# Betta Tank Recommendations?



## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Hello,

I have a male Betta named Gizmo. I've had him for about six months now. He started out in a 3 1/2 gallon tank but as my love for him grew, I felt a very strong need to upgrade his tank. He's now in a 10 gallon tank, by himself, with six moneywart plants, a few whisperia plants, and some nice decorations. I know he is very happy in there because he makes bubbles now, and he never did before. There's just one problem -- he really, really hates the water filter because it creates a current in his tank and I think it also discourages him from making bubbles. As a result, I took it out.

According to somewhere on this site, it is a myth that they do not need a water filter. So what kind of water filter would be adequate for his health needs but not disturb his peaceful home?

He also does not have a heater. His water temperature is pretty steady at about 74. I have been thinking about getting him one for the past few days, and after reading this site, I've decided it is a good idea to get him one and will do so tomorrow. What temperature would be ideal for him?

And one last concern is that he flares up a lot when his overhead light is on at night. He sees his reflection in the glass, I think, so he goes into territorial mode. I've pretty much dealt with this by planting all of the moneywarts around the sides of his tank, so not really an issue, but I always wondered if I should get him a tankmate. I don't want him to be lonely, but also on this website, it said something about taking my Betta's temperament into account -- and if he gets puffy over his own reflection, I'm guessing he is too territorial to accept any other fish in his tank?

If that's the case, I think that would be okay, as he really does seem to enjoy his home. I have another tank with some glofish in it that I had next to his tank and he used to watch them without flaring up, so maybe having a tank next to him would provide adequate "companionship?" I moved them upstairs, but what I'd really like to do (at least I'm thinking about it) is starting a female Betta tank. I haven't read the thread on sororities but I will after I post this. They no longer sell them at the Petsmart near me, so I don't know where I'll find them, but do you think it would be okay to have the two tanks next to each other?

And can anyone tell me about how long I can expect him to live for? I seriously love this little guy and want to give him the very best life possible. He's my second Betta. My first one died soon after I got him during a cleaning (his water was way too hot) and ever since then I've been really careful and done a lot of research on my Betta, but this site is the first to ever mention anything about water filtration and heaters as requirements.

Thanks for your time,

-Samuel


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

I added a picture of his aquarium to the forum...


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## gbose (Dec 2, 2010)

Samuel,

You really want a filter in the tank unless you are ready to change the water every couple of days. What kind of filter is it? Can you regulate the flow? or cover the input tube with a very fine nylon-type cloth (sock material does well) to slow down the flow. 

In the worst case, you could get a smaller filter.

Good luck!

GB


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

gbose said:


> Samuel,
> 
> You really want a filter in the tank unless you are ready to change the water every couple of days. What kind of filter is it? Can you regulate the flow? or cover the input tube with a very fine nylon-type cloth (sock material does well) to slow down the flow.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I've been doing full water changes of his tank on a weekly basis because I haven't the slightest idea how to clean a tank otherwise. I know it gets rid of the good bacteria and may cause him some stress (not sure) but I want his tank to be sanitary, of course.

The filter came with the tank. It was part of the Top Fin 10 Gallon Starter Kit, but this looks very much like the filter it came with:

Top Fin® Power Filters and Filtration Cartridges - Filters - Fish - PetSmart

It is not adjustable. Do all air filters create a flow at the top of the tank? That's where he makes his bubbles at. I read earlier today about some kind of air stone? The only pet store near me is Petsmart. Is there a product from there you can recommend?


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Would this work as a good filter? It looks like a pretty good option to me...

Fluval® Underwater Filter - Internal Filters - Filters - PetSmart


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## laughing (Mar 12, 2011)

I would just baffle the filter. There is a baffling sticky on here I believe. It is basically taping on a cut piece of water bottle. OR, use sponge to block the intake/out-take, etc. It's quite simple really.

Bettas love 80*. Mine tend to strive at about 80-85*, they begin to get uncomfortable once it gets about 90, or when it gets lower than 78. So the 80* is the best temperature!

Seeing their reflection can be really healthy for them. As long as he doesn't stress, flaring at his reflection is a perfectly normal and okay for him. I wouldn't add any tank mates, it can get messy quick. But yes, seeing other fish he can't get to is always nice! 

Female sororities take lots of work to put together and maintain, I would wait awhile until you get more information.

Good luck!


