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I am really considering getting a 5 gallon or bigger tank for my guy (he's in a 2.5 currently). I want to add a heater and filter also. Do you think a 5 or 10 gallon would be best? With a filter and weekly water changes I wouldnt need to ever do a 100% water change, right? I might buy a divider and get a second betta but I'm not sure if it would be a good idea. For a filter I was considering either a penguin bio-wheel mini or a aquaclear mini. What one do you think is best? I just read that its best to avoid power filters but what other kind would be better? I also want to use white gravel but I'm afraid it will look really nasty if algea grows on it. Any thoughts on how to prevent that? Also, what are the best, easiest plants for a betta tank?

More importantly, the very base of my bettas fins are curling into little "fists". I bought some Melafix but I havent used it becuase Im not sure if that is what its for.

A 5 gal with either of the 2 filters you mentioned will be fine. If you notice he has a hard time swimming int the current then do something to break the current up like decorations and such. I'm not sure if the mini versions of the brands you mentioned have flow rate controls. If they do you can also just lower the GPH of the filter.

I assume your Betta is a crown tail.?. The rays can curl for due to any number of things. Most of them point to his water. Is it getting colder where he stays, are you keeping up on his water quality. I've sen fixes here for it, but do not remember them. The last time one of my CTs did that I just changed his water daily and they uncurled.

I have 3 ten gallons set up right with bettas in them. One tank that has just one male in it has a Penguin Mini and it does have a small current but he has gotten used to it. The second is a divided tank, it has a Tetra Whisper filter which has a current but I put plastic canvas on the output and have it pour into the tank right over the divider so the current is greatly lessened. The third has one male and this is the filter http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=30191&category_id=3319&pcid1=2885It doesn't really have much of a current at all. I would say I like the Whisper set up the best, but I haven't had much luck with the filters lasting very long.

Steph

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

A 5g is fine for one betta With that sized tank and one fish you could probably even use a sponge filter.

If you get a 10g you could add an ADF, pair of cherry barbs, school of small cories, or a few platies if you wanted to.


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is an ADF? And I thought barbs were semi-agressive schoolers. If I get a ten gallon I would love to add one of those choices.

I'm still not sure what size tank and filter I will choose. I can't spend too much so that will be a factor. I actually have that tetra internal filter but I really despise it. There was an odd film that formed around it and I just don't trust it.

Should I not have a subsrate so I can keep it cleaner? Or would gravel be ok so I can have plants? And if I choose cories then I need gravel, right? Is it ok to use flourite for plant growth as the main substrate and will cories mind it? Sorry for all the questions, lol!

I thnk the fin curling is due to a combination of water quality and temp. I havn't been very diligent about water changes and my room temp. does fluctuate a bit. So how large and how often should the water changes be in order to fix his fins?

ADF= African Dwarf Frog, and cherry barbs to the best of my knowledge are not agressive and arent schoolers. When i had two females they were very shy at first and liked to hide in the plants. If you do decide to add cories pygmys are great little guys i have 6 in my 10 gallon right now. They are so active and a lot of fun to watch darting around.

Amanda

Flourite is fine with cories IME.

Cherries aren't agressive and do fine in pairs. You really could have all three...the betta, a pair of cherries, and the small cories. That would be a very nice tank.


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I might just do that... So one betta, 2 cherry barbs, and 5? small cories (panda ok?)all in a 10 gallon. I will most likely get a bio-wheel mini, I really like and trust them. And flourite entirely? A few plants (any good ideas?) and the heater set at what temperature for the comfort of all fish?

I was thinking of pygmy or habrosus cories, which only reach 1" or so, but they're not always easy to find. Pandas are a good choice; you'd be a bit overstocked though...I'd personally do it, maybe going with a larger filter, very regular water changes, and keeping an eye on water quality.

You can have an all flourite substrate, or a mix. I've done both in various tanks with good plant growth in either.

A temp around 77° would be fine for all those fish.

I still consider myself a beginner with plants. Hornwort is a good floater and helps with nitrates. Anacharis can be planted or used as a floater. Other plants I've had luck with are anubias, crypts, Amazon swords, moss balls. You could also browse thru or post in [link=Planted Aquaria]http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/forum.asp?id=11" style="COLOR: #336699[/link] for more suggestions.

Keep us posted on the tank

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I am definatly going to go with a 10 gallon. I was standing in my room thinking about what to choose when I saw my old hood from a past ten gallon. While I was thinking of the money I would save from that my eyes wandered up further and I saw my old filters. One of those was a whisper filter (can't remember what size) but I think it will do fine and I can control flow rate. I also remembered a spare cartridge that never got used. It was like an early Christmas
I'm not too attracted to cherry barbs so I think I will just do the betta and 5-6 cories (I'll try to find pygmys). That way I will only have the two kinds to design the tank to and I won't be too overstocked. I won't be able to do any of it until very near or after Christmas so I have a while to wait (and plan). Thank you so much for the info, it helped a lot!

For me the ideal tank size for a betta is 5 g, also if you have enoug space you can align 3 tanks in a row with sponge filters & just 1 air pump .

The idea of the 10g is a good one as well, I just remove the barbs and leave the betta & cories, I like the idea of the betta as the center piece of the tank and the happiness of the cories in the bottom of the tank

I got a 10 gallon! What a happy little betta I have now. He swims in and out of the big stump and flares at his reflection in the glass. I don't think I'm going to add any tankmates becuase I put the tank in the upstairs of our garage which has no running water. So I'm only going to change the water about once a month and I dont want too much waste to be produced. I also couldnt find any flourite but I might buy some bulbs from walmart and maybe some java moss or fern. Thanks for the help!