Suitable for a Betta?

So you know my little male betta is currently in an old (formerly) 20litre Q tank? Well I saw a nice tank in P@H the other day which I thought might be better for him, but the price put me off (too much money spent taking T out and about at the mo!).

Anyway, I have just found the same tank for half the price! I dont need the cabinet as it would go on the old dresser the current tank is on, but wonder if it would be suitable for a Betta? If ues I thought I could add some Oto's and maybe some shrimp in there as well or would that be a real no-no?

http://www.rockbottomaquatics.co.uk/interpet-fish-pod-aquarium-cabinet.html

hi diana
thats a great link looks a nice tank the pod wish i had seen them
a month ago i've just got a biorb 60lt great setup but a lot dearer
i think it would be ok to have some otos with your betta would be nice


we seem to be a bit thin on site latley - is mary on holiday again



dekker

Not sure to be honest dekks. I sent her a pm a few days ago but she hasnt been on and didnt say she was going away.

Summer hols and 4 kids off school though probably explains a lot

The bigger one of those is what I got for my gupster gaff

It comes with a filter (an internal one) which remarkably IS suitable for the tank - however - you know me - I use an aquaball and a small external on the tank. It also comes with its own heater too (if you get the tropical rig) unlike biorbs where you have to buy all that separately (as well as doing what everyone seems to recommend and upgrade the biorb air pump)

My only warning/complaint is P@H dont stock the tubes for it (but can be bought online) also the drip tray can be a pain (ive stopped using it in mine) also be warned about the large gap at the rear where jumping fish can and will find the floor. Its also acrylic.

BUT on its own stand it does look nice - and in comparison to the biorb - there is no contest in terms of replacements of parts (like filters etc) when things inevitably break down. Pound for pound the fishpods win every time.

If you need a reminder of the fishpod in real life - have a look in the my tanks bit

That looks like a lovely tank, Diana. Are you a bit wary about being left without a Q tank then?

You could add some Otos and Amano Shrimp also and have a nice little mini-community for the Betta.

even the smaller 1 I think would be a bargain - but if your intent on the 60liter range then Id say your options (for an all in kit) are really either the fishpod or biorb.

Another option whilst not as 'pretty' is actually a simple clearseal tank withthe heater etc bough separately. Im sure youd save a few quid this way and P@H (least my local) do some nice hexagonal ones too

Mary wrote:

That looks like a lovely tank, Diana. Are you a bit wary about being left without a Q tank then?

You could add some Otos and Amano Shrimp also and have a nice little mini-community for the Betta.

I am to be honest Mary. If I get this tank, then I can get Max settled in there and then use his current abode for q'ing the oto's.

Rich wrote:

even the smaller 1 I think would be a bargain - but if your intent on the 60liter range then Id say your options (for an all in kit) are really either the fishpod or biorb.

Another option whilst not as 'pretty' is actually a simple clearseal tank withthe heater etc bough separately. Im sure youd save a few quid this way and P@H (least my local) do some nice hexagonal ones too

I would go for the 48litre one Rich. It's going to have to go on top of a dressing table in the bedroom so I dont want anything too big.

The one in use at the mo is a Clearseal. I think they are goood little tanks and the prices are great, but they are not exactly 'pretty' I would like to have a tank that has some lights and looks a bit better. Ideal for q tanks/spares though.

Diana wrote:

I am to be honest Mary. If I get this tank, then I can get Max settled in there and then use his current abode for q'ing the oto's.

That sounds like a good plan. You'll love the Otos, they're the busiest fish I've ever seen. They never stop mowing away at the tank algae. You should get some for your community tank as well - I'm a big fan of them.

the fish pods a great tank diana wish i'd seen them first but there you go



dekker

Mary wrote:

Diana wrote:

I am to be honest Mary. If I get this tank, then I can get Max settled in there and then use his current abode for q'ing the oto's.

That sounds like a good plan. You'll love the Otos, they're the busiest fish I've ever seen. They never stop mowing away at the tank algae. You should get some for your community tank as well - I'm a big fan of them.

I look forward to getting them Mary, and getting the betta sorted in its new tank too.

I wouldnt mind getting some Oto's for my community tank but wonder if I have enough fish living in the lower levels of the tank already - I wouldnt want to overcrowd them.

otos stick to the side or plants - mine lurk at all levels

in either way - they keep themselves and are only small

they wont cause 'over crowding'

Diana wrote:

I wouldnt mind getting some Oto's for my community tank but wonder if I have enough fish living in the lower levels of the tank already - I wouldnt want to overcrowd them.

As Rich said, Otos don't really stick to any particular level of the tank - they're an equal opportunity fish! On the rare occasions they do rest, they attach to plant leaves or the tank glass. They ignore the other fish and the other fish pay no attention to them either. Oh and like most catfish, they LOVE cucumber, courgette etc., an important supplement to their diet of algae.

