Tropical Fish Forums

[dalsicle]

I set up a second tank for my stepson's birthday. It's only a 10g so I decided a Betta would be a nice fish for him.

I have to say I'm hooked already, we got him a beautiful black/blue/red crowntail male. I've already spent hours watching him and he only arrived Friday.

He has a touch of whitespot but that's being dealt with and he's already improving......I guess fish don't really like being sent by courier.

He has a dinosaur and castle to decorate his new abode and is sharing with a few cherry shrimp.

I will try to get pics when he's settled in.

I'm already looking at every spare surface in the house to see if I can fit in more betta tanks
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[monstrosity]

He could very possibly eat the shrimp.
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29 G

[rales12]

I don't think a betta is large enough to eat an adult shrimp... though he may snack on some of the babies, and keep you from developing a colony of shrimp.
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- Rachel

[monstrosity]

They can eat adult shrimp and often do, but one person on this forum never had that problem in a small tank with shrimp and a betta.
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29 G

[Caton]

For some reason all my betta's are peaceful, my female never ate platy fry that I saw, and my male betta never bothers its pleco tankmates.
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[rales12]

I haven't a clue if my betta is peaceful or not. She's alone, except a snail, which I've never seen her so much as glance at.

She does peck at my fingers if I put them in the tank, though. But its not like in a frenzy kind of way, so I don't think she's attacking my fingers... its more like she's ... greeting?... them. You know... how a dog will lick you when you come home?

I have a funny betta, and I lurve her. I can see where the draw to betta's is... I didn't see it until I got one.
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- Rachel

[nikelodeon79]

Congrats on the betta! They are very addicting, it's true!

Just a few betta care tips.

1) Make sure the tank has a heater. My bettas always did best around 80*F.

2) Filter flow shouldn't be such that the betta has to struggle to swim. I like to use Duetto100 in tank filters for my bettas.

3) Make sure none of the decorations have jagged edges to tear those pretty fins.

4) Water quality is extremely important with bettas, particularly some of the fancy finned ones (like crowntail). Keep up with those water changes to prevent fin rot. I like to stick a few live plants in with my bettas to help with water quality.

5) Make sure you have a cover without escape holes. Bettas are jumpers and many have met their demise jumping out of tanks.

6) Bettas like darker water, with some tannins in there. I always like to put a bit of mopani wood in my betta tanks.
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Dumpster Tank
Nano Fish
Mbuna

[dalsicle]

Thanks for all the tips. So his whitespot has now cleared up and he seems much happier.

He doesn't appear to be at all bothered by or interested in the shrimp, they swim right up to him and he doesn't react. Of course that may change as her gets bigger. but they have a castle and some real plants to hide in

He has a heater which right now to help clear the whitespot is set at 83*F but I'll slowly lower it to around 80 over the next few days.

I have a fluval 2 plus filter in there with the outflow pointing to the side and behind the heater and he is happy to swim everywhere in the tank.

I did want to add some driftwood but with the other things already in there it doesn't leave much room to add anything else but I will keep my eye out for the right sized piece....anything to make him happy.
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