# Beta's and algae eaters? Help!



## LovinLiveBearer

I have a male beta in a 2g tank. It has one live fern, an under gravel filter with a pump, air stone, and filter cartridge. It is heated to around 72f. It has ugly purple gravel, that I was too cheep to upgrade at this point, but will when I can afford. Anyways...there is this brown algae that started growing on the rocks and now is on the plastic tank, and the heater. I know that some bland looking fish can be kept with betas but I didn't know if anyone knew of a algae eating fish that would be ok with a beta in a 2g. If they get bigger than an inch or two I have a 20g set up now and a 55g in the works. Any ideas? Thanks for the advice!
Mal and Mooshoo the Beta


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## emc7

No fish, maybe a snail?


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## trashion

An olive nerite snail might take care of it, but they're hard to find. Just scrub the glass, don't overfeed, and don't leave lights on too long.


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## Guest

It is easier to just scrub the algae off and cut back on feeding than to add something else. 2 gallons is a small amount of water and when you add fish (not suggested) or snails, then you are just increasing the waste and just making the algae problem worse.

Unused toothbrushes make great algae scrapers in small tanks. 

Up your water changes, that should help as well.


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## audzter

heres the catch. the tank should be a bare tank that means there are no airstone or any gravel. thats the # 1 standard rule for betta keepers.. why?
first of all bettas do not need oxygen in the water since they breath air ... whaatt?? nooo airrrr??? thats right .. they breath atmospheric air they dont depend on the oxygen in the water. having a bare tank means cleaning more easy, since you have a 2 gal tank for the betta, use a cup to capture the betta then clean the whole tank then put the betta back ones the tank is clean, thats how you do it  and having a brown algea is just to much for a betta tank 
have fun and enjoy


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## trashion

Jeez, I wouldn't subject my betta to that. There's nothing wrong with keeping a betta in a filtered tank. Even if they don't breathe dissolved oxygen, there's no reason to keep them in a nitrogen soup. Also, with no decor, the fish has nowhere to hide and may get stressed. Keeping fish in a bare tank is kind of cruel.


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## Guest

Agreed. ^^ A bare tank is fine for breeding and raising fry maybe, but I still wouldn't take the fish out and clean everything. 

Bettas live fine in filtered tanks. In unfiltered tanks you have to do water changes every other day......in filtered tanks you can go a bit longer than that. They won't die from water movement either as long as it doesn't stress them.


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## audzter

well just one thing, bettas are much happier in the 2 gal tank, some times in the community tank the betta get nipped by other fishes, wich cause much stress than being on the safe bare tank. any ways its your choice^^


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## Guest

If you choose the right tankmates, bettas are perfectly happy in a community tank.

And they can live alone in a nicely planted 5 or 10g and be perfectly happy. I've witnessed it myself.


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## emc7

But audtzer is right that you can put the betta in a (dark is better) cup, take the water level down enough for your hand, and scrub all the algae off, siphon it up and then put the fish back after a 50% water change.


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## LovinLiveBearer

I am very aware that bettas go to the surface for air and that the air in the water does not matter. I purely keep the air stone and filter to help keep the water clean and I think it is just healthier in general to have oxygenated water than not. I do water changes about once a week and try to wipe down the sides. I just thought that it might help keep the tank even cleaner if there was some sort of clean up crew on the bottom. I do not over feed Mooshoo. I only put in what he can eat. Anyways, thanks for the advice, I will look into getting a snail and up the water changes. Thanks!


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## trashion

Even just putting it "what he can eat" can be too much. It's the waste they produce, not necessarily the food they don't eat, that can foul up the water. My friend's fish ate itself to death. They will keep eating as much as they can. I only feed bettas maybe 4-5 pellets every other day.


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## Ricker

If your 20g is a community tank try and put him in there. I keep my betta in my 55 he doesn't bother a soul and loves the room.


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## CaysE

JustOneMore20 said:


> ...Bettas live fine in filtered tanks. In unfiltered tanks you have to do water changes every other day......in filtered tanks you can go a bit longer than that. They won't die from water movement either as long as it doesn't stress them.


Agreed... my male crowntail has been thriving well in my Eclipse Hex5. It's well-planted with an Eco-Complete substrate... he gets a healthy bubblenest going pretty often. 

I feed him frozen bloodworms... he doesn't even look at pellets anymore.


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## shade2dope

I have heard that its not good to feed blood worms everyday...to much protien.Iam not sure on that though.I like to give mine a variety of live frozen and pellet flake form betta pro being one of my favs.I would do what evrone else is saying a scrub it down.I would leave the decor betta like to sleep on the plants.


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