Want A New Layout

[newfishowner123]

Okay I have a six month old betta named jaws in a 5 gallon tank that is a rectangle except one side (front) is curved out. Inside there is a filter and a small heater (raises heat about 3 degrees) that isn't really needed cus its summer. Right now I have a little rainbow cave/igloo in it (he doesn't really go in it, its kinda in the way of the water from the filter) I have 2 fake plants (ones kinda spikey and the other is a good place for jaws to hide. I also have blue/agua colored gravel just like jaws, so he camo's pretty well when the lights are off. I am going to Alaska for 2 weeks, and I need a betta sitter...but after that I would like to go to to Petco/Petsmart and get some new stuff for him as I am really getting into fish. I've had 8 bettas before....all in the same tank....when I was 5...it din't go well and i was extremely sad..then I got one like 2 years ago and it lasted 2 years in a 1 gallon fish bowl. Another dumb thing I did (never researched). Before getting jaws I researched all day and got this 5 gallon (perrrfect) anyway.

What should i get for the aquarium?...new layout?...maybe another fish or two if possible? Any advice would be great as I might want another betta, for my room. Also, how much would a normal 3-5 gallon aquarioum cost?

I'll try to take a picture of my tank..not sure if i'll be able to. Anyway any help would be possible.

 

[Platygirl11]

Make sure the spikey plant isn't plastic, he could tear his fins on it. If there are coconut huts in the reptile section of your pet store, you can pick a fairly smooth one with a large opening, rinse it in tank water, then add it as a nice cave. My females love their cave.
Bettas don't really need company. Some will destroy any other living things in their tank.
I don't have bettas with tank mates (other than the other females in my sorority) because I'm just a nervous person. A different user could give you better advice on tank mates.

 

[Galanta]

I think those twisted pieces of wood look very cool. Definitely some kind of cave. You can choose a coconut or a claypot or something else and maybe this will give you the idea of a certain look. My friend has natural colored pebbles and then we got a gaping Mayan head at Petco, which sits against the back. The front glass is curved, so it magnifies it and since the back is against the glass, her fish uses it as a cave and sometimes just floats there peering out. The Petcos here right now have these Mayan heads and mayan pillars, etc. You might even just want to browse your local stores to see what is out there and you might see some things which would look cool, if you combined them. You can also keep in mind the colors of your fish and use things that are a little constrasting in darkness or that have a bit if the opposite color spectrum in them. I.e. a dark fish against a dark brown log might look less visible and you might prefer lighter decor. Or colorwise - a red fish will look even more red against something that is greenish, etc. You can be practical AND artistic when you do it ...

 

[newfishowner123]

Thanks guys...i'll look around the forums as well and see any interesting ideas. I'm 17 so I don't live alone and I don't want to upset my parents by getting stuff worth tooo much...so..I'll have alook. Some of these people are amazing!

 

[Galanta]

Yeah, don't worry. You can make it look cool without spending a lot of money. Clay pots are dirt cheap, you can probably get a small one for $2 or less. Don't know where you are, but you can just collect up your own rocks as long as you boil them or at least rinse them very well in hot water. The rocks in my bowl were originally in a flower arrangement somebody received at the office. They were going to trash them and I individually scrubbed them under hot water and used them. Maybe you even have some cool plastic item/gadget/toys kicking around that you could use as a cave or decor. If you have any question as to whether it is safe, you can always post the question. I would not use anything painted, but if it is colored plastic it should be fine as long as there are no sharp edges for the fins to get messed up on.

 

[Morphkid03]

I recently revamped my tank (See "Total Betta Tank Revamp- Natural Tank" http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...=0&start=0) and replacing practically everything in my tank went smoother then expected, and was really fun to work on (and still is- I am never satisfied with how I have it!)
The whole thing was spread over the span of a month or so, and done on a college student budget.
I highly recommend doing a planted tank.

As for tankmates he is in my 5gal with 2 corydoras catfish, a rescued clown pleco, and at the moment a few ghost shrimp. Yes the tank is overstocked, but I do 2 50% water changes a week, it's moderately (soon to be heavily) planted, and I monitor water quality closely and have not had an issue. Other then the occasional chase Oliver doesn't bother his tankmates. But this all depends on your betta's personality.