Biorb Baby For My Betta...

[fmervin]

Hi All,

I have a 65L (approx 17 gal) fish tank (aquastart 500). Last week I got three fishes, one betta (male) and 2 mollies (one male, one female). However, couple of experts out here reckon that I should not be keeping a betta with mollies and rightly so. I have been observing the betta for the last few days and he doesn't seem to like my mollies, the female one in particular. Tokis recommended that I keep him in a 2 gal container. However, it might get a bit stressful changing the water everyday so I was on the lookout for a smaller and better option. I found this 15Ltr (4 gal) bowl which comes with an undergravel filter and I can easily fit a heater.

http/www.biorb.com/product_details.php?p...amp;vlang_id=89

Just wondering if such a shape is suitable for the betta. Also, if a 2 gal container is enough for a betta, does that mean I can keep another fish with the betta, one that the betta doesn't mind having around Or is it that bettas prefer to be on their own?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

a baby bi orb is just fine for a betta

i would not put any fish with it, they really do do best on their own IME

 

[*Fishkies*]

Not in particularly another fish. But you could keep a shrimp or an AFrican Dwarf Frog in with him.

 

[fmervin]

Thanks

To speed up cycling of the baby biorb can I use water from my existing tank? Will that take some good bacteria with it? Or do I need to go through the entire fishless cycle?

Also, if I keep a dwarf frog, won't it jump out? Don't frogs need some time outside the water?

Sorry if my newbie questions seem to be a bit dumb. Poor guy! I just don't want the betta to be all on his own and thinking what he has done wrong

 

[*Fishkies*]

African Dwarf Frogs are strictly an aquatic frog and do not need to leave the water. Just be sure there is some surface at the top of the water so when they come up for air sometimes they can get it. Also just be sure you have a lid on the tank.

Water really doesn't do much help in cycling. You could also check the pinned topics at the top of the forum as there is a list of people who are willing to donate mature media sometimes.

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Hi

I had a baby biorb with a betta and an african dwarf frog, mine were fine together.

Becky

ps. ALL questions are good not dumb, you learn by asking questions.

 

[*Fishkies*]

Here is a link to the mature filter media people who are willing to donate. You can find that link HERE.

 

[gilaesther]

Also, if I keep a dwarf frog, won't it jump out? Don't frogs need some time outside the water?

Sorry if my newbie questions seem to be a bit dumb. Poor guy! I just don't want the betta to be all on his own and thinking what he has done wrong

Dwar frogs are completely aquatic - they don't need any time out of water. Just make sure it's a dwarf frog, not a clawed frog - they are different, and only the dwarf frogs are suitable tank mates for bettas.

Bettas are used to being on their own. The males are separated from the other fry as soon as they are gender identifiable, and start showing aggressive tendencies towards the others.

 

[fmervin]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies

TropicalGirl, what kind of substrate did you use in your baby biorb? I believe it comes with it's own ceramic media and undergravel filtration system. So I possible can't have sand. I'd like to put in a real plant if that is possible. What are your thoughts?

Thanks Fishkies, the african dwarf frog idea is great. My daughter will be thrilled to bits to have her own froggie Never knew you have completely aquatic frogs. Do they put any additional load on the filter?

 

[01edmn]

blimey 60 quid for a 4 gal tank why dony just get a juwell rekord 60 or something along them line there around 60quid but are like 12 gals

 

[fmervin]

LOL 01edmn I know what you mean. Just too expensive for a 4 gal bowl. The problem is that I don't have the space or time for a bigger second tank. Do you have any alternatives for a similar bowl that is cheaper? I'd love to consider those

I'm on the lookout for cheaper deals for the baby biorb (ebay, classifieds etc). I can't afford to pay another 60 quid for a bowl when I have already spent around 250 quid on my existing setup

 

[*Fishkies*]

The frog will not put hardly any extra bioload on. I have found them easy to care for. Good Luck!

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies

TropicalGirl, what kind of substrate did you use in your baby biorb? I believe it comes with it's own ceramic media and undergravel filtration system. So I possible can't have sand. I'd like to put in a real plant if that is possible. What are your thoughts?

Thanks Fishkies, the african dwarf frog idea is great. My daughter will be thrilled to bits to have her own froggie Never knew you have completely aquatic frogs. Do they put any additional load on the filter?

I just had the ceramic media in there, it didnt bother or do any thing to my frog, he lived in there for 2 months, he now has a friend and they live in my larger tank. I had real plants in mine too.

 

[fmervin]

Thanks all,

I mentioned the african dwarf frog to my wife and she is a bit scared of frogs especially if they escape from the tank. When I thought about it, it does seem likely that they can escape. For example when you do a water change or when you get them from the lfs? It can be easy for them to jump out when you open the bag. I reckon chasing them would be a nightmare. Also what do I feed them? Will they eat standard flakes?

BTW, There is a classifed listing for the Biorb 30ltr tank which is going pretty cheap so I am thinking of getting that instead. Can you recommed what I can put in with my betta in that tank? Definitely african dwarf frogs. Do the frogs get along with shrimps? Just wondering that a 30ltr might be a bit too big for a single betta. Any recommendations?

Lastly, if I do get an african dwarf frog for my main tank wout it eat the smaller fishes like cardinal tetras etc?

Sorry for so many questions. I love this forum, you learn so many things and the gurus out here are unbelieveably helpful

I just had the ceramic media in there, it didnt bother or do any thing to my frog, he lived in there for 2 months, he now has a friend and they live in my larger tank. I had real plants in mine too.

Thanks TropicalGirl. Do you remember the name of the plant? The guy at my lfs said plants require sand. Also, how do I go about cycling the biorb? Bactinettes worked great for my main tank. Can I just mix the capsules with the ceramic media and let it cycle? My main tank cycled in 2 days

 

[Miss Wiggle]

you can have adf's and something like amano shrimps just fine together with a betta, would be a nice combination in a 30l tank

if you like bactinettes then i'm sure you can use them on the bi-orb too. not had any experience of them myself but what you want the bacteria to do is grow in the media substrate so i think mixing it in would work.

plants don't need sand, go for a few simple hardy plants like cabomba, hygrophillia, java fern etc and you'll be fine. do a bit of research before buying plants though, it's an area much neglected by lfs's, they often stock non aquatic plants which will just rot in your tank in a few months. somewhere in the plant forum is an excellent list of beginner plants so look it up