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I kind of want a fish in my office.....I think. Do I?

Find a LFS (Local Fish Store) in your area and shop there. These are small business owners who will be knowledgeable and more able to help you make choices about possible tank mates. Given that you want a desk-top type thing, then you won’t be getting too many. Your DH sounds like he’s making a typical newbie mistake and that’s to put too many in a tank at once.

You might consider some African Dwarf Frogs. Those little guys can be fun to watch.

Technically bettas can live in a community. It is highly dependent on the individual fish’s personality and the other fish you pair him with. I think tetras are fairly good with Bettas. Basically you want a fish that is good in a community, has short fins, and is not aggressive. I would not try to pair a betta with other fish unless you have a 20 gallon tank or larger and plenty of plants/hiding spots. People do it with smaller tanks, but I just wouldn’t recommend that.

I bought my last betta from Walmart. I wasn’t planning on getting a fish but he looked dead in his cup. I brought him back to health and he was with me for 2 years. If you can find a breeder or fish store that takes good care of their bettas, buy one from them. Otherwise Petco or Petsmart works.

I would not jump into a huge tank setup to start with. Things start to get more complicated, involving filters, cycling, etc. Start with the betta in a smaller tank and if you enjoy it feel free to upgrade. A lot of people will get a larger tank and divide it into several sections to keep 2-4 male bettas. Maybe that would interest you?
A great betta resource is www.bettafish.com, which is a betta forum. There’s a lot of kids on there but a lot of people are really knowledgable and helpful!

Sorry, should have given more detail. DH used to have an aquarium in college, so he has asked me a few times if we could get another. I’ve never really wanted to, but then I randomly got this inkling for bettas and wanted one at work. Now that I’m learning more about them, I’m not sure if I have room at my desk for a big enough tank. To be honest I was picturing a small little bowl, which I now know is NOT big enough. Anyways, now I’m thinking I could just keep him at home. I mentioned that to DH, to which he answered “well, if you want fish at home now why can’t we get a full aquarium setup?”

Can a male live with other fish of different breeds?
Yes, but it can be tricky. Some male bettas are jerk faces that can’t live with other creatures, but the bigger the tank, the more likely things will work out. Also, you have to be careful not to add fish that will chew on the male betta’s fins (barbs are fin nippers for instance).

  • I have a 40g planted tank with a male betta, a male golden gourami, 6 glowlight tetras, one golden female killifish, one female guppy, and one cardinal tetra (lone cardinal’s are not a good idea because they are more comfortable in schools, but the rest of the group died and I don’t want to add more fish).
    The male betta will chase the other fish, but the aggression is spread out
    so no one fish gets picked on too much, and the plants allow for hiding places.
  • I have a male betta in a Fluval III with two Amano shrimps and two nerite snails. He is a chill beta that does not chase the shrimp. I had a different betta in another tank that picked on the shrimp and finally made them jump. It just depends on the fish.
  • I have another male betta in a Fluval V with three nerite snails. He tries to fight the snails, but the snails ignore him…

Are there certain rules, like when you bring a new horse into an already established pasture herd?

  • Let’s see… ALWAYS QUARANTINE NEW ARRIVALS in a separate setup! It only takes the addition of one sick fish to wipe out your tank.
  • Turn off the lights for 24 hours when you add the new fish.
  • Add the most aggressive fish last. This way all the other fish have established territories and have gotten comfortable before the balance of power is upset.

Am I ok from buying from a box store?

  • This really depends. If you see one sick fish anywhere in the fish section, that means all the fish are infected (all the tanks share the same water). If you have a LFS, these usually are better but they can have sick fish too.
  • All of the bettas I have purchased in the little cups from box stores have been disease free so far…

What if the little guy I bring home is already sick and he doesn’t make it?

  • This is the #1 reason why you need to quarantine, but most box stores have a 14-day guarantee if this happens.

How long do they typically sit on a shelf before they are purchased?

  • It depends. Really attractive ones tend to fly off the shelf, but then there are the others. If the cup has a brown or reddish film, that fish has been there awhile.

A final note: the smaller the setup, if things go south, they go south fast.

My SO and I have way to freaking many aquariums of both salt and freshwater. Feel free to PM with questions :slight_smile:

Thanks HotSensitiveType! Very helpful :slight_smile: DH met me for lunch today and we walked around Petsmart afterwards. I was a child. LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY FISHIES!!!

