pablothebetta
Fish Herder
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- Aug 29, 2011
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To answer your initial questions...
1: Is this 30L biorb ideal for a betta? would he be happier on his own in the tank?
The biorb, size-wise, is fine for a single male betta. You might be able to add a couple of male endlers with him and/or shrimp, but not much else.
2: how long do i need to have it cycling before the betta can be added?
You should do a fishless cycle, which could take several weeks. I believe there's a thread on the site about it.
3: Can i use any heater in this biorb? as the biorb ones are quite pricey.
Any heater, providing it's the right amount of wattage, should be fine to use. You might want to use a biorb heater stand, though.
4: Can i add large beach rocks in it? ( if i boil and clean them well)
This is debatable, really. The bacteria is supposed to go in the ceramic media as well as the sponge - the rocks won't have anywhere near the same level of surface area for the bacteria to live in as the ceramic media. However, IME, the harsh ceramic media can harm a bettas fins, so I wouldn't use it uncovered. If the bacteria is in the sponge, then I would expect it to be fine to use just that instead of the sponge and the media.
5: When i turn the light on the biorb, the filter bubbles slow down quite abit, anyone know why this is?
Glad you've figured this out - having that 50W bulb there might have been dangerous
6: Apart from a heater, what other items will i need to get setup ready to add the betta?
If you intend to use the ceramic media, get something to cover it with such as larger smooth stones (etc) to prevent your bettas fins from being harmed on the harsh surface. Make sure it's not small enough to go through the filter though (anything above pea-sized should be fine). I'd advise against plastic plants as your betta may snag their fins on it. I'd go for silk or live. Bettas often like to rest on broad leaved decor, so I'd make sure you have some of that. Just a note, don't replace the sponge like BiOrb say to - this gets rid of beneficial bacteria. You shouldn't ever need to replace your filter sponge unless it is literally falling apart and unusable, in such a case it's best to do it gradually to allow the bacteria to grow on the new media.
7: Ive seen someone selling betta fish on ebay, is it safe to buyer them that way? or is it best getting one from the shop?
It's fine to buy bettas online, but I would make sure the seller is a good one. There are various other online sellers, such as finzntailz aquatics and bettaboys. I believe finzntailz has an eBay store, so you might have seen their bettas on there. Some people on here breed/sell bettas themselves too. In a store, you're unlikely to get anything more than Veiltail (VT) bettas, whereas if you go online, you can get all sorts of 'fancier' bettas, such as Halfmoons (HM) and 'fancier' colours.
1: Is this 30L biorb ideal for a betta? would he be happier on his own in the tank?
The biorb, size-wise, is fine for a single male betta. You might be able to add a couple of male endlers with him and/or shrimp, but not much else.
2: how long do i need to have it cycling before the betta can be added?
You should do a fishless cycle, which could take several weeks. I believe there's a thread on the site about it.
3: Can i use any heater in this biorb? as the biorb ones are quite pricey.
Any heater, providing it's the right amount of wattage, should be fine to use. You might want to use a biorb heater stand, though.
4: Can i add large beach rocks in it? ( if i boil and clean them well)
This is debatable, really. The bacteria is supposed to go in the ceramic media as well as the sponge - the rocks won't have anywhere near the same level of surface area for the bacteria to live in as the ceramic media. However, IME, the harsh ceramic media can harm a bettas fins, so I wouldn't use it uncovered. If the bacteria is in the sponge, then I would expect it to be fine to use just that instead of the sponge and the media.
5: When i turn the light on the biorb, the filter bubbles slow down quite abit, anyone know why this is?
Glad you've figured this out - having that 50W bulb there might have been dangerous
6: Apart from a heater, what other items will i need to get setup ready to add the betta?
If you intend to use the ceramic media, get something to cover it with such as larger smooth stones (etc) to prevent your bettas fins from being harmed on the harsh surface. Make sure it's not small enough to go through the filter though (anything above pea-sized should be fine). I'd advise against plastic plants as your betta may snag their fins on it. I'd go for silk or live. Bettas often like to rest on broad leaved decor, so I'd make sure you have some of that. Just a note, don't replace the sponge like BiOrb say to - this gets rid of beneficial bacteria. You shouldn't ever need to replace your filter sponge unless it is literally falling apart and unusable, in such a case it's best to do it gradually to allow the bacteria to grow on the new media.
7: Ive seen someone selling betta fish on ebay, is it safe to buyer them that way? or is it best getting one from the shop?
It's fine to buy bettas online, but I would make sure the seller is a good one. There are various other online sellers, such as finzntailz aquatics and bettaboys. I believe finzntailz has an eBay store, so you might have seen their bettas on there. Some people on here breed/sell bettas themselves too. In a store, you're unlikely to get anything more than Veiltail (VT) bettas, whereas if you go online, you can get all sorts of 'fancier' bettas, such as Halfmoons (HM) and 'fancier' colours.
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