Introducing Alfie!

[-FighterFishh]

Hi all!
Been a while since I posted here so I thought I should introduce you all to my newest boy, Alfie!
After taking a trip to an LFS to pick up some new plants, they also had some lovely bettas in, including my new boy and another 6 girls who I also took home (they're a little more camera shy, though!)
So, here's some pics of my newest addition!

 

[Chad]

That's a lovely pattern it has there! Unique from what I'm used to seeing. Do you house him with the females you purchased or do you put them together only for breeding time?

 

[-FighterFishh]

Yes, his colouring is a bit random but I love it like that!

Unfortunately, males and females can't be housed together, so my females live together in my 125L and my males have a 20L to themselves each.

 

[Chad]

How large of a tank do you think would be necessary for them to be housed together? Say a heavily planted 6 foot long tank?

 

[-FighterFishh]

Honestly, I think it depends mostly on the fish. With some it would work, with some it wouldn't, but because of this it's usually advised that you just keep females in large groups (say 6 or more) and keep your males housed separately

 

[Chad]

I know but I always wondered what kind of set up could accomodate the natural order for bettas. I imagine a large tank with bamboo planted in it growing out the top.

 

[xXKratosXx]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't bamboo rot when submerged?

 

[Chad]

You're not wrong. You are quite right in fact. However, it will last much longer before it does so if the top of the plant is out of the water.

What I've done with bamboo is just to change it out so that it only stays in the tank for a few weeks, then I take that out and rotate in some from a planter.

It's a little effort but looks really cool to have a tank with plenty in it.

The same idea can be had with papyrus without the pain of removing it but I really like the look of bamboo.

This is someone else's tank, just a shot from Google images, but it shows a basic idea of what I am talking about.

 

[xXKratosXx]

That actually looks pretty neat. When I was new with plants (i do not do plants right now as I primary keep plant eating cichlids) i could not get bamboo to grow

 

[Chad]

It's not a true aquatic plant so that's totally understandable but for me it's an attractive plant. One use I do love for it is in a crab tank. That way the bamboo is on the land part but still gets water and the crabs love to climb it.

 

[xXKratosXx]

it is very attractive, but for me to grow it as the picture show it would risk cats scooping up my fish! lol

 

[Chad]

can't have that!

 

[-FighterFishh]

I know but I always wondered what kind of set up could accomodate the natural order for bettas. I imagine a large tank with bamboo planted in it growing out the top.

I have heard of someone keeping two males and a lot of females in a large tank but I don't remember the exact size!
The boys were added as females but turned out to be males! I think they both set up their own territories at either end of the tank, but I'm not sure if the owner still has them both.

 

[Chad]

I've been successful in keeping puffers together and in my marine tank keeping purple and orchid dottybacks together due to layout and size so I was wondering what would be required to do that with betta. We so often see them in tiny tanks, cups bowls, and horrible things like that. Wouldn't it be nice to see a group in a well planted environment? To me that would be quite a sight. I'm sure someone has done it. If I get time I am going to hunt down some information on it just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[the_lock_man]

Best part of a year ago, there was a thread on here with someone advocating keeping two males in a large tank with plenty of greenery, and was challenged by the regulars. Quite an argument ensued, as I recall.