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

laughing said:


> I would just baffle the filter. There is a baffling sticky on here I believe. It is basically taping on a cut piece of water bottle. OR, use sponge to block the intake/out-take, etc. It's quite simple really.
> 
> Bettas love 80*. Mine tend to strive at about 80-85*, they begin to get uncomfortable once it gets about 90, or when it gets lower than 78. So the 80* is the best temperature!
> 
> ...


I've spent $450 at Petsmart this week, lol... (A lot of it was for a 37 gallon tank for my mom to raise three silver dollar fish.) It will definitely be a while before I try to have a sorority. Apparently no one around here carries females -- not Petsmart, and my local Wal-Mart stopped selling all of their fish (that's good news!)

But thanks for the advice. I will get Gizmo a heater tomorrow, but he is not lethargic or anything like that. I guess he is just used to room temperature. It will be interesting to see if he changes at all in warmer waters. I have noticed that his body is fading colors -- not the fins; his body is sort of a grayish color and I could swear it was always blue! I'm definitely still learning but I'm trying to get up to speed as quickly as I can because my fishie is not a test subject.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

laughing said:


> I would just baffle the filter. There is a baffling sticky on here I believe. It is basically taping on a cut piece of water bottle. OR, use sponge to block the intake/out-take, etc. It's quite simple really.


This was rather hard to locate, but it's exactly what you're talking about...

Step-By-Step Filter Baffle

I will try that first. It would be nice to have a nice filter for him with carbon filtration without a surface current!


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

laughing said:


> Seeing their reflection can be really healthy for them. As long as he doesn't stress, flaring at his reflection is a perfectly normal and okay for him. I wouldn't add any tank mates, it can get messy quick. But yes, seeing other fish he can't get to is always nice!


How can I tell if he is stressed or just acting naturally? He does all sorts of things when he sees himself. He'll puff out his cheeks, his fins go erect, and he starts swimming around the tank just like a shark. It's really adorable actually, lol... And other times, he'll put his nose right up against the glass, right in the corner, which is just bizarre... I can't really tell what he's doing when he does that; I'm not sure if he is staring himself down or what!

My favorite is when I find him hanging upside down in his little trees like a monkey!


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

It sounds like he's just acting normally. He sounds a lot like my betta with the flaring. I can't use the tank light with him because it causes him to flare up a storm, and he never stops. Mine does have tank mates (cories and tetras) and he loves them both (no flaring towards them).

I had the same problem with my filter making a current, and my betta hated it. I just rubber banded an aquarium sponge to the outtake and voila. It doesn't take much room, and it promotes more good bacteria growth. I recommend the sponge baffle over the bottle one.

When buying the heater, it's best if it's an adjustable one instead of a preset. They tend to work better.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> It sounds like he's just acting normally. He sounds a lot like my betta with the flaring. I can't use the tank light with him because it causes him to flare up a storm, and he never stops. Mine does have tank mates (cories and tetras) and he loves them both (no flaring towards them).
> 
> I had the same problem with my filter making a current, and my betta hated it. I just rubber banded an aquarium sponge to the outtake and voila. It doesn't take much room, and it promotes more good bacteria growth. I recommend the sponge baffle over the bottle one.
> 
> When buying the heater, it's best if it's an adjustable one instead of a preset. They tend to work better.


Thanks, Seka. I'm getting an adjustable one today, and I'll try the sponge. That sounds like a good idea. They probably make them in black too. How do you know he loves them? I'm worried if I put more fish in there he will feel like I care about him less. Silly, right? LOL

I was thinking about checking out some cories today and maybe introducing them to my betta's tank, and if he doesn't accept them, then I can move them to another 10g tank I have with five glofish. Will he still make bubbles if other fish are in the tank with him? I was really happy when he started doing that because I felt like I'd finally accomplished my task of being a good fish owner!

This is my list for today. That pet store is killing me, lol...

Top Fin Floating Glass Aquarium Thermometer x2
Top Fin Submersible Aquarium Heater 50w
Top Fin Small Filter Cartridge x2
Fluval Edge Pre-Filter Sponge x3
Black Gravel


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

I know he loves them because he shares his food with all of them (neon tetras and cories). He eats their food right alongside them, and no one complains. There have never been any fighting, fin nipping, flaring or aggression. He also sometimes copies them. Before I added them he was always swimming at the top of the tank; now he spends most of his time swimming at the bottom alongside them because he seems amused by their explorations. They are all out in the open except during nap time so I can tell they're not stressed out. I don't think he'll think you care less about him if he has tank mates, especially if he reacts the same way mine has.

