Who Gives A Fish Forums

Sunnyo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:05 pm Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

Yeah, keep us posted. It's always interesting to see how different bettas react.

I've got cherry shrimp with my betta. They're small and fast, so he doesn't bother them much. Just make sure there's plenty of hiding spots.

Thanks for the suggestions! Gonna look into Pygmy Corydoras and Chili Rasboras. My tank's got a pH of 7.0 and temp at 78°F, so hopefully they'll adapt.

I've got a 20 gallon planted tank with Java Fern and Anubias, but my Neon Tetras never seem to hide in them. Are there fish that actually use plants as cover? My tank has moderate lighting and a sponge filter.

My 20-gallon's got Vallisneria, and it's everywhere. But it looks great, so no complaints. Just keep up with water changes to manage the nutrient load.

I've had luck with Java Fern in my 80°F tank. It's low-maintenance and doesn't need fancy lighting. Just tie it to driftwood or rocks. My tank's got a sponge filter, and the plants are doing fine. Maybe give that a shot?

In terms of temperament, I don't think it makes a huge difference, especially if you're keeping it solo. Males are generally more colourful and can have those gorgeous long fins, but the downside is that those long fins can make swimming a bit tricky for them, and they're more prone to fin rot ...

Looks like your betta might've gotten hurt by something sharp or maybe he's got fin rot going on.

I'm no expert on females, having only kept males in the past, so bear with me on this one - I'm having trouble figuring out if my female betta is bloated or egg-bound. There's a male in a separate tank about 10 feet away, I'm unsure if he's close enough to even trigger her condition from that ...

Hi @quillmaster, I've got a separate male and female betta, and in my opinion, your female is bloated. The treatment is pretty much the same as for males - you can try giving her some peas.


Yeah, I think there's a difference - bloated/dropsy is usually a bacterial issue, while bloated ...