It depends on the individual betta's personality. Some do great with tankmates, some will kill anything you try to add to your tank. I was looking at a betta for my 5 gallon that had some snails but decided against it because I didn't want to risk getting an aggressive one and having him beat up my snails.
tank mates for my betta?
- Thread starter jschall
- Start date
You are testing 0 Ammonia and Nitrites in an unfiltered nano tank with a betta in it?
There HAS to be ammonia in your tank. Especially if you have had it setup for only 5 days.
There HAS to be ammonia in your tank. Especially if you have had it setup for only 5 days.
Water lettuce from an established tank plus filter squeezings from an established tank. Ammonia reads zero, and I know my test kit is good, having tested it on a known amount of ammonia (during fishless cycling on a different tank where I added the amount necessary for 5ppm and it read 5ppm.)
There probably is ammonia, but not enough to read. I could do a test on ammonia-free tapwater and a test on the nano water and compare the colors, and there might be a tiny amount, but it's well under .25 as it isn't even readable.
I actually have seen nitrite, but again, below .25. Probably halfway between the two colors, so .1? The bacteria only takes maybe a day or so to double though. Depends on temps.
We'll see what the tank looks like when it gets here.
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all is fine and well. you can do what you want. you will see the outcome and be the judge for yourself. many people own snakes (for example) for 10 years and believe it's led a long and healthy life. they live over 30 yrs when taken care of properly in almost all cases. that tells me the snake has lived a very short miserable life. when you compare this to what people commonly think is keeping fish happy the difference is astronomically to the wrong side of the fence. just some points to ponder. i am in no way interested in debating this as it's my opinion based on many facts i've encountered.
anyway... otos of course seem like the obvious choice when considering their size. once you consider they'll need at least a small group that goes out the door imo. here's the kicker! the best diet for an oto is when you don't have to feed them. they do much better on a diet consisting of just algae and such consumed off the walls of the tank. there is absolutely no way you are going to provide enough surface material for 3 of them without destroying the parameters of your tank at only 3 gallons. if you have to feed them chances are they're starving already. granted not every oto is going to refuse what you give them til they're starving but i find it hard to believe your first three not only will survive but will readily accept AND relish whatever you prepare or offer for them.
anyway... otos of course seem like the obvious choice when considering their size. once you consider they'll need at least a small group that goes out the door imo. here's the kicker! the best diet for an oto is when you don't have to feed them. they do much better on a diet consisting of just algae and such consumed off the walls of the tank. there is absolutely no way you are going to provide enough surface material for 3 of them without destroying the parameters of your tank at only 3 gallons. if you have to feed them chances are they're starving already. granted not every oto is going to refuse what you give them til they're starving but i find it hard to believe your first three not only will survive but will readily accept AND relish whatever you prepare or offer for them.
I've never had otos but my guess is they'd accept algae wafers.
I'm thinking 4 Venezuelan pygmy cories (Corydoras habrosus) now. Might be a bit too much though. Would be perfect in a 6 gallon.
I have a betta in a 2.5gal. While I think it's a bad idea to put more fish in a tank that small, sine you're so adamant on doing it. I'd suggest you keep something small. I've seen people keep White clouds, a harlequin rasbora, or a Scarlet badis in something that small.
I think small inverts might be a better option, some of the shrimp others have mentioned.
Good luck, there's a huge difference between "can" and "should"
I think small inverts might be a better option, some of the shrimp others have mentioned.
Good luck, there's a huge difference between "can" and "should"
I would definitely recommend against a 3gallon unless of course you have no room or funds for something larger. The most horrid and grossly misunderstood part of Betta's is that people think they don;t need room to swim or other stimuli in their environment. A 3 is great and having a few guppies will keep him busy just be sure to keep the tank clean and do regular water changes. 3 guppies will be good even though that violates the 1 inch to 1 gallon rule proper maint. will make that point moot. I would say 5-10gl would be best with plenty of plant/rock/caves stuff to explore. Betta's will thrive in a community tank and just exist alone in a small box somewhere that's the key difference. Just do the homework on tank mates as even guppies have been known to munch on Betta fins ;( though not to the point of injury. Betta's will easily kill them if they become a pest 
