Questions

[Purity]

Hi, a few months ago I lost all my fish and lost my confidence in aquatics. I have decided now to re do my aquarium and turn it into a planted tank.
My Questions:

Do Bettas do ok in heavily planted tanks; I was going to have a corner piled high with rocks with plants attached to them, a carpet of dwarf hairgrass, various plants near the back and some plant (I have not decided what yet) on driftwood.

Can Albino Cories and White Cloud Mountain Minnows live happily with Bettas?

What kind of filter would be best for what I want?

Many thanks

JY

 

[Forestpisces]

Bettas enjoy heavily planted tanks.

Corys are fine the WCMM may be a little active for him but it all depends on the betta,

What is your tank size?

 

[Bebobb]

The white cloud moutain minnows might nip his fins. ANd the love heavily planted tanks, and the corries should be fine. How big is the tank going to be?

 

[lilacamy931]

As above, the heavily planted tank brill! When it comes to filters, bettas generally dont like a strong current but you need to take into consideration the tank size as well. Welcome back to fishkeeping!

 

[Bebobb]

As above, the heavily planted tank brill! When it comes to filters, bettas generally dont like a strong current but you need to take into consideration the tank size as well. Welcome back to fishkeeping!

That is why I like UGF for them, they don't produce a strong current, and make the water SUPER clear. WCMM are cold water, so the are out of the question.

 

[doggiebag]

I was going to say the same, I have white clouds and a betta but they are in different tanks as the betta is at a higher temp than the white clouds tolerate, not suited together at all......

 

[Bebobb]

I was going to say the same, I have white clouds and a betta but they are in different tanks as the betta is at a higher temp than the white clouds tolerate, not suited together at all......

They are opposites in tempature, you can't house many fish with a betta, many bottom dwelers though.

 

[Forestpisces]

WCMM are actually a sub-tropical speciese not truely coldwater.

Although with bettas liking the temp at about 78-80 f then it will proberbly be too warm for them.

 

[Purity]

It would be a 60 litre tank. Can you think of any other pretty but dull fish like WCMM?

 

[Forestpisces]

Get your betta a 5 gal of it's own and do a small community, thats what i'm doing when i move back into my bedroom (currently being custom built to hold tanks.)

 

[loraxchick]

to answer some questions.
bettas love love LOVE very heavily planted tanks. they can squeeze thro increadibly small spaces and love to do so. it is only overgrown for them when it is so thick they can no longer swim thru it.
as for compatible fish for him. really it depends on the betta's tollerance to other fish. i have successfully kept cories, khuli loaches, endlers, otos african dwarf frogs snails and shrimp with them. if you are going to have a heavily planted tank i would opt for a few otos several months after the tank has been all set up and planted (gives some "good" algae time to grow for them to eat. my otos in my 6gal planted betta tank have been very beneficial to the plants. they will not eat your plants either. if you dont have enough algae you need to supplement their diet with blanched veggies and algae wafers.
now setting up a nice planted tank depends on your lighting. if you have high lighting you most likely will need to run co2 and dose with ferts. diy co2 is easy and helps the plants grow nad keeps algae at bay. you also need good circulation around your tank which is tricky with a betta as they dont like current. ill dig up a pic i took a few days ago of my tank. im pretty proud of it as ive worked really hard on it.

bottom line is have fun with it. plan it all out ahead of time and chose some easy/fast growing plants.

all the best

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, guys.
I've a betta in a 15 gallon Walstad (heavily planted by definition) tank with White Clouds and otos.
The temp is a compromise, around 77, which seems agreeable to all fish concerned.
The White Clouds were actually initially intended for a cool-water tank, but they turned out to be too greedy feeders to be put in with the slow-feeding Central Mud Minnow I dug out of a muddy, drying ditch some years ago, (he's bent in two places and I think his sight is damaged although he gets around really well) so they wound up in with (Mr. Hyperactive) Silk.

I've heard of and from a vast number of people keeping WCM in with bettas and they do seem to do well together.

I don't recall hearing of any WCM ever actually nipping at any bettas tails, despite the prevalence of this combination, so I don't expect that's a common occurrance.
Is it possible they've been mixed up with certain tetras, such as the (often nippy) neon tetras, since WCM were once known as the 'poor man's neon tetra'?

Come to that, I believe cories would really rather not be kept at 80 degrees either, while bettas seem to do fine at mid-high 70's.
Correct me if I'm wrong, (and lord knows I frequently am) but in a pinch, isn't a stable temperature in the area of 76-78 acceptable for most tropical fish?

I have heard a UGF (never used one myself, I know nothink) isn't a good idea for a heavily planted tank for various reasons, one being that the system isn't good for plant growth, another being that the system can get plugged up by plant roots, another being that the plants have to be uprooted and disentangled from the UGF plate when removed for maintenance.

I'm a bit vague on the subject, (since I know nothink myself) but I know I've encountered people giving these as reasons for UGF being unsuitable for a planted tank, although, as stated, I've no idea myself.
But, speaking for myself, I'd hate to buy a system, get set up and plants in only to then discover that this was not a good idea.

As far as filtration current goes, heavy planting will act as a buffer, so the rate of circulation may reduce drastically as plants grow in, depending on what is planted and where the filter is in relation to tall, heavy plant growth.

There are so many potential/probable factors to be considered, a simple one-size-fits-all answer may not always possible...

 

[Purity]

OK, is there any fast way to see what a betta's temperament it like in the shop?

Apparently Zebra Danios work well too.

Thanks

 

[Syphoniera]

Some people have done well with Zebra Danios, but others definitely haven't.
I have heard that they are rather rowdy fish and can be very nippy as well if not in large enough groups.
Because they're so active they also need a good tank length, and if you've already had a discouraging experience, you might want to consider something less likely to provide another...