Minimum tank size for HAPPY Bettas

I was wondering what everyone considers to be a good size for happy Betta boys? Room for some plants and decorations would be preferred as I don’t want them bored and they are used to having plenty of space to roam...

I’ve had bettas for a few years and have recently developed a minor problem, which is probably getting worse as I type - I’ve always preferred to go a size (or 3) bigger when it comes to tanks for the intended fish, but I have recently been outsmarted and need to find living space for more boys!

My bettas (m & f) have been living in connected tanks (50L & 90L)for the last 3-4 years with other fish, so any eggs or babies that managed to survive mum & dad got taken care of by the other fish.
Then 6 months ago it seems my boy realised he was on his last legs and REALLY wanted to leave a legacy! He managed to not only have one last hurrah, but also managed to resist eating the eggs AND protecting the Babies without me noticing!
Today, I have 3 Boys left, (possibly more since the smaller ones apparently hide the fact if there are more developed boys around), 7 girls, and momma who is HOPEFULLY too old to breed now. This is after handing out suspected boys to any friends with tanks!

Tank setup has expanded to 3 connected tanks with an extra 50L tank, and since getting rid of the last “extra” boy yesterday, I thought I had some breathing room.... what did I see when I went to feed them this morning? MAKING MORE BABIES!!!
Since I can no longer trust the others to “take care of business”, I suspect I will have another surprise in a couple months!

I have very limited room to fit ANOTHER tank in, so was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to separate a mid-sized tank into appropriate sized “cells” for the boys! At this point in time I can’t find anyone willing to come and collect boys up for adoption, and the way the U.K. govt is handing out new rules every day, I doubt if the decent fish shop will be staying open for long, and I don’t want them stuck in those tiny cubbyholes they use for months!

Any suggestions would be appreciated!! As it is I suspect I will be tossing out a sofa to make room for another tank!

 

I would say around 15 liters as a minimum but like you I tend to go bigger. The last one that was in a tank by himself was in a 75 liter with snails.

 

I’ll be honest here, I kept them in them small petsmart tanks for years, but once my last one died I just never bought another. I do find when people get a serious of glass bowls or lik glass vases, and put a betta in each is very cool!

 

As it is I suspect I will be tossing out a sofa to make room for another tank!

Hmmm. Was just thinking today how much valuable floor space a big ole couch uses up. I'm hard pressed to find space for even a 5 gallon tank.

 

20 gallon, I bought a 40 gallon though

 

Oh boy...the million dollar question I'll try to help with using my Betta smaragdina pair as an example. I tried to keep them together in a 5 gallon planted tank, but the male (Azure) became hostile to the female (Prisca) and begin fin nipping her, so I separated them. Azure is still in that 5 gallon and seems quite happy as long as he has sufficient cover (he looked stressed when I temporarily removed the dying plants while fighting an algae outbreak), while Prisca is in a little 2 gallon with some plants and doesn't seem too unhappy with that (she still explores the tank actively and is quite colorful). Long story short...bettas don't need a huge amount of space, but precisely how much may depend on the betta. Keep an eye on them.

 

I was wondering what everyone considers to be a good size for happy Betta boys? Room for some plants and decorations would be preferred as I don’t want them bored and they are used to having plenty of space to roam...

I’ve had bettas for a few years and have recently developed a minor problem, which is probably getting worse as I type - I’ve always preferred to go a size (or 3) bigger when it comes to tanks for the intended fish, but I have recently been outsmarted and need to find living space for more boys!

My bettas (m & f) have been living in connected tanks (50L & 90L)for the last 3-4 years with other fish, so any eggs or babies that managed to survive mum & dad got taken care of by the other fish.
Then 6 months ago it seems my boy realised he was on his last legs and REALLY wanted to leave a legacy! He managed to not only have one last hurrah, but also managed to resist eating the eggs AND protecting the Babies without me noticing!
Today, I have 3 Boys left, (possibly more since the smaller ones apparently hide the fact if there are more developed boys around), 7 girls, and momma who is HOPEFULLY too old to breed now. This is after handing out suspected boys to any friends with tanks!

