# Any tips?



## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

My boyfriend just got us a betta last night, our first one. He is a male, very pretty. Right now he is in a 1.5 gal, but I hope to have him moved into at 2.5 or 5 in a couple of weeks. Like I said, this is our first time with a betta (our first time with all of the fish we have actually) and I was really hoping that y'all could give me some tips on how to make him happy and live a long time :smile:


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The main thing is clean water. Change it twice a week and use dechlor.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

Hello tigerbarbgirl,

Will you have a heater?

Bettas like to have a plant or two, real or silk are best.


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## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

Yes, I will probably have a heater. And he already has a plant, and when he goes into the bigger one I'll probably get another plant in there too. Also, I read somewhere that they don't like too much current. When I move him into a 5 gallon, I was going to use an extra 10 gallon filter we have, will this be too much? Should I get a smaller filter?


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

If he's in the tank by himself, you dont necessarily need a filter as long as you keep up on large water changes. I have my male in a 2.5G right a heater and no filter, and I do 75% water changes once a week with dechlor and letting the water get very close to the same temp


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

yeah, I agree. Frequent water changes are a must. My mom has one in a 5 gal tank - no filter, just he bubble stone in the tube coming from the gravel bed. He's been with her for almost 4 years now.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Try the filter and see how much it moves the water around. Some 10 gallon filters are way too strong, some are wimpy enough you could put them on a 1 gallon bowl. The betta needs a place at the surface that is out of the flow, still enough that a bubble will stay put and not move. If you can provide that, its ok if there is a current elsewhere in the tank.


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## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

thanks emc. my boyfriend actually wants to get another 10 gallon, and he read that you can put other fish with bettas, as long as they are unagressive, and their fins aren't long and flowy, true? i think he wants to do a semi-planted tank with a small school of tetra or rasboras maybe, i'm not sure exactly. Anyways, would that be ok?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Betta tankmates are kind of hit or miss. Betta personalities differ a lot. Some bettas get pushed around and out-competed for food, other bettas bully other fish. I have a betta in with Aquidens curviceps (a small cichlid) and he controls the end of the tank I put food in. Someone else I know keeps his betta with baby plecos. The thing to do is keep your small betta tank so that if you have an issue, you have an option. I've heard harlequin rasboras do well and are small enough to have a school in a little tank, but can be hard to find.


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## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

thanks emc  you've been a lot of help. I think now what we've decided to do is save up and get a 20-30 gallon and move what we have in our 10 gallon into the new one, and move the betta into our current 10 gal. Thanks for all your help!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i have always kept my male bettas in a small tank..1 1/2-2 1/2 gallong.temp around 80.
used round UG filter made for bowls.10-25% weekly water changes.1 or 2 plants..never had a problem.

that was the easy part..changing the hundreds of mason jars was a beastly task.


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## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

the mason jars? did you breed them?


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