heartsongsinger

My mom is insisting on getting some tank mates for Opal. He is in a five gallon tank. The only thing I can think of that is small enough, and colorful enough for her are tetras and I've been told no tetras. I probably have another week before she'll really push for tank mates. Does anyone have suggestions? I do weekly water changes on all my tanks.

Barbrella

You can point out to your mom that bettas are solitary and territorial, and have no longing for roommates!

If you really want something else in the tank, you could consider a smaller type snail, like a Nerite or Ramshorn. A few shrimps is another option, but some bettas will kill them.

Even if bettas were okay with tetras, 5 gallons is not nearly big enough for them. They need minimum 10 gallons for a school.

Chief_waterchanger

You could do 2 or 3 Corydoras Pygmaeus in with the betta.

You could do 2-3 kuhli loaches if it has a sand substrate.

You could do the dwarf freshwater shrimp. The dwarf shrimp include cardinia and neocardinia species. (Cherry shrimp, neon green, canary yellow, blue, and crystal red are several of the different shrimp you could try.)

You could do a couple of otos, but you would have to suppliment their diet with fresh veggies or algae wafers/pellets.

3 Harlequin Rasboras would probably work

3 sparkling or licorice gourami, but they tend to be expensive and a bit more delicate. (They stay tiny.)

heartsongsinger

ok thanks. I have pointed that out to her. I've had two males live successfully in community aquariums. There are ghost shrimp in with him which he hasn't touched for over a week.

Barbrella

Khulis get about 3" long. 3 of them plus betta equals over 11" of fish in 5 gallons of water.

Harlequins get to be over 1 1/2", and I don't think I'd put gouramis of any kind in such a small tank with a betta.........JMO.

Chief_waterchanger

You are correct on length of Kuhlis. This is a prime case of why the 1" per gallon rule of thumb is so... I guess the proper word would be 'lacking' on its informative value.

Kuhli loaches have VERY little bioload. The inch rule of thumb was a way that someone came up with trying to classify bioloads of different fishes. Sadly it fell short on almost all instances, including this one.

Gilbert

Just so you know, a 3" kuhli loach equals about 1.5 inches of fish at most. they have a very small bioload for their length.
the 1" of fish per gallon rule is just garbage.

EDIT: CWC typed at the same time as i

heartsongsinger

Ok thanks. so if I add any other fish I should do filter changes once a week. I'd do kuhli loaches except that you aren't supposed to use sand substrate with bettas.

What about cherry barbs. I just relized that my LFS sells them (or they just got them).

Chief_waterchanger

They have more biomass than the Rasboras or the others suggested. I would steer away from the Cherry barbs to share a 5g with a betta splenden, but that is my opinion.

(We have sand substrate with several betta splendens with no problem, but that is also a peragotive call.)

heartsongsinger

ok. he isn't aggressive. there have been 5 ghost shrimp in with him for over a week and they are all still there

Red1313

I thought kuli loaches needed a ten gal minimum? ...

Lucy

That's what I thought.
If not for the bio-load than for their length.

froggiegal

Heart:

We tend to be social creatures. BUT, let me tell you - I wanted to get tankmates for "Wiggles" who lives in a 10G tank and I got 3 Metea Corys. This is what I observed...the Corys did well and schooled together. After a few days, Wiggles became territorial and would chase the Corys around the tank. Good thing they were fast!

Feeding time: I bought pellets that dropped to the bottom of the tank so that Wiggles would not go for them...WRONG - not only did she eat her "stuff", she ate the Corys' food as well - so you know that now I was worrying about her eating too much. I distract her feeding her with my left hand while I dropped the Corys' food with my right. I even turned the lights off hoping she wouldn't see them.

I ultimately took the Corys' out and put them in my 50G with some Arcuatas (sp) Corys and they are loving it. Much different behavior than with the Betta. So, have an alternate solution if your Betta says I don't want company!!

Dino

I have to disagree.
Due to their mass, I think 3 in this situation would be fine.

Lucy

Well, heck, I don't doubt you're knowledge, but it's not something I'd do.

It's a 5g tank, add a cave some plants, where would a 3 3" kuhli loaches be able to get away from each other or the betta if need be?

Chief_waterchanger

They burrow under the sand.

Lucy

Goes to show you what I know about kuhli loaches. lol

COBettaCouple

Kuhli loaches are really cool fish. I'd love to get some sometime.