changing from a smaller tank to a bigger tank

[reaper6495]

i am going to change tanks for my betta but i was wondering how to do that with out it getting cloudy for the 1 or 2 weeks when it takes to clear any help is appreciated and was wondering about live plants and snails also i am going from a 1 and a half gallon to a 5 gallon tank for my betta and can i add tank mates he has been by him self for 6 months was wondering if that would be bad or good

[Emenon]

bettas can do fine living by themselves. you can put a mirror or show him another betta for a couple minutes each week to prevent him from getting lonely, but don't put the two bettas together in the same tank. if you decide to add tankmates, you'll have to closely monitor them. the best tankmates are those that are large enough (so that the betta can't swallow it) and aren't aggressive fin-nippers (to avoid the betta fins shredding). golden apple snails or corydoras catfish are safe. it's best if they are slightly larger than your betta to avoid excessive bullying (occasional bullying is normal).

[wiccansinger]

I would say only 1 or 2 tank mates in the fish catagory, this is because 5Gal is really small for a tank mate. the bettas take up 2gal leaving only 3 gal for other fish, i gal per inch of fish. the golden apple snails and plants are a good idea, the snails keep the tank cleaner for longer and the plants keep the water oxygenated and the nitrogen levels down.

[reaper6495]

is there any thing else i should know before i put my betta into the bigger tank i am new to changing tanks any other info would be helpful

[BettaLu&Meg]

Hey Reaper6495, I'm bettalu(Luis) and i'm the breeder/moderator on the betta fish forum, and i just wanted to welcome you and hope you stay with us to learn about these little guys and make good friends(i did ) Oh and by the way, about your username..... i use that "reaper" name when i play video games like Gears of war and such lol, just thought you might get a kick out of it (i got it from the movie "Doom")
anyway......

idealy 2 gallons of per betta is needed so adding a tank mates to your 5 gallon might populate. Doing so will create poor water quality and require frequent water changes. also over populating can create sicknesses in a overcrowded enviroment.

When putting your betta in the new tank, make sure its clean and rinsed out thoroughly.
Also condition the water and let it sit for 24 hours before putting him in it, Unless your going to use the water from the previous tank. Then just add conditioned water that set for over a half an hour then place in.

Snails and live plants are a good thing to put in your tank. I breed and have snails in both my community and my breeding tank. Snails eat the algea in your tank along with everything else in there way. Making it a little easier on your life when cleaning, also it provides other benefits in your tanks waters, such as microbes(organisms) that help with oxygen, nitrogen spikes and it supplies food for baby bettas. The types of snails that are perfect betta tank mates are Golden Apple Snails(apple, mystery snails are the same) or RamsHorn snails. these little guys eat everything in sight and keeps algae levels down.

Live plants are a + too! While providing extra oxygen in the water, it also provides a place for bettas to hide in and rest on. If you'd like a list of great plant life to use and create a natural enviroment for them here it is........
It'll be very hard to make a complete Betta type biotope, as there is very little in the way of completely aquatic plants you can use: especially considering the fact that females in a group will NEED places to hide and breaks in the line of sight.

Now, you can find plants that are approriate for this; Large stems of Giant Hygro (Hygrophila Corymbosa), thick plantings of Water Wisteria (Hygrophila Difformis) are both good tall breaks for the line of site, both are proper in a SE Asian setting (though not occurring in the same habitat as bettas)

Mid level plants will be Java Fern (Monosorum Pteropus) attached to hardscape (driftwood or rough rocks) and most of the Cryptocoryne species (which require a nice sandy and deep substrate)

Of these, i highly recommend Crypocoryne Wendtii and Cryptocoryne Beckettii as both have done well in my lower light aquariums with a minimum of 'Crypt Rot'.

Java Moss (Taxiphyllum Barbieri, incorrectly called Versicularia Dubyana) can be useful as well, but must be kept in check, It should also always be rooted to driftwood, rocks or a framework lest it drift around uncontrolled making a mess

[reaper6495]

wow ty so much for that info i am not going to be breeding i just like the beauty of them and ty for info any where else i can find some more info

[bettalvr]

If you're setting up a completely new tank, do try to put some of the water from your old tank in it. You are going to have to let the new tank cycle (see Nitrogen Cycle links) and adding some of your already cycled water is a good thing.
What other kinds of questions do you have? There's a whole group of us on here with different ideas who are willing to help you out.
WELCOME to the forum and hope that you will stay around. Keep up the good work!

[reaper6495]

ty so much i plan on staying around i would like to have my betta live for as long as it can anotheer question on what type of filter should i use for a 5 gallon tank that is the new tank and i should use some of the water from the old tank how long do i let it sit before adding the betta

[bettalvr]

I would let the water age about 24 hrs before adding him, just make sure you condition the new water accordingly also. There are lots of filters on the market today that are good. Whisper (by Second Nature) are some of the more popular filters. Fluval has a very good line of filters. I would suggest buying a filter that works for tanks up to 10 gallons, not just one specifically for 5 gallons. . . the larger filter will not work at maximum capacity on your tank, hopefully extending the life of the filter. Whatever you get, just make sure it's one that you can adjust the flow of water as you don't want it too hard for the betta.
Good to hear you're gonna stick around! And you're doing a great job caretaking!!

[BettaLu&Meg]

No problem reaper, like i said i'm here to help in everyway i can, being the breeder and mod is what i enjoy doing bettalvr is great with info also as she is our betta behaviorist here her knowledge is just as valuable as mine! hope you stay with us for a while!!!! Talk to you soon!