Cories should work out great for him if he's mellow, and it sounds like he might be. Bettas are top/mid swimmers, while cories are bottom dwellers so it might not affect him at all. The good thing is that cories clean the algae. If you get smaller cories (pygmy, julii, etc) you can get more of them for the 10g (4-5, vs 3-4 of the bigger cories), and that will make them feel safer since they are schooling fish. Three is the minimum, though. They're very active when they're happy and go up and down every surface of the tank. It's up to him whether he'll make bubbles or not. There's really no way to predict that so you'll have to wait and see. The good thing is that you have a lot of plants in your tank so that will help keep the ammonia down even with the additional fish, and it adds more depth to the tank for everyone to explore.

If you're really concerned about him and cories getting along what you can do is take him out and change things around a bit in the tank. Float and add the cories first and let them explore so they know their way around. Then add him back in last. This will greatly decrease his chance of acting territorial.

I got the Fluval Edge Pre-Filter Sponge x3 to baffle my filter and one sponge did the job. The sponge also takes less room than the bottle, and your betta can't swim into the sponge like he could with the bottle and get stuck in the filter current there. Looks like you got a good list. Don't forget to get the cories their food when you get them. They should be fine with just regular algae wafers.

Hope this helps, and good luck. Here are a couple of pictures of my betta playing with two of the cories.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

For a 10 gallon tank, you could up to 6 more fish with your Betta. I would recommend Platies; they're hardy, colourful, and go well with Bettas.

Another option is a couple of African Dwarf Frogs (these a basically frog-fish; they stay in water all the time and are very cute).


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone. I really appreciate it. I haven't gotten any new fishies yet. I want to do more research and give it some thought first. I'm not particularly fond of catfish because of the whiskers; they remind me of insects for some reason, lol... Anyway, I had a heck of a time trying to get the sponge trick to work. I didn't have any rubber bands and the way the water filter is set up, I'm not sure it would have helped. So, at least as a temporary fix, I've used black electrical tape and I wrapped the sponge in an oval shape. You can still see water coming through the bottom, but it doesn't seem as strong. Here's a picture. What does everything think? Will this work for now or is this still too much water flow?


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

He's in his new home. 

The sponge baffle is working great -- it creates a very, very mild current at the top. That hasn't stopped Gizmo from cursing at it though. He keeps going over to it and puffing, just like when I had first put it in the tank, but now he only does it in the one spot where the current creates a little stream. It's funny.

And now he has a heater. I'm going to aim for 82 unless you guys recommend a different temperature. Maybe it will help bring back some of his color. He seems kind of dull looking lately. My one concern is that he won't stop checking it out and he is swimming in between it and the glass! He mustn't do that!

I was able to take a few pictures, but they come out better at night when the sunlight in the house doesn't make reflections everywhere. He wasn't being very cooperative with the camera today and starting puffing at me too, lol...

*Gizmo's New Home -- He's Sneaking into the Cave on the Left*











*Checking Out the Water Filter -- He Doesn't Like It!*











*Too Close to the Heater -- And Apparently None Too Pleased with Me! LOL*











*Still Near the Heater -- Good Pic of Him Though*

(Does he look like a healthy fish?) I watched him hop over the top suction cup! Crazy!!


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> Hope this helps, and good luck. Here are a couple of pictures of my betta playing with two of the cories.


They're adorable.


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Your tank looks great! And your plants are awesome!

The thing about him swimming around the heater suction cups: mine does it, too. It seems more like a game to him. Maybe yours is being playful as well. I wouldn't be too worried about that.

Let him settle in a bit and he should stop being so obsessed with the filter, and maybe even the heater. The baffle looks great like that. 82 is a good temperature. I think most people on this forum recommend between 78 and 82 degrees.

Cories are just the beginning of all the possibilities for betta tank mates. Check out the Betta Fish Compatibility forum section for ideas and stocking options. Cories, some species of tetras, mystery snails, some small shrimp species, otos, and african dwarf frogs are just a few I could come up with off the top of my head to give you a few ideas, but there's others.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> Cories are just the beginning of all the possibilities for betta tank mates. Check out the Betta Fish Compatibility forum section for ideas and stocking options. Cories, some species of tetras, mystery snails, some small shrimp species, otos, and african dwarf frogs are just a few I could come up with off the top of my head to give you a few ideas, but there's others.


