eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 am planing to set up a large amount of water for a betta since i'm sick of all the poor bettas in the pet shops being housed in not even an quarter of an gallon somtimes! : ( I JUST MUST GIVE THEM A BETTER HOME!!!! CARE TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE THERE LIFE PERFECT WOULD BE APRECIATED! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Please read the sticky on setting up a tank for a male betta. here is the link: http://ausaqua.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2722 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 so i know how to take care of them now but what about cheap housing, could plastic containers work? i found one for $30 which is 80 L and about a foot high... but there's one problem - no lid. :bighug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Lid is a must. Trust me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 how could i make a lid!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 You could simply lay a piece of glass on the top. What kind of plastic container are you getting? Clear or opaque? Or instead of a glass lid you could get a clear acryllic sheet which won't be breakable. And you can cut it to size using a handsaw. You might be able to get it at Bunnings or try arts/crafts supplies. However, for $30 I would have thought you could find a second hand glass tank for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 get glass cut to size? cover it with anything you have handy? Can you actually see into this container? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 no it's not a clear container. i have some mesquitoe net up in the attic that i could use to cover it, and if i did buy a glass tank for $30 it would,t be 80L and the point i'm trying to make here is to house them in large amounts of water instead of the little glass bowls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Eggy, are you planning an all female tank? Or just one male in an 80litre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 well maybe 4 females to 1 male. so i will supply hiding places and ambulia incase the male trys to (or does) breed with the female. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Eggy while your intentions are wonderful, and the horror at some pet shop conditions is echoed by us all, I'm afraid you may actually be putting these fish into an equally stressful situation. Unrelated female betta's are known to fight, sometimes they work it out, often they need to be separated. That being said, many of our members have working female community tanks, so it is possible, and a well planted 80litre tank can hold quite a few of them peacefully. However, placing a male in with your females is not safe. They can only remain together safely during the spawning process. Before he is ready, he will attack her if she comes close. She may even attack him. This is not the chase around the tank type attack, but the tear each other to shreds and possibly kill one or both type. When he's ready, he'll call her over, but as soon as its finished he goes into full protection mode and will pursue any fish that he sees, until they are exhausted or dead. This is a good thing in general, it protects the spawn from being picked of one by one. But in your proposed set up he would have more than one fish to deal with, and may end up killing himself with the stress as well as the others. If you are after fish that can live and bread in the same tank, you could try looking at the wild betta's, many of them are much more peaceable. Either way I'd recommend you do a lot of research before you start, here and all over the net, to make sure you are giving your fish the great life you obviously desire for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 but i might have to find a good breeder now that i think about it... i mean if you by them from petshops won't you be supporting them so thay'll just buy more bettas to stick in those little cubes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 That is another point indeed. In the long run the only thing that will help the condition of betta's in pet stores is education. We would simply run out of room and money if we took home every squashed looking fish we saw, and the pet stores will think they got it right and get more in. If its a group tank your after, a breeder would be able to get you several females that had never been apart, which should make it easier for them to live together. Also you will know how old your girls are as the breeder can give you the spawn date. Keep an eye on the classifieds section for breeders with stock who are local or can post. someone is also a good choice if you can't find what you want close by, she gives excellent care to all her stock, and takes pride in knowing all about them, as a bonus she posts directly to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 I would be a bit hesitant to put a mixed group in a 2' tank. They aren't terribly big as tanks go, not so much room to avoid one another. If you had a larger tank, it could work, but even then it is hit and miss and you need the option of separating the fish if it doesn't work out. Wherever you buy from, try and get fish that haven't been jarred as they seem less likely to scrap. The turnover of bettas is pretty high, so I am not too worried about buying from pet shops who keep their fish in jars. If the fish is in clean water and has room to turn easily and is not too cramped, that suits me fine. It is far better than trying to give them space and having them stuck on filter intakes or nipped to bits by tetras. Tiny weeny jars and dirty water, however, are not on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) it's a 1 and a half meter tank by 1 meter and about 1 foot high Edited January 29, 2009 by eggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 I thought you said it was 80 L. That would be a lot more than 80 L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 maybe... i'm not known for good memory but thats about what it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Did you mean 80 gallon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Eggy be careful about keeping non sibling female betta together as they can fight bad. My 3 girls arent siblings and dont get along at all even with hiding places and in a 50L tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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