scavenger and a new aquarium

Question
QUESTION: hey! i just got a betta and i love him. iv decided this is going to be a really fun hobby and im looking to set up a new aquarium with more fish. i want to put a male betta, several femal bettas (about 3 or 4), an african dwarf frog, a live plant or 2, and a scavenger in it. the problem is i like not having a filter to deal with. in fact to be honest iv found a very large glass contain that is shaped like a vase except its about four feet tall and a foot wide. i think it would make a cool hobby/decoation. im looking for a clean up fish/creature that is both compatible with bettas and african dwarfs and needs no filter. do u know of anything that matches this description?  also im kinda new to aquariums as far as fish go so if you have any pointers that u think i might need to know i will GREATLY appretiate it. thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Hi Dan,
I know what you mentioned about filters. But it wouldn't be really that bad to have a hang-on-the back power filter? These are very easy to maintain and deal with. Just a cartridge you slip out and rinse once a week (in a container of tank water) and you replace it when it gets too worn. No trouble or time consuming at all. Plus it oxygenates the water, keeps the aquarium clear and healthier for your fish. Isn't that enough good reasons to just go ahead and have one?

For all the fish and critters that you have in mind. I would get a 10-gallon aquarium. These are inexpensive and much better in the long run than a small bowl or similar container. It is also a healthier environment for the fish. That with a hang-on-the-back power filter and a small heater would be EXCELLENT! And a perfect home for a betta, dwarf frogs, and a little bottom dweller.

A word of caution about the bettas. They say that males and females will get along but in my experience they never do. I've had males kill females or at least chase them and chase them until their life is just plain miserable. Males and females might get along if the tank was very large (say 4-6 feet long). But you'd probably be better off just keeping 1 male in a tank with some other fish. Bettas can easily live in a peaceful community tank. They look great with schools of danios, small tetras, rasboras, cherry barbs, or white clouds.
Try to keep the tank as understocked as possible. You don't want a crowded or polluted aquarium on your hands from overstocking.

A 10-gallon would be EVEN better if it were planted. You could use low-light easy to care for plants such as Anubias, Java fern or Java Moss, maybe even water sprite or Anacharis. Plants help remove excess pollutants in the water to help keep it cleaner, they also help to oxygenate the water and provide hiding places for fish and other aquatic life plus making the tank look natural and really beautiful.

You might want to redo your stocking list to maybe something like this:
*1 Betta
*1-2 African dwarf frogs
*6 small schooling fish
*2-3 cory catfish (as bottom dwellers/scavengers)
OR
*3-4 Ghost shrimp (Also great bottom Dwellers/scavengers)

I would be careful of using the four foot container. I wonder how strong it really is and if it could stand up to water pressure when filled. And also, how difficult would it be to clean?  Be sure to keep these things in mind if you are thinking of using the large glass container.

You could keep a betta and dwarf frog in a unfiltered container. But you are very limited to your stocking levels if the container is small or unfiltered. Really the only way to combat this problem is to try to use lots of aquatic plants to help keep the water clean. And don't forget the importance of frequent partial water changes.

I really hope this helps!
Best wishes,
Karen~



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QUESTION: hi Karen, the information you gave me was helpful and i reconsidered that large vase container for an aquarium, decided it would be a little too hard to clean. After obsevering my bettas for a few days i noticed that after my male betta stopped chasing the females (it took 2 days for that to happen) i noticed the females were nipping at the male. which suprised me to say the least especially when i looked closer and relaised that they had in fact done a truly noticeable amount damage to his huge gorgeous fins. i called the pet shop i got them from and found out the females will in fact act like black widows and kill the male if i don't give him a place to hide! this annoyed me to say the least since the people at the pet shop told me they make great companions for each other. any way i just thought you might like to know that so if any one else in the future asks about this you can help them out. and please know that i am not annoyed with you at all... you didn't know... thats fine. i just wanted to let you know so you could tell other people. i know how much it would break my heart if my little fishy died cause some greedy pet store owners don't tell you the whole story just so they can make a buck, or at least in my opinion thats what there doing. thank you again for your time and i hope this helps.

Answer
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{{i called the pet shop i got them from and found out the females will in fact act like black widows and ale if i don't give him a place to hide! this annoyed me to say the least since the people at the pet shop told me they make great companions for each other. any way i just thought you might like to know that so if any one else in the future asks about this you can help them out. and please know that i am not annoyed with you at all... you didn't know... thats fine. i just wanted to let you know so you could tell other people. i know how much it would break my heart if my little fishy died cause some greedy pet store owners don't tell you the whole story just so they can make a buck, or at least in my opinion thats what there doing.}}
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Thank you Dan! That was really nice of you!! You really do get conflicting information when it comes to keeping male and female bettas together. Some sources say they get along fine if you have 1 male and 2 females. While others strongly warn against mixing them. I think it's safe to say that males and females should -not- be kept together unless both fish are ready to spawn. Otherwise you get either a really stressed and beaten up male or sometimes the male will kill the female! (And it can go the other way around also)

I'm glad you took the time to reconsider things. That tends to be a rarity that I almost never see in the time that I've been volunteering on here. It's always much more responsible to put the fishes needs first.

Best wishes and if you have anymore questions feel free to write!
Karen~