how bo you keep a betta and what can you put with him!?

Question

i have a male betta and i have a 10g tank . i would like to know how to take care of it and what i can putt it with!but right knowi have it in a 1g tank! is that ok orshould i move it ! i need all the help i can get!

Answer 1

Bettas keep well in any sized containers. Just make sure they have a lid, or your beta will soon jump out and die if you don't see it happening. Don't ever leave a betta's container without a lid, even for a few minutes. They can jump pretty high. BTW, bettas are solitary fish, and don't mix well with other fish. Not even fish of different species, due to their aggressive nature. Keep your little guy alone in his own house. He will be very happy. They also prefer water that's a tropical heat setting, and prefer to be in their own aquarium, where the temperature is more regulated.

Answer 2

You can keep the betta in the 1g tank and he will be fine, just nothing smaller. No matter what others say, bettas will not live happy and healthy lives in cups or small fishbowls. As for care, you'll need change the water on a weekly basis (sometimes you can go longer, but if the water starts to look dirty change it immediately), be sure to condition the water to remove chlorine and heavy metals. For a smaller tank you can rinse out the tank completely, I'd suggest you do not use soap as it is toxic to fish.

I'd say bettas are fairly hardy fish and can tolerate a wide range of water paremeters, as long as extremes are avoided. You may need a heater though, as they are tropical fish and like temperatures of 75-86 F (24-30 C). While they prefer live foods, you can feed them flake and dried foods, they especially like bloodworms, you'll find a lot pet stores sell food specifically for bettas. I'm not positive what you can keep with a betta especially in such a small tank, you can check out some of the suggestions others made, I do know that you CANNOT keep male bettas together, they will fight to the death. Many have had success keeping females, but it is still not recommended in a small tank. In the 1g you're better off keeping the betta on his own.

Anyways, hope this helps, good luck with your betta! For more information try: http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/anabantids2/p/betta.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betta_fish
http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art17221.asp

Answer 3

One gallon is really the minimum anyone should keep a betta in long term. I know the guys at the pet store will tell you they don't need any room, but that really isn't the case. They do much better when they have plenty of room to flourish. Another misconception is that they don't need an aquarium heater (where this one came from I'll never figure out) Bettas come from a tropical climate and need warm water to thrive. Their tank should be kept at a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees (farenheit). As far as tank mates go; never keep bettas together in the same tank without a divider, and never put anything agressive or nippy with a betta. A betta will fight another betta that ventures into it's territory, but they wont stand up for themselves with other species of fish. Good tankmates are cory catfish, fancy guppies and other small non-agressive fish, but stay away from gouramis. Bettas can breath fresh air from the surface, so if they're kept alone, you don't need to worry about proper airation. If you're keeping other fish with them however, you need to make sure you have a large enough airstone and pump for the size of your tank. If you use a filter in your tank, make sure it's one that will not cause a heavy current. Bettas live in low to no-flow swamps and rice patties in Thailand. Their long flowing fins make them unsuitable for faster flowing waters. If put into a current they can quickly become exhausted and potentially die from the stress. If you're not going to use a filter, make sure you're doing frequent partial water changes (at least once a week) and be sure to use a good dechloirinator before you add fresh water to the tank.
Bettas are fascinating, and hardy fish with a life span of three to four years if kept properly. I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 4

Pay no attention to the above answerer and DO NOT PUT HIM WITH ANOTHER BETTA. Not even a female. Both males and females are highly territorial. I have a community tank of three females but it takes a lot of work to get them to the point where they won't kill each other. I've never personally had a betta with another fish, but from what I understand tetras, mollies and platys are all good suggestions. Guppies are a very bad idea unless they are unusually large guppies. Small and docile guppies will be picked on and quite probably killed.

The most important thing is making sure all your fish have enough room and hidey places. My rule of thumb is at least 2 gallons (not 1) per fish and some species need even more room than that. Your betta can survive in a 1 gallon tank if you keep it clean enough but he won't be very happy. Make sure your tank has lots of hiding places and plants for your fish. Instead of meaning you never see your fish, hidey holes actually make your fish more comfortable and thus more likely to swim around. It's doubly important with an aggressive male betta in the tank. I use silk plants because they won't damage your fish's tails.

Remember, with multiple fish it's extra important to keep your tank clean. And PLEASE even if the tank wall appears to be high enough, PLEASE PLEASE cover your tank. Bettas can jump much higher than you expect and it's essential that their tanks be covered at all times.

Sites like bettatalk.com are full of great advice and ideas. Best of luck!

Answer 5

You can put him with most tropical "community" fish. Just not another male betta. I have mine in a 20 gallon tank with swordtails, angel fish, tetras, zebra danios....They may pester some fish...but just make sure there is plenty of green plants (real or fake) and they will be happy and leave the others alone. Some fish like Barbs will nip at the pretty fins on the betta...so just watch for damage.

Answer 6

You can put him with any "community"fish. Tetras, Mollys, Platty's, Swordtails. The 1 gal is ok if you're not putting anything else with him. 1gal=1 fish pretty easy. also the other fish need a heater. No other male with him and no anglefish-they'll eat his pretty fins.

Answer 7

if you have no other fish, then put it in a fishbowl, but it has to be tallish cuz the fish could jump out. also, don't put it with another amle betta because they would fight. or something like that...

Answer 8

you can put another Betta with it.