What can you tell me about caring for a Betta fish?

Male Betta's should never be kept with other Betta's (females ONLY when breeding) or Dwarf Gouramis.

Females can live together but need 4+ so they can establish a pecking order. 2 or 3 females rarely work. Most the time with 2, one will always pick on the weak one. With 3, 2 usually gang up on 1. 4+ would be needed.

Betta's are tropical fish and require 3-5 gallons each (unless a female sorority). They need a stable temperature of 76-82 degrees (78-80 being idea). In a bowl with no heater or filter, a Betta might live 1-2 years. In a proper 3-5+ gallon, Betta's live 5-6 years even up to 10 is commonly reported.

Male Betta's CAN be kept with other peaceful fish. Keep them away from fin nippers and group fish in improper groups. Male Betta's may target colorful fish or fish with long tails. They are also known to attack and kill male guppies as they resembles mini male Betta's

A 10 gallon could do: (each > represents a fully stocked option)

>4-5 female Betta's

>1 Betta, 3-4 Kuhli Loaches

>1 Betta, 3 African Dwarf Frogs

>1 Betta, 3 Platies

>1 Betta, 4 Dwarf Platies

>1 Betta, 5 White Clouds

>1 Betta, 3 female guppies (add Fancy colorful females with caution)

>1 Betta, 4 Pygmy Corydoras

Stay away from:

>Danios/GloFish

>Mollies

>Swardtails

>Neon Tetra's (any Tetra's as they need 15+ gallons)

>Goldfish

>Corydoras

You can also add some Ghost Shrimp. 1-6 would do well. The Betta's might eat them.

Female bettas (siamese fighter fish) can be kept together but you have to have at least 5, they will form a pecking order, 5-7 will be perfect for a 10 gallon. One male Siamese Fighter fish can have tankmates, despite the myth that they will kill all fish. Good Tankmates for Male bettas are platys, mollys, shrimp and african dwarf frogs.....

Their are a lot of types of betta's. Not a lot of people know this. But when you do your home work you will notice this. Their are wild bettas and Betta Spledens, the ones you see at pets mart and pecto, also any other fish store. You see Betta Speldens, as these are the most popular kind of betta's.

Wilds betta's have their ups and downs. While they can be housed together unlike Betta Speldens males, they do require bigger tanks with a lot of live plants. They also don't common in a lot of colors. So I think you will probably want a Spelden.

Betta Speldens common in almost any color imaginable unlike wilds. They also come with different tail shapes. But you can only house one male per tank. Unless you use a bigger tank and dividers. But once again, the down fall to dividers, is they can jump over. If you keep a lid on, it shouldn't be a problem. But another down fall is, when one gets sick they all get it. So it's better to keep them all separate.

As for females, you can house them with each other (6 are required for a 10 gallon tank, no more and no less). You can also have one female and other tank mates. It's a lot easier to take care of 6 female bettas, then it is to take care of a bunch of different fish.

Females are more active then the males, but the females are not as pretty as the males. So it tough to decided witch one you rather have. I do highly recommend buying from a breeder though then a pet store, while pet store fish are cheaper, they don't live as long and you also don't get much choices.

A good site to buy from is aquabid.com, but i do warn you that importing will cost you a arm and a leg. While you still can also buy from american breeders as well. If you rather wait and save money, you should go to a IBC show near you. A lot of top breeders send their fish to these shows and they sell for a lot cheaper then what you can get for them online. You also don't got to pay shipping (that's what kills people, lol). I have seen betta that could be sold online for $100+, sell for $10-20. Just cuss they rather sell them then pay for return shipping lol.

But I highly do recomend you to do your home work before going out and buying a betta. Figure out what you want and how much your willing to spend. Also learn more about the care for them. As it will be come pricey.

Here are the basics you need to know for your Betta to live a long and happy life:

1. A cycled ( http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php and http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquarium%E2%80%A6 ) 5 gallon or larger aquarium is minimal for a single Betta. In 10 gallons you could house 3-5 females. Really though, I'd suggest getting a 15 gallon for 5 females. Female Bettas must be kept in odd numbers, 5+ is best, and they need plenty of room.

2. A filter is necessary in any tank in order to keep the water aerated and free of toxins. For Bettas it is best to set the filter flow to low, as they are not very strong swimmers. Another good option is a sponge filter. If your current filter is too strong, you can remedy it by covering the intake with a pair of pantyhose, putting a tall plant in front of the output, or follow these instructions to oufit your filter with a simple current/flow reducer: http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/347/

3. A heater is essential. Bettas need warm steady temperatures of about 80F, to thrive. Constant fluctuation leads to stress, which inevitably leads to disease and often death. You can find an inexpensive heater for a small tank at any fish store.

4. In a 5-gallon or larger tank, weekly 25% water changes, using a gravel siphon are necessary. Water conditioner must be added to the new water before it is put in the tank to remove toxic chlorine, chloramine, metals, etc. Never change all of your Bettas water, as this shock your Betta, and ultimately weaken him. The Betta stays IN the aquarium during water changes.

5. Bettas enjoy a well planted aquarium, (use live or silk plants, plastic can tear their fins,) with a cave or two for exploring and resting. The tank should not, however, be stuffed with plants, as Bettas also need a good amount of room to swim. (And swim they will if given enough space.)

6. Feed your Betta a good staple pellet or flake diet, substituting frozen foods such as brine shrimp andand blood worms several times per week. Reserve one day per week for fasting.

If you're interested in a sorority tank, you'll need to either add all of your girls at once, which can kill your cycle, or rearrange all of the aquarium "furniture" (plants, decorations, decor, etc.) each time a new Betta is added in order to deter hierarchy based aggression. (Rearranging the furniture makes the pre-established girls think they're in a new environment.)

Plant your aquarium well, and allow plenty of hiding places. Bettas love floating hollow "logs", which you can find at any pet or fish store.

I suggest as much research into Betta sorority tanks as possible before attempting.

When properly cared for, Bettas have been known to live for 10 years. I have personally known them to live for 6, so be sure you're ready to offer that sort of commitment.

Finally, pleas be sure that you have a plan for what you will do with your fish during vacations.

Good Betta info/care sites:

http://www.fishlore.com/Articles/betta-fish-care-g...

http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php

Good luck!

Male bettas are aggressive but only towards other male bettas. Male or female bettas can be kept in a community aquarium. Bettas can be active but only if they have the space. In a 10 gallon tank it should swim around often. A male betta may attack other fish if it thinks it is another male betta though.

So i use to take care of betas all the time! there are fun! give it things it can swim in and out of and they seem to love to hide. They do fight if you put two together. But there is a certain type of frog that you can put in with them that they will not attack. Hope that helps at all

If you put two betas together there Going to fight no matter what! Probobaly even kill each other

http://www.oneworldinternetcafe.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-a-Betta-Fish

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/anabantids2/p/be...

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/

http://www.bettafishguru.com/

http://www.siamsbestbettas.com/

http://www.ebetta.com/

http://www.bettafish.com/