I recently "rescued" a male betta that was being used as a centerpiece at a friend's wedding. It looked unhappy in the tiny bowl (who wouldn't be?) so when I got him home I did some research on this site to try to determine the best conditions for the betta. I have never owned a fish before and I felt horrible reading that the tiny bowls really are no where near ideal for a betta.
I purchesed a 5 gallon tank (it was what I could afford) and cycled it following the directions on this site before adding him to the tank. The betta survived the wait (with the almost daily water changes while watching for major ammonia spikes in the larger bowl I moved him to while he waited for his home to be complete) and he is happy in his new home. He now has more color and is a lot more active. It has been a couple of weeks and I would love to get him some tankmates.
Right now I have fake silk plants and a fake ceramic turtle. The bottom is black gravel, my betta is a very pale pink guy and he looked better against the black gravel than something lighter. I also have a heater and a whisper filter. There is a light attached, but when it is on he sees his reflection and flares so I don't leave it on very long.
What I would like to know is what would be a good option for fish to add to the tank? I have been looking at either Kuhlii Loaches or Cory Cats because I would love a bottom feeder, but I am not sure if they would be right for my 5 gal tank. How many would I be able to house without overloading the tank? Another option I was thinking was a dwarf frog, would this be a good option?
Any help is appreciated, thanks so much for any info!
I purchesed a 5 gallon tank (it was what I could afford) and cycled it following the directions on this site before adding him to the tank. The betta survived the wait (with the almost daily water changes while watching for major ammonia spikes in the larger bowl I moved him to while he waited for his home to be complete) and he is happy in his new home. He now has more color and is a lot more active. It has been a couple of weeks and I would love to get him some tankmates.
Right now I have fake silk plants and a fake ceramic turtle. The bottom is black gravel, my betta is a very pale pink guy and he looked better against the black gravel than something lighter. I also have a heater and a whisper filter. There is a light attached, but when it is on he sees his reflection and flares so I don't leave it on very long.
What I would like to know is what would be a good option for fish to add to the tank? I have been looking at either Kuhlii Loaches or Cory Cats because I would love a bottom feeder, but I am not sure if they would be right for my 5 gal tank. How many would I be able to house without overloading the tank? Another option I was thinking was a dwarf frog, would this be a good option?
Any help is appreciated, thanks so much for any info!