I used to have a beta fish at work. His name was Earl. Earl was freaking awesome. He would do this little wiggle dance with me sometimes. We would make faces at each other. I swear, he enjoyed my company. I loved that fish. I would clean his tank maybe once a week in the bathroom. He would be fine without food for the weekend but any longer and I would ask coworkers to feed him.

When I left that job, I brought Earl home where he lived for a couple years until one day he started to tilt. After a few weeks of on and off tilting, Earl died. I bought another fish after that and named him Carl but it just wasn’t the same and he didn’t live as long. I miss Earl.

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[QUOTE=emipou;7898213]
I used to have a beta fish at work. His name was Earl. Earl was freaking awesome. He would do this little wiggle dance with me sometimes. We would make faces at each other. I swear, he enjoyed my company. I loved that fish. I would clean his tank maybe once a week in the bathroom. He would be fine without food for the weekend but any longer and I would ask coworkers to feed him.

When I left that job, I brought Earl home where he lived for a couple years until one day he started to tilt. After a few weeks of on and off tilting, Earl died. I bought another fish after that and named him Carl but it just wasn’t the same and he didn’t live as long. I miss Earl.[/QUOTE]

I have a little, uh, sand in my eye…or uh, an eyelash…something’s making my eyes water bad.

:frowning: RIP Earl.

I kept a Beta in one of these for all 3 years of his life: http://www.petsmart.com/fish/aquariums-stands/marineland-3-gallon-crescent-aquarium-system-zid36-17291/cat-36-catid-300013?var_id=36-17291&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

This included me taking it back and forth to college with me. He was a fun fish!
I got him because he was destined for the toilet - someone thought tiny bowls with Betas would make great centerpieces at a party. And they were just going to throw them away at the end. :eek: :mad: Sadly I could only save one.

I used to work at Petsmart and I felt so bad for those Betas in the cups. The water didn’t get changed nearly enough. :frowning:

What do people think of this thing? Yay or nay for easy cleaning? I wonder how long fish last in it: https://www.myfunfish.com/?c3api=3716,54284994046,my%20fun%20fish%20tank&gclid=CIaolM2it8ICFSIV7AodrAoAow

Just to tempt you, my betta in a planted Fluval V:
http://s963.photobucket.com/user/beakleyl/media/10608223_762140533853195_4130441341699727199_o_zps617ffd45.jpg.html?filters[user]=138862103&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0

My double-tail male betta in a Fluval III (this one has fake decorations mostly and does not look as cool, but I don’t need another planted tank!):
http://s963.photobucket.com/user/beakleyl/media/1891477_762140517186530_3630132643528209787_o_zps1c0c79a5.jpg.html?filters[user]=138862103&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

Petco has all kinds of crazy male betta types: crown tail, double tail, elephant ear, dragon scale, rose petal, butterfly, etc… You should take a look!

ETA: Instead of crazy cat lady, I have to watch it or I will become a crazy betta lady!

Damn! Now you guys are making ME want another Beta! My last guy was royal blue and SO pretty. His incredibly creative name was Blue. :wink:

You can keep them with other fish, but it depends a lot on the personality of the individuals, and being smart about what species you choose (and having enough space, and a good amount of cover/hiding places). The biggest danger is not usually the betta eating/attacking the other fish, but other fish nipping the bettas fins or ganging up. So, to maximize success potential - make sure tankmates are into different things (bettas like to be in cover near the surface, and eat bugs off the surface. So a group of bottom-dwellers like corydoras can make great tankmates. Peaceful small livebearers can be OK too. Currently I have one betta living with a school of six pencilfish and 2 african dwarf frogs, and another betta who lives with a snail and a pair of oto catfish. As for introductions, I think it works best to introduce a betta last, and keep him separated for a few days (I like the floating “breeder” boxes) to see how he reacts to the other fish before adding him in.

Also, are there certain places that I should avoid buying fish from? I was always taught growing up to never buy puppies from those little mall pet stores as they aren’t treated well, don’t always come from reputable breeders, etc…(this might just be my odd parents, Idk from personal experience). Should I avoid a box store and find a breeder? Am I ok from buying from a box store? If they are basically swimming in pee :frowning: what if the little guy I bring home is already sick and he doesn’t make it? How long do they typically sit on a shelf before they are purchased?

Typically, small local stores are recommended, but it really depends on your location and what’s available. In my area, the box stores are sometimes better, in terms of fish health. Almost every fish store is getting their bettas from the same sources, very few buy from local breeders, so keep that in mind. Look for clean water in the cups, and active fish with good color. When you get them home, don’t add any of the water from the cup into their new home, instead net them and add them to your tank (make sure the temp is the same, even if that means turning off the heater in the tank). I usually add a drop of water conditioner to the cup first, then add tank water to the cup and acclimate the fish slowly to the water conditions before removing the fish and moving him.

