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Setting Up Betta Barracks


Tammy

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I really need to get a bit more professional than my 9 divided tanks and 60 odd coffee jars (all in tanks bain marie style) that I siphon off and partial water change twice daily. I want my life back!!!! :cheer: but not at the expense of my bettas! :blush: I want to set up a betta barrack systems that hopefully doen not require too much daily maintennance. Although I am sure that anything will be an improvement. I rent my house so the it can not disrupt the structure too much or it will be more hassle than its worth if I ever manage to get my deposit together and need to move. I would like it to be as "pretty" as possible but keeping the costs down is far more important so I am thinking "functional" is more of a key word here. Can you please give me information how the water is cleaned and warmed etc? Lilli and Najrick both have great set-ups and the Betta Hilton :D thread almost made me wet my pants ... but unless I win lotto or marry seriously rich it will be out of the question. :) I really dont know anything about this kind of thing as i have never embarked on such a project so the simpler the instructions the better. :D Thanks for your help!

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Hi Tammy,

I've got my barracks set up in a free standing bookcase style frame. I utilised hydroponic gutter which cost a bundle. Rain water gutter would have been tons cheaper and just as good. Overall, my barracks was expensive construct, and a real pain to make water proof. Having said that, I think my next barracks will cost a lot less to make after the experience of making the first one.

If you want a really cheap alternative, you can utilise what you already have. The “Bain Marie” set-up just needs the addition of an internal power filter with a spray bar. The spray bar has got to be the kind you can attach individual airline tubes to which can then direct water into your individual containers. You need to place a hole in each of the containers so the water can flow out. The hole can go at the top of the container, but be sure to have the water level in the "Bain Marie" a little lower than the level in the individual jars/containers/soft drink bottles. Alternatively you can place the hole lower, but be sure to keep the water level of the 'Bain Marie' to the depths you want the water in the containers to be.

You can purchase the filters rather cheaply. I think I purchased the low voltage Aqua One model for about $25.00. I also recently purchased really cheap ones ($12) online from "the Age of Aquariums”. Its the AquaPro350l. Heres the link to the relevant page of this product:

http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/category3_1.htm

Nick

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here's my version of a barracks system, very dodgy tho :rant:

it's basically a chip board screwed into wooden posts to keep it upright (with horizontal post on bottom of upright posts to level the weight and keep it from toppling over) Then screwed in gutter brackets and placed normal house (plastic) gutters on them.

this is what mine USED to look like. now it's covered in slimes and just filth :((

Posted Image

just make sure that when you buy a pump/powerhead for the sump (bit that holds all the water), make sure it can lift to as high as you want, plus the length of the guttering (as you can tell from that pic, mine was to weak, so I had to blok off the top level)

here sum links as to the design of mine :(

the first link is of the actual barracks, and the second shows how the jar sits in the guttering.

HTH <_<

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I rent too. My barracks is in the garage but narrow enough that I can still get my car in if I have too. It tilts back against the wall. We have secured it to the wall out of habit at the top in the middle only. <center> <a href="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b56/stubbskm/Barracks.jpg" target="_blank"> <img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b56/stubbskm/th_Barracks.jpg"></a> </center>

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Hello guys, Thanks for your replies, they are already proving very helpful. As for the questions... well... I am not really sure how to answer. A completely free standing unit would be ideal. Space is not really an issue and I suppose cost isn't either but the cheaper I come out of this experience the better! My Dad is a retired Metal worker so there would be absolutely no problem with him welding up some sort of shelving unit or A frame structure... it would be more the guttering, tube line, filtering/sump/pump requirements that I need help with. Breaking into Bettas about 8 months ago really is the first fishy contact I have ever had... so apart from sponge filters in my spawn tank and UGF in my divided tanks... (and the most I know about them is that a suction develops under the gravel due to the air being pumped in which grabs all the muck and dibris and pulls it under the grid) I know! I am very knowledgeable and sophisticated arent I! :blink: I have been looking online but all the sites I seem to find assume that I already have this (admittedly) basic knowledge. Can anyone recommend a good site or thread that is worth me checking out. Thanks again. you guys are great... and my bettas will love you forever

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  • 2 years later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Which ones Sloopy?

Took me a while to get back to this thread - there is too much good stuff on this site! The setup I am interested in is the "Critter Keeper" one. We are considering setting up two units like this, one with 2.9L keepers and one with 5.9L (or maybe one combined unit). I would like to use a sump system with UV unit and heater.

We seriously need to find better accommodation for our boys (picked up 2 more last week, gorgeous CTs from LFS). Currently we have jars and small triangular tanks bain-marie style inside community tanks, but they are taking over and we aren't getting much enjoyment out of our other fish .

cheers

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I'm assuming the heater must be in the sump. That is, if a heater is even necessary in Rockhampton. Heating will almost certainly be necessary in Canberra. If the room that the barracks are going to be in is not going to be heated I'm not confident the heater in the sump will be sufficient. I think the water will cool in the pipes on the way back to the compartments. What you could do though is heat the room partially, say to about 19 or 20 degrees then the heater in the sump can take it the rest of the way.

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I'm assuming the heater must be in the sump. That is, if a heater is even necessary in Rockhampton. Heating will almost certainly be necessary in Canberra. If the room that the barracks are going to be in is not going to be heated I'm not confident the heater in the sump will be sufficient. I think the water will cool in the pipes on the way back to the compartments. What you could do though is heat the room partially, say to about 19 or 20 degrees then the heater in the sump can take it the rest of the way.

The thought of *me* living in a room that isn't heated to this sort of temp is out of the question, lol, not to mention our spoilt cat and arthritic dog!

It is more the plumbing/pump requirements that I am concerned about - although we used to have anywhere between 20 and 30 tanks running when we kept tropicals years ago, they were all larger tanks run as separate units (and to be brutally honest, 30 years ago the equipment available was very limited compared to what is around now). Have never tried to put a barracks setup together before, so am flying in the dark. Asked at our LFS, and they basically discounted the whole idea as too dfficult and expensive (quite disappointed in them, as they are usually pretty good with advice).

cheers

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Heater can go in the the sump but as all my fish are housed in the garage in winter I have been heating the whole room. BUt this option is becoming too expensive and I am looking at something different this year.

How it is made is simple enough (especially when you have a Father who likes challanges)

Each small tank has been drilled with a 15mm threaded drill bit and fitted with a 15mm threaded outlet. This is for the overflow. 15mm plastic tube runs from the outlet down into drain pipes that are behind the frame. Each drain pipe flows into a T-section at the end and down in to the filter material and the sump. We used threaded outlets to stop leakage and 15mm so there was no chance of blockages except that the younger bettas try to see what is beyond and do get stuck. To prevent this we cover the outlet with a open mesh material held in place with rubber bands. AM in the process of changing this to something more permanent.

Filter material is contained in the drain pipe with a mozzie mesh fitting on the bottom to prevent filter material escaping and allowing the water to return to the sump.

Water is pumped up through a combination of different types of pipes that we had in the back yard. The main pipes from which the individual tanks come off are used by electricians. Holes were drilled into these four main pipes and normal garden fittings with taps and black hose was used. Taps allow you to control the flow of water into each tank.

The hose is then placed into the tank through the little lid in the lid section of the tank.

As for the frame it is one supporting piece of timber top and bottom to which the vertical timber on which the tanks sit are fasten. Legs are then attached. Mine are old coffee table legs.

Most of my fitting were obtained from shops that sell pump and such for farms.

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How it is made is simple enough (especially when you have a Father who likes challanges)..............................

Thanks very much for this explanation - son has read it and nodded okay, we can work with this information.

cheers

:thumbs:

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