small cat fish with a male betta?

Question

is it okay to put one of those small catfish with a male betta will the catfish eat the wasted food on the bottom of the bowl its really not a bowl its a very large brandy/wine glass i would be thankful if someone can help me. i went to the pet store and asked if i could put a small catfish in and they told me that the betta will kill it and it would not eat the food on the bottom of the bowl they told me to buy a filter but i know bettas dont need filters

Answer 1

When you say catfish, I'm assuming you are talking about a plecostomus. Pleco's are generally very mild-mannered fish and are rarely bothered by any fish at all. A betta would not bother your pleccy in all likelihood. HOWEVER you should not put the pleccy in that "bowl." They are tropical fish and need a specific temperature between about 72-78. They are a rather hardy fish, but putting them in a cold bowl without a filter is just not responsible. The space is also going to be WAY to tiny to hold a betta and a pleccy. And no, pleccys usually don't eat straight food...they clean the algae off the bowl...and with such a tiny bowl, he may starve. Just...don't do it. The betta will be fine alone if you don't overfeed him. Change out no more than 1/2 the water in his bowl once a week, and he'll do great.

Answer 2

if you're talking about a cory, sort of.
this is a cory: http://www.elmersaquarium.com/10cat_cory.htm

corys and bettas are fine together usually, but not in a glass. bettas should not even be kept with them. and while bettas don't need a filter, it will do nothing but help as long as it's a low power filter. bettas sometimes live in streams, so a small current won't hurt them.

by the way you house your betta I assume you don't know much about how to care for them beyond the myths that betta can live in cold filthy waters of a tiny bowl. while they are quite hearty and can survive in these conditions for a while, it's not a very healthy or happy life. it's kind of like sticking a human in a cold closet (the closet being 15°F to 20°F cold than they should be in, somewhere around 50°F) with no place to go to the bathroom but the floor. even if someone cleans your closet 3 times a week (which is how often you're supposed to clean a betta bowl) you're still not going to have a happy life. you'll be cold, cramped, and filthy. you'll quickly become weak and sick and your life will be shortened.

this is what happens to bettas. when cared for properly they can live for 5years or more. but people who keep them in bowls or vases seem impressed when they live for 2yrs.

if you'd like to get a cory or any other type of fish to keep with your betta I suggest geting at least a 2.5gallon tank with a 7.5watt heater, and preferably a filter, if you get a filter you won't need to do full water changes.. however corys are social and you should get no less than 3 really, so a 5 or 10 gallon would be best, and of course a small filter (a whisper power filter for tanks 1-3gallons would be perfect) and a 25watt or 50watt heater. these things can be very cheap if you don't buy the fancy "starter kit" crap.

Answer 3

Keep a few things in mind. A filter provides aeration, and helps convert toxic ammonia, and nitrites into less toxic nitrates. A betta is pretty tough, but ammonia, and nitrites can still build up and kill him. So a filter is not needed, but it will help him lead a longer fuller life. (My males in 5 gallon filtered tanks tend to live over 3 years.)

As far as catfish they need the aeration as they lack the betta's lung like organ. Plus cory catfish aren't very tolerent of ammonia, and nitrites. Keep in mind it there is food on the bottom of such a small container you are over feeding a betta. A betta will happily eat himself to death, and a truly hungry betta will eat off the bottom. Food = ammonia regardless of if it's eaten or not.

Also bettas are territorial, and in small containers get highly aggressive. In a 3-5 gallon tank most betta would be okay with a cory catfish. Of course this varies betta to betta. I've got a betta named "Snail Slayer".

Answer 4

A betta DOES need a filter. The only reason they are able to survive longer in unfiltered water than other fish is that they're able to breathe at the surface when that unfiltered water has too much ammonia and their gills are too damaged by it to breathe normally. Please buy a small tank for your betta with a filter and a heater. Even a 2 1/2 gallon would be much, much better than that glass.

And definitely don't put another fish in it. A catfish of any type will die a quick, painful death in there.

Answer 5

It depends on the catfish. There are hundreds of different species of catfish. Without knowing what kind you want, there is no way to tell.

Either way, you should not be feeding your betta sinking foods. Bettas are surface eaters and need foods that float. If the food sits in the tank long enough to sink then you are feeding way too much. You should never get a fish just for "cleaning" anyway, because it is a job you can easily do yourself.

Answer 6

In this case, no. That size container is too small even for your betta to be happy and healthy, much less anything else.

Instead try this. Go to a pet store and buy 2 - 1/2 gallon bowls. Use one for your betta. Every 2-3 days fill the other one and put it next to your bettas bowl over night and the next morning move him into it and rinse out the old bowl. Do this every few days and he will stay happy and healthy and the bowl won't get too dirty. If you set the bowl out over night the temperature will be the same by morning and you won't even need dechlorinator drops as the chlorine will have dissapated by then.

MM

Answer 7

Well it depnds on the betta some are more agressive then others. Just dont put two bttas together or they will fight to the death. Yes the cat fish or cleaner fish will eat the algae and whatever is on the bottom of the wine glass. I would also change the water like every month or two because of the ammonia from the waste. They shouldent kill each other.

Answer 8

Catfish do need filters and aeration though. The catfish will die w/out oxogen. the beta sucks air from the surface so it doesn't care if there is ox in the water.

Answer 9

Should work out well. Bettas do not attack sucker-mouthed catfish.