Betta - wondering if I need a tank hood?

I am going to be getting 1-2 betta's soon and I was wondering if I need a tank hood and what size should I get for 1-2 betta's? I have owned a few before and haven't had one last over a year. Also do betta fish need a heater?

Also I am a little confuse on how the nitrogen cycle works how long it takes I read the article but am still really confused?

 

Minimum 2.5 gallon tank for each betta. If you're putting them in the same tank with a divider (do not keep males together and you would need more than 2 females for a sorority as well as a bigger tank) I recommend a 10 gallon, with the divider in the middle so each gets 5. A tank hood is recommended since bettas do jump, and it prevents anything from falling into the tank and hurting your fish. A heater is a must, as is a thermometer. Temps should be 78-82F at all times.

Please cycle your tanks first, do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

 

I am going to be getting 1-2 betta's soon and I was wondering if I need a tank hood and what size should I get for 1-2 bettas? I have owned a few before and haven't had one last over a year. Also do betta fish need a heater?

You should not put 2 male bettas in the same tank. You could do one male and a few females but you'd need a 20 or 30 gallon tank for that.

I'd recommend getting a 5 gallon tank and putting one male betta in it. Bettas are tropical fish and need a heater. When I had bettas, I kept them at around 78-80 degrees.

A tank hood is a good idea because bettas can jump, but they're not necessary if you keep the water levels down about 2 inches from the top of the tank.

 

A heater is preferable. And you shouldn't keep 2 bettas ever in the same tank. If you would like to do a sorority of females, over 5 would be necessary. Never put two males in the same tank. Unless you would like to breed never put a male and a female together. To keep 1 betta a 5 gallon is best but bettas can be put in tanks smaller. If you would like to do a sorority, then a 10 is minimum but better to do a 20 gallon or more. For sororities, make sure the tank is heavily stocked.

 

A heater is preferable. And you shouldn't keep 2 bettas ever in the same tank. If you would like to do a sorority of females, over 5 would be necessary. Never put two males in the same tank. Unless you would like to breed never put a male and a female together. To keep 1 betta a 5 gallon is best but bettas can be put in tanks smaller. If you would like to do a sorority, then a 10 is minimum but better to do a 20 gallon or more. For sororities, make sure the tank is heavily stocked.

Yes, I reiterate that two males should never be able to contact each other. The only situation in which you could have them in the same tank is if you had a divider between them. I would still recommend 2 separate tanks over a divider, since accidents happen and if the divider breaks or one of the fish gets sick, the other fish is in the same tank/water.

 

Heavily stocked with decorations. Just to clarify.

 

I am going to be getting 1-2 betta's soon and I was wondering if I need a tank hood and what size should I get for 1-2 bettas? I have owned a few before and haven't had one last over a year. Also do betta fish need a heater?

A heater is preferred for bettas, although I have kept a betta for + 4 years in a 10 liter tank and he seemed verry happy without it. At the very moment I have a small heater and keep the temperature between 24° and 28° and it works pretty well. I have never had a tank hooder and never got problems with jumping (they do jump, but always were clever enough to not do it close to the borders of the tank ). If you are going to have bettas I would advise not to have strong currents as betta don't like it. Also, make sure you have 2 separate tanks in case you are considering to have several fish.

 

I’m not entirely sure why everyone is saying that males shouldn’t be kept in a divided tank together... as long as the divider is secure and you have plants(or a non-see through divider) it is fine IMO. I’ve done it and didn’t really have problems(besides a few that were my fault). Would never suggest housing males and females together though for multiple reasons.

I’d suggest a 10 gallon if you want a divided tank, must be same gender bettas though. At least 2.5, but 5 gallon is much better for a single betta. A hood is reccomended as bettas are known to jump, if you can’t get a hood look at netting. Although, if you go the netting rout I wouldn’t suggest a divided tank. A heater is a necessity and you’ll need an adjustable since they need it to be around 80F.

Here’s a good care sheet in case you’d like to look it over-
betta caare sheet

 

A heater is preferable. And you shouldn't keep 2 bettas ever in the same tank. If you would like to do a sorority of females, over 5 would be necessary. Never put two males in the same tank. Unless you would like to breed never put a male and a female together. To keep 1 betta a 5 gallon is best but bettas can be put in tanks smaller. If you would like to do a sorority, then a 10 is minimum but better to do a 20 gallon or more. For sororities, make sure the tank is heavily stocked.

^Yes. A 20 gallon tank wouldn't be a bad idea even if you decide to have a divided tank for 2 males though. If you ever want anything other than betta's or want to add other fish species to a tank with a single betta a 20 gallon gives much more possibilities. Your options are very limited with a 10. Maybe a bit of an out-there suggestion, but definitely something to think about. I know I personally would've done that if I could do it again.

Also, I'm not stating this as a fact since I've not quite experienced this myself yet (I'm still quite new myself), but I always hear it's much easier to keep a bigger healthy tank than a smaller one since chemistry and temperature etc. fluctuate less.

 

I am getting a betta fish and I was wondering what size I would need to put a few tank mates in with my new betta. I'm looking for the MINNIUM size. And what tank mates that would be best.

 

It really depend on the betta. You could possibly do a 2.5-10 gallon with ShrI good and/or snails (would recommend at least 5 gallons). A 29 gallon is most of us suggest with bottom dwelling fish (warmer water Corydoras, KuhlI Loaches, etc.)

 

If you wanted a Betta with other fish a 20 long is the minimum I would recommend, but a 29 would be better - it's the same foot print as a 20 long so it takes up the same amount of space, it's just a bit taller.

In a 20 long you could do a bottom dwelling school like KuhlI loaches OR corydoras (not both). In a 29 you could also have a mid-tank school, a bottom school and maybe a small pleco like a clown pleco, bristlenose pleco or pit bull pleco.

 

I would say that you need at least 10 gallon for betta fish tank makes, like African dwarf frogs and chilI rasboras. Other fish that are considered "nano" are much more active in a larger tank. For example, there was a huge debate whether neon tetras should go in a 10 gallon or not. I tried that, but later moved them to my 40g, and they are move more active.

 

I am going to get a 5 gallon betta tank. I would like to stick a shrimp or snail in the tank to. I have no idea which shrimp or snail I can stick in with betta fish. So I would like some ideas please because I have no idea.

 

Nerite snails can be good because they eat algae and their eggs won't hatch in fresh water!

 

you could do some ghost shrimp or amano shrimp if you want shrimp since they are bigger then most so most bettas won't eat them. for snails I would do either two nerites or one mystery snail

 

Depending on the temperament of the betta, he/she may not care to have tank mates at all. My betta was not happy about even the 1 nerite snail I added to the tank - constantly harrassed the poor thing. Since the betta was clearly stressed about having to share the tank, I took the snail out. You could try adding a ghost shrimp to see what happens. If it leaves him alone, you could add a couple more and then try a nerite snail.

 

I have a few rabbit snails and my betta doesn’t care about them, so they are also an option. Although, I’d only do one in that tank size.

 

A horned bumblebee nerite snail stays small and are great for being housed with bettas. I keep them with a Paradise fish and a couple dojo loaches whom are known for eating snails. The shape of their shells and the horns may deterr your fish from attacking it.

A few larger Amano shrimp could be good, but you'll want to remove the betta at least an hour when adding them.

 

If I were to get a few ghost shrimp how many should I get?

 

If I were to get a few ghost shrimp how many should I get?

In that sized tank you could start from anywhere from 3-8, but I'm kind of new to this so I may not be right.

 

In that sized tank you could start from anywhere from 3-8, but I'm kind of new to this so I may not be right.

Even with a betta I would be okay with 3-8