You really think I can have more fish in such a small tank? I mean, there are a lot of plants and decorations too... It didn't seem so small to me until I added the water filter and heater, lol. And I'm not sure what your betta is like, but mine is all over the place. He never stays in just one place for very long. Are glofish compatible tank mates? I'm about to move them downstairs, but they'll just be in a tank next to him.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> Your tank looks great! And your plants are awesome!


Thanks. The big ones are moneywarts. The small one is a wisteria. I read the profile on here about wisteria and apparently they can grow to be quite big, but I haven't had mine long enough I guess to see that. They are my favorite underwater plant so far. I get the moneywarts because Gizmo loves to lay on those, or hide in them, or hang upside down in them, hehe.


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

I have moneyworts and wisteria as well, plus anubia, amazon swords, and java fern. Mine is the same way with the moneyworts; he keeps circling around them over and over and over and over... I get dizzy watching him.

Yeah, mine's really active. He darts around really fast sometimes, but he also has moments when he's just daydreaming. My whole tank is very active. Everyone is constantly darting around everything. For example, cories are supposed to be bottom dwellers, but I've spotted one chilling on the leaf hammock at the top of my tank. He must be really relaxed to do that even with the betta darting around.

With all the plants you have in the tank you should be fine adding tank mates because all those plants actually help. They provide hiding places as well as things for them to explore to keep them active, less stressed and happy. Plus, they keep your ammonia levels down. It does look like a lot, and there is a maximum, though. In a 10g you can pretty much have 3-5 fish of the same kind that school together: 3-5 neon tetras OR cories OR otos for example. Or you can add a couple of mystery snails OR 7-8 ghost, amano or cherry shrimp OR a couple of african dwarf frogs for example. These are just a few examples to give you an idea of how many you can put in the tank without overstocking it.

Here's a link that might help: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=58977&highlight=glofish Read the whole thread, not just the first "guide" post.

For compatibility options you can also check out www.aqadvisor.com. Don't rely on it to see how many you can put in, though. The numbers are too high (overstocked), but the species information is pretty good.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> I have moneyworts and wisteria as well, plus anubia, amazon swords, and java fern. Mine is the same way with the moneyworts; he keeps circling around them over and over and over and over... I get dizzy watching him.


How many plants total would you put in a 10g tank?



Seka said:


> I've spotted one chilling on the leaf hammock at the top of my tank. He must be really relaxed to do that even with the betta darting around.


I read on here that my glofish (are those neons?) like driftwood and floating plants in their aquariums. I asked my local Petsmart if they had anything like this, but the driftwood they had were huge rocks, so I'm guessing that's not what the profile was suggesting. Do you know where I can get those at?



Seka said:


> In a 10g you can pretty much have 3-5 fish of the same kind that school together: 3-5 neon tetras OR cories OR otos for example. Or you can add a couple of mystery snails OR 7-8 ghost, amano or cherry shrimp OR a couple of african dwarf frogs for example. These are just a few examples to give you an idea of how many you can put in the tank without overstocking it.


Thanks. I will look into the schooling fish you suggested. I wouldn't want any snails, shrimps, or frogs though, lol.



Seka said:


> Here's a link that might help: Betta Compatibility Guide Read the whole thread, not just the first "guide" post.


I will definitely check out the link. This has been a good learning experience for me.


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

I don't think there's a specific number of plants for a tank. It varies, and really depends on the kind. I think as long as all the plants are thriving you're good no matter how many you put in. For instance, when doing a betta sorority you want to plant as many as possible to have plenty of hiding spaces and break up the line of sight at all water levels.

I don't know much about glofish. You can check the petco and petsmart web sites to see what they carry and order it online. There's other sites to order the driftwood from like www.aquabid.com, www.bigalsonline.com, and www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com, but I don't order online so don't know much about them; other forum members have, though. Here's a link to a plant guide to help you find floating plants: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=67565&highlight=plant+guide that are low maintenance. Some of the plants are pretty common so petco and petsmart carry them.

