need betta fish advice!!! HELP!!!

**sprokett** · 03-07-2007, 02:31 PM

i am thinking about getting a betta fish but i need to know kinda the size's of what tank i need i was thinking of getting only one maybe two i just need to save up and then i can have one but to be honest i dont really know about betta's but now i am gonna do a load of reasearch!!!!!

please help me

**Freedom** · 03-07-2007, 04:32 PM

Hi!

Male bettas are fighters. You can ONLY HAVE ONE in a tank. If you get 2 and put them together, they will fight to the death. It is OK if you use a tank separator, as then it is as if they each are the only one. They can't reach each other. the separator should be solid so they can't even see each other.

Bettas do not need a lot of space. A 5 gallon tank should be OK if you are not putting any other fish in there. But if you are going to get a filter, heater, etc, most folks go for the 10 gallon and add a few other community fish.

Most male bettas do fine in a community tank with other fish. However, the fish are like humans, individuals. So I have had 5 male bettas at different times. ONE did attack the other fish and I returned him the next day.

Female bettas are not quite as showy as the males. but you can keep as many of those together as you want.

Hope this helps!

**sparks19** · 03-07-2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Freedom

Hi!

Male bettas are fighters. You can ONLY HAVE ONE in a tank. If you get 2 and put them together, they will fight to the death. It is OK if you use a tank separator, as then it is as if they each are the only one. They can't reach each other. the separator should be solid so they can't even see each other.

Bettas do not need a lot of space. A 5 gallon tank should be OK if you are not putting any other fish in there. But if you are going to get a filter, heater, etc, most folks go for the 10 gallon and add a few other community fish.

Most male bettas do fine in a community tank with other fish. However, the fish are like humans, individuals. So I have had 5 male bettas at different times. ONE did attack the other fish and I returned him the next day.

Female bettas are not quite as showy as the males. but you can keep as many of those together as you want.

Hope this helps!

I have also heard that male bettas are likely to attack any type of fish with long flowy fins. they like to be the prettiest ones in the tank

It is neat to have a female and male side by side where they can see each other.... it really promotes "bubble blowing" but I have heard that you should not keep them in the same tank for any kind of extended time either.

they also do better without a filter if there is not a place that they can get away from the current. If you have a place that they can get behind or inside that isn't affected by the current they should be fine but they do need to rest on things so having a filter can sometimes be difficult on them if they have no motionless refuge area.

**Zippy** · 03-07-2007, 05:36 PM

Bettas are great fish.I would say bettas should be in atleast a gallon tank.
No 2 males together.They aren't called fighting fish for nothing.Males and Females both make equally great pets.

**Freedom** · 03-07-2007, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by sparks19

I have also heard that male bettas are likely to attack any type of fish with long flowy fins. they like to be the prettiest ones in the tank

It is neat to have a female and male side by side where they can see each other.... it really promotes "bubble blowing" but I have heard that you should not keep them in the same tank for any kind of extended time either.

they also do better without a filter if there is not a place that they can get away from the current. If you have a place that they can get behind or inside that isn't affected by the current they should be fine but they do need to rest on things so having a filter can sometimes be difficult on them if they have no motionless refuge area.

I never knew that about either the bubbles OR the filter! Thanks!

**Kalei** · 03-07-2007, 08:10 PM

Yup, never put two males together, but one betta can make out just fine in a 1 gallon tank

In nature, bettas actually usually live in the mud, so they don't need huge amounts of space as some other fish do such as goldfish.

Good luck choosing the betta, they are so beautiful

**sparks19** · 03-07-2007, 09:14 PM

The reason bettas don't need as much space is because they don't need to move around to breath. They breath from the surface. having too much space can actually tire them out as they will have to stay near the surface more often than usual and don't get the "rest" periods as often.

Yeah I can't remember where I learned the filter thing.... but if you ever watch a betta fish you will notice that they often will rest on a plant or other things and be perfectly still. no swimming or anything... they need that rest and sometimes the movement from a filter can move the water so much that they can't rest that way.