# Best Companion for Male betta



## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

Which is the best a ghost shrimp or a zebra snail? How many should i get? Please Keep in mind mine is a male betta 
His name is puddles


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

Ghost shrimp are cheaper though


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

It dosent matter the gender of your betta.

It depends how big your tank is. Snails, (nerites are best-zebra) have a HUGE BIOLOAD and poop more then bettas. Shrimp can easily become snacks. A full-grown Nerite Snail needs 3 gallons for ITSELF. 

How big is your tank?

Do you have a liter? A heater?

How often do you clean your tank and how much(%)?\

Also, please remember it also depends on your bettas personality. Some bettas will kill all their tank mates(snails and shrimp) easily, while others will not mind.

*WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW: what size tank do you have? If its a standard fish bowl, absolutely nothing else. A fishbowl can barely house a betta.*


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

How big is your tank? im not sure here is the link i got it off amazon http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Mount-Hanging-Bubble-Aquarium/dp/B002KARLGO/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1

Do you have a liter? A heater? i dont have a heater but i dont think i need one

How often do you clean your tank and how much(%)?\ every 2 or 3 days


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

and my betta is really sweet for the most part instead of trying to attack my hand he backs up or hides in a plant


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

Made2party said:


> How big is your tank? im not sure here is the link i got it off amazon http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Mount-Hanging-Bubble-Aquarium/dp/B002KARLGO/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1
> 
> Do you have a liter? A heater? i dont have a heater but i dont think i need one
> 
> How often do you clean your tank and how much(%)?\ every 2 or 3 days


*THAT TANK IS WAYYYYYYYY TOO SMALL FOR ANY ORGANISIM TO LIVE IN COMFORTABLY. YOU NEED A HEATER, BECASUE BETTAS NEED A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE OF 78-80 DEGREES YEAR-ROUND. IF KEPT IN COLD WATER, BETTA FISH WILL BECOME LETHARGIC AND DIE. ALSO, YOU SHOULD BE CLEANING YOUR TANK EVERY 2 DAYS LIKE YOU ALREADY ARE. I apologize for the caps, but i really want to get my point across. I would suggest either rehoming the fish, or upgrading to at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter.
*

I apologize if i insulted you in any way, i am just very worried for your betta's health.


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

no trust me i know my betta and he has enough room!!!! you dont have to have a giant tank for 1 fish and he loves it so im not gonna take away something he loves!!! And he wont die i have had a betta before and he had a bowl and he lived for 5 years 
Sorry for being snippy im just gettin my point across


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

all i wanted to know is which is better


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

To be honest, neither is better. Don't want to be rude, but a betta NEEDS a bigger tank than that, with a heater.

Snails poop ALOT, and will quickly fill up your tank with deadly ammonia.
Shrimp get eaten.

2.5 gallons is not giant. It is suitable.

I am glad your betta lived a long life, but was he truly happy?

That is like saying "well a human can survive in a closet". Would that human be happy? NO. 

but, if you want your betta to be cramped,cold, and unhappy, then that is your choice, not mine. Snails and shrimp like rectangular tanks because it gives them more room to swim, and escape predators, like Bettas.

I am Truly sorry if i upset you, i am just worried about your little guy.


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## ZergyMonster (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm not going to say what you "should" have but I will say that your tank is not big enough to support another tank mate.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

ZergyMonster said:


> I'm not going to say what you "should" have but I will say that your tank is not big enough to support another tank mate.


Thanks Zergy for backing my point!


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

*listen.to.me.*

hey people, I dont know about your betta/bettas, but MY betta is PERFECTLY happy in HIS tank. The tank looks smaller in the pic than it actually is, and it`s pretty big as a matter of fact. So people need to stop hatin! I know that not all of you were posting rude things, and to the people that didn`t, im sorry you have to see this all because of a couple of rude people. 
And I think i will get a GHOST SHRIMP or 2.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

IMO/E 1gal is fine to keep a long fin male long term, however, the wall hanging type tank can be more of a challenge to maintain water temp......

Its best to maintain a somewhat stable water temp in the 76-80F range.....

You may or may not need a heater, but you do need a thermometer to monitor tank temp and temp of the replacement water used for water changes....

As far as tank mates....shrimp and/or snails will work in a 1gal along with the Betta provided that you make the needed water changes.....

In 1gal unfiltered-water changes of twice weekly....1-50% and 1-100% to maintain water quality....


