my beta scuba steve

**Cyberra** · 02-08-2013, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by fresh_water110gallon

it's just too bad you couldn't have a huge community of them or I would've done that in my 110 gallon tank

Technically you could... But they'd have to be all female. A sorority tank. In a big tank, 30 gallons+. And lots of girls

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-08-2013, 11:10 AM

I would figure out what is causing the algae and correct it rather than buying fish to do the job. Are you keeping the nitrates low with large water changes weekly? Are you over feeding which could be causing high phosphates? How many hours a day are your lights on?

I would not use an algae remover. Many fish are killed due to that stuff.

**fresh_water110gallon** · 02-12-2013, 01:45 AM

hey everyone thx for all the suggestions and adviceso far. Iwent out and got a fewmore plants and2 snails yesterday. So far squba steve doesntmind them at all, he checked them out a couple of times and then just keeped swimming around. I think ur right ladyhobbs I do need to change water more often in his tank, I run the light about 10 to 12 hours a day.Also I'm not going tous an alge remover chem I dont want to chance killing steve

**Tiari** · 02-12-2013, 02:12 PM

Hello there!

First, good move not using algae chemicals. Most of them are extremely toxic, and a bad choice for what can be solved naturally.

The snails may remove "some" algae, but from experience, they likely won't solve the issue. In fact, the food for the snails, and their waste, can actually add to the problem, not fix it. That being said, snails are wonderful creatures and you will enjoy them very much. If they are apple snails or "Mystery" snails, keep an eye out for mating, and check the top hood on the inside often for clutches of eggs. You will want to remove these or you will quickly become overrun with more snails than you can handle!

I currently have a ten gallon, with one Female Betta, and nine Neon tetras. Though they get along very very well, with a male Betta the story could be different. However, I have heard of other fish getting on well with Betta, but the problem is the 10 gallon tank size. Other fish require too large of a school to handle in so small a space. Also, adding even a small school of fish, such as I have with the Neon Tetra, requires me to watch the water quality closely to make sure everything stays in check due to the bio load. I also have multiple filtration, not just the one filter.

Though I have no very large tanks, I have tanks in multiple sizes, and I find the ten gallon has the most likelihood to have algae. I have gone through the brown diatom algae, and now the floaty threadlike algae that is a constant battle. I also of course, get the algae on the glass of the tank, but all are easily removed. In my personal experience I find the algae in this small tank is caused by lighting and dissolved organics in the water. Doing two water changes a week instead of one has eradicated the problem. Make sure to gravel vacuum and not over feed.

**fishmommie** · 02-12-2013, 02:27 PM

I have a 1/2 dozen neons with my betta and they do fine. but my betta is a very mellow fellow. you could try it but be prepared to move them out of there if he starts harassing them.

If you do add more fish, you should get another small hob filter or up grade to something rated for a 20 gal since most recommend double filtration per the size of the tank.

as for the algae - if it's on the glass, simply wipe the inside of the glass down with a paper towel when you do your weekly water change. it's a good idea to do this anyway.
Scuba Steve sounds like a lucky fish :o)

**genocidex** · 02-12-2013, 05:51 PM

if you add a moss to the tank as a plant then you can add some RCS's they are cool shrimp and they eat algae.

sounds to me the light you are using is on too long during the day, any idea what spectrum it is?

on a side note, the bigger the tank and the denser the planting the more likely you are to have success with a betta in community setting. keeping fish that might stay to the bottom will also increase your odds. some fish to say away from would be other bettas, gouramis (relitives to the betta and just as tempermental), all cichlids (some one correct me if im wrong but i think even the bolivan rams would fight with the betta) fancy tailed guppies (bettas hate other fish that have more brilliant colors then themselves) and any fast rapid swimmers (ie rainbow fish, and zerbra dianos) the faster fish will stress the betta out and cause him to either die or go insane. follow those lines and you might be able to get away with some extra fish in the tank.

if you plan of upgrading your filter grab an AC 20 for cheep or even a 30 would be fine. they are the best HOB filts IMO. or a small canister filter.

**ekfishlover2011** · 02-15-2013, 02:09 PM

If you go to try the frog route i have advice from my experience:

1. Train the frog(s) to eat from a dish or drop the food right in front of them. They are horrible at finding the food on their own before the betta gets it.
2. When/if the betta does get the frog's food, the frog(s) sometimes nips at it when the betta is there and they will swallow the betta's fins. Depending on the individual betta and which fin it could destroy the fin pretty bad, but it grows back after a week or so.

Otherwise, a betta tank for me is incomplete without at least one of my little froggies with it. :D I have 5 with Reaper.

**talldutchie** · 02-15-2013, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by fishmommie

I have a 1/2 dozen neons with my betta and they do fine. but my betta is a very mellow fellow. you could try it but be prepared to move them out of there if he starts harassing them.)

In a 5.5g? Really?

**fishmommie** · 02-17-2013, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by talldutchie

In a 5.5g? Really?

Knew I'd catch flack for that. :0) They've been in there for 7 months now. Had not been my original plan but I needed a temporary fix. When everything went so well, I just left them. water perims are always perfect and there is absolute harmony in the tank. no aggression. Neons are all over the tank, feed well and if there's any stress, you sure can't see it. Of course, my beta is very laid back so that's the only reason it works.

**jocie1976** · 02-17-2013, 05:39 AM

I have my male betta in a 20g with 5 cherry barbs, 4 cherry shrimp, and 3 green cories. Perfect harmony with everybody, but there is a lot of plants and lots of hiding places. IME, as long as the fish you put with the betta are not fin nippers and can swim faster than the betta, then everything should be fine.