Tank setup has expanded to 3 connected tanks with an extra 50L tank, and since getting rid of the last “extra” boy yesterday, I thought I had some breathing room.... what did I see when I went to feed them this morning? MAKING MORE BABIES!!!
Since I can no longer trust the others to “take care of business”, I suspect I will have another surprise in a couple months!

I have very limited room to fit ANOTHER tank in, so was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to separate a mid-sized tank into appropriate sized “cells” for the boys! At this point in time I can’t find anyone willing to come and collect boys up for adoption, and the way the U.K. govt is handing out new rules every day, I doubt if the decent fish shop will be staying open for long, and I don’t want them stuck in those tiny cubbyholes they use for months!

Any suggestions would be appreciated!! As it is I suspect I will be tossing out a sofa to make room for another tank!

I keep my betta in 30L tank and he's happy and he tolerates his tank mates. I'm also in UK and I need a new heater for my betta tank and I would need to also get Seachem's Prime, but I think I've got enough to survive through 1 month of quarantine, but if more than a month, I will run out. Oof.
And congrats on the eggs and baby bettas!

Anyways here is my boy

 

I got a 2.5 (female) and a 3.5 (male) and theyre both quite happy. Entertained and active out and about.

Bigger is always better

 

My personal minimums I go by are 5gal for long finned betta, 10gal for short finned (includes females)

I can go into why if anyone wants but I’ve explained it so many times I’m sure most of you know my thinking already

 

I already tossed the tv to make room for the 3 connected tanks, and I only have one backside so I figure the sofa can go! I just gotta figure out where to find a tank long enough to separate into 4 chambers, how to separate it, and where am I gonna find a power point to plug it in without blowing a fuse! Not to mention the money to pay for it all!

 

I keep my betta in 30L tank and he's happy and he tolerates his tank mates. I'm also in UK and I need a new heater for my betta tank and I would need to also get Seachem's Prime, but I think I've got enough to survive through 1 month of quarantine, but if more than a month, I will run out. Oof.
And congrats on the eggs and baby bettas!

Anyways here is my boy

Thanks for the congrats. I actually get all my seachem from Amazon as they do a subscription service where you choose the timespan, and you get a discount for it - both my LFS don’t stock it so it is much easier than driving 50min to the next town which has a bigger store out in the middle of nowhere!

 

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone- I guess I will be going for a 90L tank (23.7g) and splitting it into 4 slices.

Does anyone have any suggestions? My current 90L tank is a superfish aquascaping tank, so quite tall and not very deep - I am hoping to find something a little shorter so they have more room to swim...

 

I had a bunch of bettas in a 280 liter. I think that's what 75 gallons is. Sorry I'm on the other side of the pond.

 

If I split this into 4 slices there will be very little room for swimming side to side... anyone know of a shorter 90L tank?

 

I'd think 15 liters is about at the minimum, although as said above, some bettas will be more active and want more space. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone- I guess I will be going for a 90L tank (23.7g) and splitting it into 4 slices.

Does anyone have any suggestions? My current 90L tank is a superfish aquascaping tank, so quite tall and not very deep - I am hoping to find something a little shorter so they have more room to swim...

JMO , those look like breeder set ups to me. I'd just really suggest adding a lot of plants to help improve set up ( simply betta & others on you tube use those dividers). even though water quality improves because it's a larger tank overall, even without sight the fish are aware another male is nearby IMO.

Divided Betta Tank - Step by step setup!

her betta rack is/was amazing! but that was for growing out for sale

 

I say at least 5 gallons, but mine is in a 10 gallon and loving it

 

In terms of water stability, 19L (5 gallons) is enough as long as you do weekly water changes.

In terms of swimming space for mental stimulation, I think 19 L is the minimum if there are enough plants in the tank so the betta has the mental stimulation of swimming through them. If you can make space for a 38 L (10 gallons), a betta would certainly appreciate the bigger habitat. But if 19L is the most you can do, it's fine.

I'm thinking in terms of those two tank sizes because they're the standard where I'm from. There are companies that make in-between sizes, so that's an option too.

 

Since I need to find places for 4 boys I was considering buying a 90L and sectioning into 4 so I only need one filter, heater, etc - my electric bill has gone through the roof since buying my other 4 tanks!
I can only seem to find taller tanks, which means most of the spaces will be tall, not wide enough...