Bettas cannot be kept with goldfish
if that is what you are implying, which that is what it sounds like

as far as maintaining water levels/keeping the tanks clean, ive found bettas to be a walk in the park compared to goldies.

 

No I wasn't intending keeping them together. What I meant was once I have re-housed my goldfish in a bigger tank I could use the old tank for the Betta or I could buy a 20L now for the Betta which would eliminate the wait.

I was thrown into fish keeping by my friend who decided to buy me a goldfish as present. I had to buy a tank as she was thoughtless enough to put him in a vase, so it was an expensive gift. Two months later he is almost double in size and I'm enjoying fishy company. I'd like a second tank with fish that are less up keep.

 

I have a Betta and a Goldfish, and the Goldfish is SO messy. Bettas are lower maintenance as far as waste production goes (as long as they are given a decent amount of space and not a tiny tank), you just have to make sure they have a heater, etc.

 

Yes like mentioned above goldfish make lots of messes = more water changes. Plus common gold fish need a 30 gal tank at full size, where as bettas do well in 2.5 gal + with the right water changes IMO.

 

I believe you would love yo have a betta, they are intelligent and have unique personalities. You would enjoy it's company.

 

Hi and welcome to the forum, Tallulah86.

Since goldfish reach 8 inches or more, depending on the type, they need tanks as large as 20-30gal or more with double or even triple filtration and lots of water changes. Bettas, on the other hand, stay nice and small at 2-3 inches and can live comfortably in an unfltered tank from 1 gallon on up (the bigger the better). The only requirement a betta asks for his home is to have it heated to a temp of 78-80 F.

 

Goldfish have a tendency to grow like weeds and eat like pigs. My newest goldfish eats like 3-4 times a day. He becomes a shark when the food hits the water.

In terms of care, I agree with everyone that betta are much easier to keep than goldfish. My goldfish tank requires the most water changes, specialized food, and specialized plants. As an example, by volume I remove more water on a weekly basis from my goldfish tank than I do from my two 10 gallon (37 L) betta tanks.

A betta in a 20L (6 gal) tank would be a great fit. Perfect size

Quick question, is your goldfish a fancy goldfish (double tail, chubby body) or a common goldfish (single tail, slim body)? This impacts the final size tank you would need. Hopefully we can help you keep the final tank size down.