new betta owner. looking to add to the tank.

[kylor]

New beta owner here. Looking to add to the tank. It's a five gallon with a heater set at 78 and a low flowing filter. It's a small tank so it would have to be small. I read about pygmy cories and ghost shrimp. is that about it for a five gallon tank? Or are there any others you guys recommend?

[crowntail lover]

You could maybe go with some shrimp and a snail.. But Cories need a bigger tank than a 5g. It would just stress them as well as your Betta.

[kylor]

Ok so if I get some shrimp and a snail will I need to get anything else food wise? I don't want to try and feed them anything that isn't good for the betta. Also, my beta seems to be spending a lot of time swimming against the walls of the tank...is he just getting used to the new setting or is it his reflection that he could be seeing? Thanks :)

[crowntail lover]

You can get some Algea Waffers to feed them..Mine LOVE them..
And he is most likely seeing his reflection. Does your lid have a light?

[shinybetta]

Feed the snails algea wafers and the occasional blanched lettuce and feed the shrimp sunken betta pellets.

[Roos]

Hey another new guy here. Figured I'd just add to this thread instead of making a new one.

So my g/f got me a betta fish for our one year anniversary and I love it!!!! I meant to build me own fish tank this summer but I never got around to it. Any way, with the Xmas money I got I went out and bought a 10 gallon tank, and I'm not sure what other fish to add. Any suggestions?? The guy at the pet store said tetra's were compatable if they were in groups of 6 or more. Is this a good bet??

And one other thing, just about water temperature. My betta (I named him kitty... :p) is just in a one gallon tank right now at room temperature (which actually seems to be pretty cold). Should I invest in a heater if I am able to add tetra's?? From what I've read they both seem to like 80 degrees.

[Malvolti]

Yes to the heater. Bettas prefer and are much more active in water around 78-80 degrees.

Compatibility wise Bettas will get along with a number of things; neon tetras, cories, platies, guppies (of the non-fancy variety). Basically anything that is considered peaceful, doesn't get bigger than the betta and doesn't have large bright colored fins.

As has been mentioned you can also try ghost shrimp, Bettas will try to eat them but if they are big enough he'll give up.

I also have a snail. My Betta spent 2 days trying to eat it but has finally given up and just ignores it. The problem with snails, as I'm learning, is they panick owners more than bettas do. They go dormant for no reason for days at a time with no signs of life and no way to know if they are alive or dead. When they are active though they can be fun to watch.

There is a variety of options, just be careful not to over stock your tank.

[Roos]

Sweet thanks!! I'm headin to the mall tomorrow to capitalize on the boxing day sales. Hopefully I can get a good deal on a heater so I can buy more fish :p

Just a few more questions... lol

For a 10 gallon tank, does the number of fish I can add depend on the type of fish?? If so, how many tetra's would be an ideal number??

And I've read a few of the topics on Betta Sorority's, but from what I understand, Betta's don't usually get along. Is it a hit or miss type situation?? I wouldn't mind adding a second Betta. Does gender matter? How could I tell since neither my girlfriend nor I know the gender of Kitty :p

[Malvolti]

Sororities are a female only thing and for a 10 gallon you would have 4-5 females together and that's it in the tank.

The easy but not always accurate way to tell the gender of your betta is the fins, Long are male and short are female. This gets complicated though when you consider the existence of things like plakats, young and not fully grown fins, damaged fins. Pictures would help.

If you go with tetras I would say 4, maybe 5 but that's pushing it. A good site once you get the hang of it is http://www.aqadvisor.com/

Since all species have their own requirements the number you can add will vary from species to species. Most small ones like tetras and platies you'll be looking at 3-5 max fish.

Another option if you like the idea of a second betta would be to divide your 10 gallons. Most pet stores sell tank dividers. A 10 gallon can be divided into a max of 4 sections basically making 4 2.5 gallon tanks in one. I personally wouldn't recommend more than 3 sections and suggest only sticking to 2 sections if you do go divided. However it would let you have several male Bettas in the same tank without them killing each other.

[Roos]

Awesome, thanks for the advise! I don't know whats more fun, having the fish or learning about them :p