# Bought a betta unexpectedly, need help with tank and possible tank mates.



## paperstars (Sep 29, 2014)

So I walked into my local petsmart with my son to look at the fish. I had no plans on purchasing a fish at this time but I was thinking of putting an aquarium together. I wanted something easy to start with, a good beginner fish for my son. The lady in the aquarium department told me a great fish to get is a betta.

She said:
- They don't do well in large tanks, small tanks are ideal such as those small containers that are a 1/2 gallon. She pointed to a smaller one that was a small cube and she said she has that one on her desk.
- They don't need a heater
-change water every 4 or 5 days
-She said, "you can get one today !" 

Got home, I was walking to a neighbor that had one and found out all the info I was given at the store was wrong.

I asked, if I get a 10 gallon, what tank mates can I get? She said neon tetras. I asked about glofish (not goldfish) the tetra glofish, and she said no and her coworker walked by and said yes.

So, here I am with a betta in a temporary 1/2 gallon tank. He's really active. I have no intention of keeping him in this tank for long so I need to make a decision in the next few days.

I am unsure what tank size I want to go with. If I just keep him and no other fish I will get either a 2.5 or 3 gallon.
If I get other fish with him I will get a 10 gallon. (yes, I know that he can't be kept with other bettas. That's the only correct info I was given at the store lol)

My questions are:

Can someone recommend good tank mates for this betta if I get a 10 gallon and how many of each species can I get?
Can someone recommend good tank kits for the following sizes:
2.5
3
10

If I go with a 10 gallon, can I get glofish tetras? if so, how many minimum?


If I do go with the 10 gal, Id like the maximum amount of species with the minimum amount of fish per species. Hope that makes sense. I realize overall it's not gonig to be a lot of fish for 10 gallons. I had a 10 gallon tank years ago and all I had was 2 platies and when they died, I got rid of the tank and stand. I wish I would of kept it! 

Thanks in advance!


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## Charc14 (Aug 27, 2014)

Ok, so, First, Ten gallon, You can probably get some neon tetras in there, although you need at least six of them because they are a schooling fish, but watch out, Neon tetras are notorious for biting betta fins, ( Or so I've heard. I'm also assuming that all this goes for glofish tetras too.... but I may be wrong. ) Maybe you could get more platys or something too? ( Again tho, Not possitive)..... 
Also check out your betta's personality. Because he may like to beat up other fish. The only tank mate that I have had is a snail. So I'm pretty much basing all this info from people on here and my brain ( my family used to have a big aquarium, But I was pretty young so I can't remember that much about it.)

I'm sorry if this didnt help.

And Welcome to the forum!


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## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Never take pet shop advice. They're out to get your money. Follow the advice given and you'll have a very sick, very stressed out fish. Always, always, always research before you get a pet. Never ask people at stores, they will tell you what you want to hear so you pay them. The fish dies? Hey, they'll likely buy another one, or if it gets sick, hey, they buy meds. See how it is? Profit games. Sorry you got smacked like this! That's quite terrible.

First off, betta need more than a half gallon. Depending on the type of betta, it may need larger than the average betta. Five gallons is the best to go with for beginners, easiest to maintain a proper cycle. The smallest tank size a betta should be kept in is a three gallon, not as much for beginners because it's difficult to keep a proper beneficial bacteria colony in there and stabilize the cycle. This can be a fatal error for those who don't know what they're doing.

Large tanks are actually ideal. Bettas live in rice paddies, whereas they aren't very deep, they can be hundreds of feet wide. That is their more natural environment. 

They MUST have a heater. Absolutely essential. They are TROPICAL fish and need STABLE temps no lower than 78F, 80-82F is preferred by them, they can handle temps up to 95F(of course they don't prefer it that high, not for long periods). If you do not get him a heater, his metabolism will freeze, this will dull his colors, make food rot in his stomach, open him up to parasites, bacterial and fungal infections, and eventually kill him. These are tough fish and they can handle a lot of poor care, but that doesn't mean it doesn't cause them pain and suffering.

