2.5 or 6.6 gallon for a betta?

A couple weeks ago I was at petsmart and bought my betta, Apollo, and put him in my 1 1/2 gal. He's been in it long enough and it's time for an upgrade. I'm thinking of the 6.6 because I can't find a proper filter for the 2.5 other than the 3I internal(which is in the 1 1/2 and I don't like it at all).

But if I get the 6.6 I'm gonna want to add another fish with him. At first I was thinking ottos but now I'm interested in cories(If they are compatible of course). I've never seen Apollo flare before, so I don't think he's aggressive, but of course he hasn't seen another fish since I bought him. So maybe when I get my neons/cardinals for my 10gal I can stick em in the 6.6 to see how Apollo reacts and if he's comfortable with them I'll move them into the 10gal and buy some ottos or a cory.

Thoughts?

 

The 6.6 is good for just the betta. You could try keeping a couple dwarf frogs with it - though not a guarantee, a lot of people have had success with such a setup. As far as other fish - I wouldn't. The larger the tank the better, and a 6.6 is not large enough for a high probability of success.

The azoo palm filter, aka red sea nano and some other name, is a good filter for a 2.5 gallon.

 

I think the 6.6 would be too small for cories, they usually need to be kept in groups of at least 3 or 4 at minimum... ottos are pretty sensitive fish and like cories need groups.

Personally I'd get an African Dwarf Frog or two though they can be tricky to feed since bettas eat the same kind of food and usually gobble the frogs' food, in my experience

 

I was actually thinking about dwarf frogs, but idk how it'll work out with my betta. It'll be easier, and better for Apollo if I just got the 6.6, plus I won't have to buy a filter separate.

Thanks, I'll think about the dwarf frogs and look em up a bit more.

 

You could get a mystery snail for the 6.6 with Apollo I have my double tail half moon betta Henry in a 6.6 with some snail tank mates and they all get along well

 

You could get a mystery snail for the 6.6 with Apollo I have my double tail half moon betta Henry in a 6.6 with some snail tank mates and they all get along well

I was thinking about that too. I'll probably just do that, thanks.

 

mystery snails are full of personality you won't be disappointed and they come in a variety of colours

 

mystery snails are full of personality you won't be disappointed and they come in a variety of colours

You've just inspired me to get one for my betta tank. ;D

 

snail antics can be very amusing and both of my bettas get on well with snails although Henry is constantly stealing the snails food the little monkey fish.

I think it is the right choice for Apollo's tank

 

Thanks for advice everyone

I'm definitely going with the 6.6 now. I'm just stuck between sand or gravel. Apollo's white with just a small hint of blue and sometimes pink. So I was thinking of black gravel/sand. And then I was going to add the stones that I have in his current 1 1/2g. I want to add some live plants as well. What would you guys recommend?

 

I would go with black gravel and to start low light low maintenance plants like moss balls, java fern and anubias and the anubias can be attached to decorations like bogwood once you have dipped your fingers so to speak in live plants you can always add to it both of my betta tanks are planted Mordin's is quite the betta jungle lol

I have used tetra plant complete underneath my gravel and crushed coral (two tanks) and had really good results both of my tanks run off LEDs also Mordin's has more light than Henry's but the plants are doing well in both

 

That sounds great!! I have the same kind of thing in my 45g, black sand with some stones for anchoring plants and just as accents. I personally like Dwarf Hairgrass, a few Crypts and Java Ferns. Anubias are really cool too and pretty easy to grow, though they grow slow. I think Apllo will look awesome with back sand

 

I house my betta in a 2 gallon however I think if your going to do a 6.6 it would be big enough to house about 2-4 neons . My male betta loved the neons I had . I housed them in my friends 10 gallon , I think 6.6 might be a little small for neons but if you stick with only a few he should be okay . However if you do neons don't add anything else. Bettas can be picky and nippy mine picked at my algae eater and mystery snails . A dwarf frog should be okay , it depends all on your male

 

That sounds great!! I have the same kind of thing in my 45g, black sand with some stones for anchoring plants and just as accents. I personally like Dwarf Hairgrass, a few Crypts and Java Ferns. Anubias are really cool too and pretty easy to grow, though they grow slow. I think Apllo will look awesome with back sand

Mordin is a pale yellow marble crown tail and the black gravel and plants really help to show off his colours if you would like to see a picture of his tank and Henry's if you've not already seen them I would be happy to oblige

 

I house my betta in a 2 gallon however I think if your going to do a 6.6 it would be big enough to house about 2-4 neons . My male betta loved the neons I had . I housed them in my friends 10 gallon , I think 6.6 might be a little small for neons but if you stick with only a few he should be okay . However if you do neons don't add anything else. Bettas can be picky and nippy mine picked at my algae eater and mystery snails . A dwarf frog should be okay , it depends all on your male

I wouldn't recommend the neons. They need to be in schools and 2 or 4 really isn't enough. I think your betta would enjoy more space to himself anyway, so I'd just go with ADF's and/or a snail or two.

It is true that some bettas can be nippy more than others, but if you add what other fish/snails you want FIRST and then your betta he may do better (he can't claim the tank as his territory before they go in so there's no reason to "defend" which may keep him from nipping though there still is a chance he might).

 

I too wouldn't recommend neons or other fish in less than 10 gallons I wouldn't recommend adfs to start either I would stick to snails to be honest and if Apollo takes a disliking to tank mates at least he has his shell to defend himself of herself until you can come up with plan b.

Bettas can turn uncohabital very quickly without pre warning in a 6.6 I wouldn't risk it

 

If you can't do the neons I would just do you betta fish and some nice plants . He won't want to share his tank with anything else . I think this upgrade should be about him not snails or frogs . Let him be happy

 

6.6 gallons is way too small for neons anyway; 10 gallons is debatable (I wouldn't do it myself).

I also agree with keeping the betta alone. The minimum recommended tank size for bettas is 5 gallons, and 6.6 really isn't that much bigger. However I think I will politely disagree with the suggestion for mystery snails; they produce a lot of waste and I think 10 gallons is the minimum, and I wouldn't put them in less than a 20 gallon. However you could have a colony of MTS, or a smaller snail like a nerite - a horned nerite would be the best kind, as they don't get as big as other nerites I have a few myself.

 

I had horned snails and they reproduced like crazy! My betta ate them even though it was pockey. If you decide to get a smaller snail you have to realize that they will produce a lot of babies . It can become over welming for such a small tank I agree with kinezumi89 I would leave your betta alone however I house my betta in a 2 gallon betta starter kit and he seems fine however in the future around April I would like to upgrade

 

Those weren't horned nerites then, because nerites need brackish water to reproduce

 

Those weren't horned nerites then, because nerites need brackish water to reproduce

Thank you, now I've confirmed the fact that the snails in my 45g are not Nerites as I thought they were LOL!!

 

Thank you too then what kind were mine ?

 

LOL nope, nerites are rather big (horned nerites are marble size, normal ones are shooter marble size).

Not sure, what do they look like? Round, with a point on the end: pond snail; swirly like a cinnamon roll: ramshorn; white or brown and pointy like those Bugles snacks: Malaysian Trumpet Snail. Those are the common ones.

 

They were like a swirly cone

 

These guys?

If you want to start a thread with pictures of your snails, that might not be a bad idea We kind of hijacked the OP's thread

 

LOLOL that's them and it was my old tank I don't have them any more but hard them and sorry op! Aha