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A few questions: Heaters, filters, size and community tanks?

1K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Lion Mom 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! I just joined here this morning, and it looks like a great forum! We've adopted a Betta Fish recently (As well as spending about $120.00 on a tank/filter/food/air pump... :p), and have some questions regarding habitat.

My first question is: Is it normal for Bettas to avoid filters when the filter was just put in? I put a Filter into the 10 Gallon tank this afternoon, and our Male Betta seems to be avoiding/hiding from it. Has anyone had this happen before? Is this normal? Any tips?

My second question is, does anyone have any suggestions for what fish to keep with Male Bettas? I know that generally slow, bottom-feeding fish are preferred. I was hoping to make a community tank, and wanted to know if anyone had suggestions for some colorful or interesting fish that could coexist with Bettas. :-D

We were also wondering if anyone had suggestions for good heaters? We're looking to get one for a consistent water temperature, but the ones at the local pet stores are very large and expensive.

Thanks for any help! :)
-Josh
 
#2 ·
in my experience, bettas do not fair well with air stones / bubble stones. They do not like currents, so most betta owners cover their filters output somehow. In a 10 gallon tank with a betta you could get some cory cats, some otos, or maybe some tetras. Also, you won't find a "good" heater for much less than 30 dollars in my experiences
 
#4 ·
Welcome to the forum!!! =D

Yeah remove the air pump if you can. =] I just bought an air pump but I only bought it to aid with the fishless cycle that I'm starting tomorrow. =]

What kind of filter do you have? you should make a baffle if you have a hang-over-the-back type filter! =] Here's a tutorial: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139&highlight=baffle

Here's a thread with info on sponge baffling: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=45845&highlight=baffle

You could try searching for an adjustable filter! =] then you wouldn't have to baffle anything! =]

I suggest the marineland stealth heaters. =] you can buy them at petsmart/petco and they seem really nice. I just set one up today in fact. =] I'd tell you how it's working but I broke my thermometer! XD
 
#5 ·
The Marineland Stealth Pro heater is FANTASTIC! I got mine dirt cheap though, 'cause I work at PetSmart and I got 30% off. But it's still a marvelous heater for the price. I think ours were $35 CDN.
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys! (I'm Josh's mom.)

Would the Marineland pro work for both 5 and 10 gallon tanks?
Wallywest- Thanks! I'll remove the air pump. I'll take a look at those tutorials, too. Jeff seems to be doing better with the filter, but I think he still dislikes the current.
 
#8 ·
hello and welcome to the forum. in my reasearching of bettas , i have learned that cory cats,neon tetras( not zippy ones),platys,mollies, and guppies can be paired with them.Also apple snails ,mystery snails , and african dwarf frogs. but this is just what i have heard
 
#9 ·
There is a LOT of differing opinions on what can and what can't live with bettas.

IMO/E, Mollies are HORRIBLE fin nippers (had some kill a large female angel once), platys may nip or be terrorized by a betta (my betta killed mine when I had them together), bettas will attack male guppies mistaking them for another betta due to the long colorful tail.

No experience with the others, but, personally, I think bettas are better off on their own. But that's just me! ;-)
 
#10 ·
Thank you for the advice everyone! I'll keep that in mind with Mollies. Jeff (my Betta) seems to be very happy with his filter now- The water is very clear as well! :) However, when I feed him, he usually gulps down the flakes and then spits them back up immediately afterwards. Is this normal?
 
#11 ·
Flakes aren't a very good food for bettas. They're generally poor quality and they're full of air, which makes them difficult to digest. I suggest switching to a high quality pellet food such as OmegaOne Betta Buffet Pellets, Atison's Betta Pellets, Ken's Betta Crumbles, and New Life Spectrum. Having the food in pellet form makes it easy to avoid overfeeding. Fish weren't designed to eat dry, air-filled foods, so soaking the pellets in tank water before giving them to your betta is an easy way to prevent bloating and digestive problems.

I suggest shopping online at http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com they offer flat rate shipping and their prices are at least $10-$20 lower than you would find in pet stores.

As far as tank mates go, if you get any kind of schooling fish you should make sure you get a minimum of six individuals. Pygmy cories are great candidates because they are adorable, they shoal together and give the tank a lot of movement--their small size allows you to get six individuals without putting too much strain on your bioload. This would probably be one of the best options.

Frogs are great, too, but they can be exceedingly difficult to feed and keep happy. They like to be in groups, and are nearly blind, so they hunt by scent. The only way I could feed mine was by dangling a live blackworm in front of its face until it realized it was there. Very annoying.

Platies and mollies are not good tankmates, in my opinion. They prefer much harder water with a higher salinity than bettas would thrive in. They're also aggressive and could harm a slow-moving betta. Male guppies are so colorful that the betta may mistake them for other male bettas--dull females should be ok though.

Remember to research any fish you're considering getting for your aquarium. They all have their own unique needs, don't expect a pet store employee to explain them to you.

Also, I suggest reading about the nitrogen cycle, if you have not already, and how to conduct a fishless cycle.
 
#12 ·
idk much about most of what you're asking but...

i have a male betta that's in a 10 gallon tank and i have an over the back filter on the tank. he didn't do very well with it at first so i filled the tank as much as i could to provide less of a current and he's gotten used to it, he's actually been playing in it sometimes. it doesn't actually have a filter in it right now though since i just put it in to keep the water moving. we have a bad problem with algae here especially if the water sets still. as far as other tank mates i'm not sure. i love mollys and used to breed them as an amateur so i wondered if they'd be compatable with my betta....what i've found researching is that it depends on the personality of both fish, sometimes it's on others it's not. havn't made it to the store yet to get one so idk if my betta is ok with it or not :) .
 
#13 ·
Thanks for all of the helpful information and shop link, Adastra! I didn't know that about the Flake foods. I found Atison's Pellet Food on Foster's, would you suggest buying this type?
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15529

I also starting reading about the Nitrogen cycle, and it seemed that alot of people said that every-other-day water changes worked best (And I would assume that feeding my Betta and the filter is doing this process anyway.) Do you think the cycle could be harmful to him? Would you suggest moving him to a bowl until the cycle is complete? When the Nitrogen Cycle is complete, how often/how do you clean the fishtank? (The tutorials weren't very specific how tank maintenance was after the cycle was complete.)

TannersGirl- Thanks for the info. I actually found my Betta playing in the slight current as well. Haha! I think our Betta has adjusted the the Filter now, but I still plan on sponging it.
 
#14 ·
i have had my tank set up for three months or so and i havn't changed the water or done much to it at all. i just keep testing the PH and other chem levels and if i can't regulate the levels another way then i'll do a partial water change with my betta in another tank until i know the levels are ok.
 
#15 ·
Lion Mom said:
There is a LOT of differing opinions on what can and what can't live with bettas.
Lion Mom said:

IMO/E, Mollies are HORRIBLE fin nippers (had some kill a large female angel once), platys may nip or be terrorized by a betta (my betta killed mine when I had them together), bettas will attack male guppies mistaking them for another betta due to the long colorful tail.

No experience with the others, but, personally, I think bettas are better off on their own. But that's just me! ;-)

i didnt know that. i have heard many times that mollies and platys were great tank mates for bettas. (again, this is all from the internet) i can agree about the guppies though.i guess that even though you read a lot on the internet, tank experience is best.:-D
 
#16 ·
Over the years I have tried different bettas with different fish and have found, for the most part, the bettas are either bullies or bullied.

I know some have been successful keeping bettas with other fish, just not me. I am MUCH happier devoting a 10 gal. tank to a single male betta than not - even IF it drives my husband crazy! LOL!!!
 
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