FILTERS are also absolutely essential, they create oxygen, help clean the tank, and they hold your beneficial bacteria, who without your tank will be full of toxic ammonia. 

You should only change about 20-30% of the tank every seven days or so. Do not over-clean, and do not over-clean the filter. Filter and media(like the cartridge or sponge) should be gently rinsed in tank water. Rinse it in tap water and you kill your beneficial bacteria, this causes a cycle to start in your tank and it poisons the fish for several weeks until it fixes.

You should not get one today. You need to cycle a tank for him first. Research the Nitrogen Cycle BEFORE you get any fish, it can take 6+ weeks to cycle a tank to make it fish safe. Ask around, someone may send you some mature filter media, this will cycle your tank much faster, usually within a few days. =)

So yes, your neighbor is right. Unfortunately it's gonna be a bumpy road. 

If you want a community tank with a betta, it needs to be no less than 15-20 gallons. Neons are good, they also need no less than twenty gallons though, they're very active and will nip and be aggressive in smaller tanks. You'd be better off with the larger, but much more peaceful Cardinal Tetras. Less likely to nip, more tightly bound in their school. Do NOT do a community with a betta in a ten gallon. You can try a pair of African Dwarf Frogs. Mine got along with my betta in a ten gallon, plus they're both carnivores and eat the same or a very similar diet. =) Problems to watch out for is aggression from the betta after initial investigations, and make sure those frogs don't nip him! 
Shrimp are a maybe. Ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, crystal shrimp...best in established tanks though. Always a risk your betta will eat them. ^_~
Nerite snails are also good, they cannot breed unless in brackish water. Well they can breed, the eggs just wont hatch, so you shouldn't get over-run with unwanted snails. 

Kits? Like water testing kits? Always go with liquid test kits, strips are awful and rarely, if ever, accurate. I'd recommend the API Master Freshwater Test Kit. =)

Now for glofish...no. They make tiny tanks for them and again it's a profit game. See, GloTetras are either modified White Skirt Tetras(who need a minimum of 25-30 gallons) or Danios(who also need the same minimum). I do believe they have tampered with another type, the galaxy rasbora, I THINK, can't recall...anyways, all the glofish types need a minimum of 20+ gallons. Their bright colors will attract your betta, he'll likely try to kill them. They'll always be stressed, nippy, and depressed in a ten gallon, bad idea. 

It'd be really pushing it, for both fish and species, but you could try a pair of platies. No reds. I'd go with lighter ones. Mine are good with bumblebees, and the lighter blue colored ones. It's a MAYBE. 

Maximum a ten gallon can hold...unfortunately is very little. The one inch of fish per gallon rule is a crock of you know what. You over-load your tank and not only will it be murky and ugly, it'll be a pool of filth and sick, unhappy fish. 

Yeah, things tend to die if you don't have a proper set up. I assume again with those platies you used to have, you didn't cycle it. That's also why they're an if....Platies should be kept in numbers no less than three or they get stressed and attached obsessively to their partner, and 15 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size for a trio, they need about five gallons per, but with a pair in a ten, gallonage is right, but space is slim and they get stressed. See? 


There may be other options...harlequin rasboras are a maybe for you in there. Might be tight to have any schools with a betta in a small space, so be wary and HAVE A PLAN B, or you'll have dead fish. =D

You can try some endlers livebearers. All short-fins. They're very small, so do risk being eaten if he takes an interest in them, also depends on his color button, what makes him attack....Guppies are NOT ok with them, endlers are different. It's a biiig might, I know some have pulled it off, and if you can they'll be the best option in there. Five males with a betta in a ten gallon and you're set, unless he eats them...Otherwise they're very pretty, very peaceful fish, and males only get about one inch long or less. Black bars are pretty, but may get his color button going.


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## Lettuce (Jul 12, 2014)

Pet store employees really need to get educated. I suppose they think that they're going to sell stuff more easily if they convince people bettas can be in small heaterless bowls, but if a person is already coming in to buy a betta anyway, they would make more money telling the truth and selling the more expensive tanks, filters, and heaters.

ugh.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

i totalty agree!^^ its so sadxc!


