# Bettas in planted tanks with shrimp?



## AmyLynn (Aug 22, 2009)

Hi all. Just brought home a new crowntail betta 2 weeks ago. He is currently in a 2.5g tank, but once I get a new palm filter he'll be moving to a 5g that a friend gave me. I was thinking about doing a tiny planted tank for him. Is this easily done in a 5g? The current hood just has 2 incandescent tube type lights at 15w each. Am I going to need to look into something different? Or just make sure they're full spectrum? 

Also, I have 2 amano shrimp in my 29g. They're doing wonderful in there, but I was wondering about moving them to the 5 when I get it set up. Will they betta have a problem with them? Or they with the betta?

TIA


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## mielikki (Aug 29, 2009)

I bet he will love a 5 gallon planted tank, sounds like a fun project...


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## obscbyclouds (Apr 6, 2009)

AmyLynn said:


> I was thinking about doing a tiny planted tank for him. Is this easily done in a 5g? The current hood just has 2 incandescent tube type lights at 15w each. Am I going to need to look into something different? Or just make sure they're full spectrum?
> 
> TIA


I can't answer your betta question, but I'm sure Rose will be along shortly. One thing I can say is make sure the betta has room at the surface to breathe from the air as well as the water. 

As for your lights. I would keep the fixture and get two screw in 6500K "daylight" compact florescent lights to replace the incandescents. They will provide plenty of light for plants in a 5 gal tank. The bulbs don't need to be aquarium specific, you can probably get some at the local hardware store for less. 

You'll also need to consider substrate, with only a 5 gal, you wouldn't need more than about 10-15 lbs of it. I would go for an enriched plant substrate like eco-complete or flourite. You could also use a mixture of sand/gravel, but you will probably need to use fertilizer root tabs if you get any rooted plants like crypts, swords, and dwarf hairgrass.


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## AmyLynn (Aug 22, 2009)

I didn't want to go too crazy with the plants. The whole point of the 5 gallon is to give him more room to swim. 

I was thinking about the black eco-complete. One bag of that from foster and smith should be more than enough I would think.

Any suggestions on plants? I was shopping some on liveaquaria and getting some options, but I'd rather have real world suggestions.


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## MutedMonkfish (Jul 4, 2009)

My boy is in a 16 gallon tank by himself and id say he needs sat nav to get arround the room he has. The bigger the tank the easy it is to look after, and also the fish will be well happy .


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

With a 5 gal, I would go with crypts. Swords will outgrow that tank pretty fast and some crypts can get tall enough to work like a swordplant. You can also use something like baby tears but keep it trimmed to look like ground cover. If your going to have a piece of wood in the tank you can use things like anubia nana species or one of the other smaller leafed anubia. There is also things like needle leaf java fern, mosses and such that would make it a cool looking tank.


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## mielikki (Aug 29, 2009)

I have a small wisteria in with one of my betta, and in the other I have Pennyroyal. The wisteria seems like a better hiding place, from what I've seen.


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

Bettas love plants and especially appreciate having a tall plant to sleep in that gets them close to the surface at night so they do not have to swim far to get to the surface to breathe. Just no floating plants as they need a clean and clear surface unless the tank is very big and it has a huge surface.

No the shrimp will not work or at least for long. You see shrimp is the bettas first food and while it has a shell on will be okay but when it molts and takes a few days to get a new shell, it is in trouble with a betta around. It is not the bettas fault but it will always think of the shrimp as LUNCH and will definitiely overeat and you do not want that....overfed bettas are the pits to deal with and can die from stuffing themselves.

Otherwise it sounds like a lovely arrangement.

I am in the process of buying a new betta crew to have so I know how the new bettas are hard to resist spoiling...have fun with your betta.

Rose


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## AmyLynn (Aug 22, 2009)

I was wondering about the shrimp. I guess they will just have to stay in the 29g community tank. 

Didn't I read somewhere that they sometimes get along with otos? I do have a shipment of those coming in at some time. 

Trying to decide now what to filter it with. I was given a 2-5 gallon whisper internal, but it's missing a piece and is filthy. Was thinking about a new internal or possibly a duetto internal filter. Thoughts? 

As for plants, what about a microsword or dwarf hairgrass?


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

I have used duetto filters in my betta tanks and they work well and it is nice that you can direct the flow so that it does not make it difficult to have them swim. Those fins are like sails so you want something you can adjust the flow on and make it swimmable for the betta.

My favorite is sponge filters as they do the filtering and yet are totally adjustable and cheap. I keep a sponge or two bubbling in all my tanks as they come in handy for quarantine or hospital tanks but if you use one in a tank for a sick fish and want to return it to the main tank remember to replace the sponge with a new one as you do not want to transfer the problem the fish had back to the main tank. 

Thanks for joining us and I am hoping that we have been helpful, and yes, the bettas generally get along well with otos as the otos are pretty much nocturnal and they sleep during the day. I had a betta that loved his otos so much that they took naps together.

Rose


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Dwarf hairgrass might work depending on the light you put on it. microsword should be ok though.


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