# My Betta plan



## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

I bought a 10 gal on sale at Petco. Eventually I want to put a betta in it but not until the plants I want are well established. My idea is to plant it fairly heavy which is the reason I bought a 10 so there would still be plenty of room for the betta and perhaps a couple of kuhli loaches or a pair of bristlenose plecos. I read where floating plants aren't good and that's fine. Floaters always remind me of seaweed which I'm not found of. 

I've read that shrimp aren't really safe with bettas because when the shrimp molt they can easily be eaten, however if there is plenty of plants to hide them will that alleviate that problem?

I bought sponge filter and it dawned on me that my shrimp tank has sponge filter so maybe I could interchange them for a few days so that the new tank would cycle off the shrimp filter. 

Also bought a heater, light. 

I have regular aquarium gravel but I'm not crazy about it. I like the idea of the glass gravel mentioned in Chickadee's wonderfully informative post above but I'm afraid I'll get the wrong size. I've seen some on the internet and It doesn't look much different then sand in size. Also I don't know if you can grow plants in it very well. Really I'll use whatever is best for the bettas and I can grow plants in. I know it can be done I've seen the pictures....Any suggestions would be great.

I'm in no hurry for the fish. I want to get the plants and tank right first. It seems to me with fish like bettas the less messing around I have to do to it's home the better for all concerned. Plus it gives me time to continue to read all the great information I've found posted here. 

Robin


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## CarpCharacin (Dec 25, 2014)

All i recommend you having in the betta. You do not want to overstock it.


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## FishyFriend (Oct 20, 2014)

Bettas are best kept on their own, you could have a snail with it.
Kuhli loaches & bristlenose plecs are not suitable for a 10 gallon


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

<i>All i recommend you having in the betta. You do not want to overstock it.

Bettas are best kept on their own, you could have a snail with it.
Kuhli loaches & bristlenose plecs are not suitable for a 10 gallon</i>

One betta would be fine, although I'd still like to figure out how to put a few cherry reds in with it.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

10 gallons is not realy large enough for suitable tankmates. The shrimp may become snacks but it is a good live food source so if you have enough and want to try go for it. 

No on the loaches and plecos. As for the plants many will do fine in any substrate, just rooted plants need root tabs.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

i would recommend first getting the betta then slowly planting the tank.if you dont have any source of food for the plants(the betta's poo)then they will slowly die unless you wanna do tabs and what not until you have enough plants to make do with.

also what plants you can have depends on the lighting you have gotten. if you got the standard lighting that comes with the tank then you can just save that for another project(there WILL be another project in the future) and order a led light.

i hope this helps


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

big b said:


> i would recommend first getting the betta then slowly planting the tank.if you dont have any source of food for the plants(the betta's poo)then they will slowly die unless you wanna do tabs and what not until you have enough plants to make do with.
> 
> also what plants you can have depends on the lighting you have gotten. if you got the standard lighting that comes with the tank then you can just save that for another project(there WILL be another project in the future) and order a led light.
> 
> i hope this helps


I am going to fertilize and at the moment I do only have the standard light but I'm shopping around for the best deal on a LED light, and you're right, there will always be another project.  If this goes well I'll redo my other ten, my twenty and the hex!


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

You could do a fish less cycle with the plants in it. They will love the ammonia.


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

chenowethpm said:


> You could do a fish less cycle with the plants in it. They will love the ammonia.


I wanted to do that with the last tank but locally I couldn't find any ammonia that didn't have additives. I see that I can order Dr. Tim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride for Aquarium from Amazon. It's kind of pricey but it might be interesting to try it.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Finnex Sting ray is a good little LED.


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

majerah1 said:


> Finnex Sting ray is a good little LED.


thanks I'll take a look.


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## darkhymn (Dec 16, 2014)

I think you could probably get away with a small to middling school of a smaller, more subdued schooling fish in a 10 gallon. Harlequin rasboras and White Cloud minnows come to mind. Bristlenose plecos will be too large for a 10 gallon, but pitbull plecos might work, assuming the betta will tolerate them. I've read that shrimp can be hit or miss. I've read about bettas living with shrimp peacefully for a while then eating them one day out of nowhere, I've heard of them killing any shrimp place with them immediately, and I've heard of them living their whole lives peacefully with some shrimp. It will largely depend on the temperament of your specific betta. Ask the employee at your lfs to help you find a relatively docile betta, and if you're lucky they'll know how to get a feel for that, and if you get even luckier it will cohabitate peacefully..


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## FishyFriend (Oct 20, 2014)

White clouds are a cool water fish & wouldn't like the higher temp a Betta needs, they're also active swimmers & need more space.
Harlequins wouldn't be suitable either, the ones you see in Lfs are juveniles & nowhere near their adult size, they need a bigger tank


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## darkhymn (Dec 16, 2014)

FishyFriend said:


> White clouds are a cool water fish & wouldn't like the higher temp a Betta needs, they're also active swimmers & need more space.
> Harlequins wouldn't be suitable either, the ones you see in Lfs are juveniles & nowhere near their adult size, they need a bigger tank


You're right about the white clouds, I didn't think of the temperature. As for the harlequins, they rarely reach as long as 2", with 1.5" being more common. While I agree they'd certainly be happier with a longer tank, I suspect a small school could get by in a well filtered, well tended, well planted 10 gallon tank.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

In my experience rasboras would do more stressing the betta out than anything. They are constantly zipping all over the place. I think they have way too much of an energy level for a ten gallon.


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

darkhymn said:


> I think you could probably get away with a small to middling school of a smaller, more subdued schooling fish in a 10 gallon. Harlequin rasboras and White Cloud minnows come to mind. Bristlenose plecos will be too large for a 10 gallon, but pitbull plecos might work, assuming the betta will tolerate them. I've read that shrimp can be hit or miss. I've read about bettas living with shrimp peacefully for a while then eating them one day out of nowhere, I've heard of them killing any shrimp place with them immediately, and I've heard of them living their whole lives peacefully with some shrimp. It will largely depend on the temperament of your specific betta. Ask the employee at your lfs to help you find a relatively docile betta, and if you're lucky they'll know how to get a feel for that, and if you get even luckier it will cohabitate peacefully..


I forgot about the temp difference between the shrimp and the betta. Good point. I just wanted to put a few cherry shrimp in the tank. I bet betta water would be too warm for them. I'll have to look it up.


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

thanks everyone. I think I'll just stick with the betta unless I find that I can add a few cherrys although I'm guessing the betta would run to warm for them.


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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

Well like I said, everyone walks around with their own little ammonia supply. Lots of micronutrients too. Where do you think they have the most experience with nitrifying bacteria? The sewage plant maybe? Why is fish pee better than say, people pee? Am I being serious? 

It is a much more natural replacement. 
I won't say anything. Promise.


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## robinc (Jul 15, 2014)

kalyke said:


> Well like I said, everyone walks around with their own little ammonia supply. Lots of micronutrients too. Where do you think they have the most experience with nitrifying bacteria? The sewage plant maybe? Why is fish pee better than say, people pee? Am I being serious?
> 
> It is a much more natural replacement.
> I won't say anything. Promise.


*r2 I'm pretty open minded but I just can't go there. *h/b


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