Bettas and bubbles...

[Jennifer]

I am thinking of putting a betta in my 32 G tank but I currently have one of those bubble wall/aerators things along the back and a bubbling feature in the middle....will this drive a poor betta nuts? (I read they don't like currents). I have lots of rocks and tall plants scattered around the tank to provide hiding spots and to break up the tank a bit, so there are calmer places but the water does move around at the top and back.

Another question...I read that Bettas don't like deep water, would my tank (which is about 15-16" deep) be okay? I have the temperature between 75-80F.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The current and depth won't bother the betta. They'll get used to some current, as long as the tank is big enough that they can get out of it if they want (and in your tank it sounds like he can). If they don't like the depth, they don't have to go deep . I've got some female bettas in a 37g tall, 2 feet deep, and they're fine, they even go pick stuff off the bottom. That's a good temperature for a betta. If he's unheated now, just make sure to float him for a long time, with as much of his water as possible, so that he warms up slowly.

What are the other fish in the tank?

 

[Jennifer]

Well I put my betta in my tank yesterday and he seems happy as can be, swimming around and checking everything out. He doesn't seem to have a problem with the current at all, or the depth. I hadn't stocked my tank yet, up to this point, because I was planting it and making sure everything worked.

I put a dwarf sunset gourami in yesterday as well to see if they would be okay together. I know they aren't usually the best match because of being territorial but I sat beside the tank for a few hours last night and this morning to watch them and suprisingly they get along. I thought that they would fight with eachother or stay in opposite sides of the tank hiding but neither happened. They actually swimmed alongside one another! Sometimes if the betta is going after food he will scare away the gourami but other than that, no problems. I think the gourami will be happier with other fish in there though because he seems to have taken a slightly passive position.

I would like to have a school of tetras (I am thinking diamond- ?) and a bristlenose catfish or another bottom feeder. I would also like to put another female gourami (powder blue dwaf) in but I am not sure if that will work. Can a female and a male betta be in the same tank?

 

[jumpfreak26]

Yeah, my red darf gourami doenst bug him except hell come up occasionaly every hour for the first week and nip at his fin, but the betta scares the DG so much wehn he darts away he stopped, my betta flared at the gouarmi when i first put him in, but then he said, the gouarmi doesnt care, so forget it

 

[Jennifer]

I put a blue gourami in today and a small school of neons because the sunset gourami seemed to be getting annoyed with the betta. They are all much happier now. The betta was curious about the neons which was funny and kind of hung out with them. I was worried that the two gouramis wouldn't get along (they didn't have females at the store) but they are swimming around together, the sunset seemed relieved and the betta is leaving them alone, especially since the blue is tougher and will stand up to him if he gets out of line. lol.

 

[pigs_fly]

Awww, your tank sounds so fun! Pictures, pictures, pictures....uh, please