Looking To Get A Betta!

[KRamgren89]

So i have a 5 gallon tank completely cycled with filter that we are currently not using. we were using it for our preggo molly but she only laid 3 babies before she got sick with ICH. she's completely healthy now and back in our community tank with her babies and we are wanting to get a betta fish something very pretty for our daughter to look at and that she can feed herself (with supervision of course!) i plan on cleaning the tank this weekend, doing a big water change and cleaning the gravel and adding more gravel as we kept it pretty minimal during our mollys sick period.

so questions are:
tempature?
is 5 gallons enough?
do male and females get along at all times? (so can i get a male and female?)
can i add some kind of bottom feeder (like a pleco or some other algae eater)
are plastic plants ok (as i dont have a green thumb)
do they like to hide? should i provide actual shelter like a hut or just a bunch of plants to swim around in?

any other info would be GREAT!
(and my daughter is requesting 'pink' any idea's where i could find at least some semblance of a pink betta fish)

any specific breeds would be great (pictures included if you can)

 

[HannahBear77]

5g would be good, a minimum 5g is what you should keep them in i keep my water between 78-80 degrees and there fine
DO NOT PUT FEMALES AND MALES TOGETHER!!! even though there are few who have done it sucesfully dont do it they will end up dead
plastic plants will tear their fins, you could go with silk plants if you dont wanna do real i have a few mixed in with my real plants in my 15g

i know where im at Petsmart sells halfmoons, veil tales and some plakat tails just keep looking around if your getting it from a pets store or you could get them off line

 

[Fishy friend2]

Temperature - Bettas are tropical fish from rice paddy fields in asia (thailand), meaning that they should be in water that is around 76-80, but ideally around 78 is most preferred by them and in temperatures of around 75 they will become less active as there metabolism has slowed down, so to provide the optimum temperature, you should aim for getting a heater if you dont already have one

is 5 gallons enough - 5 gallons is enough for one male betta splendens, it is actually the preferred minimum on this site, and you wont come across many people on an all betta forum that give all there bettas this much space, i was recently on one that I joined quite some time ago, and they went from 2.5 being the minimum to 1 gallon being the minimum. also, bettas prefer longer tanks so it would be great if this tank is longer and not more so taller

do males and females get along at all times - males and females usually dont get along, they have been known to co-exist is large, dim, heavily planted tanks though. I myself wouldnt advise placing them together unless it is breeding though

can I add some type of bottom feeder-In a 5 gallon you dont have much choice, I would just go with some ghost, or amano shrimp if I were you, as the only fish suitible for such a small tank is otos, but unless it is very well planted, you are willing to do very frequent water changes, and you are willing to spend lots of time caring for this fish, then I wouldnt advise getting them. If you do get a shrimp, then I have just a little note about shrimp, they are a hit and miss, some bettas are fine with shrimp and some aren't but all of my bettas have been fine with shrimp that are over 1 inch. I would suggest that a well planted tank with lots of cover should be used when having small ghost shrimp or cherry shrimp

Can I use plastic plants - Usually live, or silk plants are the best as plastic ones are well known for ripping fins, so If you cant grow live ones than You should aim for silk plants

do they like to hide - My bettas usually are out in the open playing among the plants, and looking for food, but bettas do like a cave or a hut to go into sometimes so if you can provide one, then that would be great

When looking for a specific color, your best bet is too like "stalk" your LFS's for a while, but i myself can say that i have yet to see an all pink betta. I always see red ones though

 

[KRamgren89]

Thanks everyone! Its awesome I pretty much have what's already needed! Temp for the little tank was recently at 82 for ich treatment and gradually lowered to 78 where it is currently. Ill make sure I switch out the plastic plants for some silk ones and I have a ton of extra decor I'm sure I can find a hut!

Well I guess the only thing left to do is STALK my lfs XD

 

[Fishy friend2]

good luck with finding your new betta!

 

[Rummynose]

Just a comment about your filter! Run this filter on your other tank to keep it cycled or feed the tank with ammonia to keep the bacteria in that filter alive until you have your Betta!