keeping the Betta Spelnden
I’ll be the first person to tell you there’s no real rules to the size of the tank these beautiful little fish should be kept in--. Commonly seen in cups, or small bowls in pet stores, these little gems truly are “the trade’s most abused fish”. Unheated, small... stagnant, smelly water bowls. In my personal opinion, in the right environment.. less than 5 gallons is acceptable for a single male. I would pin 1.5 gallons as the smallest you could possibly go, granted you can keep it between 76 - 82 degrees and apply a sponge filter. A 5 gallon tank is often recommended, being as it’s far easier to maintain a larger tank. I personally keep nothing smaller than a 5 gallon, myself.. due to my 35 - 40 hr /wk schedule. Smaller bodies of water soil faster, so unless you are able to do regular 10% - 20%, 1 - 2 times a week I would do the same. Nano tank’s best fish choice is a betta due to their smaller bio-load.
They are very personable, active fish who are very curious of their surroundings. They’re a great pet for a young child, learning responsibilities in taking care of these fish. That said, keep in mind that you should always make time to clean the tank with your child and feed together until they are capable of doing it on their own.
Betta fish - given enough space - can be kept with tankmates that are
not other betta fish. Knowing these little guys in the way that I do, I always at least keep mine in with snails. They’re curious and intuitive by nature, it is only fair. Things to remember are:
- your betta may still be aggressive with other tankmates.
- he will likely go after fish with longer fins (avoid the longfin varieties).
- semi-aggressive fish are not to be kept with betta splendens.
- depending on the size of the tank (& plants), a German Blue Ram and a betta should not be kept together.
- try to keep schooling fish in groups of 6+ to avoid stress.
- allow for plenty of hiding spaces, and be sure to have open swimming space.
- try for fish that require the same conditions (e.g. neon tetra, bronze cory, trumpet snail).
- keep everyone well fed, and on a schedule.
There are so many more things to consider, but if you add the betta last, you are far less likely to run into problems.
In a 5 gallon or more, the possibility of keeping females together (called a sorority) is becoming a reality -- this is something I personally have not done, so from research alone I cannot conclude that anything smaller than a 5 could work, seeing as they say it should be no less than a 10 gallon for 2 - 3 females;
breakdown:
temperature: 76 - 82 degrees (fahrenheit)
tank size: 1.5g+ (no less than 5g recommended).
filtration: adjustable overhanging filter, sponge filter
decor: live plants, natural substrates (silk plants and aquarium rocks are alright). Hiding spots*.