The link I provided in the earlier post talks about the compatibility of glofish and bettas, plus some other fish, but here are a few more links: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=66035&highlight=glofish, http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=65019&highlight=glofish, http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=45136&highlight=glofish

Also, just fun glofish facts: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=58697&highlight=glofish


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Thanks for all your time in replying to my messages. I've actually read all about the glofish on the official website. I know they are genetically modified to glow, but they're so darn cute, lol... I know they are danios, so maybe "neon tetras" are something else altogether. I just got done assembling the glofish tank exactly like Gizmo's, heater, modified water filter, etc. The only thing they are lacking now are plants and toys! Their tank is rather sparse compared to Gizmo's. I got them on a whim. They're now in a tank the same size right next to Gizmo's. They were in a different tank before and for a while I had them next to Gizmo and he enjoyed watching them; he has never puffed at them or anything. I think he finds them amusing!


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

No problem. I enjoy helping other people. Plus I get to learn stuff I'd never think about researching myself, and then who knows, I might decide to get some glofish now, too.

That's cute that he enjoys watching them. It also tells you a lot about his personality regarding tank mates so that's a good thing. If he finds it amusing just to watch them, he might find it more amusing to actually interact with something.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> No problem. I enjoy helping other people. Plus I get to learn stuff I'd never think about researching myself, and then who knows, I might decide to get some glofish now, too.
> 
> That's cute that he enjoys watching them. It also tells you a lot about his personality regarding tank mates so that's a good thing. If he finds it amusing just to watch them, he might find it more amusing to actually interact with something.


The first time he ever made a bubble nest was after I got the glofish, but it could be coincidence. The same day I also got him a 10g tank; that's how I ended up with the glofish, because I knew I'd have an extra tank to house them once I moved him into the bigger home.


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

It could be just a coincidence; there's really no way to tell except get him to talk somehow. Mine stopped making bubble nests when I moved him from his 2.5g to the 10g, but he seems more active in the 10g so I'm keeping it like that regardless. I think mine just isn't used to the 10g enough to make bubble nests; it took him a long time in the 2.5g. I'm starting to see tiny lines of bubbles along the edges so I'm hoping for a bubble nest soon.

Gizmo sounds like he's very happy with his current accommodations, though. Whether you get him tank mates or not, he will have a long, happy and healthy life for sure.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> I'm starting to see tiny lines of bubbles along the edges so I'm hoping for a bubble nest soon.


I have done full water changes on his tank about four times in the past week (for various reasons -- he's finally set up now) that I think he has decided the bubble nests are more effort than they are worth, because he is doing exactly what you described above now, lol.



Seka said:


> Gizmo sounds like he's very happy with his current accommodations, though. Whether you get him tank mates or not, he will have a long, happy and healthy life for sure.


I hope so. He looks kind of old to me, and I don't know if I am giving him all the care he needs. I was overfeeding him because I couldn't resist it when he would swirl around the tank edges when I'd talk to him and run my finger next to him, but his stomach started getting pretty big, so I've cut him back. I was giving him like ten pellets at a time. Then, I got him some freeze dried blood worms, and now I can't get him to eat the pellets! These are recent developments; I haven't fed him at all today, the first time since I got him. Can you tell from my pictures if he looks healthy (or old)?


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Lol, mine would make a bubble nest right before a water change. I tried keeping them as intact as possible, and he'd fix them. Now I don't know if he will make one, we'll see.

Gizmo looked a bit on the side of being overfed. Cut down to 2-3 pellets at a time, 2 feedings a day OR 4-5 pellets if fed only once a day. Blood worms once a week if you really want to treat him since it's like junk food. You can also try tropical flakes. As long as the food has a 40% or higher protein amount, the food is good. 50% actually, but that's hard to find. Fast him one day a week, set a day so it's always the same day. That means NO FOOD the whole day; I know it's hard, but it's good for him, especially after being overfed. That should help improve the way he looks.

Also, stop with the full water changes so your tank can build up good bacteria and cycle. I don't know if you have a master test kit to test the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, alkalinity, chlorine and hardness, but if you don't, get one. Test the water to make sure the water is good for bettas. You can post the results of the test on here if you don't understand what they mean. Once cycled, maintaining the tank becomes much easier since the water changes don't need to be as large or frequent. Do you have a gravel vacuum/siphon? If not, get one. It makes water changes a breeze.

