# companions



## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

i am new to this. I have a beautiful male beta. I had bought a female and keep her in a different tank, but she passed after a few weeks. I was wondering what type of fish i can add to his tank without any problems


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Welcome to the forum  

We need a few more details for us to be able to help you, like....

What size tank do you keep your male in? Is it heated and filtered? 

Sorry to hear about your female


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## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

he is in a 2 gallon plastic tank with a filter/ no heater. He seems to be doing fine,but i think he might be a bit more happy with a friend


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

You should definitely throw a heater in there. Even if your atmospheric temperature is appropriate, it's probably not stable. Unstable temperatures lower your betta's immune system and cause quite a bit of stress. I think there's a Tetra heater at Walmart that is made for small tanks that a lot of members here use without problems which keeps your temperature at ~78ºF. And stable. 

As for the tank mates, I think two gallons is too small for anything else to be added. Maybe a shrimp? I think most people suggest a minimum of five gallons for ADFs because they like to be in pairs, but I could be wrong. The last thing I can think of is a snanil, if that's something that interests you.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

ADF's have a high bioload I hear but don't take my word for it as i'm not familiar with these, also bettas have been known to tear limbs off ADF's which sounds pretty nasty lol. I agree with Kittles about the heater and also that your tank isn't big enough for anything other than shrimp or a snail and snails also have a high bioload, however I have kept snails in a 2.5 with a betta and had no problems, just make sure you keep up with regular water changes


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## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

it sounds to me like bettas are not a very friendly type fish. i sure wish there was something that i could add to his tank. i sure he is board all alone in the tank by himself. I remember when i bought the female and put her tank next to his,talk about growing twice the size in a mater of seconds. he was so beautiful. Wish i could see him like that again.


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## kuklachica (Dec 23, 2009)

Put a mirror next to his tank and he will start flaring at his reflection. Nothing should be put in with him in a 2 gallon. Even though a shrimp may be able to fit in there bio-load wise, it does not give the shrimp enough space to hide and get away if the betta decides to stalk him.


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## puddin (Apr 5, 2010)

Shrimp need hiding places for when they shed their skin and are waiting for their new one to harden. Sorry to say in a 2 gallon there is not a lot of options.


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## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

what would be the best size for him? I would like to have at least 2 fish. I thought that you could put a male and a female together


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

A 10g tank would give you plenty of options as far as tank mates go. You could do some Cory cats, or some Harlequin rasboras. 

There is always the chance that your betta will not get along with the other fish... So keep that in mind and have a back up plan should this happen.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

A male and a female should never be put together unless you are trying to breed them and that should be done carefully and with as much research as your brain can handle  Some people who have experimented have had success but in my opinion and others on here will agree with me, it shouldn't be done. If you want to have more fish then upgrading to a 10 gallon would give you more of an option


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## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

i was told that you need 1 gallon per fish!


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

the petstores say that so people will buy more fish there are many other factors then just how many gallons are suitable you need to understand bettas are territorial and may not like a friend in such a small space or vice versa. But if say you got a 5 gallon one other fish might be ok. but I would wait until you have a bigger tank. Or you could find a new female as a neighbour again even  A lot of tropical species are also more delicate than bettas though bettas should have a heater and all that but can be hardy sometimes without one...a lot of other species it is a must or they will not survive at all. So you have to think if your set up is good for other tropical species as well.

I hope this helps


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## dans50s (Aug 2, 2010)

JamieTron said:


> the petstores say that so people will buy more fish there are many other factors then just how many gallons are suitable you need to understand bettas are territorial and may not like a friend in such a small space or vice versa. But if say you got a 5 gallon one other fish might be ok. but I would wait until you have a bigger tank. Or you could find a new female as a neighbour again even  A lot of tropical species are also more delicate than bettas though bettas should have a heater and all that but can be hardy sometimes without one...a lot of other species it is a must or they will not survive at all. So you have to think if your set up is good for other tropical species as well.
> 
> I hope this helps


 
one more question. Is it ok to use well water?


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Corys are fun but prefer to live in groups of at least 4-6...so ya, 10g. 

His 'growing twice the size' was him showing aggression, showing her that this is his territory. He honestly did not want to make friends


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

Well water depends on the hardness really, but if you have particularly hard water I would mix it with some tap water to soften it up a bit before you use it. If the water is not overly hard then I would say it would be okay to use.


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## Saroar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well water works fine, in my experience (I really don't have that much experience. I've only had my betta for almost a week.) . But, keep in mind that we had our water tested recently so I know the properties of our well water. It should be fine as long as you use water conditioner.


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