Tank Suggestions

[G_Thing]

Hi
I got my first 2 bettas on Friday and have added them to my tank (separated of course), and now i have a few questions.

Firstly in my tank i have the filter on one side and the pump with an air stone on the other, but i read that disturbances in the water stress bettas out, so i decided that id put these two on a timer at night when they are sleeping, and i don't know if this is a good idea, they seem a lot livelier now but im scared that without water flowing constantly through the filter then the bacteria will just die off and there will be no effect to the tank. And the betta in the filter side just hides under the filter or seems to be attacking the glass all the time, is this normal?

Also id like some advice on what sort of ornaments/decorations i can put in the tank to stop them getting bored, on the pump side there is a skull shaped cave and a nylon soft plant, but on the other there is nothing and i want him to stop going under the filter as i don't want him to get stuck in it and ruin his fins!

Thanks in advance!

 

[devon_charm]

Right i think it would be better to leave the filter on all the time as it turning on all of a sudden when they are sleeping will scare the living daylights out of them. If they start to look really stressed then remove it all together or use a cut down pop bottle to deflect the flow from shooting directly out. You also don't need an air stone.

Your betta might be attacking the glass cos he can see his reflection or something bright he doesn't like. As he doesn't seem to like the current at all swap the filter into the other side and see how the other fish does.

Silk plants are the best way to go if you don't want real plants in there. You canhave any ornament you like as long as 1. you clean it well, 2. its not got any sharp bits and 3. they cannot get stuck in anyway.

Hope this helps you out some

 

[littlest]

the air pump is probably unnessecary since bettas like still water and they can breathe air from the surface.
I kept a betta for two years in a cycled tank and I turned off the filter everynight. I would never do this in a community tank as waste levels would increase too quickly, but with the little waste a betta produces, my tank remained cycled the whole time (I did a lot of checks). It's not ideal, probably not something I would suggest, but it worked for me as I prefer a cycled tank but the noise bothered me at night (it's next to my bed).

That said, the filter I used had a very low flow and didn't really bother the betta at all. If the filter flow is too powerful for the betta, you are probably better off not using it at all and rely on more regular water changes. You could try a filter with a lower flow, but there's no guarantee your betta will like that either. Some really don't like any flow at all.

Agree with devon charm about silk plants. This is what I mostly use in my betta tanks. Easier to keep than real plants (particularly in such small tanks) and plastic ones aren't good for bettas as they can rip their fins.

In my tanks I get one or two silk plants that are a bit taller than the tank. I let them flop over so the top part floats on the surface. Bettas seem to like this as they can rest on the leaves near the top of the tank and can build bubble-nest under the leaves where they rest on the surface of the water.

you didn't mention tank size or temperature?

 

[G_Thing]

you didn't mention tank size or temperature?

The temp is 25 C, and its just over 5 gallons i think, so with the split they have nearly 3 gallons each which i thought was plenty, where can i get the big nylon plants, all my lfs sells is the small ones that go just about half way up the tank!

 

[Yuki_of_the_Stars]

Can't say much that hasen't already been said with the filter. Just be careful with it, 'cause if he does get stuck up against it on a daily basis, it could hurt him badly. (One of my girls died recently from a filter related accident.) What kind of filter are you using?

I'd be really careful if you choose to use rock caves, especially if using rocks from outside. They need to be secure in the gravel. If not, they could fall and crush your boys! (told from experience, once again.)

 

[G_Thing]

Can't say much that hasen't already been said with the filter. Just be careful with it, 'cause if he does get stuck up against it on a daily basis, it could hurt him badly. (One of my girls died recently from a filter related accident.) What kind of filter are you using?

I'd be really careful if you choose to use rock caves, especially if using rocks from outside. They need to be secure in the gravel. If not, they could fall and crush your boys! (told from experience, once again.)

This is the filter i have, ive managed to get the nozzle that spouts the water out just above the water surface so that the current is not so strong any more, I don't use outside rocks as they are too much of a liability and rather get the caves and ornaments form a lfs so i know they are safe!
The betta on the filter side seems more than happy to just sit under the filter so i don't want to take it out, and i just done a water check and there was a tiny trace of ammonia so il have to keep it in there and hope he doesn't get stuck on it!

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