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Getting a betta!

1K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Flashygrrl 
#1 ·
Well, a new inhabitant is moving into my 5 gallon Hex tank to join the two Otos that live there - a betta. I've already scoped out the local shops to see who tends to get the healthiest fish.

I have lots of artificial plants, and already keep it at about 80 degrees since it used to be a dwarf puffer home until I had a horrible run of bad luck - the DP had an intestinal parasite, months later when I found them in the store again it died the next day - and the free replacement from the store also died. Turned out the entire stock the store received also died. The tank has settled and I've cut down on the snail colony that lives there (left to grow in anticipation of the DP addition).

I'm looking forward to betta stewardship! One question - I've lots of plants, but not a "cave" per se. I have a small ornament I can remove and add a 'cave' if ya'll think I need to....should the plant cover be enough?
 
#2 ·
Could you post a picture. My guess is that if there are some little nooks between the plants that could hide him from view, he should be happy. My betta never went into the little pot that I put in there for him, but he did wedge himself under the leaf of a fake plant and sleep :) . They really are all individuals.
 
#4 ·
If the plants are plastic you should consider replacing them with silk. Betta fins are very delicate and get caught easily on the edges of plastic plants. As for a cave, if you have one then by all means stick it in there (my betta likes to poke his head out one of the holes), if not just have lots of plants.
 
#10 ·
if you are thinking of putting new fish with your betta make sure your tank is 5 g or more before you put them together and if the betta starts to attack the other fish them have another tank for the betta on the side you can get sucker fish or neons or know for a fact dont get guppys unless you think your betta will get along with them but they tend to set the betta fish off think oh another betta fish let me kill him dont get other aggressive fish regardless of what anyone says because of fin nipping it make your betta look like ugly and it not cool
 
#12 ·
Wow, gorgeous fish :D ! Where did you get him, he looks so healthy. All the bettas at the stores near me look near death :( .
 
#13 ·
We got him at Petco. He's in a 5 gallon hex with two Otos. We checked all the local stores (Petsmart, a local chain called Pets Plus and the independent LFS) to see how their bettas were.

The LFS didn't have many and those they did didn't look that great. The Petsmart ones were all in blue water and didn't look that great either. Pets Plus had them in open cups (which seemed dangerous) but they looked decent; not as good as the petco ones though. They transferred him into a bag for us to make tank acclimation much easier.

He's still doing great, and is doing fine with the Otos. Saturday is first water change time for him and hopefully he'll scoot and not get in the way. It's hard enough with the Otos sticking onto the side of the vacuum.
 
#14 ·
jake5554 said:
you can get sucker fish
Gotta be more specific...most people think pleco when they think sucker fish and usually it's the common ones being sold, not the dwarf types...they get huge and poop a lot. Chinese algae eaters are on the "no-no list" too.

As for having tankmates we don't usually recommend anything but a snail or possibly shrimp in a 5 gallon, 10 gallons in the minimum for having tankmates so everyone thinks they have enough room...wait, the betta still tries to take over!!! :)
 
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