I don't think he's old. Bettas aren't old when they're sold by pet stores. Depending on how they're treated, they could live anywhere from a few days to six years (although older have been reported). By joining this forum and willing to learn how to take care of Gizmo you're on the right track to having him for years rather than days/months. Read other threads on the forum to learn more about how to take care of him and make his fins, tail, and scales look better, not just your threads. There's tons of information on here.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> Lol, mine would make a bubble nest right before a water change. I tried keeping them as intact as possible, and he'd fix them. Now I don't know if he will make one, we'll see.


It is fun to watch them fix them up! I put some new plants in his tank one day and tried to avoid his bubble nest, but it did start to dissipate and he went right to work fixing it up, haha...



Seka said:


> Gizmo looked a bit on the side of being overfed. Cut down to 2-3 pellets at a time, 2 feedings a day OR 4-5 pellets if fed only once a day. Blood worms once a week if you really want to treat him since it's like junk food. You can also try tropical flakes. As long as the food has a 40% or higher protein amount, the food is good. 50% actually, but that's hard to find. Fast him one day a week, set a day so it's always the same day. That means NO FOOD the whole day; I know it's hard, but it's good for him, especially after being overfed. That should help improve the way he looks.


Good advice. 



Seka said:


> Also, stop with the full water changes so your tank can build up good bacteria and cycle. I don't know if you have a master test kit to test the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, alkalinity, chlorine and hardness, but if you don't, get one. Test the water to make sure the water is good for bettas. You can post the results of the test on here if you don't understand what they mean. Once cycled, maintaining the tank becomes much easier since the water changes don't need to be as large or frequent. Do you have a gravel vacuum/siphon? If not, get one. It makes water changes a breeze.


I don't normally change his water so often. I definitely understand the importance of getting good bacteria into his tank. The good news is that he doesn't seem at all stressed by the process. He watches me cleaning all of his things, almost with an excited look on his face.

I haven't bought a master kit yet, mostly because it looks daunting as hell to deal with so many chemicals, but I have taken my water to Petsmart to be tested, and everything has come back really good.

I do have a siphon. I only recently started using gravel in his tank. He had glass marbles in his other tank. I don't have any reason now to do full water changes, so I will start doing partial changes from now on.



Seka said:


> Read other threads on the forum to learn more about how to take care of him and make his fins, tail, and scales look better, not just your threads. There's tons of information on here.


Oh, I've definitely read a lot on this site already, including all of the stickies. And before I found this site, I did lots of reading on bettas. There's just a lot of conflicting information out there. Finding this site wasn't very easy from a Google search. I think I came across it by happenstance from a link on another site. When I saw how vibrant the forum community was, I decided to join.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

Your tank looks really nice.. well done!


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

ollief9 said:


> For a 10 gallon tank, you could up to 6 more fish with your Betta. I would recommend Platies; they're hardy, colourful, and go well with Bettas.


I was just reading the profile on the Platy and it says that they don't like temperatures above 78. Right now, Gizmo's tank is at 84. Otherwise, I think I would have gotten them! I could probably lower Gizmo's tank a little, and I might anyway, but not below 80. I feel guilty for keeping him cold for so long, lol...


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

If you lower the temperature gradually to 78, he'll be fine. 78 is still a great temperature for bettas. In fact, it is better than the 84. 84 is a bit high.


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## rswfire (Jul 4, 2011)

Seka said:


> If you lower the temperature gradually to 78, he'll be fine. 78 is still a great temperature for bettas. In fact, it is better than the 84. 84 is a bit high.


Yeah, I think you're right. I've been observing him for the past two days since I got the heater and he's certainly fine but he doesn't seem as active. I'll taper it down to 78. I'm really nervous about getting him any sort of tank mates, so I've been looking up all the fish you both recommended. I think I may just get him some toys instead, lol. This thing looks pretty cool:

Zoo Med Floating Betta Log - Fish - PetSmart

Are cories "swimmers" or do they just hop around like bottom feeders?


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

You're not required to get him a tank mate. By all means if you're not comfortable with it, don't.

That's a cool log. I think several members on here have it.

Cories aren't swimmers like tetras, glofish and such as they don't spend their time swimming around that way. They can swim like that, but they spend most of their time going over gravel (or sand), driftwood and plants, sweeping everything with their bristles. You'll rarely see them in the middle of the tank with nothing close to them since their bodies almost always touch a surface. They are bottom feeders. They're pretty low profile so they aren't as overwhelming to the betta the way some of the other fish might be.


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