If you want to buy direct from a breeder, try aquabid.com, but keep in mind many of those breeders are in thailand, and you’ll be paying a lot to import and then ship from an american trans-shipper.

[QUOTE=Sparrowette;7897528]

You might consider some African Dwarf Frogs. Those little guys can be fun to watch.[/QUOTE]

Somewhere i have a picture of one of my dwarf frogs sitting with one of his little arms over the betta. heh.

Just to add a different perspective you could consider a nano salt tank. The smaller 4-8 gallon versions are great for corals and some shrimp, maybe one fish depending. They are beautiful, change throughout the day, and with the all inclusive filtration and lighting they have become very easy to maintain.

I would not jump into a huge tank setup to start with. Things start to get more complicated, involving filters, cycling, etc.

um, no. All of these things happen in smaller tanks, too, but they tend to not work very well in small tanks. I think 5 gallons is the absolute minimum for the tank ecosystem to work- and they need filters, cycling, heaters etc. just like the bigger tanks. Small tanks are very finicky and need a lot of work and maintenance and tend to crash no matter what. Once you hit 50 gallons and up they work much better. A fish newby should start with a 20 gallon tank or bigger. Experts can sometimes get the smaller tanks to work.
If you put a fish in a tiny tank or cup, basically you’re sitting there watching the fish slowly die.

THST, where did you get your betas? They’re both very pretty!

Thanks Where’sMyWhite!

The one in the Fluval V I got at Petsmart. When I bought him, the cashier said, “Well… that one is different.” :smiley:

The one in the Fluval III I got at Petco. If you look there, take note on the price chart in the betta display. I was caught by surprise on the price for this guy!

This one I also got from Petco. I did not need another betta, but he was too cool to pass on! http://s963.photobucket.com/user/beakleyl/media/10007344_762140003853248_8095072943068862890_o_zpsc0a01855.jpg.html ETA: this guy has some nice new digs now!

Very pretty. I was wondering if you’d gotten them from a breeder but nice to see you can get pretty fish from the big box stores too!

[QUOTE=wendy;7898597]
um, no. All of these things happen in smaller tanks, too, but they tend to not work very well in small tanks. I think 5 gallons is the absolute minimum for the tank ecosystem to work- and they need filters, cycling, heaters etc. just like the bigger tanks. Small tanks are very finicky and need a lot of work and maintenance and tend to crash no matter what. Once you hit 50 gallons and up they work much better. A fish newby should start with a 20 gallon tank or bigger. Experts can sometimes get the smaller tanks to work.
If you put a fish in a tiny tank or cup, basically you’re sitting there watching the fish slowly die.[/QUOTE]

Uhm, yes actually. The point I was trying to make was that keeping a small tank and doing water changes insted of trying to cycle a tiny tank is far easier. I cycled a 5 gallon and it was a nightmare, the ecosystem is still fragile although it runs well now. I would not recommend someone inexperienced try to cycle a tank less than 15-20 gallons.

There is nothing wrong with putting a betta in a 3 gallon tank and doing water changes regularly instead of trying to cycle the tank. As long as you keep and eye on the water params it is just fine for the fish. Filters are NOT great for bettas. They get stuck easily to the intake and are not particularly strong swimmers (IMO) so even minimal flow has the potential to upset them. Which is why I only suggested a filter if the tank has significant surface space, enough for the fish to get to the surface without being bothered by the flow from a filter.

[QUOTE=ThistleDewDressage;7898373]
Just to add a different perspective you could consider a nano salt tank. The smaller 4-8 gallon versions are great for corals and some shrimp, maybe one fish depending. They are beautiful, change throughout the day, and with the all inclusive filtration and lighting they have become very easy to maintain.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with Wendy here.

The issue with salt critters is that they really need STABLE water parameters. The smaller your tank gets, the more difficult that is to accomplish. So a small salt tank is actually much more difficult to manage than a large one. Generally, if you want to go salt, the bigger the better. Then you can manage water quality much more easily.

for a 5 gallon tank, consider Endlers. They are very tiny, live bearing fish. Quite colorful.

You can easily have a little school of fish with very simple needs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilia_wingei

a local fish store is more likely to have your best interest and quality stock than Petco petsmart walmart

I got my first endlers through the mail which is quite common.