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

I am TRULY sorry.. but IMO, your betta wont be happy. 

I am glad YOU are happy with your "future" shrimp. Good luck with your future ghost shrimp, i am sorry i could not help you with this issue. I wish you the best


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## Sprinkles55 (Jul 3, 2012)

If you get another tank mate, make sure they have a place to hide so they feel comfortable as well. Do monitor them well, and do maintain your daily water changes. I've heard many stories of ghost shrimp being eaten, so I recommend a nerite snail; their bioload is quite small and they have a shell if your betta chooses to harass it. You MUST keep up on the water changes or the ammonia will spike and hurt your fish and your new tank mate. I also suggest investing in a bigger tank, but that's truly up to you. I'm sure the other users were not meaning to be rude, they sincerely just want to help you care for your fish. That's what a forum is about, to give out advice or opinions.

I say to invest in a bigger thank because I was once in your shoes; I had my betta in a 1.5 gallon bowl and recently bought him a 5 gallon. He has never swam so much, flared, or been so energetic since. He was energetic before in his 1.5, but nothing compared to his new home. Anyways, I wish you luck. Have a nice night!


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## Alcemistnv (Jan 29, 2012)

Oh dear, it's that dreaded tank D:

I think it's best to go get another tank and then worry about a tankmate...

But you can keep a betta safe and happy in there as OFL said.


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

_*Thanks Sprinkles555 i was gonna get a different tank but i didnt know they made them and i read some reviews and most said it was great so my parents got it for me i will eventually get a bigger tank *_


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

that tank's less than a gallon, and really isn't that great for bettas. the open top can lead to him jumping out. because your old one didn't, doesn't mean one won't. x: i had a female who jumped from her bowl one day, out of the blue, during a water change. never jumped before. just decided one day to.

i can't say 'that tank is too small!!!!!1111', because i DO keep a few of mine in one gallon tanks. but, i make sure the water stays warm, which bettas DO need(because they're tropical fish).

that tanks is just BARELY big enough for one betta, and can NOT support ANYTHING else. if you want to get him some tankmates, you'll need a 5 gallon for JUST him and a snail, or a 10 gallon or bigger if you want to add some fish, like neon tetras or cory catfish. nothing else is going to be good in that small of a tank. it LOOKS big for him, but you have to factor in how much the tankmate and betta poop. x: the ammonia produced by anything else WILL make your betta sick.


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## JennybugJennifer (Apr 16, 2012)

i wouldnt suggest getting anything else until you can upgrade, and when i got shrimp my boy thought it was swimming desert so i had to take it out. the snail i had did fine with the betta but they do poop alot


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I would say a mystery snail would be better as they won't reproduce unless you have a Male and female but they poop alot. If you really want to have a snail and a betta, you should have at least 3 gallons with a small filter. The reason I say to upgrade is simply because *mystery snails - THEY POOP ALOT. *I put mine in a 5 gallon without a filter and even then they water got really dirty fast. A small filter with help with water movement and collect some of the debris caused by the snail and betta. Also, I noticed without a filter the water starts to smell funky. A filter that uses a carbon cartridge will help with the stench. 

I keep my fish in everything from a 1 gallon up to a 20 gallon. They are seem happier with more space. However, as long as you keep up with the water changes - all should be ok.

on a side note: colder water slows their metablosim and I think that is why people who keep their bettas in .5 gallon unheated bowls have fish that live longer but I can pretty much guarantee the fish was NOT happy.

EDITED to add:
If money is an issue and you really want a snail with a betta - you can easily and cheaply get a storage bin from walmart for like $5. I keep my trapdoor snail army in a 15ish gallon container that I got for $7 and I have a red CT betta in a 5 or so gallon one. Heaters won't melt the plastic which is good. but for filters, you are kinda limited. I got a tetra whisper for the snails because as I said earlier, THEY ARE POOP MACHINES and the water without a filter would stink up my room. Most of the others hang on the back but the top of most storage bins is too thick but the tetra whisper internal filters come with suction cups.

shrimp aren't as messy as a snail but the betta may think the shrimp is a snack. I think most people with shrimp have moss in their tanks?


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## Made2party (Jul 20, 2012)

oh hey guys! im the other person on this account. me and my friend share one. so any way, i have a betta (her name is savannah) and one day she jumped out of her 5 gal tank... i have NO idea why though... the water was at the same level that i usually put it and i dont understand why she just all of a sudden jumped out, and it was a LONG time after i got her. any thoughts?


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