aquarium...?

Question

where can i get a cheap but nice 5 gallon tank that i can get for my betta. it seems loanly i want to put some guppies or neon tertas in with him. would they fight? he is in like a 1 pint bowl. needs more space. does he need a heater?

Answer 1

your best bet is a 5 gallon tank by himself. nothing else is really going to like being in that small a space but it will perk him up a lot. if you get some big artifical plants to fill up the space (or real plants if you want more life) it won't seem so empty with just one fish.

i have a 5 gallon from walmart that was 30 dollars -- included light, filter, all that stuff -- even some free food and water conditioner. if that is a bit pricey i keep most of mine in 2 1/2 gallon aquariums. you can get kits for pretty cheap -- i also have a couple 2 1/2 gallon glass rectangle aquariums that i think are about 12 dollars at petsmart.

bettas prefer temperatures in the upper 70s -- if your house gets cold in the winter he will need a heater.

if you want a small community a 10 gallon might be better for you -- you can get a 10 gallon kit with heater for 40 dollars at walmart. if you do this i would recommend a small school of white cloud mountian minnows and some ghost shrimp. both are cheap and easy to take care of. ghost shrimp have a habit of disappearing and not staying around very long. they die and the other ones eat them. a school of small tetras like neons would be fine too.

Answer 2

First off, good on you for putting him in a large enough tank! He'll be much healthier in a five gallon. And yes, he should have a heater. Bettas need their water between 78 and 82 degrees.

As for the tankmates, I would definitely nix the guppies. Bettas see those nice long fins and think it's another male betta, and they will try to kill the guppy. Plus, there's no such thing as a few guppies. If you get boys and girls, you will have way more than you need very quickly (they don't call them millions fish for nothing!).

Tetras could work. They're fairly quick, and not nippy fish, so the betta would be safe. Definitely no tiger barbs or danios or your betta's fins will be mincemeat. And whether your betta is a good community fish will depend a lot on your betta. Some do fine in a community - others aggressively defend their territory against anything else that swims. Bottom feeders can be OK. I have a couple of otos with my female betta. She's a bit nippy, but they like to hide and blend in with the gravel so she doesn't see them most of the time.

If you do decide to try it with the tetras, you should probably bump to a 10 gallon tank. Tetras like to be in schools, at least six, so your five gallon would not be big enough. The rule of thumb is a gallon per inch of fish (adult size). Be sure to CYCLE the tank before adding a full fish load!

If you want more info, the sites below can be helpful.

Answer 3

OK first you CAN put other fish in with a betta. But a 5 gal tank won't hold more than 1 more 1-2 inch fish. Neons and other tetras are NOT good with bettas or any other long fin fish as TETRAS tend to be nibblers and will nibble on the long fins. If you get a larger tank you can put other fish with the betta. But they should be docile fish like Guramis or swordtails, platties, etc. The betta is not a community type fish. He does not get lonely. They actually prefer to be alone. A 5 gal tank would be fine for him alone and he will not need a heater if your house is not freezing. Just make sure you never let the water get below 62 degrees. 76-86 is too hot for bettas unless you plan on cooking him. They are room temp fish.

Answer 4

Whether or not your betta needs a heater will depend on the temperature of the room where you're keeping him - as long as you can keep his water around 76o to 86o, you won't need one. Otherwise, you should have one for him.

Bettas have individual personalities, so it's hard to say definitely whether a betta will work with the fish you mention. Guppies, with the longer fins the males have, are often attacked - it's possible that some bettas see the long fins and think this is another betta. Neons might work better, but you should get larger ones, and these should be kept in a school of around 5+.

Some other fish possibilities would be platys or sunset platys (variatus) which are smaller, don't have the long fins but are colorful, and don't need to be in a group.

As far as where to get a tank, if you don't mind a used one, check your local classified, yard sales, or these websites:
http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.craigslist.org/about/cities.html

If you're looking to get one new, consider getting a 10 gallon instead - they both cost about $10, but in the 10, your fish would get even more room. WalMart has them, and you might get a better deal there, although the tanks you find in pet stores might be better constructed.

Answer 5

You simply cannot put another fish in with a betta. They are fighters, and will tear guppies and tetras to shreds. And he doesn't need a heater, just frequent water changes. You can put a mirror next to his tank, he'll think it's another fish and spread out his fins to show off.

Answer 6

no need fish like the warmed of a normal water you had..