# thinking about a betta



## blitzkrieg (Jan 16, 2006)

i'm thinking about getting a male betta this weekend, i have a 2.5 gallon tank that i'm not using but its still taking up space in my dorm room so i figure it might as well look good. it has a lid and filter, and i'm already cycling the water in it. 
is it fair to put a male betta in a 2.5 gal, i know people are very touchy about the way that bettas are always crowded into small bowls. 
im also very good at doing weekly water changes, having perfected that with my 10 gal that i have here too. also, i have some spare plants (will probably get some new though) and substrate (still in package) that i want to use in the betta tank, substrate wont hurt his fins will it?

also, are the crowntail bettas pretty widely available for sale in pet stores? there is not a good LFS near my college (which is crazy given that we are in the research triangle park), but me and my suitemates (who also keep fish) have not found a good place other than a nearby petco that has very clean tanks and very good quality fish. also, is there anything i can put in the 2.5 with the betta? i dont mind him being solitary though.


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

you could have a ghost shrimp with that betta.... or a small-shrimp-only tank


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## kristian18f (Oct 31, 2005)

Ghost Shrimp are Awesome, they really help to clean. I have two with one of my bettas and one with the other. They are also only about $.30. I have two bettas, a normal one and a crowntail. Both in their seperate 2.5 gallon tank. They seem to be doing well. Make sure to give them (and the shrimp if you get them) pleanty of plants to hide in, both of mine like to go to sleep in the plants. 

I don't think weekly water changes would be enough, It's not for one of mine, I usually change 10-20% of the water 3-4 times a week in one of my tanks. The other one I change 2-3 times a week (He isn't as messy). Also, if you don't have a gravel vac, be sure to stir up the rocks before you do a water change.

Oi, gotta get ready for class, hope I helped with my babbling.


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

I think the 2.5 gallon would be okay. I think this is about the minimum size for them though. As for tank mates. I would go with the shrimp, they not only help keep the tank clean, but they are also very peacefull. As for finding crowntails, my local petco usually has a few to chose from, if you are looking for an excellent-quality crowntail you could look on www.aquabid.com, but I personally prefer petco. :-D Hope I helped.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

If you keep the tank clean, you should be fine IMO. I also agree with Alisha that this would be the minimum size to go for with a betta.


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## sambi7878 (Dec 23, 2005)

I read in some articles about betta that they should be in minimum tank of 5 gal. But I also dont follow this...lol! I believe in what others said. Bettas will be ok in a 2.5 gal tank. Just dnt miss your water changes.

About companions...shrimp is a good choice!


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## blitzkrieg (Jan 16, 2006)

i bought my betta today, he has an extremely dark navy head (almost to the point of being black) and his color gradiates to a steel blue for the rest of his body and majority of his fins. his long fins that hang down (pectoral?) are actually red and he displays very well. the tank is heavily planted and also has a bubble stone. i bought an albino cory to put in the tank with him as a scavenger and the two seem to get along extremely well. anyone know if these two will become confrontational or violent?


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## sambi7878 (Dec 23, 2005)

In terms of water requirement, the betta and the cory has no problem. About being violent, its good thing that you bought albino. Bettas only attack those fish with striking colors. For them, they sense this as enemies. Corys are also bottom dwellers so there is not much of a problem with teritories.

The only problem that I can think of is that...as what I know, corys can grow up to 4 inches (others may correct this) having a cory and a betta in a 2.5 gal tank will be small for the 2 of them. Bettas also grow! As what I can recall, their body can also grow up to 3 inches and they need a good space to swim. Even if your cory is a dwarf cory (max size of 1 inch), it will still be small in a 2.5 gal tank when they grow to their max size.


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## Imbrium (Feb 7, 2005)

Something else about the cory, they are schoolers and there's no way a group of them would fit in a tank that small.


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## seraph (Oct 23, 2005)

I have two 6-gallon tanks- each with one betta, 2 cory catfish (one tank has emerald, the other panda), 2 african dwarf frogs and 2 ghost shrimp.

I have not had much of a problem:
-a couple times a frog bit the bettas fin but didn't cause any damage
-the betta will sometimes be curious as to what the cory cats are eating and sometimes flare and chase them, but never actually making contact (even if the betta wanted to, the cats are so much faster than the betta, heh)

And I would definitely not keep one cory alone... and it's really cute to see them swim around together  I think my cats are about 2 1/2 inches long??? But again, I have a 6 gallon tank and that seems to be a good size for them (I'm a newbie to fish so I don't know much  )

For substrate I have the Tahitian Moon sand... the cats seem to like it much better than the pebble type and I think it's better for the betta since their fins are often dragging on the bottom. And, maybe it's just me, but it seems cleaner as well... food doesn't fall between pebbles and make it hard for the cats and shrimp to eat.

Another thing, my bettas LOVE the live plants... they like to swim through them, rest under them or on them- the frogs sit on them too sometimes and the cats clean them a bit. They seem to like the sword, java fern (?) and water wisteria (?) they best.


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## BlueMaxx (Jan 10, 2006)

2.5 gal is fine for a betta. Mine is in one and it's a crown tail he loves it.
i ahve a heater in there as well and a filter that I turn off and on for him.
I need to get a plant to cut the current from the fall of the water but other then that you will be fine.


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