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## LisArtist (Mar 2, 2014)

Don't stress out! You can give your betta a good temporary home while you plan a larger community tank. These little fish are a great introduction to a very fun hobby. They have great personalities and you can have fun with your son while making your new fish happy.

Come to this forum any time you are wondering what to do. I do recommend you buy a slightly bigger tank for your new fish - one with a filter. Also buy a thermometer, and a small heater that regulates temperature via a dial. 

You also need a dechlorinator to remove chlorine from your tap water. Prime is a good one, because you only need a few drops and detoxifies the water more than some other brands.

My fish's favorite foods are Hikari Bio Gold pellets and frozen bloodworms. Any food will do, but you will soon learn his tastes. Don't overfeed! The rule seems to be his stomach is the size of his eye....

Optional but fun - buy an anubias plant - your fish will love to scout it out and "sleep" on it. Don't put any decorations in the tank that catch on panty hose, or he may tear a fin. My fish loves a little plastic tunnel I made him from plastic cross stitch mesh sewn with dental floss. You can also buy a betta log, but I hear they start to decompose after a while. Make sure the betta has access to air.

Test your water parameters often using a test tube kit while you get him settled into whatever aquarium you decide on. Watch the ammonia! It's a killer! For kids I recommend getting the Seachem Ammonia Alert which will change color when the level is getting dangerous. Do a partial water change when ammonia starts rising. 

My fish loves his 3 gallon tank, but I know he would be thrilled if I went larger. Scout the forums here. Everyone has a favorite aquarium setup. 

Have fun! It's not just a pet, it's a hobby! You are creating an ecosystem. Read all about it as you plan your next steps!


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## hgual22 (Jul 18, 2014)

Bigger the tank the better. 

In a 10 gallon you could go with some shrimp, snails, or maybe a couple guppies (like feeder guppies, most bettas wont tolerate the fancy guppies since they are colorful like bettas) 

Tetras are fin nippers, and the glofish are too colorful, its threatening to the betta. 

You need a heater. Bettas are tropical fish. I keep my tanks at 80. You also need a low currently filter. more powerful ones can be baffled. 

I have a 5.5gal kit from petsmart for my male (came with everything needed except food, gravel, heater, etc) Its a great size and I have live plants growing in it. 

I also have a tetra 3gal cube for my small female betta, it came with a filter and light. Its also planted. 

You will need a good water conditioner, such as prime, and a test kit. I bought my API freshwater master liquid kit off amazon for $20 vs the $30 petstores charge. 

Read up on the nitrogen cycle as well. Good luck with your new fish!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

A 10 gallon is fine for a Betta; also, a five gallon or a 2.5. Do you have a budget in mind? That helps narrow your options.

There are two types of tank cycling: Fish-in and fishless. I prefer a fish-in cycle. It is not as stressful as the fishless advocates would have one believe since you change the water when Ammonia reaches .25. So the fact that you already have him is no big deal. I would refrain from adding any other critters until the tank is fully cycled.

You need a bottle of Seachem Prime and an API Master Test Kit. That's it. 

Test water every day and when Ammonia is .25, do a partial water change (roughly 25%). At some point you will also see NitrItes. Your tank is on the way to being cycled.

Keep doing water changes when Ammonia and/or Nitrites reach .25. Add two drops of Prime per gallon between water changes.

When Ammonia and Nitrites are 0 and you begin to see NitrAtes, your tank is cycled.

To speed up the cycle, you can use additives like Seachem Stability (what I use) or Tetra Safe Start (haven't used). Live plants help a lot, too. 

Tank mates depend on which size aquarium you finally get. You can do a lot of reasearch and looking while your tank cycles. Unfortunately, there are many myths that have been making the rounds for years such as no colorful fish, no Fancy Guppies; I've kept both with a variety of male Bettas with nary a problem. 

