Life's Betta With A Fish

glittercat

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I love bettas but I have had really bad luck with them, for reasons I can't figure out as all my other fish have been fine :(

I have two tanks up and running, which I've had for a couple of years now. One is 80 litres and has Black Ruby Barbs and Rosy Barbs. The other one is 60 litres and has dwarf neon rainbow fish and harlequin rasboros.

My plan for 2020 is to get one large tank and get rid of the two smaller ones, but I am struggling with weight considerations as I am effectively on the first floor (I live in a modern build coach house).

I would like at least a 150 litre, if not 180 litre but that's a lot of weight once fully loaded... Big differences between static and non-static loads on a floor!
 

Furballsmom

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I know what you mean, I was scared to pieces at first when the tank which was listed by the seller as a 10 gal turned out to be a 20 gal. So, I'm only filling it about 12-14 gals total :)
 

Willowy

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With rocks and decor you can estimate 10 pounds per gallon of capacity (water weighs 8 pounds per gallon, plus rocks) so a 20g would only be 200 pounds, and most floors should be able to handle that! It's when you get to the 55g and higher that you really have to worry.
 
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Graceful-Lily

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I tried almost everything to remove the hard water stains on that old tank I bought. Then, I saw an article online mention toothpaste so I decided to try it and it actually removed some of it. I'll probably have to apply it several more times. I applied it overnight but forgot I left it on.

Just a tip/trick/lifehack if anyone has an old tank with stubborn hard water stains like mine. And yes, I'm still fixing up the old tank... I am determined.
 

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Late to the party, but I always loved having bettas. One particularly memorable fish was a red female named Wench. On the day I was to pick out a fish, there were so many pretty ones I could not possibly decide. So instead, I picked an ugly one. The ugliest one that looked healthy (she was a sad brown), in fact. Ended up being firetruck red and very saucy once she was out of that cup and better fed, hence her name.

I wasn't the best keeper of fish when I had them, but I did try (at least I had a heated tank, even if it was small). Someday I want to have fish again, and at least one smallish tank (by small I mean at least five gallons, no bowls) for a betta. So unfortunately I can't advise you and at this point you probably already have the fish! Just wanted to share that I agree that bettas are great. They have such personality.
 

Willowy

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Someday I want to have fish again, and at least one smallish tank (by small I mean at least five gallons, no bowls) for a betta.
I'll definitely recommend a Top Fin Imagine 5-gallon tank. I think the 3.5-gallon tanks are adequate for a Betta, but I'm liking the 5-gallon a lot more. I like the shape better than glass 5-g tanks too. Normally $34.99 at Petsmart, but if you look for sales you can get it for $24.99, and the Black Friday sale had it at $19.99.
 

Sonatine

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I'll definitely recommend a Top Fin Imagine 5-gallon tank. I think the 3.5-gallon tanks are adequate for a Betta, but I'm liking the 5-gallon a lot more. I like the shape better than glass 5-g tanks too. Normally $34.99 at Petsmart, but if you look for sales you can get it for $24.99, and the Black Friday sale had it at $19.99.
Looks like a good tank. I'll definitely keep it in mind when I'm in a position to keep fish again. It's always so tempting even now; I see those sad bettas in cups and want to save at least one. Who knows; maybe I'll give in one of these days. I bet the cats would be thrilled.
 

Johnv713

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My heart aches everytime i go to petsmart of other local fish store and see the bettas in a little container.And God knows how long they go without being fed anything :(
 
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Graceful-Lily

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My heart aches everytime i go to petsmart of other local fish store and see the bettas in a little container.And God knows how long they go without being fed anything :(
In my area, I was actually surprised that Big Al's betta fishes were in worse shape than PetSmarts. I don't know why but when I go to Big Al's their betta fish are always dead, half-dead, or suffering from some sort of disease like fin rot. PetValu's betta fish are also not so great. But every PetSmart I've been into in my surrounding area, their betta fish have been healthy and active. I don't know what it is.

Still breaks my heart regardless. I love my little guy.
 

Elphaba09

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I recently got a new betta. Our old betta, Orlando, died a few weeks ago, and my tank has been inhibited by a random snail and a Japanese trapdoor snail. A week ago, I saw a black Crowntail at the aquarium store and decided to get him. I am still undecided about a name. The aquarium store had him in a large mason jar, which is a little better than the cups, and he was the last of their current stock, so I kind of had to get him! He is in a planted 10 gal with the two snails and six danios. The danios are hilarious! One is an independent thinker, so she is called Aspasia, after the philosophers, while the others have the group name of "Them." Aspasia rarely hangs out with Them.

I did not have a filter with Orlando, but I did partial water changes every three days. He did well the two years we had him. He was by himself with the snails, though. I am considering getting a filter now that there are danios, too. I just want something that has a low flow so that it does not bother my currently unnamed betta.

Speaking of names. So far, I am considering Hanzo, Lysander, Caliban, and Odysseus.

My betta snails are Lilah, the female random snail, and Hugo, the Japanese trapdoor snail. My goldfish, Calypso, has the random male snail, Leopold.
 

Furballsmom

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I just want something that has a low flow so that it does not bother my currently unnamed betta.
In case you're unfamiliar, there's a way to baffle the flow out of a can filter if you need to. My Little Red can deal with the water current from the filter, but Big Blue finds it a bit of an issue when the filter is on his side of the tank. In a 10 gal, your new boy may be able to deal with it but if he's hiding more often than swimming around, he may need a little help with the current :)

RIP Orlando sweetie
 
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Graceful-Lily

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I recently got a new betta. Our old betta, Orlando, died a few weeks ago, and my tank has been inhibited by a random snail and a Japanese trapdoor snail. A week ago, I saw a black Crowntail at the aquarium store and decided to get him. I am still undecided about a name. The aquarium store had him in a large mason jar, which is a little better than the cups, and he was the last of their current stock, so I kind of had to get him! He is in a planted 10 gal with the two snails and six danios. The danios are hilarious! One is an independent thinker, so she is called Aspasia, after the philosophers, while the others have the group name of "Them." Aspasia rarely hangs out with Them.

I did not have a filter with Orlando, but I did partial water changes every three days. He did well the two years we had him. He was by himself with the snails, though. I am considering getting a filter now that there are danios, too. I just want something that has a low flow so that it does not bother my currently unnamed betta.

Speaking of names. So far, I am considering Hanzo, Lysander, Caliban, and Odysseus.

My betta snails are Lilah, the female random snail, and Hugo, the Japanese trapdoor snail. My goldfish, Calypso, has the random male snail, Leopold.
SIP Orlando ❤

I personally like the name Obsidian after the volcanic glass. But from the ones you are considering, I like Odysseus.



Silas hasn't made any bubble nest yet. Probably because his tank is too small? I really want to work on the old one but with my schedule, I have no time.
 
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Graceful-Lily

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Silas might not be old enough yet?... I'm not sure when males would build their first nest.
That could be it. I didn't consider his age since it's hard to predict.

I think he's gotten a bit bigger since I bought him but it's difficult to tell by exactly how much.
 
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Graceful-Lily

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I don't know what Silas was doing when I was at school but when I came home, all his fins were ripped up.

I had to remove everything from the tank so now he's forcing me to buy live plants sooner than I anticipated.

I'm going to return the fake one and the ornaments and just do full planted.

I've nearly had him 2 months and this is the time he choses to do this. And his fins were growing in so nicely. :disappointed:
 
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