general QT questions - and betta in community tank ?

[daylily]

A friend gave me a 10 gal. tank he didn't want anymore. It has a filter, heater, lighted lid.

I have a 5 gal tank with a male betta. I also have a newer 15 gal. planted tank that has 4 cherry barbs and 6 pygmy cory, that have been in there about a month.

I am thinking of adding at least one female betta to the 15 - maybe a trio. If they won't work with the barbs then maybe I will try celestial pearl danios or a couple honey gourami.

But, I really would like bettas.

When I got the other fish, they all came from the same store at the same time, so I didn't QT.

What would I need to set up the 10 gal as a QT? Would it have to cycle? I am thinking I'd have to do a lot of water changes if it was not cycled... I don't really want to set this up permanently, as I don't have a table strong enough and they did not give me a stand with it. So, it will be sitting on the floor in a spare room if I use it as a QT.

I did try the filter in my 15 to see if it works and geezy it is STRONG flow. So I am thinking I would need to get different filter if I even need a filter? If I do 30-50% water change every 3 days, would I need a filter?

and last - I am not sure how long to QT bettas that come in cups. I'll be getting them from a reputable fish store, where I got the other fish. A month?

The last question has to do with having the bettas in a community tank. My male in his 5 gal. comes to the surface to be fed, and I give him one pellet at a time. If I have one or more females in my community tank, how do you know the bettas are getting the pellets and not all the other fish? Will it hurt the betta to eat the food the other fish eat? (New Life Spectrum for small fish as the main diet, then shrimp pellets and crushed flake food every couple days) I do feed my male, and my community fish, frozen blood worms once a week, and frozen brine shrimp once a week. Will the females learn to be "hand fed" like the male has?

Thanks so much!

[shellieca]

I don't leave my QT tank set up because I'd don't have space either. I do a 50% water change every 2-3 days because I figured they need lots of clean fresh water anyways. I left mine bare bottom & added lots of silk plants & some caves. The length of QT time varies for me, if the fish seems healthy I may only QT it for a couple of weeks, if it wasn't healthy I may go up to 4 wks, it all depends on the fish. As for feeding, that can be tricky as Bettas are pigs disguised as fish & eat EVERYTHING that drops into the tank. Check the ingredients on the foods & see if they are similar if so I'd feed just the one instead of trying to feed a Betta specific food to the Bettas & something else to the others. Yes they will eat like the males, mine will take the food off the spoon or my hand. I think the females are even bigger pigs than the males & I find them a little more entertaining. As for making sure everyone is eating, when I had fewer females I'd drop one pellet at time in front of each girl to make sure she was eating, now that I have 12 in one tank, I make sure they're all at up the surface then I sprinkle the pellets around & watch to make sure everyone is eating. This is another reason for QT, the new one(s) get used to seeing me & coming up for food so when I put her into the main tank she knows to do the same thing. If you decide to do multiple females in a tank be prepared for fin nipping & some aggression, make sure they can escape each other easily.

[daylily]

Thank you for replying!

I was reading more threads last night on sororities and read more is better. So, I think I might be better if I just get one.

[isochronism]

If it were me I would get the 10 up and running and established first. Then, could the current inhabitants of your 15 then be moved to the 10 comfortably? That would leave you the 15 for a nice sorority. Sororities do need some experience.

[daylily]

Well, now, that is a thought.....