Buddy for my betta?

[Nish]

This tank seems so empty with just a single male betta in here!

I've heard that snails are generally safe to keep with them. Is that true? What kind is the best? I really do not want reproduction of the snails going on in my tank.

Is another animal a better idea? Any suggestions from experience?

[djembekah]

it all depends on the size of your tank!

[Nish]

4.5 gallons

[djembekah]

you may be able to do a few shrimp. a real community cant go in anything smaller than 10 gallons

[Nish]

what kind of shrimp would you recommend?

[Nish]

what kind of shrimp would you recommend?

[PaintingPintos]

Originally Posted by Nish

what kind of shrimp would you recommend?

I just bought a 3 gallon tank last Saturday.... along with a heater and 3 shrimp. Oh, and a silk plant. The shrimp are Ghost Shrimp and they go wonderfully in the tank. 1. They're adorable 2. They clean up the surface of the gravel 3. They provide entertainment for Omelette. He bit down his tail to a nub and it's growing back... no more boredom! He's very laid-back so if your betta is aggressive, I don't recommend keeping him with shrimp. He will eat them xD Omelette still takes a peck at them once in a while, but they pinch him with their bitty claws so he keeps his distance most of the time.
They are nice little shrimp. So active, always eating. But when they're not eating, they're cleaning themselves. They take their little claws and rub themselves all over! SO CUTE!
Anyway... You could get 4 or 5 ghost shrimp for your tank, provided you have some sort of aeration. You also need plenty of plants (They LOVE java moss...) and some little hideaways for the vulnerable molting times because the shrimp can be nommed on by fish and others. Anyway... I would get a max of 3 because I personally like to name them and be able to recognize them on sight ^_^
Cherry shrimp can be kept in larger numbers because they aren't territorial. Maybe start with a couple of males and females and just let them breed, since they do so very easily. They need the same plants/hideaways as ghost shrimp. They have the same diet: plants, algae, uneaten fish food. Same temp as your betta would like.
Nerite snails are neat little snails who won't bother your fish. If you have sand a Ramshorn snail will burrow into the sand and release any bad gases trapped in there.
Good luck :)

[TheJadeBetta]

Is you tank cycled?

Just saw the post about ghost shrimp above me. A lot the time Ghost Shrimp can be evil. I have had some attack a betta and some just clean the tank. Just be careful. Ghost are cheap, but they can the hard to take care of a lot of time.

I recommend Amano Shrimp. They are awesome and very peaceful. They are to big for the betta to eat a lot of the time. I have some the same size as my female bettas and they don't bother them. The Betta fish and the shrimps.

[Olympia]

Amano shrimp are vegetarians I believe. I may be wrong. They do get pretty big for a 4.5 gallon.
Cherry shrimp are the way to go, you can feed them shrimp pellets, and they are bright red and very colourful, plus their claws are too small to hurt a betta. They are cute and tiny.
Avoid "Bamboo" or "marble" shrimp. They need a large tank ecosystem to thrive.
Both shrimp have a chance that your betta may make a gourmet meal out of them. So buy one, and watch it for a few days to see how your betta reacts to it. Then if it's all good, go get shrimpie some friends. :)