Beta Fish Questions

[KyMart]

I am thinking about getting a 5 gallon aquarium and a single male beta fish! Does anyone have any recommendations on beta care, or tanks to get? I feel that this fish would be a great addition to my growing pets in glass boxes (just a nickname for the fish, my hermies, and my literal pet sand aka the 10 gallon tank with 30lb of aquarium sand in it that is yet to be used for anything, and that I don't want to put a beta in, and would love suggestions for! I would put the beta in the 10 gallon, but I want to use it for something else! A 5 gallon tank is the minimum for betas, right?

[KyMart]

I might use the 10 gallon for the male beta, I'm still unsure..

[wodesorel]

I've been keeping micro tanks for about twenty years now, and honestly I'd suggest going with the 10 or even a 20 gallon. A 20 gallon long is an easy tank to work with, and during the sales are reasonably priced and aren't much more than a 10. Tanks less than 10 gallons are a specialty size, which means they ironically cost a lot more and are almost never on sale. Replacement parts like lids are special order and also cost more than standard tank sizes. Finding appropriate filtration is also strangely a challenge because the most cost effective methods end up being too powerful for such a tiny space. More water is also easier to keep stable, especially if just starting out with fishkeeping as there is a learning curve to cycling a tank and keeping the water safe. (A good fish keeping group will have all the advice needed on how to do this.) Also, a 5 gallon is still a tight fit for a single betta and decor, once you start messing with it I can almost guarantee you'll want extra space, especially if you decide later on having snails or other appropriate tankmates.

[CrabbyLover77]

Wodes is right. Bigger tanks are easier to take care of too. I had Bettas in a 2.5 gal and a 5 gal before. They were rescues from people that didn't want them anymore. So I used whatever tank I had free and room for at the moment. The smaller the tank, the more frequent water changes you'll have to do.

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[KyMart]

I've been keeping micro tanks for about twenty years now, and honestly I'd suggest going with the 10 or even a 20 gallon. A 20 gallon long is an easy tank to work with, and during the sales are reasonably priced and aren't much more than a 10. Tanks less than 10 gallons are a specialty size, which means they ironically cost a lot more and are almost never on sale. Replacement parts like lids are special order and also cost more than standard tank sizes. Finding appropriate filtration is also strangely a challenge because the most cost effective methods end up being too powerful for such a tiny space. More water is also easier to keep stable, especially if just starting out with fishkeeping as there is a learning curve to cycling a tank and keeping the water safe. (A good fish keeping group will have all the advice needed on how to do this.) Also, a 5 gallon is still a tight fit for a single betta and decor, once you start messing with it I can almost guarantee you'll want extra space, especially if you decide later on having snails or other appropriate tankmates.

Ok! I think I'm going to go with the 10 gallon for the male beta! My tank stand only supports a standard 20 on the bottom, and I already have the empty 10 and no where else to put it.. Could I have a fingle male beta and a single freshwater snail together in the 10? That's honestly the dream! Any recommendations in freshwater snails to keep with a male beta fish? Any decoration recommendations? I would love filter recommendations for a 10 gallon! I have a screen lid, would that work fine?

[hermitsinnc]

About tanks and snails:

Yes, a betta (male or female) and a snail in a 10 should be fine. If you're planning to get live plants, they *will* come with tagalong baby snails. And you may end up with a population explosion. (If you have tons of baby snails and need to get rid of them, try an assassin snail. They will eat any snails smaller than themselves.)

As far as freshwater snails go, we have nerites, which are great because their eggs won't hatch in freshwater (although if you have to treat the tank water with a bit of aquarium salt, they will hatch, even if they've been sitting around for months.) We have a black racer nerite and a tiger nerite, but check to see what's available near you! I also know that mystery snails are quite popular.

[wodesorel]

Nerites have never been bred in captivity, they have a really complex life cycle that hasn't been able to be duplicated yet. I like mine, though females can pepper every surface in the tank with eggs that stick like glue. I keep mine brackish and they're somewhere around 6 years now, maybe older. I also like rabbit snails which are becoming easier to find, and also won't end up with unplanned extras. Mystery snails are neat too.

A screen lid is going to rust in a couple of months, plastic or glass is a lot better. With a betta, a well fitting lid is required because they will jump out. Mystery snails will also go wandering.

For what you're wanting, any small 10 gallon filter will work well. It'll be slow enough that the betta won't have to worry about the flow and you wont be overstocking to where you need something beefy. I went to cheap canister filters (sunsun 603) a few years back on my micro tanks and love them though they can be a little fussy, but any hang on the back filter will work for this. I'd stay away from an internal filter as it can shred longer fins.

[KyMart]

About tanks and snails:

Yes, a betta (male or female) and a snail in a 10 should be fine. If you're planning to get live plants, they *will* come with tagalong baby snails. And you may end up with a population explosion. (If you have tons of baby snails and need to get rid of them, try an assassin snail. They will eat any snails smaller than themselves.)

As far as freshwater snails go, we have nerites, which are great because their eggs won't hatch in freshwater (although if you have to treat the tank water with a bit of aquarium salt, they will hatch, even if they've been sitting around for months.) We have a black racer nerite and a tiger nerite, but check to see what's available near you! I also know that mystery snails are quite popular.

I'm not planning on getting any live plants anytime soon! I also would want a snail that can't hatch eggs in freshwater! Do snails reproduce asexually?

[KyMart]

Nerites have never been bred in captivity, they have a really complex life cycle that hasn't been able to be duplicated yet. I like mine, though females can pepper every surface in the tank with eggs that stick like glue. I keep mine brackish and they're somewhere around 6 years now, maybe older. I also like rabbit snails which are becoming easier to find, and also won't end up with unplanned extras. Mystery snails are neat too.

A screen lid is going to rust in a couple of months, plastic or glass is a lot better. With a betta, a well fitting lid is required because they will jump out. Mystery snails will also go wandering.

For what you're wanting, any small 10 gallon filter will work well. It'll be slow enough that the betta won't have to worry about the flow and you wont be overstocking to where you need something beefy. I went to cheap canister filters (sunsun 603) a few years back on my micro tanks and love them though they can be a little fussy, but any hang on the back filter will work for this. I'd stay away from an internal filter as it can shred longer fins.

Is there a way to tell if a nerite snail is male or female? I think a rabbit snail is a good choice! And yes, I want a filter that won't hurt my beta!