New Beeta Tank

[catfishy]

hello all i would LOVE to set up a betta tank and would like ANY advice on how to setup and breed them including tank size equipment fish and decor

 

[Truck]

Which species?

 

[catfishy]

Which species?

any but giant betta as i heard its v.large also not to expensive! as u can see i dont know much spelling betta wrong on topic title

 

[Assaye]

Start off with keeping them as pets before you think about breeding. You need a considerable amount of knowledge about betta genetics and quite a bit of money and time to spare if you want to breed successfully.

A basic betta set up would consist of:

5 gallon tank - longer than tall and avoid novelty tanks like Fluval Edge and BiOrbs for first time. Also avoid tall, thin tanks. Smaller tanks are do-able but I'm a big believer in giving all pets - whether stick insects, fish or horses - plenty of space for a stable environment, exercise and stimulation.

Cycled filter - this is optional but without one you need to be doing 100% water changes 3-4 times a week which is more stressful for the fish and more work for you than a filtered, cycled tank. Your filter should be gentle and without a strong outlet flow.

Heater - bettas need temps of 26-28C.

Very soft net or cup - regular nets can easily damage their fins

Plants - live or silk, but they need them in order to feel secure and have a natural environment

Smooth gravel or sand - they like to sleep/sit on the bottom of the tank and some gravel can be too rough

Species-appropriate food - I like Atison's Betta food for a staple. Some use Hikari (I used to) but there are some concerns about their new recipe. They also need regular feedings of live and/or frozen food such as bloodworms and brineshrip. These give them the dietry variation they need and help stop them getting conditions associated with too much dry food (such as swimbladder disorders).

A cave - smooth, hollowed out coconut, terracotta pot . . . whatever really. Just make sure it is smooth and doesn't have any small holes they could get stuck in!

First-aid kit - aquarium salt, some basic meds for bacteria, fungal and parasitic infections, spare filter pads, carbon pads and other emergency supplies.

Test kit - essential for all fishkeeping is a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nirate and pH. Hardness ests (KH/GH) are also preferable.

Gravel vacuum - again another fishkeeping staple. Essential for keeping the gravel free of poo and uneaten food that can decay and poison the tank.

Buckets - that's just common sense, really.

The right water - again as with all fishkeeping, you never want to assume your tap water is suitable. Bettas are fairly tolerant but do much better in low pH, soft water. I have a lot of trouble with mine in a very hard water area - I think it makes them less hardy and more prone to diseases.

This is my suggested set-up for a single betta splendens, non-giant variety. If you want some wilds (such as imbellis), you'll need to adapt your tank-size accordingly.

 

[BethK]

Totally agree with A ^^

I want to breed, so I went through EVERYTHING, turns out you need at least one room to put everything, breeding tank, fry tank, grow out tanks, a good 100 smaller tank/tubs for fry males, good heating and ventilation.

I would keep bettas for a good year, before you consider breeding. They have about 150-200 fry, so you will need to work out where the offspring will be going before you start spawning them.

 

[catfishy]

thanks assaye and bethk i currently have a spare 45 by 25 by 25 cm tank 28 litre 6 uk gallon tank with pea gravel and internal filter
would a slate cave be ok ?
my local water is 7-7.5 and very hard can i add chalk to soften? or am i being stupid?
thanks catfishy

 

[BethK]

Your pH is fine x

The cave is good, also add in real plants, they like to rest on them and hide x

 

[loraxchick]

As per the OP's request here is some info on how to make your own sponge filter easily and cheaply. have them in all my betta tanks and have made dozens. anyone wishing for a great reliable cheap filter for a betta here goes. feel free to PM or ask questions.

horray for wanting instructions. they are truely fantastic easy filters and do a great job on the cheap.
ive just copied/pasted from an old PM. ignore any info that does not pertain to you/your tank. the build will be the same tho.
ANY questions/clarifications feel free to ask-im a HUGE advocate for these filters for so many reasons.

here's how to make one. it is reallllly simple.

list of things you will need:
- an old fish food tub or any other platic container with a lid depending on the size of the tank to house it (like an old peanutbutter jar (plastic of course), big yogurt container, sour cream container, even an old well rinsed out pill/perscription bottle etc.,).
-something to poke holes in the plastic- a nail and hammer or a drill with a small. sized bit
-gravel or some other material to weight it down
-filter media (sponges work best)
-air pump
-airline tubing


now to build it:
-take the clean container and poke some holes in the bottom. like 8 or so.
-poke a hole in the lid of the container that will accommodate the airtube and be just a BIT wider than the tubing(so the air can get out as it bubbles)
-take an amount of gravel and put it in the bottom (a small handful will be enough)
-put the airline tubing thru the hole in the lid and then run it in the container right down into the gravel
-pack the filter material nice and tight around the airline tubing. you can cut sponges to fit. just make sure its packed well. if not, the airbubbles will have lots of "options" to escape. the idea is to get it so that there is good suction thru the filter as the bubbles rise. if there is lots of airspace in there, the bubbles take the path of least resistance and suction will not be as good thru the media as it should be, and the filter will not work as well.
- put the lid on the container that now is weighted with gravel and packed with media.
-turn on the airpump and viola- nearly instant and cheap filter!!!

some troubleshooting advice:
-if it seems to float, add more gravel to weight it down
-test your water daily and do appropriate waterchanges until it cycles.
-if using mature media, ive found that they usually cycle within a week or so (or sometimes instantly if the bio load is low).
- if you dont notice reduction of ammonia within a week or two, try packing with more media...or if it was REALLY jam packed, maybe take a bit out.


these filters require VERY little maintenance. they are NOT mechanical filters (do not remove the solid waste in the tank) so they dont get all gunked up with waste. i have not touched my filter media in months!!!! although this means that with water changes, you will have to syphon out the solid waste- these filters do not do that for you. they just take care of the chemical filtration (turning ammonia into nitrites into nitrates). they do circulate water quite well tho.

good luck and feel FREE to ask if you need any further instruction or clarification. they truley are very very simple to make. once you make one, you might not buy a filter ever again. i know i wont smile.gif its a little extra work to clean the solid waste up, but if you regularly do partial water changes anyway, it is not a big deal as you should be syphoning up the poo anyway.

good luck and have fun making your filter!
cheers

 

[catfishy]

great loraxchick i have got all those things and will set it up when i have a free 1/2 hour at the weekend cheers

 

[catfishy]

also can i add a small bn's and move it on as it grows out i have a perfectly sized tank for it

 

[Kieren_1992]

if you have a tank ready for it when it out grows the smaller one, then i see no problem in adding it. just be careful with water sates, they could shoot up causing problems by adding new fish to the tank... also watch the betta himself. some can be very aggressive and attack snails shrimp or even suckers/catfish within their tank, but not all, so pointers on that one

 

[BethK]

Yeah but make sure your other tank is big enough to house the BN, pref move the BN over when it is 2"

 

[catfishy]

ok thanks every one at the weekend i will setup my very first beeta tank is anyone intrested in a regular update or not botherd?

 

[BethK]

There's a journal section in this betta area; we always love to hear about a new set up's journey,w ith lots of pictures

 

[catfishy]

ok i have setup a tank and am currently looking for a cheap heater and light the tank has some plastic plants for now and i am cycling the bubble filter with food and a large pond snail will get pics soon