Sorry if it seems like an obvious question but I've never kept a betta before and this tank was originally set up for shrimp only. Please let me know what works and what I can improve on to make it comfortable for a betta.
Skip to the next paragraph if you don't want the story – Basically I had to move states so I sold all my shrimp and transported the tank and plants together. I'm pretty happy with how the tank turned out but somehow over the last few months these disgusting mites got into my tank. They look like tiny ticks under a microscope, I've researched them and apparently they can either be detritivores or parasitic to shrimp and there's not any way to tell because of how many species there are.
I'd really like to get a betta to help eat these mites and keep the other microfauna in check, but I'd like to make sure my tank is suitable first (I've also just been wanting a beautiful red one as I think it'd look striking against the greenery). The main thing I'm concerned about is the size and amount of plants. My tank is very planted and has lots of moss and tangly plants everywhere, so I'm worried the betta won't have enough swim space or will get caught in the plants. The tank is only 30L, minus the sand and other decor taking up space, is this enough room for the betta? I love my tank but at the end of the day it is pretty small and I don't want it to get bored of the space it has. I'm fully aware that betta will sometimes eat shrimp and I've accepted that. I'll be introducing the shrimp a couple weeks before to give them a chance to establish.
The other side is how much waste does the betta produce? With shrimp I usually only do a water change once a month with distilled water top ups and found that worked best to avoid major changes in the water chemistry. But if I need to do more regular water changes I'll need to rethink this for the shrimp.
Thankyou for any advice and suggestions
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1s0mc9u
Posted by kittensandshrimps
4 Comments
looks perfect for a betta, lots of resting spots with the little plant holders on the left. some bettas are jumpers so idk if you have a lid, but i’ve heard having floating plants at the top is another way to combat this like you already have. 30L is almost 8 gallons of water, 5 gallons is the minimum so you’re perfectly fine tank size wise. and the monthly water changes should be fine, bettas don’t produce much waste compared to other fish, so your current schedule for water changes also sounds like it would be fine for a betta
Wow!!! Can I live there? I love seeing these tank setups on reddit.
I love it !! Such gorgeous colors <3 If I was a Betta fish I’d totally live there
It’s really beautiful! What kind of betta are you thinking of? I can’t wait to see what you pick. They love lots of plants, your tank is perfect.