, very careful water changes - 50% twice a week, and that's with good filtration as you would be pushing it on the stocking. I don't recommend otocinclus, they are very hard to look after and an overstocked tank isn't a good home for them.

DEFINITELY no males with females, the females will get totally shredded. The tank is not big enough for a group of females, so one male OR one female in that tank.