What should I put in a Betta Tank?

T

theFinn

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Dec 29, 2003
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Edmonton, AB, Canada
www.thefinn.net
I have an old 20 gallon tank in my computer room that has been sitting empty for some time (It was a freshwater tank for a while, a quarantine tank for a while, and a saltwater tank for a while), but now that my son is old enough to feed and care for a fish my wife and I figured we'd take him down to the fish store and have him pick out a Betta that he likes (his Grandma has one that he loves).

Now, I've never owned a Betta. What sort of tank environment do they like? What should I put in for decoration? Does a Betta need a filter and heater? I know they can survive in very poor water conditions and small pools but I also know that that isn't their ideal living conditions.

I guess what I'm asking is what should I put in a tank to make a Betta happy?
 
I would like to highly encourage you to consider a fishless-cycle to start your tank as opposed to using the Betta to cycle the tank with. It takes less time, less testing, and posses Zero risk to any fish. See details from us, but this is a great read: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

As for the tank, a 20G is a Bettas dream come true! :) Yes, they should have a filter and heater for ideal conditions.

Bettas are very social fish, but I'm sure he will get plenty of attention from you and your son! A tank with decorations will be quite adequate. If you get ambitious would could always introduce plants.

See my Sig for just 1 example of a Betta in a 10G tank and companions.

As a rule for bettas stay away from very colorful fish and those with long flowing fins as this tends to attract their attention and inspire their name-sake, the siamese fighting fish

[EDIT] Also, please do a search on this forum for Betta tank, betta stocking, and so on. There has recently been some good thread discussions on this very topic! ;)
 
A betta's a great choice; their personalities are as attractive as their beauty. Given the "torture cups" stores often keep them in, you're going to make one very happy. :thm:

To answer your questions:

A betta is a tropical fish and likes its water on the warmer side, between 77 and 80 degrees, so you'll need a heater. And a filter: while they can survive in stagnant water, they're much more happy in clean water. A small power filter, such as an Aquaclear 30, would be good. And water near a neutral Ph is fine.

For decoration, it's really whatever you like, but bettas are pretty inquisitive and appreciate places to explore and play in. If you don't want to trouble with live plants and driftwood, look into artificial aquarium decorations and silk plants. Silk plants can be more expensive than plastic, but plastic might damage the betta's fins.

A variety of foods is good: I use Hikari "Betta Bio-Gold" pellets as a staple (4-5 pellets a day) and freeze-dried bloodworms as a weekly treat. I plan to get another food, too, just to vary his diet.

You didn't mention tank mates; that can be tricky with bettas. It all depends on the individual fish's personality. Some can be little brutes, while I've had them get along just fine with corydoras catfish and harlequin rasboras. Avoid anything with long, colorful fins, however, such as guppies: the betta might mistake it for another betta male and treat it as a challenger to fight. :argue:

Good luck with this, and don't hesitate to ask more questions. :)
 
ct-death said:
See my Sig for just 1 example of a Betta in a 10G tank and companions.
Click to expand...

So, your betta doesn't bother the shrimp? I've considered putting a few ghost shrimp in the Betta Palace, but I'd been warned that bettas see shrimp as tasy snacks.
 
irishspy said:
So, your betta doesn't bother the shrimp? I've considered putting a few ghost shrimp in the Betta Palace, but I'd been warned that bettas see shrimp as tasy snacks.
Click to expand...
*cough* not ALL of the shrimp are still with us sadly... But as the plants thickened, and as Bettas are extremely itellegent (for a fish IMO), he has learned to live with them quite harmoneously.

...There does seem to a static # of shrimp in my tank though, and I keep seeing babies grow up. Hmmm ;)

Okay, seriously though yes it can work, but as you ahve said, each Betta's personality will dicate a lot of what you can have/not have. For example, I CANNOT put neons in with this betta! No way! I have tried on 3 occasions over the past year or so, and each time I loose 3-4 in the first couple fo hours. I now keep them in my 30 :eek:

[EDIT] I think this will work: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2032310
 
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I would like to highly encourage you to consider a fishless-cycle to start your tank as opposed to using the Betta to cycle the tank with. It takes less time, less testing, and posses Zero risk to any fish.
Click to expand...

Ah right, the cycle. My idea was to take about 20 gallons out of my 55gallon tank (well established with good water conditions) and fill the Betta tank with that. Then take some of the old filter media out of that to jump start the filter in the 20 gallon. That should give me an 'instant cycle' right? Good enough to support a single Betta in a 20 gal at least eh?


Oh, one more question I just thought about. Lighting! What sort of lighting does a Betta like? The tank currently has a 50/50 Coralife mini compact florescent that I used when it was a salt water tank, is that going to be too harsh for a Betta? I've read that they don't like direct sunlight so I'm thinking this might be a bit too much.
 
theFinn said:
Ah right, the cycle. My idea was to take about 20 gallons out of my 55gallon tank (well established with good water conditions) and fill the Betta tank with that. Then take some of the old filter media out of that to jump start the filter in the 20 gallon. That should give me an 'instant cycle' right? Good enough to support a single Betta in a 20 gal at least eh?
Click to expand...
The filter media yes! Old tank water, no. The tank water actually holds so little (unmeasurbale amounts of anything benefitial) that it actually does more harm than any good it might be able to do.

If you can use the media from your 55G tank and place that into your 20G, yes you will have a "near-instant" cycle.

The lighting you have sounds ideal! I keep my 10G light very well as it also serves as my plant-growing tank ;)
 
I stumbled on this site awhile back and it might give you an idea of the environment that they live in. Its a field report by some fish collectors in singapore. the water is usually very acidic with low ph. just click on the individual reports and youll find some bettas being collected. http://www.ikanpemburu.com/html/field.htm . have fun creating your betta tank :)
 
I like the idea of moving some media and stocking the betta. The media move should be enough for a single betta with no perceptible ammonia or nitrites resulting. You never can tell but tis sounds like its worth a try. Monitor closely in case it turns out to not be enough.
 
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