Find solution
What tank is better for my betta fish?

What fish would be compatible with a betta in a 5 gallon tank?

  • Hi. I got a 5 gallon tank for Christmas. I have all the necessary chemicals and am going to wait a few days until I put fish in the tank. I do have one problem though. I have been looking at fish and the crown betty is the only fish that really looks cool that I know will do well in the tank. I want to add some type of algae eater, perhaps a snail, in the future. However what type of aesthetically pleasing fish could I put with the beta? I know fancy guppies are out. Could a fire red shrimp live in a tank like this? So my questions are: What type of algae eater should I get(snail, Chinese algae eater, etc.) Can a fire red shrimp live with a beta in these conditions? Would another shrimp be better? If not the shrimp, are there any types of frogs that could live in these conditions? If none of these work, do you have any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

  • Answer:

    Hi! Yes Bettas are the ONLY fish you can keep in a 5 gallon tank. In the hobby, 5 gallons is considered very small. Algae eaters like Plecos CANNOT live in a 5 gallon tank- firstly they produce more waste than a morbidly obese human, and grow to be MASSIVE - I believe they need 130 gallons MINIMUM. Snails? Well yes you could add one of them, but they also produce alot of waste - so their "job" as the "cleaning crew" is really forfited. Shrimps are the same. And frogs? NO WAY. Froms would need alot of space, and dry land aswell. Suggestions? Well if you wanted to keep Tetras, you'd need a bigger tank. I'm afraid it's really only the Betta you can keep :( Good luck - if you have any more questions though, post them on here!

Junior79... at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Well, a snail can work I suppose, but I still don't think it's a great idea. They really don't clean much, since they have a larger bioload I think. Mystery snails can actually get surprisingly large, so I'm not sure they're such a great idea (of course, there are smaller snails available, just not as common) Also, I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that Betta's can nip their antenna off... Any other sort of Algae eater, like a Chinese algae eater, Siamese, etc. just won't work do to size issues. The shrimp on the other hand, would probably do well! There is a chance that they would get eaten though, but in my opinion, they're a much better choice then a snail. They may also breed and with out cover for the babies, the Betta will eat them up, which may sound bad, but it's a healthy live snack for the fish! My only concern (and again, I don't know if this is true, just my brain thinking) is that their bright color might attract the Betta more, possibly increasing the chance of them being eaten? If you'd like a different shrimp option, Ghost shrimp work too. Maybe Amano shrimp too (a little iffy, as they're even smaller than the other shrimp)? And if I remember correctly (and was given correct information), shrimp actually have a very small bioload, meaning they produce a very small amount of waste. The only sort of frog I can think of that I've heard doing okay with Betta's are African Dwarf Frogs. I don't think they'd do very well in a 5 gallon tank though, and they have issues with sight, so when feeding comes around, they tend to find the food too late, so the other fish have already eaten it. And I've heard a few stories where somethings just go terribly wrong, like the Betta nipping at the frogs toes, or the frog accidentally trying to eat the Betta some how (these frogs are carnivorous, just FYI) I don't have a tank mate suggestion, but I do have a different sort of suggestion; wait more than a few days to add the fish. Your tank really needs to cycle to be able to support any sort of live, and that takes more than a few days.

Nothing else. With a single Betta, your tank is completely stocked.

Probably a few neon tetras

Betta can be aggressive towards each other. But only male bettas will be aggressive towards one another. Female Bettas will live together peacefully. Some male Bettas will get along with smaller schooling fish if your lucky.

none because bettas are fighting fish and will kill till last one is alive

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.