# 10 Gal Betta and Farlowella Setup



## SEK_05 (Aug 17, 2010)

I set up a 10 gal recently with a lot of plants and a big bridge for hiding spots and had my betta in there for a while. I went to the LPS and the salesman told me a farlowella would be a good tankmate so i bought him/her. he is about 5 inches and gets along great with the betta. After some research im reading that a lot of people believe 10 gal isnt enough for a farlowella, any suggestions? originally i was looking for a bristlenose pleco but they did not have any. thanks for the feedback!


----------



## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

Hey hows it going, from everything that i can find your whiptail will definetly be alot happier in an aquarium of atleast 50 gallons, that fish will get about 7" long, should be kept in planted aquarium with high aeration and water movement, you might beable to get by with a 30 gallon if your farlowella is of the royal variaty but both would be happier in a bigger home with ample filtration and and airstone


----------



## FW Fanatic (Nov 5, 2011)

Farowella cats can reach 8" and IMO should be housed in no less than a 40 gal tank. I don't think any pleco, even a dwarf like the BN, belongs in a 10 gal either. Your best bet is a couple nerite snails and/or some RCS or amano shrimp.


----------



## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

As stated the farlowella does not belong in a ten gallon.Either does BN plecs.They need at least a 29 gallon,but super filtration and heavily planted as they are dirty fish.I dont suggest shrimps either,because most bettas see them as food and will hunt them down to eat.Snails will do ok as ive never had any of my bettas going after them.As always though bettas all have individual personalities so make sure to watch him with whatever you do add.


----------



## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

yea i havent found any pleco's thatll stay comfy in a 10 gallon.. i wish i did, id love to see a tiny little pleco swimming around mine lol


----------



## sherpaskate (Jul 15, 2012)

what about a pitbull pleco? the get to like two inches tops i think.


----------



## sherpaskate (Jul 15, 2012)

ha! my bad, i forgot i was searching through old posts last night.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Other than a pygmy catfish (Corydoras hastatus, habrosus, pygmaeus) there is no catfish happy in a ten gallon. I wouldn't keep any of the many different Farlowella in a 10, and not with a Betta. It isn't a lot of room for a very light bodied but eventually 5-6 inch fish to live in. I'm assuming it's a common Farlowella, like F. acus. 

It is a delicate fish that will have to be specially fed. It's a vegetarian that need fresh green, and that means lots of water changes. I really like Farlowella - they are beyond cool, but they are not there to eat leftovers.

The other big problem is that bettas hate current. Their big fins (a man-made fancy breeder feature) really make them suffer in fast water. But Farlowella suffer in slow water - they love algae and current. Their mouths are perfectly adapted to hang on and feed on algae in a heavy current.


----------

