Betta tanks

Hi, I am kinda new to bettas, only had them for about1.5 yrs. At the present time I have 2-Aquascene 5 Aquariums made by Topfin that I got this weekend at Petsmart and 1-3 gallon critter keeper that I got for a 1.00 at a yard sale they are great for my 3 girls. I use rocks bought at LOWES in a large bag that cost around 3.00 for my gravel, I boil the rock for about 30 minutes before putting into my tanks. However I have kept my bettas in everything from a small 1.5 gallon betta tank to a Cheese Ball container that I got at SAMS WHOLESALE for around 5.00, held around 2-3 gallons and was great for a few months. Also the animal cracker container at SAMS holds alot of water and I've also use them for temp containers, you buy snacks for your kids and get a betta home for free.

0004178000357_LG.jpg cheese balls.jpg 0007232011690_LG.jpg
 
wow i must REALLY be spoiling my betta then 1 single Female in a 10G all by her self :rolleyes:
 
How active is she in a 10g by herself? cant females be kept together without a divider?
 
phreakkn0t said:
How active is she in a 10g by herself? cant females be kept together without a divider?
Yes and no. You can have females together, if you back a couple pages there are post about multiple bettas in 10g tanks, but im not to sure about which. I know that I kept two females in the 10G and one nipped all the fins off the one thats all by herself. (she recovered) but i know that you CAN but am a little unsure as far as what types. I know its posted somewhere on this forum....
 
You can keep female bettas together as long as it is under the following conditions:
1) there must be at least 3 to even out the aggression
2) they must be well fed--a hungry betta is a nippier betta
3) it must be at least 10 gallons of tank, but a planted 20L is best IMO so there's room to swim away and hide.

As far as housing bettas in general...
They need a minimum of 1 gallon of tank. But as with most fish, the bigger the better. Sure, they can survive in a gallon, but they won't be happy. Check out the difference between a betta in a 1 gallon jar and one in a 10 gallon tank--the one in the 10 gallon is 99% more likely to be more active because they have more room to move.

My perferred method for keeping my bettas is in a divided 10 gallon tank. Put some plants along the divider so that they can escape the vision of the other fish, but leave an opening so that your bettas can flare at each other when they want. To be healthy, they need the exercise of flaring so it does do some good. If you have a betta that is a scaredy cat, then completely block the divider because it will just stress itself out.

I hope that this helps.

EDIT: It also helps to keep in mind that each fish--whether it be male or female--has its own individual personality. So treat them accordingly. For instance, some bettas do well in community tanks, others don't. You won't know for sure until you get your fish as to what it will like. But what I have recommended has worked for my bettas with ranging temperaments.

On the heater note: If your tank is 2-5 gallons and you are using a heater, make sure you check the temp regularly as in such a small tank the temp can spike up very rapidly. It must be an adjustable heater and usually you don't have to set it to the temp you want--usually set it a little bit lower. I recommend testing the heater's reliability for a couple days before adding the fish to make sure the temp is stable.
 
Last edited:
There are species of betta that can be kept in tanks with other bettas--males and females of multiple species can even be kept together. Do some research. There are some really ultimate betta sites and forums out there, so you can find good info on these other species of betta there.

Betta splendens is the betta that is most commonly found in LFS and is the one that most people think of when talking about bettas. The males cannot be kept together and certain females can under the conditions that I listed above.
 
phreakkn0t said:
How active is she in a 10g by herself? cant females be kept together without a divider?
I have a single male betta in a 10G tank all by his lonesome and he is very active. He was housed in a 1G container for about a year before I received him and it seems he is quite happy with his current setup. I could never bring myself to house him in anything smaller.
 
phreakkn0t said:
10g for a single betta seems to be excessive. QUOTE]

shk_atk wow i must REALLY be spoiling my betta then 1 single Female in a 10G all by her self

10gl isn't excessive to the betta :), also u'll beable to enjoy watching him swim about enjoyin the room.

i'm like shk_atk i spoil my betta, he is in a 25gl by himself. i had him in a 10 gl, and then moved him to a 25 tht someone gave me. i tried to think of other fish to keep with him but the tank looks to small to hav other fish, especially since my betta uses the whole tank as his turff.

in the end ull be able to appreciate the full glory of bettadom if u get a 10gl, plus it's like wht? maybe 10 bucks.
 
Last edited:
Ms.Bubbles said:
THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. Don't follow this bad advice.

A 2.5 gallon tank is suitable for 1 betta. A 5 g for 1 betta is even better.

You could divide a 5g for 2 bettas, but make sure there are some plants blocking the divider so that the males (if you're getting males) don't have to see each other all day (seeing other males can get them pretty angry). Warning: putting ADF's with a betta may not work as some bettas are very territorial and do not tolerate tankmates.

Bettas do require a heater. A 25 watt heater would work well for either the 2.5g or the 5g.


i meant 1 gallon for one betta sorry didnt see the error my bad
 
I think 1 gallon for one fish is ok a 2 1/2g is better though. I had a betta in a 10 for a while and he hated it. (he told me :) ) They are not a fish that moves around alot. These little tanks are crule though not only to the fish but also the owner. Think about it they eat, also well you know. It is alot harder to maintain a small area then a larger one. Buy a 5 and devide that in 2 with a dark devider and you will have 2 very happy bettas. Through in some weeds becouse they have weeds in the wild. Good luck and I hope you got your answer. Filter the water betta's do need filtration also and if you don't beleive this we can put you in a tank without a toilet for a while.
 
AquariaCentral.com