I want to get a betta and set it up next to my goldfish tank. I have a 5 gallon aquarium with an OTB filter I am not using for anything. Would this be ok to use? What about cycling the tank? Would a good way to cycle the tank(before I get the betta) to put the OTB filter running on my 55 gallon tank with my goldies in it? I am just thinking of a way to get the filter system full of good bio bugs. I could put 5 gallons of the 55 gallon aquarium water into the small tank a day after I do a water change for the goldies(and about a week after starting the OTB filter for the 5 gallon). Would it be ok to put some of my established gravel in the 5 gallon tank too? Do bettas tolerate the same type water as goldies? Basically, I am betta illiterate. What do you feed them? Oh yeah, I have a heater that came with my 30 gallon setup. Would that work ok for the betta? Are fake plants ok? Anything special I need to know about their care? How long do they generally live? Any suggestions and info would be greatly appreciated.

Bettas are great fish
A 5 gallon tank is excellent for a single betta, however i'm coming up with a blank in my head about what kind of filter you mean by "OTB"? The main thing with filtration is not to over do it that much since most bettas dislike lots of current (it does depend on the individual fish however). also the intake of the filter may need to be covered with a filter sponge to prevent the bettas fins getting damaged.
As for how you want to cycle the tank all of your ideas are good ones, if you do so there should be a short if any cycle

Bettas are very adaptable to water conditions. Generally a ph any where from 6.5-8.6 is fine. As for hardness keep the kh from 75-250ppm, and the gh from 10-250ppm and they should do well. Most bettas don't tolerate salt well and imo it should not be used with them.

Feeding bettas is not all that difficult, variety is the spice of life remember however Feed once or twice per day as much quantity of food as their eye. Feeding at least one high quality pelleted food is a good idea, soaking them is a good idea as they are prone to constipation like goldfish. DO not feed freeze dried foods for this reason. Frozen or live foods should make up the majority of their diet (bloodworms, brine shrimp, krill, plankton, tubifex worms, mysis shrimp, beefheart, daphnia and squid are all good choices), with the pellets fed 1/2 or less of the time. Some bettas cannot tolerate eating dry foods at all, and just feeding frozen and/or live is fine as long as you feed a variety.

For a 5 gallon tank a 25watt heater is best, higher than that and you run the risk of cooking your fish, however if the heater is of high quality a 50watt can suffice fine.

Fake plants are fine, but use silk ones instead of plastic as plastic ones can have sharp edges that can shred their fins. even if you have plastic plants that are good with fancy goldfish they generally are not a good idea because it takes much less to damage bettas fins. Live are best though if you can keep them alive.
Bettas generally live to be approximately 2-5 years old.
test the water just like with goldfish to make sure the ammonia and nitrates are at 0, and the nitrates are below 20ppm. If you need to move bettas for any reason do not use a net as it can hurt them, using a cup or bowl or similar that has never touched soap or detergent is best to scoop them up.

If you have more questions just ask

Thanks for the info Luke! OTB(on the back) or hanging filter is what I meant. Would an undergravel filter system be better? What is the ideal temp to keep them in?

Okay to start with maby you shouldn't set up your tank
beside your goldfish tank because they will flare
and this sometimes stress the betta fish

Now When you go get your first betta ask for
some betta food i have "Nutra Fin max " for bettas

With bettas they don't eat as mutch
there no bottom feeders i give my betta about 5 flacks
a day and if he didn't eat all his food i wait untill a day or to then
feed him again

I have a OTB filter it should be good for them i have a 5 gal
to you should keep him in it because anything biggger then a 15 gal
can stress them out

I don't have a heater for my 5 gal with my betta in it

If your house gets really cold you should put a heater in it




I can't wait to hear about your new betta ill be waiting and try
to get some pictures of him

Okay well bye

One last question: What should I be looking for in choosing a healthy fish?

OTB=on the back, well i certainly was not thinking that hard on that one

Hang on back filters are fine as long as it is not too powerful. I personally cannot stand Ugf's so i could not reccomend them to anyone... <_<
Sponge filters are a good cheap choice also for a tank that size.

keep the temp between 75-82 and your fish will love you for it Lower temps and they become lethargic, and more prone to disease.

When looking for a healthy betta it is similar to looking for a healthy goldfish. No obvious signe of disease like ich, and finrot. they should be fairly active and respoonsive to you, and if they have built a bubble nest that generally means they are happy

When looking for a healthy betta see if the fish is active
it most probly going to be on the bottome of the
plastic bag or cup and look if it has any sickness
before buying and look if there fins are riped up

Oh i forgot to add that it is a good idea to feed some vegetable such as broccoli floret or pea once a week to prevent constipation if they will accept it. Bettas are carnivorous but this amount of vegetation will not hurt them it just won't amount ot much nutritonally. Some bettas refuse to eat this however.

O and if your pet store has any frozen blood worms
you should get them it's a good diet i give 1 once a week
to my betta o and if they don't have any
frozen blood worms you can get micro blood worms

You guys have been so helpful! Thanks again. Looks like I won't be using the heater I already have.....it's a 100 watt heater (I'll buy a 25 watt) I think i am going to go with the sponge filter. Bettas are not as messy as goldies are they? How often do you do water changes? Would frozen uncooked shrimp be ok to feed? What about other fresh fish meat?(like salmon, tuna, etc.?) You do feed them raw meat, right? I can get squid at a little store in the town next to me(about 7 miles away). What about crab meat(if you buy crab legs)? I love shrimp and crab and usually have some in my freezer. If memory serves me, my fav pet store carries Hikari betta pellets. I am so excited and can't wait until I get the tank cycled and get a new baby. I'll have pics in a couple of weeks!

A sponge filter should work well. No they are not as messy as goldfish, but for their size they do produce a lot of waste.

Stocked that much doing a 25% water change weekly should be more than enough, but do nitrate tests and if you need to up the amount of water changes done.

Frozen shrimp is a good treat cooked or uncooked, just chop into small enough peices. Same for fish, squid and crab, raw or cooked is fine, just chop it up small.
remeber they don't eat much so if you don't want lots of their food going to waste either try to use these foods yourself and/or feed some to your goldfish

Just to add that most bettas enjoy having sort of a cave type thing to sleep in like a little terra cotta pot. Its not neccessary but it is a nice thing to give them.

*crosses fingers that you will get the betta of your dreams*

Bettas are not as messy as goldfish
all though my betta isn't a bottom feeder
he doesn't like to eat from the bottom so
it get's kinda dirty so i just clean it out

every week so it doesn't build up plus
i do it because it shows to mutch that the Aquarium is getting
dirty since i have black rocks