Male Beta fish....?

Question

My 6 yo son has a male beta fish in a small tank w/a bubbler. Does anyone know what we could put in the tank to clean it? Some type of fish, crab or something that will clean up the tank so he doesn't have to clean it so often...and the male betta will not kill or attack the cleaner.
Any help please.

Answer 1

Well male betas will attack anything with flowing fins...like his. So pretty much any algae eater is out of the question. You could put a snail in there....but ask the pet store person about them...I don't know if there is a snail that ISN'T a sexual...but...they reproduce worse than rabbits. So...oh but there is this water purifier that you can put in the water that has something in it that makes it so you don't have to clean the water except for every 6 months. Also, betas only need to eat every other day...they can go a couple days without eating...and they don't need a bubbler in their tanks either....Betas originate from rice fields in Japan so they don't need oxygen in their water. but go to your local pet store with fish or place where they sell fish...they should be able to help you.
Don't trust any of the answers above mine. Betas are incredibly aggressive...especially towards ANY fish that looks like a beta. They don't only attack other betas...they will attack any fish that has frilly fins. Also, your son may be feeding him too much. He only needs whatever he will eat...so put a couple pellets in and watch him to see if he eats them...then put some more in and only put in a couple at a time...but watch him to make sure he's eating them. They are incredibly low maintenance...no matter what you choose you will probably need to clean the tank once every couple weeks to once every 3-4 weeks. Just try a couple different things. I hope this helps you! :)

Answer 2

Without using a regular tank set up the only option you have it to clean it about once a week. If you can find it, there is a small system you can use that comes with a pump, and suction cup type of charcoal filter. This unit is small enough to fit in a large bowl, or small critter keeper. I know Wal~Mart sells them. There aren't many tropical fish you can put into a bowl without having a filtration/aeration system. For a Betta, you can easily find a small 1 gal. tank that comes with a filtraion system that makes it much easier to keep up with them.

Remember also when you find Betta's outside of the home, they are usually found in rice patties so they don't require a lot of maintainence. They actually like scuzzy water! It may not look good, but they don't really care.

Answer 3

The bubbler is unnecessary and it is just providing excess dissolved gases for algae to thrive on. Also only feed the betta about 4 of those little betta pellets a day - I have two and they are healthy with that diet. They beg a lot but don't give in... Don't put any other animals in the bowl with him though - he will be stressed if you indroduce anything else. Also, snails will just make the bowl dirtier, and they may crawl out. If he only feeds the fish about 3 or 4 pellets a day, cleaning will only be needed about once every 2 weeks.

Answer 4

No because 3 things. Its not filtered Its not heated Its not even big enough for the one you have. If you ask me and most other fish owners anything less that 5 gallons should never house any fish, even a Betta. The male will no doubt beat up the female in such a small bowl with no place to move. Good Luck

Answer 5

it's not a good idea to put other fish in with a Betta. most fish will try a attack the Betta because of it's pretty tail. there are cleaner fish your can out in the tank but they might try to kill the Betta, your best bet is to watch the amount of food you put in the tank.

Answer 6

Adding another fish is only going to add to the amount of crap (literally) in the tank which will just make you have to clean it even more often. Think about getting a filter, depending on the size of the tank you may only be able to get a sponge filter.

Answer 7

I would suggest a small pleco (hardly anything bothers those guys), but the bowl may be too small. A crustacean is not a good idea because it may hurt the Betta in a small tank. Try getting a small filter or upgrading to a larger tank. Good luck!

Answer 8

betas require very little care.i would imagine he is over feeding the fish or tank would not get dirty very often.but back to your question=male betas only fight with another male beta.so you can put any fresh water fish you like other than male beta.

Answer 9

Beta's usually only attack other Beta's, you can usually find a little scavenger fish at any pet store, just tell them you want a freshwater scum sucker, something that won't get huge, they have little tiny one's that look a little like a cat fish, they are pretty mello.

Answer 10

chinese bottom feeder fish are small thin like a pocostomus..thats just small enough and wont hurt a beta...But you also have small catfishes...a regular bottom feeder fish will get to large.