New betta tank-whats next

[jillire]

My daughter has a betta and asked for a bigger tank for Christmas. Right now he is in a little 2 gallon thing with some plants, moss and a goofy castle and netting to keep him from jumping. The new tank is either 5 or 6 gallons(cant remember right now), has a filter and a hood with a light. It will have a gravel bottom, driftwood and live plants and she is dying to have one of the Briggs snails I just bought for my sons 20 gallon tank, but I need to look into that first to see if they can be together. She would also like one other fish with the betta, but again, I have to look into who could live with him. Im wondering about cycling the new tank though. Can I put the water from his old tank into the new tank, top it off, leave it for a few days and would it be cycled by then or at least not take as long to cycle? How long will it take? She is going to want to put Jasper in right away but if I can give her a time, she might be more patient. Id also like to get something that is sort of grassy looking to put on the bottom of the tank, but Im not sure what to look for. Any ideas?

Can I use the snails for cycling?

 

[just1moretank]

My daughter has a betta and asked for a bigger tank for Christmas. Right now he is in a little 2 gallon thing with some plants, moss and a goofy castle and netting to keep him from jumping. The new tank is either 5 or 6 gallons(cant remember right now), has a filter and a hood with a light.
He will be much happier here! More on the goofy castle -- since Bettas are air-breathers, make sure that there are NO holes in decor. Bettas can swim in, get trapped, and drown. It's an awful thing to have happen. I have never seen your castle, so I don't know if it has holes, but I just wanted to let you know.
It will have a gravel bottom, driftwood and live plants and she is dying to have one of the Briggs snails I just bought for my sons 20 gallon tank, but I need to look into that first to see if they can be together.
This is a possibility. The Betta may pick on the snail's antenna, causing injury, and when these snails get injured, they usually don't fare too well. Also, ensure that you've got the proper pH (at least 7.4 or so) and KH (5 or 6 would be best) to keep this snail alive. Without proper pH and KH, the snails' shells seem to disintegrate, causing eventual death.
She would also like one other fish with the betta, but again, I have to look into who could live with him.
In this volume, I'd stick with the Betta. I've got a Betta in a 5 gallon, and enjoy the low maintenance it provides. I've even gotten down to 0 Nitrate in this tank! Also, when schooling fish (such as Neon Tetras, a fish commonly kept in small tanks) are kept singly, they tend to nip, or like the Corydoras catfish, commonly kept with Bettas, are unhappy or lonely when kept singly. Danios are often kept with Bettas, but are actually happier in much cooler temperatures. I'd say that if you must select a tankmate, select carefully.
Im wondering about cycling the new tank though. Can I put the water from his old tank into the new tank, top it off, leave it for a few days and would it be cycled by then or at least not take as long to cycle?
Most of the beneficial bacteria that you're looking for is attached to stuff -- most likely, the media in the filter, and on a much lesser level, the gravel. There's virtually none in the water.
How long will it take?
Well, this depends. If you borrow media from a cycled filter and place it in the filter of the new tank, you can add Jasper immediately. You could also purchase a bacteria-in-a-bottle, but be careful, because many of them are useless. One which I can vouch for is Dr. Tim's One And Only. This product literally allows you to add fish the next day with no Ammonia or Nitrite spikes. If you don't do either of these, expect the usual cycling process time.
She is going to want to put Jasper in right away but if I can give her a time, she might be more patient. Id also like to get something that is sort of grassy looking to put on the bottom of the tank, but Im not sure what to look for.
I don't know this one, because I have only had experience with Anubias on driftwood in my own small tank! Hopefully someone else who is experienced with plants will chime in here!
Any ideas?
Pretty much those which are included in the above novel LOL.
Can I use the snails for cycling?
I wouldn't, if you want the snails to survive.

I hope this helps!

 

[echoofformless]

As far as snails, I'd just introduce some trumpets and let them breed. This way if the betta does like snails for food, he has an unending supply. Plus these little guys do wonders for keeping your tank detritus free, they eat some forms of algae, and they stir the substrate.

Corys are perhaps the best betta friend around. They ignore each other! I will say that I feel three or four very small corys in a 5 or 6g tank is perfectly fine. (Now sit back and watch everyone argue with me.) But still I would discourage it - smaller tanks are best with as few fish as possible unless you're okay with doing more frequent water changes/cleanups. Just remember, more body mass = more waste matter.

Larger shrimp species such as full grown amanos can often do well in betta tanks, provided the betta isn't extremely aggressive or daringly hungry. I've kept many amanos with my bettas, even with some medium sized gouramis and never had a hint of an issue. Plus amano shrimp will make a great scavenger - rarely needing any significant supplemental feeding and eating many forms of algae.

If you have a filter on the current tank, just move it to the new one. Instant cycle in almost all cases. Otherwise you could just transplant the media. Worst case scenario you do a fishless cycle.

There are a few different plants that will make a grassy lawn effect, but keeping planted tanks is a science unto itself. So what species you choose will depend on many factors, most notably your lighting and the level of commitment you have to fertilization schedules, cost, etc. Then there is the varying degrees of success with certain species that in my experience can sometimes make no sense at all! That is to say, there are many supposedly easy species that I have attempted to keep and failed miserably. Then there are the supposedly difficult ones that thrive for me without the slightest effort. How much are you willing to spend on lighting, substrate, fertilizers, etc. How much time are you hoping to invest in keeping the aquatic garden?

Keep in mind that bettas adore heavily planted tanks, and also that heavily planted tanks have been to my experience the most stable of all. I'm not advocating this - but I go through bouts of depressive disinterest in things and can often be drastically lax in my upkeep of aquaria, and I have found that heavily planting a system works miracles in preventing many of the problems that long spells without water changes might create in a non-planted or very lightly planted system. Just something to keep in mind, especially for a small tank.

I wish you well. Bettas are probably the best pet fish on earth.

 

[Windy]

Let me tell you what everyone has told me here on AC, 5 gallon tanks are limited in space when it comes to the number of fish you can keep in them. You can keep no more then 2 fish in a 5 gallon tank. Although some people have told me that you can keep several smaller fish that are like 1/2 inch in them. I have a male betta in my 5 gallon tank. His roomie is a male platy and they do great together. Good Luck