Thanks for that you two. They are deffo on my next fishy shopping list - some for the betta and some for my general tank

Be sure to check that they have fat tummies. Otos are imported from the wild and are near-starvation by the time they reach the LFS. If they have prominent stomachs, then you know they'll have been well fed for a while. If not, they might not last long but the most important thing is to feed them up as quickly as possible so plenty of veg. while they're in the Q tank as that will prob be algae free. IME they don't touch fish flake or rarely eat algae tabs.

tbh i wouldnt quaranteen these as they can be very finicle about moving

i had 4 of these 1 died with in days of gettin them and the other 3 lived on after i movd them from the 2ft to the 4ft and they were not happy about the move at all

also i lost 2 because the kribs didnt want them on their side of the tank when they were breeding

1 surived tho and always had a fat belly they need cirtain algae i think it's the diatoms (cant remember tbh) and wouldnt touch the other stuff in my tank iirc

Mine did fine in quarantine but they're a devil to catch...so moving them to the main tank was a bit of an ordeal.

Thanks kb for the advice. I am a bit worried though about putting any fish in the big tank without it being in q forst - I would hate to find out that I have introduced something horrible to what seems to be a healthy tank at the mo.

Well I would always quarantine all new arrivals just to be on the safe side. Sod's Law dictates that the one time you don't, you'll introduce some type of pathogen to your established community...

I dont quarantine these days - I think most fish have whitespot buit in and if they are gonna get it they will - just keep the meds on hand (which all fishkeepers should do anyway) - I do worm all new fish (the whole tank about three days after adding new arrivals) especially catfish type things.

When I got my glass catfish - the guy inthe LFS (who I trust) said they are very very likely to break out in ich when I add to my tank - he said theyd get it in the Q tank and then again in the main tank - basically all I had to do was presume they had ich and dose em all for it.

I had no problems with this system at all.

Otos REALLY REALLY NEED a well established tank - I waited a year before getting any - out of 7 ive lost two thus far the others are all fat n cheeky - ive NEVER seen mine eat anything (ie veggies or algae wafers etc) only ever on the glass - so I only ever wipe over the front glass and I leave their corner well alone - they seem to also appreciate very well oxygenated water as mine tend to stick around the airstone or the outflow of my two aquaballs (sounds like a dodgy medical term ).

I tried otos in my gupster gaff and they looked decidely ill after 2 days - as soon as they were in the main tank - they were fine (and remain so) so the diatom theory (or whatever) seems to be true in as much as whatever it is - takes a good while to establish in a tank (this is my point about a tank that cycled isnt necessarily finished ie it takes a year or so from scratch to get a complete microbiological system)

Bear in mind I have zero real plants now (except for moss balls) I think otos are really only aglea eaters (unlike most others) - there are two types of oto I know of - 'African' ones are larger - and have a thicket rounder body and more defined black stripe - I think they are the toughest (I have boith types)

I also know otos cannot tolerate any amount of 'agro' and this is and remains my only concern with otos and a betta. At the end of the day - its a case of suck it and see

Thanks Rich. I might just get some for my main tank for now then, and when I have the new Betta tank well established get some more for that when there is plenty for them to live on.

I would just like to see something else in there with the betta, especially when he is in a bigger tank - he is going to look lonely in there

It's funny with Vettas. More than any other fish I have read about there seems to be a lot of conflicting info on them, even on the so called 'expert' forums that only deal with this breed.

I have read that they get depressed and need to see other fish to keep them happy, and that they are fish that are happy on their own, that they do best in a small tank, or bigggest is best, that they need to be fed only on live foods, or they like flakes and veggies.

Seems there is no happy medium out there

This is the problem with ANY living creature - humans love to believe they are the only species with individual 'personalities'

Imagine if humans were kept as pets - some are vegetarian by choice, others dont like sprouts etc etc - see where im going with this - were all different so why shouldnt fish be the same.

Many/most of my male bettas have been grumpy wioth other tank mates - the largest tank theyve occupied with me is 45liter and even then they piucked on other fish. I did also notice that with that in mind - theyve tended to patrol the areas of the tank where they can see the other tank next door (my main tank)

It might sound cruel but I belive an occasional 'spotting' of another makle betta (ie a mirror) may actually do them some good - a bit of stimuli if you like - something to think abnout for them.

Im not sure about 'minimum' tank size either - I would think theyd be ok in a 15litre biorb - but bettas are the opnly fish id ever consider for a tank that size myself.

As for other sites - its like here really - its full of individuals who have their own view/experiences - as I said previous - its a case of suck it and see

nice post rich the biorbs are great but they say they are clearer than glass but
i don't think so just yet wish i'd looked at something else - but i just liked the
look of the i-lighting the blue night light ho well you live and learn don't you.



dekker

Theoretically - acrylic (or polycarbonate) is 'clearer' tha glass - in flat panes - as a biorb for all intents and purposes is a sphere - light refraction has a different set of rules.

Ive seen biorbs in shops look like someone has sanded the outside - I do however see them on display 9empty) and understand why so many are suckered into buying them - ive had to resist a few times myself.

However - if you do want a bowl design - you can buy them much cheaper than biorbs and easier to maintain and these days you can buy bowl filters and heaters as well so there no excuse for unfiltered bowls these days

wish you told me that a while ago rich



dekker