New To Bettas

[ninjacheesefish]

For many months I have longed for a Betta, and (I think) I can get a new tank for my birthday, and I wanna Betta They so pertty :3
I was going to go for a 30 litre tank with filtration and airation. Live plant and a budda ornament I've seen.


But a few questions first:
1. Is a 30 litre tank big enough for one?
2. What other fish can I keep with it? And how many?
3. Do they have spefic needs?
4. How hard are they to care for?
5. Is there anything else I'll need?


Thanks

 

[mike455555]

1: yes 30L is fine. =D
2: personally i think shrimp go well with them. but you could get away with tetra. NOT GUPPIES. no other betta's. theres lots of fish compatible with bettas although anything with long flowy tails stay away from as your betta will think its another betta but the problem you'll have is 30L isent big enough for any schooling fish. so shrimp would be your best best
3: not that i know of? besides a heater there tropical fish. i know mine likes blood worm every now and again
4: easy as any other fish to care for
5: if you have a heater and a filter you'll be fine. you could also add some live plants. just to make the tank look nicer

remember to cycle your filter. and keep up the water changes

 

[ninjacheesefish]

Thanks for the response
Great! 30 litre tank it is.
So no Guppies, I've always liked shrimps maybe I'll get a few of those.
Yeh, I'll remember to get a heater forgot to mention that.
Would 4 or 5 neon tetras fit in there aswell?

 

[mike455555]

id say that they would but its not good for the fish. like i said schooling fish dont have the space they need to swim in small tanks sorry

 

[ninjacheesefish]

Aww, snap. Any other fish that could keep my betta company? Apart from shrimps?

 

[mike455555]

hmmm... what size is the floor of the tank?

 

[kiwifeather]

Ember tetras might be okay, they are really tiny, and I keep them with my guy and never had any problems, but it all depends on your Betta, some just attack any and all tankmates and others couldn't care less. I second using live plants, the fish like it, it looks nice and its good for the tank!

 

[nessar]

Best not to keep tetras with bettas, as they can be nippy. Yes there are exceptions to the rule, but generally its best to stay away from any nippy fish. Some bettas will not tolerate any company, others will. Depends on the fish. Mine had his fins shredded in the pet shop by tetras and barbs, and now wont tolerate any. I'm currently trying him with some WCMMs, which are meant to be a fairly safe bet, but he has been chasing them constantly for 2 days now, so they may have to come out soon.

They do have some special requirements. They are very territorial so if you wish to keep them with other fish the other fish must go in FIRST, or you can take the betta out and do a rescape before putting them in. They also arent good swimmers, their long fins handicap them. Because of this fast fish can sometimes stress them out, and strong filters are a no-no. It's best to get one with an adjustable flow, again some do okay with stronger flow, but you wont know till you get them. Live plants are fine, any artificial ones should be silk, and no sharp edges on any ornaments, as their fins tear easily. They need access to the top of the tank, as they are labyrinth fish, so tanks like the Fluval Edge with only a small opening which has a filter outlet coming into it are a no-go.

You'll see a lot of info saying they like small spaces because their natural habitat is rice paddies- that isnt strictly true, rice paddies are shallow and crowded but look how big they are: http/kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-90734/Rice-is-grown-in-terraced-wet-paddy-fields-in-Bali Anyway, bettas can be stressed out by big open spaces, which is partly where the myth that they need small tanks comes from, so in a 30 litre you will want to add more decor, I'd say lots of plants and a coconut cave, to make him feel at home. They like broad-leaved plants, as they can rest on them (they rest a lot as they tire easily from swimming) and build their bubblenests under the ones that reach the surface.

They prefer slightly low PH soft water, but are really adaptable to others. They are a hardy fish, susceptible to stress but easily adaptable, and because they breathe air they dont need an air pump or a lot of water agitation, still water suits them great. They need a meaty diet, so specific betta pellets are best. Most people seem to use Hikari or Attison's pellets.

 

[Llegmore]

Hmmmm ... bettas and shrimps are kind of debated. Some bettas get along fine with them, others see them as a tasty snack.

As for other fish, you don't really have any options in a tank that size. I'd just stick with the betta and he'll be happy.

 

[panda_cory]

Bettas are all different and some will go will shrimp whereas others will attack them, same with the tetras. It is just trial and error really.

 

[ninjacheesefish]

Thanks for all the advice guys
I'm thinking of making a really nice planted 30 litre with a betta, maybe a few cherry shrimps.
Would the betta not get lonley without other fish?
Maybe I should start a thread on the set up of this tank... when I get the tank...

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I think you could have 3 or 4 endlers in there with him. In order to try and avoid problems with the betta being territorial add any other inhabitants to the tank at least a few days before you add the betta. Then he thinks he's moving in to their territory, instead of the other way around.

 

[AundieRae]

I had my betta with platties and mollies for over a year and he loved it, I'd just reccomend putting him in first and making sure that there is plenty of area for him to establish as his own, lots of plants and wood. Then introduce the platties first. Tony went a little berserk at first but then loved them. Then I added my mollies, and they were amazing together. It was a big happy family. Just keep an eye out for when your platties and mollies start having babies, don't feed the tank for a while, as they will most likely eat some of the fry. Overfeeding is the worst.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

You should actually always put a betta in last, to try and prevent territorialism

 

[jasonh_000]

Aww, snap. Any other fish that could keep my betta company? Apart from shrimps?

betta are loners, they dont really want company