Drew 43920

Situation:
I have a 55 gallon tank with good cycled water. My friend has a 1 gallon tank with a blue betta and cloudy water. I want to transfer the Betta to my tank after some Quarantine time.
What do you think about me taking about a cup of water from my 55 gallon and adding it to the one gallon on a daily basis for about two weeks and then transferring the Betta to the 55 gallon ?
Drew

travie

Yeah, that will be a great way to acclimate the betta to your tank water. Probably could do it in less than a week though.

CHoffman

Bettas will will not do well in a community tank..They really need a tank all to themselves..A 5 gallon works best.

Fish Guy

If it's a male then you could have problems.

sirdarksol

Excellent way to acclimate.

A betta can work in a community tank, though tetras are known to betta finnage as prime nipping targets.
The two big things your betta will need are:
Still spots where it can escape from the current of the filter.
and
Places to rest that are near the surface of the water. Water wysteria and water sprite are excellent methods to provide this.

Lucy

Although I always recommend a betta have at least 5g's of it's own it might work in such a large tank with lots of hiding places.
Be prepared in case it doesn't work. If thing go bad they can do so over night and someone could end up hurt or seriously injured.

Bettas have such wonderful personalities and they really shine when they're the center of attention and not having to hide from other fish.

sirdarksol

Sorry:
Three things your betta will need...
add "backup plan" to the list. Lucy's right that you should watch carefully to make sure that things don't go bad.

Drew 43920

Poopy !
My friend is soft hearted and is afraid he will kill the Betta.
My BA tetras appear nasty and I would not put fin nipping past them.
I have no surface plants at this time.
.............................
If the occupants of the 55 where a pleco, a couple of corys and a half dozen red barbs do you think a Betta would work ?
Does a Betta bother other fish ?
How do you sex a Betta ?
Drew

Lucy

If your BA's are nasty then don't put the Betta in danger.
Your friend sounds like he loves his Betta very much.
Maybe he'd be willing to get him a 3-6g heated filtered tank for it.
Maybe. It depends on the temperament of the Betta and the cherry barbs.
But again, they usually prefer to be by themselves.
The males usually have much larger finnage. The females have a white spot on their belly.

sirdarksol

Males are often (but not always) more colorful. Fins are usually the easiest way to tell.

Basically, the reason that males are worse in a community tank than females is that the large fins slow them down, making them an easier target (they're also a bit more aggressive, but, from what folks around here have told me, it's usually just a matter of time before a female throws a tantrum and gets every bit as nasty as a male can).

Drew 43920

When I think of my dating experiences I do not find that hard to believe.

pinkfloydpuffer

I had a female betta that would rip apart any other fish that she saw, even my male bettas (she jumped the divider), so it seems to me that the females are just as aggressive as the males...

(RIP Riviera)

sirdarksol

PinkFloydPuffer; the fact that they lack the large fins makes them worse when they go into aggression mode, as they can move faster than males. In general, people have a bit more luck with keeping them with other fish, but it's always seemed like a temporary peace, except for when a sorority tank is set up with actual spawn-mates.