Question regarding Betta habitat...

[rrrc9b]

Hello,

I have a 5 gallon tank that I am preparing for one of my male Bettas... my question is, I had a different male in there previously, and I had a small problem with algae growing on the sides. It didn't grow thickly, but everytime I wiped it clean, it would be back within 3 or so days. Is there an algae eater someone can reccommend for that size tank? I was looking at Otos, but everything I've read says that they need to be kept in at least a pair, and I think 1 Betta plus 2 Otos will be too much for the tank. I was looking into snails too, but I've read things about mystery snails not eating the algae and snails attacking fish while they slept. So... I don't know!

Oh, and because I know someone will ask- my tank is by a window, but not in direct sunlight. And it can't be moved from that location, since it's the only location available.

Thanks!

[Mzungu]

First, what color was the algae? Was it just coating the glass, or was it made of longer strands? Some algae eaters tend to prefer certain types.

Second, what kind of tank is it? Is it just one of those All-Glass kits, or is it an all-in-one Eclipse system or something similar?

Third, what kind of lighting do you have on it, and for how long?

Algae certainly won't hurt anything, but it can be kind of ugly sometimes. :) I don't see a problem at all with one betta and two otos in a 5g. Otos are pretty tiny.

If you're worried, though, and of course this still depends on what kind of algae you have, you could also try some nerite snails. They're great algae eaters. The olives tend to not do as well in FW as some of the others, such as the zebras or tiretrack nerites, but are still good helpers.

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[rrrc9b]

Thanks for the response!

The algae on the walls is green and just coated the glass. However, that being said, I did have some black algae-looking stuff that I could only see on the "coliseum" decoration I have in the tank- this stuff was a couple of millimeters long and looked fuzzy. It did not look like black beard algae, unless it was "young" black beard algae. I didn't give it the chance to grow up, but it was in there about a week before I cleaned it out.

The tank is a hexagonal- I think it's an Eclipse. It gets indirect light from the window all day, and then I would usually turn on it's little light for maybe 3-4 hours after it got dark outside. However, I have not had a fish in there full time since the time change, so the light would not be on as long now.

Sorry, but what does FW stand for?

Thanks for the help!

[Mzungu]

Oh, sorry! FW = FreshWater

I'd try some nerites, if I were you. I have a female betta in a 2.5g tank with high light and one nerite for my algae cleaning crew, and he does wonderfully.

Sometimes otos can be a bit tricky/sensitive, but I've never had that problem with nerites.

Three potential problems with nerites:

1) They don't multiply in FW as most other snails do. However, there's a good chance they'll lay eggs in your tank. These won't hatch, but it will look like someone sprinkled sesame seeds in your aquarium when you weren't looking. I don't mind this, but some people really do.

2) If your water tends to be soft, or you're using a substrate such as AquaSoil, your nerites' shells may begin to erode. I prevent this by occasionally dosing some liquid calcium to the tank (a few drops every week or two).

3) For some reason, nerites like to take random vacations out of the water. Mine like to hang out upside down on the glass tops, and some like to just go for some completely different scenery and crawl out of the tank. I then find them on the floor. Usually it's a couple weeks later, and they haven't survived their holiday. But in a smaller tank with only a few nerites, you can keep track of them more easily. If one's missing, look above the water line first, and then behind the tank.

Hope that helps! :)

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[rrrc9b]

Haha, thank you so much for the suggestions! Can nerites spread diseases to Bettas? Like, do they need to be isolated before introducing them to my male?

[PhishPhreek]

I know the old rule is 1" of fish per gallon of tank but bettas and other anibantids do not count as they get oxygen from the air they breath, not the water in the tank. Instead of one male, you could keep a small harum of females. Your 5gal has enough air in the water for 5~ 1" o-cats or 1 ABN or other small plecostomus. Plants and driftwood will create a soft acid system which is natural for the Bettas. The plants will reduce the nitrates and starve the green algae. The driftwood will provide fiber for the digestive systems of the cats or snails. Bettas enjoy both rooted and floating plants. Wysteria, ricca, or java fern / moss are all low maintaince. You should choose a filter system with a slow flow rate as the bettas like calm waters. Bettas sometimes eat small fish, bugs and snails so choose medium size snails if you want to go that route. Feed them live food when you can get it, frozen when you can't and avoid the freeze dryed.

[rrrc9b]

Thank you for the advice- I actually kept three female Bettas in there originally, but two of them ganged up on the third and pretty much ripped her to shreds. So, they each got their own bowl (except for the third, who didn't make it). But I will look into the other stuff you mentioned- thanks again!