Need help setting up betta in a community

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iaeo1027

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I have been thinking about upgrading my betta's tank for a while now since his current home is a bit too small for him and he has started biting his fins. However, I don't have infinite funds and want to make sure that if I spend the money that everything is set up so that he can be the happiest he can be, and also I am really excited by the idea of building a community around him. Right now, my plan is to upgrade to a 10 gallon tank with a new heater and filter, and fill it with sand, decorations, ect. For the community, I was hoping to add neon tetras (5-6 so they can school), and a bottom/algae feeder. I would love to have plecostomus, and I know that bristlenose plecostomus are recommended with bettas, but I'm fairly certain that the get too large for a 10 gallon tank. I haven't heard anything about rubber-lip or clown plecostomus, both of which are smaller, could they be a good fit? If they don't work than I could either put in some ghost shrimp or snails, though I probably would do the shrimp. Any of these ideas should be close to the 1 gallon per inch of fish rule, so I'm hoping that it would be a good upgrade for my beta. Do you guys agree?
 
also I am really excited by the idea of building a community around him.

You may well be - is he????

Bettas are NOT community fish - and yes I realise that the fish shops will tell you that they will be fine, but they won't. Q - What do you call people who work in shops? A - Sales people - guess what their primary goal is?

I have my boy in a 10g with snails and shrimps (I blame NickAu for the shrimps :D ) that is a perfect set-up for him. If you want community look at other options (which will be dependent on your water stats.) Come up with some fish that you like the look of and then do some quality research on seriously fish - that site will tell you about tank size, numbers per species needed, water hardness etc. We will also be happy to help, but please don't put your betta in with other fishes you'll just stress him and the others out.
 
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Welcome to TFF. :hi:

I agree completely with sarahp. Male Betta is not a community fish, and should always be on his own. You do not say what size his present tank is, but it may be fine as is.

Byron.
 
Hi

Can you upload a photo of your current tank?
How strong is the current in the tank?

As has already been stated male Bettas are not community fish, You want to make him happy? Put him in a 10 gallon or bigger tank on his own, No Cories, no Guppies, no Tereas, as a 10 g is too small no BN plecos.

Heres what you can have.
A mystery snail, maybe but some Bettas will attack them and eat any bit they can reach.
Shrimp, BUT consider these Betta food if he can catch them. He may not bother the adults but the smaller ones are history if he can catch one.
Kuhli Loaches never known a Betta to bother them. make sure you use a sand substrate.
Malaysian Trumpet snails, Some Bettas will eat these.

What sort of filter do you have?
What sort of heater do you have?
What type of light do you have?
All these can be used on the bigger tank.

For plants I would go with Annubias, Crypts, small sword. Blue stricta and for floating plants Water sprite is perfect, all these plants are cheap require low to medium light and nothing else.

I blame NickAu for the shrimps
He He He

Any of these ideas should be close to the 1 gallon per inch of fish rule,
That rule is nonsense,
 
Hey, guys, thanks for you responses! I definitely won't set him up with a community if it is just going to stress him and the other fish out. I had hopes for it, since there were several threads online about it, but if it isn't good for him I won't do it. Unfortunately he'll have to wait a bit on getting his new tank since I calculated how much it would cost to properly set up a larger tank and it over shoots my budget for the project by a decent amount. Hopefully I will save up enough money for it soon though, so he can have a nice big tank all by himself. Thanks!
 

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