Thinking About A Betta...

[richard_mincher]

hi all, im thinking of a betta... now i nottice a popular size of tank for a betta is 5gal?? also do i need to install a filter system, as i've read bettas don't like suction filter... mabye i should invest in an undergravel filter? also should i get him a friend? mabye a bristlenose plec?? and also is it possible to add a female with a male, and will they breed? thanks in advance

 

[amio]

Five-gallon's good. A filter would be nice. Try the ones that produce minimal current. A cory would be better than a bristlenose pleco, though I would suggest you get a ten-gallon instead, so you could get three cories. They like to be in groups. DON'T add a female betta. Breeding's not that easy, there's a lot of things you have to consider first. Let's just hope the feral members didn't see that last line of yours. They hate it when newbies ask about breeding. With all speed! Edit!


John

 

[soritan]

If you're thinking of getting a betta, the FAQs in this forum are a rich source of information, and are pinned above. They seem to be often ignored, lately.

A tankmate would be OK in a 5g, but not a plec, who require at least a 20g tank to lead a happy life.

 

[wendywc]

Here's the FAQ for acceptable betta tank mates.

If you want to stay with a 5 gallon. A betta would be okay with 1 or 2 african dwarf frogs and maybe a couple of snails, if you want. If you get a 10 gallon, then you would have room for a betta and 3 cories, like amio said above -- and cories are fun characters too. Good luck with your new tank!

 

[Betta_luver]

A 5 gallon is a great size and a 10 gallon would be even better! remember not all bettas get along with other fish. some of them would rather live by them selves.

A whisper filter in a 10 gallon is okay. The current isn't to strong. I use it in my 10 gallon with my Betta, Risteek and my two oto's.

The FAQ section will help with alot of general care

Good luck.

 

[richard_mincher]

thanks so much everyone! the FAQs are great, i wish i had just gone there instead of wasting all your time ) anyway, thanks again!

 

[flamepony12]

A 5 gallon's a good size for one male betta and perhaps an apple snail as a tankmate. Don't put males and females together unless you're planning to spawn, and as mentioned before, that takes up a lot of time and consideration.

A tankmate would be OK in a 5g, but not a plec, who require at least a 20g tank to lead a happy life.

Bristlenose plecos, the ones richard_mincher mentioned, are actually dwarf plecos, and only grow to be about 3-4 inches long. But even being small, they'd probably need a larger tank than a 5 gallon. We have a couple in our 75 gallon tropical community tank downstairs with two angelfish, five dsicus, and some tetras.

 

[soritan]

A 5 gallon's a good size for one male betta and perhaps an apple snail as a tankmate. Don't put males and females together unless you're planning to spawn, and as mentioned before, that takes up a lot of time and consideration.

A tankmate would be OK in a 5g, but not a plec, who require at least a 20g tank to lead a happy life.

Bristlenose plecos, the ones richard_mincher mentioned, are actually dwarf plecos, and only grow to be about 3-4 inches long. But even being small, they'd probably need a larger tank than a 5 gallon. We have a couple in our 75 gallon tropical community tank downstairs with two angelfish, five dsicus, and some tetras.

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but in my very brief (like, 3 minutes, tops) research on plecos, I had read their profile on petfish.net (here, and deduced that they needed lots of room, despite their small size... sort of like Danios. I apologize if I was incorrect, I often feel that it's impolite to link to petfish.net from tff, for some odd reason... because their ideas seem to be rather different from one another. In fact, I'm more accustomed to tff giving fish MORE room per fish than petfish.net. I also freely admit, when I see the word "pleco" mentioned in this forum, I cringe...as the average betta home on this particular forum is significantly less than an ideal home for most fish sold in a typical pet store.

I didn't mean to dredge this up and scream, "I RIGHT YOU WRONG", I simply saw the word 'pleco' in a thread I recently replied to, and realized that I forgot to reply to this one.