I'm Getting A Betta! What Equipment Do I Need?

HI everyone I just joined and I'm planning on getting a male Betta (not exactly sure when). I already have a ten gallon with a light hood but I have a lot of questions.

-What substrate should I use?

-What filter should I use?
(Side note: I have a friend who has an aqueon quietflow 10 filter and says she'll give me her old filter and cartridge from her established tank when she upgrades to a bigger tank. Is this a good filter for a betta or is it too strong? If it's too strong is there any way to baffle it?)

-What food do you recommend?

-I was thinking of keeping a Nerite Snail with the Betta. Is that okay to do?

-Where should I get my Betta from, and what kind of Betta should I get?

-Is there any other equipment or decor I need/should get?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

 

HI everyone I just joined and I'm planning on getting a male Betta (not exactly sure when). I already have a ten gallon with a light hood but I have a lot of questions.

-What substrate should I use?

-What filter should I use?
(Side note: I have a friend who has an aqueon quietflow 10 filter and says she'll give me her old filter and cartridge from her established tank when she upgrades to a bigger tank. Is this a good filter for a betta or is it too strong? If it's too strong is there any way to baffle it?)

-What food do you recommend?

-I was thinking of keeping a Nerite Snail with the Betta. Is that okay to do?

-Where should I get my Betta from, and what kind of Betta should I get?

-Is there any other equipment or decor I need/should get?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

1. Any smooth substrate will work. I prefer fine sand as it makes maintenance easier.

2. The Aqueon 10 will work, but you will need to do more WCs. Maybe two 25% weekly.

3. For food, I recommend HikarI frozen foods(I recommend getting bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp) Omega One flakes, and NLS pellets.

4. Yes. You could have 3.

5. You could get your betta from your local stores, chain stores, or online. Also, I wouldn’t predetermine what kind if betta you will get. When I go to buy bettas, I buy whichever one speaks to me.

6. You will need a heater and some silk plants. The heat should be at 78-82. Silk plants are needed to provide room to hide in, explore, and rest in. They will not tear up a betta’s fins too!

 

HI everyone I just joined and I'm planning on getting a male Betta (not exactly sure when). I already have a ten gallon with a light hood but I have a lot of questions.

-What substrate should I use?

-What filter should I use?
(Side note: I have a friend who has an aqueon quietflow 10 filter and says she'll give me her old filter and cartridge from her established tank when she upgrades to a bigger tank. Is this a good filter for a betta or is it too strong? If it's too strong is there any way to baffle it?)

-What food do you recommend?

-I was thinking of keeping a Nerite Snail with the Betta. Is that okay to do?

-Where should I get my Betta from, and what kind of Betta should I get?

-Is there any other equipment or decor I need/should get?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

I use sand in my tanks. Gravel works just as well though.
I'd recommend a sponge-filter! They work amazing and are quiet.
A nerite snail should do just fine with him. My newest betta Tiko has 2 in his tank and he doesn't bother them.
I prefer halfmoon bettas. I just like the full tail look. All bettas are amazing though
Maybe look into some live plants? Amazon sword is my favorite live plant.

 

Oops forgot food!
My guys Looooove the OmegaOne betta pellets. I give them the pellets, Bloodworms, and Brineshrimp

 

Any substrate will do and Nerite snails are fine with Bettas. I would say the Betta from the place near you that treats them the best and has a high turnover. Sadly the only 2 options I have are Walmart and PetSmart. PetSmart gets the nod every time. They will eat betta pellets, flake food, and freeze dried or frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. They need a meaty diet since they are carnivores and they like variety. Some people say theirs are picky eaters but I swear mine would eat the gravel if it was small enough. The kind you get is up to you. Pick the one that looks the best to you.

 

-I like Fluorite Black for live plants, but I also have two other tanks set up with sand and regular gravel too!

-I have an Aqueon Quietflow in one tank. I have nylons wrapped around where the outflow is to weaken the current, because it's a little too strong for the betta in that tank.

-Frozen Omega One bloodworms, mysis shrimp, freeze dried brine shrimp, HikarI daphnia, and HikarI pellets. I alternate everyday what they get fed.

-I'm personally too scared to put a snail in any of my tanks. All three of my females are really aggressive, and after reading another thread where someone's betta ATE a mystery snail, I'm scared off the idea.

-All three of my girls are from big box pet stores. I always go for one that's super active and interacts with me. I lean more towards plakats and females because I had a male halfmoon die recently, and the bigger fins often have a few extra health risks. That's just me though! I'm super sensitive and will mourn a fish for months.

-Silk plants and live plants. I always feel around any decor to make sure it's not too sharp to cut their fins. I cut any little plastic pieces off of any silk plants I buy too.

 

- Any substrate is fine. It’s completely up to you, but make sure there’s nothing sharp for your fish to hurt itself on (like those decorative glass chunks). I use a mix of gravel and sand but I find that pure sand is difficult to vacuum.

- Sponge filters are best. Most filters are too strong for long finned bettas. Short finned ones usually do better.

- some people have really picky fish but all of mine are greedy. I swear I saw one try to eat a pebble once. Bettas are carnivores, give them meaty foods. Give them good pellets and the occasional bloodworm or brine shrimp. I make homemade food for them since I have a community tank but I’ll admit that’s a bit overkill.

- snails usually do ok. Depends on how aggressive your fish is.

- pets stores or local fish shops. There are better options online but I’ve never had a fish shipped before. I find that Petco has a greater variety but it depends on where you live. My favorite are halfmoon bettas, but they come with their own problems. Watch out for marbled fish, they change colors (surprise!)

- heaters are essential unless you live in a place with warm stable weather. They like it around 78F. Oh, and plants. They like plants. Make sure there’s nothing sharp. Tiny fish are soft and delicate

Best of luck to you, friend )

 

Already some very good suggestions here.

I agree that for betta, go with a sponge filter, as all other filters generally generate too high flow, even on lowest setting.

I give my betta NLS betta pellets, frozen bloodworms, fried dried blackworms a d frozen brine shrimp, in rotation, with the pellets being its staple.

As for betta types, I would suggest a plakat. With their shorter tails, they generally have less issues and are stronger swimmers.

If possible, include some easy live plants, such as anubias, Amazon frogbits, guppy grass, etc.

Lastly Indian Almond Leaves are also really beneficial for betta. It will release tannins, and will stain your tank water, but it creates an environment that mimics their natural habitat

 

Already some very good suggestions here.

I agree that for betta, go with a sponge filter, as all other filters generally generate too high flow, even on lowest setting.

I give my betta NLS betta pellets, frozen bloodworms, fried dried blackworms a d frozen brine shrimp, in rotation, with the pellets being its staple.

As for betta types, I would suggest a plakat. With their shorter tails, they generally have less issues and are stronger swimmers.

If possible, include some easy live plants, such as anubias, Amazon frogbits, guppy grass, etc.

Lastly Indian Almond Leaves are also really beneficial for betta. It will release tannins, and will stain your tank water, but it creates an environment that mimics their natural habitat

Where do you find almond leaves at

 

Where do you find almond leaves at

I get them from my LFS here in Australia. They are cheap, a couple dollars for a bag. If you LFS carries bettas or shrimp, chances are they will have IAL.

Alternatively, ebay or amazon