I do not recommend shrimp in a new tank as for their long-term health they need a mature tank and not a freshly-cycled one. They also need a heavily-planted aquarium with lots of hiding places and established biofilm.

No Gouramis and no other Bettas. Tetras can be nippy; especially the "skirted" kinds. I have found the more Neons I have the less they nip. You could easily have 10-15 in a 10 gallon as long as they are the only fish tank mates with your Betta. I would not put any number of Neons or shoaling fish in a five as a five doesn't have a footprint big enough.

Welcome to the Forum!


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## NorthernLights (Mar 2, 2012)

Welcome!

Honestly, I would not suggest you try a 10 gallon community has your intro to bettas. A community tank is a very complex endeavor, because you need to understand each fish's needs very well, and how those needs are impacted by each of the needs of the other fish. You also have to realize that YMMV. I had a small nerite that pooped more than my betta and a mystery snail added together. That's the opposite of what is supposed to happen, but there you go. I have read repeatedly that platys produce a lot of waste and don't do well in 10 gallons. You can put the smaller varieties of cory cats (like habrosus or pygmy) in a 10 gallon, and some folks can manage panda or julii cores in tanks of that size as well. Remember if you choose cores that they need to be a group of six or more. Google aqadvisor (can't post a like on this board) the intelligent freshwater aquarium stocking calculator. It is a great basic tool for computing the number and kinds of fish you can put in a tank. It's not perfect, but it is fairly accurate.

Community tanks are very fun and rewarding, but I would suggest if your heart is truly set on a community tank, to try with a snail or two and live plants first. While it is possible to keep multiple fish in a tank with fake plants, live plants are very helpful, and look wonderful. 

I would recommend a 5 gallon tank as a starter tank. It's great for just a betta, and you can add a snail or two as you get more comfortable. I personally really like the MarineLand 5 gallon hex aquarium -- it's made of very heavy acrylic (shows most other acrylic tanks for the weak pieces of junk they really are) and you can put a CFL in the light socket for great results with live plants when you are ready for them. It looks great and fits on a small side table. You can either keep the filter or switch to sponge filter. Start with just the betta, then you can add some snails when you get more experience.

Another great starter tank is the Aqua Culture 3 gallon cylinder (it's made by Hawkeye, and sold under many names, but it is cheapest at Wal-Mart under the Aqua Culture name). It has an under gravel filter but is particularly easy to clean (the filter plate and riser tube lock together and are quite sturdy, so you can pull them out even with gravel in the tank), just get some nice natural looking gravel. It's got LED lights, so you'd have to go with low-light plants if you wanted live ones, but if you would like to start with silk plants and just your betta, it's a smooth road. 

Either way, you need a 25 watt heater. I prefer the Hydor Theo (get the 50 watt for a ten gallon), as it is adjustable and very small. I've made it work in 0.75 gallon hospital tanks! You'll pay about $30 for it in a local fish store (it can be hard to find) , or about $18 online.


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## paperstars (Sep 29, 2014)

Thank you so much for the helpful replies everyone!

The fish tank I had in the past was definitely cycled. The fish died because I put an automatic feeder on the tank when I went away for vacation. Unfortunately I set it wrong and it was dumping way too much food into the tank. I had the fish for 3 years until that point. After that, I threw away the tank and the stand. 

Now that I have a little boy, I thought he would be interested in fish. But his interest in the betta has definitely declined! Looks like it's my fish now 

But in any event, I will definitely take all of your advice!

Thanks again!


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

paperstars said:


> So I walked into my local petsmart with my son
> My questions are:
> 
> Can someone recommend good tank mates for this betta if I get a 10 gallon and how many of each species can I get?
> ...


 
I've found that CPD's are ideal little tankmates for bettas. They are absolutely gorgeous, hardy, and tiny (less than an inch full grown). and not aggressive. You would need to keep them in a school. For a ten gallon you could get 6 or 8 of them. I love my little CPD's. I started oout with a 20G tank exclusively for them and they have bred several times. I've been told that they are difficult to breed. I guess no one ever told them that. :lol:


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