complete noob with 10gal

sakemomo

first i would like to say that, i'm a complete noob. i've watched my mom feed her Goldfish, fed them myself a few times and have had a male betta in a 1 litre betta bowl. i recently found out that they need more room so i picked up a used 10gal that came with 3 Goldfish (going to my mom's next weekend) an aquaclear power filter, a home-made net cover thing to keep the fish from jumping out, a net for catching the fish, a bucket for cleaning, some food and cleaning detergent things and what i think is called an air-rator (there's a motor with a tube attached that has a thing that looks like a rock at the end and it blows bubbles in the water).

after i give mom the Goldfish (they seem far too large for this tank and i'm concerned that their mouths are big enough to fit my betta) i plan on housing squee IV in there and would like to get a small community going as well. i heard that male bettas will attack other long-fined fish like mollies (though i think they are beautiful) but other then that i don't know what would work well for a small 10gal and a betta. i was thinking neons because they're small but again i don't know if they work well with bettas. and i love catfish but there's so many types that i don't know which one i should get.

i've tried browsing through the site in the freshwater section but i'm completely lost. the pictures of the fish were very pretty though and i can tell that you guys really know your stuff and strive to take excellent care of your fish. but that was about all i could get out of what i was reading, perhaps i was reading the wrong stuff though...

i'm hesitant to just ask the sales people at a pet store as i know they are just about anyone that they hire off the street. perhaps they are more knowledgeable with fish but i know from experience they know nothing about rats and very little on dogs or cats...

i am looking through the internet on how to get a tank started and maintain it but i have not yet come across anything that i can make much out of. the sites i keep stumbling across seem aimed for people that already have experience with tanks, which i have VERY little of. so any advice in which fish i should look into, how to maintain a community, or some ultra-beginner websites i could look at would be greatly appreciated.

Jasey

Welcome to FishForum! This is a great place to receive help. Some of the "sticky" posts at the top of separate forums have good information to read relative to the topic. For example the "Aquarium Setup Guide" Sticky at the top of the "Starting and Maintaining a Freshwater Aquarium" forum that this post is in.

I am relatively new to the fish hobby as well. One site I have found extremely helpful is: http://www.firsttankguide.net/steps.php It has information on so many aspects of fish keeping, about the equipment, cleaning methods, etc.

It is great that you are getting a bigger tank for your betta! I don't have experience with betta so I'm not sure what the best tanks mates would be.

The piece of air equipment you mentioned is called an air pump. They are good for adding extra air/oxygen circulation in the water. The AquaClear filter will make tank maintenance easier (less water changes), keeping the water from being as cloudy and would establish a base of helpful bacteria. Also, the betta and other tropical fish will probably need a heater to keep the water temp. slightly warmer than room temperature (usually around 75-78 degrees F).

Good luck, hope I helped some!

okiemavis

If you like catfish, I'd really recommend corys. They're bottom dwellers, so they'll pretty much stay out of the betta's way and they don't look anything like him, so he'll not be tempted to fight them. Plus, they'll stay small, so they work well in a 10G.

My top suggestions for corys:
They're shy fish, and happiest in groups of 4+. Once they feel comfortable in a shoal they cruise around the tank working together to clean different parts. Also, they have very sensitive barbs (little whiskers) which they use to smell out their food as their eyesight is very poor. They can get worn out on standard tough aquarium gravel, so try to get something smooth. Lastly, they appreciate caves, so hidey holes are recommended.

Best of luck! These are fun, hardy little fish, which should work great in your tank.

Also, one last recommendation, make sure you completely cycle your tank!! This is the biggest mistake beginners make!! There are plenty of articles that can detail "Tank Cycling" better than I could, but make sure you check that one out!!! I wouldn't want your betta so die after all this.

new2fish

Welcome to the wonderful world of fish!
I also have a male betta, named Cosmo. He enjoys sharing his 2.5g tank with his tank mate Froggy. Froggy is a dwarf frog. They get along pretty good. Although there were some issues at first. Froggy had the tank all to himself for about a year. It took a few days for him to adjust to having to share. All is well now and they play together too.
I feed Cosmo betta flakes, and I feed Froggy sinking pellets. To make sure that they each get enough food.
Maybe your betta would enjoy having their own frog too. :)
Good luck!

crazy4fish

first i just wanna say welcome to fishforum! this site has helped me and i hope it helps you too.

im not an expert on bettas but i did have a few a while ago. they are fairly easy to keep. if your are looking for tank mates i would deffinately get 2-3 corys. any type will do. other fish that would go good with him would be any kind of small rasbora or tetra that doesnt have long fins.

harlequin rasboras, serpae tetras, and i think rummy nose tetras would be good tank mates. im pretty sure neons would be alright. black neons too. a fish im almost positive would get along with a betta would be some white cloud mountain minnows. i had some of these when i got my first tank (i was totally new to fish as well) and they lasted a long time. they are hardy and good for beginners. you might want to try some of them.

hope i helped.