New Betta Owner

[LadyVictorian]

Hey guys I'm LV. I don't have my betta yet but I have been looking around various petshops near me for the perfect little boy. Before I bring him home I would like his tank already set up for him and ready to go. I don't plan on getting him until a little after thanksgiving. I have a few questions as far as setup and companions and such so here I go. Hopefully I will get all the info I need here for a happy fish.

Tank size. Alright I keep mice as pets and I keep three girls in a 20 snake tanks and one girl (too aggressive with other mice) alone in a 10 gallon tank so I virtually have a good understanding of fish tank size. Would a betta do better in a 10 or 20 gallon fish tank or should I go larger?

What do I need in the tank? I know I need something to control temp since they like warmer water. What sort of lights, filters, decorations, and plants are best for betta's? Also what do I need to balance out the PH? I have well water which is high in iron so what sort of water can I use aside from that? When I was very little the well water is what I think killed my goldfish and my sharks had issues on bottled water with it getting cloudy.

Companions:
I have heard cleaning shrimp are okay to live with them since it will not attack the tail. Is this true? I would like to have an animal with him that can help clean his tank. Are there any other fish that he can be housed with? I worry because it seems most fish like eating their tails.

Finally I want to place my betta semi close to my mice or maybe across the room so they can watch each other. I know my mice would like watching another animal aside from each other but would it stress out the betta if he had a clear view of my mice or do you think he would enjoy it as well?

[bettafish15]

"Would a betta do better in a 10 or 20 gallon fish tank or should I go larger?"

I LOVE YOU. YOU ARE THE BEST.

On a serious note, a 10g would be fine, a 20g would be great if you want to add alot of tankmates. :) A 50W adjustable heater will do great in a 10g. Go 100W for a 20g. Don't worry about the PH, bettas adjust just fine when you use a water conditioner to take out the heavy metals. Prime is a good brand.
Any filter will do thats rated for your tank size, but it will need a baffle, which you can do a quick search on how to do here. Flourescent bulbs are best.

The betta won't mind the mice at all :)

[tpocicat]

The betta won't mind the mice at all :) Too funny!

Welcome to the forum. bettafish15 covered it all very well. Just wanted to say welcome, you've come to the best place to learn how to properly care for your betta.

[LadyVictorian]

xD

I know the feeling, I am a person who is all about bigger is better. Just because an animal is small doesn't mean they can live in a small house. Even for mice the more room they have to roam and the more fun things to do the better. They have to live in these cages and tanks might as well make it enjoyable to live in. Stuff like fishbowls and those VASES :O those are scary how do you feed a fish in a vase? How does it get AIR?

I am thinking for my male he will only have one to two friends, hopefully something like a shrimp that can help clean his cage and take care of it. I might in later years get a 20 gal and get a few females. I didn't know they were social, I guess they are just like mice. Girls live together boys live alone. I might not get girls though until another year once I have betta care down.

I am happy he would not be bothered by the mice. They will certainly be a lot of entertainment to him especially since they are such smart fish.I think my girls would love watching as well they are very curious.

[tpocicat]

The answer to the vase question? They don't! That is why vases are such a bad place to put a betta. Shrimp may work, but don't get expensive ones until you try with cheaper ones. Some bettas like to nom on them.
Be warned! Bettas are addicting!

[LadyVictorian]

Alright, which shrimp are the best for a starter? ghost shrimp? I checked once and they didn't seem to spendy. xD I figured they would be I was told the same thing with my mice and two years later I went from one to 4. Plus Betta's are beautiful animals. Who on earth doesn't want something so pretty in their home? When I have been to peoples homes with a betta in a tank I always sat and admired them. It is nice because others can then enjoy them as well. Plus they are very interesting to watch.

[tpocicat]

Ghost shrimp are the perfect shrimp to start with. I just didn't want you to get something like a cherry shrimp and then find your boy likes shrimp for dinner! I've loved bettas for years. They are not only beautiful, but come in so many colors. I have to control myself, so I don't buy more than I can properly take care of.

[LadyVictorian]

Okay awesome I shall start looking into ghost shrimp as well and maybe one lonely snail. I don't know if those two will work together but I know they are both tank cleaners and I like that. I also think those are the safest animals to keep with my guy. I don't want another fish trying to eat that beautiful tail of his. :O

[kfryman]

Lady Victorian anything above 2.5 gallons is in my opinion a good betta home as long as there is a heater, a filter is useful but not needed.

Ghost Shrimp are cool but super hard to find, when introducing them, keep them in the bag with some tank water added so they get use to the water, and let them sit so your betta gets use to them. My betta at first tried to nip them but he learned that they keep to themselves.
Hope this helps!

[LadyVictorian]

I am actually very lucky. The Wal-Mart close to me has a BUNCH of ghost shrimp all the time. Last I went there were about 20 to going for about 25 cents each next to the gold fish. I always wanted to get some back when I had sharks but my sharks were pretty aggressive and didn't like anything outside of the two of them so I didn't bother. I got a pocostamis instead (sp?) Eventually he outlived everyone and outgrew his tank so I gave him to my friend so he can like in a large aquarium with other fish.