Silly question, but here it goes….

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

Hi all!

I am a huge cat lover as well as dogs, but right now I own four adult cats. My husband is a huge fish lover and in the past we have had fish, but never with cats. I wanted to surprise my husband with a betta fish as he has them in the past and loved them. He was devastated when his last betta fish passed on. I don’t want to pose any danger to the fish or to my cats. Does anyone own both fish and cats? My cats are well behaved and I would put the betta and his tank high up with a lid on the tank. Bad idea? Good idea? Again, I know this a silly question. Also, any advice on what to look for when adopting the betta and buying food and a tank. My husband’s last betta lived four years, so we do have some experience there lol.

Thanks so much as always!

 

[happily single]

I think it’s a great idea. If you keep the tank covered and in a safe place, where it isn’t likely to be knocked over you should be fine.

 

[Meriweather]

We've had cats and fish.....never a problem

 

[PollyannaMom]

We've had cats and fish.....never a problem

Same

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Same

Ditto. Never a problem.

 

[lynxstch]

Same, cats and fish, never a problem. My cats liked to sit on the bureau and watching them swimming around.

 

[Minnie1222]

You can't/shouldn't surprise anyone with a Betta until you have a fully cycled tank. It can take weeks until the Nitrogen cycle is complete. How will you keep this from your husband? Please talk to him first.

Also, any advice on what to look for when adopting the betta and buying food and a tank.

What you need:
1. A decent sized tank with a good length to swim horizontally. My Betta had a 20-gallon tank to himself.
2. Lid for the tank.
3. A starter kit to start the Nitrogen cycle.
4. Weekly testing kits to make sure the water parameters are optimal.
5. Water conditioner/dechlorinator kit, it your tap water has chlorine.
6. Aquarium vacuum/Hose for water change and a suction bulb (looks like a turkey baster to pick up small debris).
7. Two buckets for water change: one for the dirty water and one for clean water.
8. Filter (preferably with separate sponge, carbon, bacteria housing). Buffers maybe needed to decrease noise and flow.
9. Heater (Eheim).
10. Thermometer
11. Natural plants, substrates, rocks, coconut caves, betta resting spots. Avoid plastic and colorful items.
12. Food and snacks.

 

[AgentMama]

We have cats and fish, no issues. Good luck with your surprise!

 

[donny77]

Great idea! As long as the tank has a secure lid and is in a safe spot away from the cats, you should be fine.

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

Thank you all so much! I know bettas in general don’t get along. Is there any fish that would?

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

You can't/shouldn't surprise anyone with a Betta until you have a fully cycled tank. It can take weeks until the Nitrogen cycle is complete. How will you keep this from your husband? Please talk to him first.



What you need:
1. A decent sized tank with a good length to swim horizontally. My Betta had a 20-gallon tank to himself.
2. Lid for the tank.
3. A starter kit to start the Nitrogen cycle.
4. Weekly testing kits to make sure the water parameters are optimal.
5. Water conditioner/dechlorinator kit, it your tap water has chlorine.
6. Aquarium vacuum/Hose for water change and a suction bulb (looks like a turkey baster to pick up small debris).
7. Two buckets for water change: one for the dirty water and one for clean water.
8. Filter (preferably with separate sponge, carbon, bacteria housing). Buffers maybe needed to decrease noise and flow.
9. Heater (Eheim).
10. Thermometer
11. Natural plants, substrates, rocks, coconut caves, betta resting spots. Avoid plastic and colorful items.
12. Food and snacks.

What snacks do bettas like?

 

[Minnie1222]

What snacks do bettas like?

Ours loved blood worms a bit too much. We also gave him brine shrimp and daphnia. Blood worms can cause indigestion which will lead to swim bladder disease. Please feed in moderation.

 

[Minnie1222]

Thank you all so much! I know bettas in general don’t get along. Is there any tish that would?

There's nothing wrong with giving one betta the entire tank. They are happier being alone. My betta had a 20 gallon tank to himself. He was never sick. The only issues he had were cataracts and indigestion due to old age.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Ours loved blood worms a bit too much... can cause indigestion which will lead to swim bladder disease.

I also found out I have a contact allergy to them! - When we had a betta, I could not sprinkle them into the tank.

 

[Minnie1222]

I was a dictator when it came to the betta. No one was allowed to feed the fish without my permission. I used to shake the food into a spoon, then picked them up with a pair of surgical-grade hemostats and gently dropped into the water. No skin contact with food to decrease the chance of lotion/perfume contamination.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I was also going to suggest an actual aquarium vs. the pet store betta bowls. As others have noted, it takes a bit to get it ready for sustaining life, but it's better for the fish and an aquarium will keep it safer from cats. I'm not a big betta fan, but I had one in a 10 gallon tank some time ago for my kids because they thought they were pretty. Rather than pair him with other fish, I got him a lovely blue snail as a tank mate. They lived for a few years.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Most easy going, non "flashy" fish will work with a betta, particularly those that prefer the bottom. So non-nippy tetras or rasboras, cory catfish or pygmy cories, kuhli loaches, shrimp, various nano fish, etc. Avoid fish that are nippy (most barbs) or those with flashy long fins (male guppies), or anything in the gourami family (related to bettas).

Some of the all-in-one tanks are really nice betta tanks - low flow, filtration and heater hidden in the back overflow, super easy to take care of. I have an 8gal Innovative Marine Nuvo which is great. My lady betta lives with a neon blue goby (who I think is also a female, she is drab) and 3 male guppies... lady bettas are usually a bit more agreeable to "flashier" type tankmates, although I did have one gal who would not tolerate any tankmates except snails.

The bigger the tank, the less likely the betta is to have problems with other fish, but some of it is also individual personality. I've heard that different varieties of betta can be more likely to be anti-social (such as plakat bettas).

 

[Lumpy1106]

Outlier here it sems. We got some fish after getting our first cat. The cat was fantastic, but could not resist sitting on top of the tank, harassing the fish. The fish died of stress in short order. As long as you can keep the fish far away from the cat, then sounds like it will be fine though.

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

I got all the supplies for the betta. Tank, heater, filter, toys, food, a net. Thanks so much everyone! Advice and tips are welcomed!

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

Most easy going, non "flashy" fish will work with a betta, particularly those that prefer the bottom. So non-nippy tetras or rasboras, cory catfish or pygmy cories, kuhli loaches, shrimp, various nano fish, etc. Avoid fish that are nippy (most barbs) or those with flashy long fins (male guppies), or anything in the gourami family (related to bettas).

Some of the all-in-one tanks are really nice betta tanks - low flow, filtration and heater hidden in the back overflow, super easy to take care of. I have an 8gal Innovative Marine Nuvo which is great. My lady betta lives with a neon blue goby (who I think is also a female, she is drab) and 3 male guppies... lady bettas are usually a bit more agreeable to "flashier" type tankmates, although I did have one gal who would not tolerate any tankmates except snails.

The bigger the tank, the less likely the betta is to have problems with other fish, but some of it is also individual personality. I've heard that different varieties of betta can be more likely to be anti-social (such as plakat bettas).

Still deciding on getting it a tank mate. A part of me would love too, but a part of me is saying to just start with the betta lol.