Bettas...

[jacblades]

no bettas dont survive in cold water and they are not coldwater fish. they are tropical fish. do not ever put a betta by the window!!!!!!!!!!! heat or cold can easily kill it. i dont use heaters but my house is very warm. most people suggest using heaters and a 2.5 is large enough to heat. they make 7.5 or 8 watt heaters-you can get one of those. she might have room for 2 or 3 guppies but they could steal the food from the betta if shes not careful. i would probably leave the betta by himself though.

 

[hcgirl80]

I Understand Completely.
I'm Sure She Can Put It Somewhere Else. Hmmmmm... Thinking thinking... The Kitchen Will Do! That way she'll NEVER forget to feed it! She'll always see it in the morning and think, I need to feed him! The Betta will Be Left Alone, At Least until the cycle's over with.

 

[kikuchiyo]

There is not room for anything else in a 2.5 gallon. One betta in a 2.5 is more than enough. Maybe you could fit a snail or ADFs in there, but guppies are a bad idea. Even if you follow the 1" of fish per gallon rule, the betta maxes out the minibow. Plus male guppies are territorial and if you mix sexes with guppies, they're liable to mate and the offspring would quickly mess up any kind of cycled done.

Additionally bettas and guppies don't get along. If the betta doesn't beat the tar out of the guppy for its long flowing fins, the guppies are likely to pick on the betta, especially in that small a space.

Bettas don't get lonely and won't suffer from being alone. If you must have something in there small snails are okay or a couple of ghost shrimp would work spectacularly well. Otherwise, I don't think you can fit any other fish in there.

Most of those 7 watt heaters are crap. The only one I've ever seen are the Wal-mart Jr. Heaters and they don't hold a steady temp. I use a Hagen 25 watt submersiable. It's a bit strong but does the job and holds the temperature at a steady 78.

You have to change the lightbulb in the minibows; the incandescent bulb heats the water up by 4 or 5 degrees. The filter might be too strong for a betta.

 

[hcgirl80]

Filter Too Strong For A Betta? Wow! I Thought Bettas were Strong Fish For Their Size.

 

[jacblades]

i keep bettas and gupies together and no one fights. i have about 20 guppies with a female betta in a 18 gal tub. the guppies try to take her food sometimes but i just feed them at opposite corners. they also provide her with live food occasionally (when they spawn) you could put 2 small guppies in a 2.5 with the betta if you really want to have other fish but i would personally leave the betta by himself. the one inch/gal rule does not apply to the long tails of the bettas. if you have a male and a female betta of the same size, they put out the same amount of waste. the male betta does not put out more waste because he has a long tail.
if you get a crappy 25 watt heater it would be sufficient but i would say most are too strong. i have used a 25 watt heater on a 10 gal breeding tank. thats why i suggest a 7.5 or 8 watt if you get one. i have never had a 7.5 or 8 so i cant speak from experience. they probably do fluctuate a great deal though. if you live in a relatively warm climate, the heater is not necessary.

i probably wouldnt put a frog in with the betta because i have heard of other people whose frogs have shredded the bettas fins.

yeah some of those set-ups you buy that have everything included have strong filter intakes

 

[kikuchiyo]

Guppies and bettas can and do fight. Maybe you're just lucky. As for the frogs, I haven't heard that to be the case very often (I've heard about it once or twice, maybe) but I don't have much experience with ADFs. The only reason ADFs would try to go after a bettas is because of their poor eye sight. Again, a betta is probably best off by himself.

Bettas aren't really strong swimmers (they make mad dashes when the need arises) but they prefer low current.

Even without fins, an adult betta is 1 1/2 - 2 inches. Two guppies and a betta is far too much for a 2 gallon tank. Plus as I said before, male guppies are have their own territories. Most keep who keep guppies in a 2 gallon set up keep ONE. Plus that sizing gives no issue to the quality of life. My betta swims all around his 2 gallon tank. Why overcrowd the fish when they would be happier with extra space?

I assure you, my Hagen is not crappy. It's a nice piece of work. It does the job and works perfectly. A heater works by heating only when it is cool enough, so even a slightly stronger heater is okay. The only reason not to keep a slightly stronger heater is because if it malfunctions it will overheat the water. It's important to test the heater after getting it (that it cuts off) and keep an eye on it as a part of daily maintence. I ask you, how would you know if a 25 watt would work or not in a 2 gallon, since you don't heat your 1 gallons? The recommended size for 10 gallons would be two 25s, in anycase. All I can tell you is that I've been using good, reliable brands of 25s in my 2 gallons and they keep a perfectly steady 78 degrees temperature.

Even if you live in a warm climate a warm is necessary to keep a steady temperature. I live in Georgia, which is nice and toasty most of the year, but a human house is not set at the same steady temperature as a fish tank needs to be. I would be suprised if anyone home (outside MAYBE a senior citizen's ) is 80+ degrees, steady all day. I honestly have never been to a house like that - you'd need to block out light, keep the A/C stead all day, not open windows.

I have used the 8 watt heaters and they are really awful. They're not worth the money. There's no pilot light (ha, at least you know when the 25w is working!) so you'd never know if that thing was stuck on "on" and it does not keep a steady temperature. You get what you pay for and those Jr. Heaters are garbage.

 

[hcgirl80]

Got The Heater Thing Down. How Do you Get Filtration Then?

For Me & MY Future Betta: Would My 5-15 Whisper Filter Be Too Strong?(It Does Have An Atatchment on It That Makes Sure It Doesnt Suck Up Weak, Small Fish, Let Alone A Betta)

 

[kikuchiyo]

I left the minibow filter in there for right now and my betta seems to be okay with it now, after some getting used to. You could either not use a filter (perhaps not the best idea, but it could work) or you could get a really small one. The brand that everyone seems to like is Azoo Palm Filter (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ne=62732&R=3300&N=2004+22768+1031+2146963260).

But shipping for it is nuts and I haven't seen it at the petstore.

I've been filling up my tank passed the lip of the whisper filter to lessen the amount of current that comes from it. That might be an option for you as well. I'm not sure if there are side effects to that i'm not seeing, but it seems to work reasonably well, as long as the water doesn't get too high.

If you had a lot of plants (and other deco - I use new clay flower pots as caves) that will help lessen the current and let the betta find quieter places when he needs them.

 

[hcgirl80]

I Think I'll Just Do The Deco, Plants, And Hiding Spots, And I Think That'll Work.

 

[vaheelsfan]

they also provide her with live food occasionally (when they spawn)

I hate to burst your bubble, but guppies do do not spawn...They put some Barry White on the radio, sip a little Courvoisier and, make sweet, sweet love

Seriously though, I must agree that two guppies and a betta are too much for a 2.5.