Alpha Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 I have not owned a betta for a number of years however I do have some experience with keeping a single betta in 10 gallon aquarium. I would like to start keeping a few however I don't think I have the time or space to set up a 10 gallon aquarium complete with fully cycled internal power filter and heater for every betta I will no doubt accumulate in the future. I am looking for a simple way to keep a number of bettas (5-10) which will offer the best care for the fish in a relatively compact and elegant way. I do not want to keep the fish in anything smaller than 10 litres and as stated previously I am (not yet) fortunate enough to have my own fish room so space is an issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 In a floating/stick-on barracks in a 2ft tank? Or in a series of 10l tanks? A tank that small does not take up much space, you could have a dozen in a few metres of shelving, like one of those basic hammerlok shelving units from Bunnings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted April 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 That sounds like a feasible solution. I have a number of concerns though. Could containers that small be effectively heated individually? Coming from a saltwater background I am somewhat nervous about the idea of non-cycled tanks (this may be irrational with bettas) Would their be a way to add some means of biological filtration? Thanks for the reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 I wouldn't heat the tanks individually, below a certain size it's not really super practical. You might want to get a tiny 25w heater and put one in every second tank? If the room is warm and consistent in temperature, the fish may be ok without heating, but you would need to check that. Another possibility is to use reptile heating cord underneath the tank to provide a little heat. someone apparently has done this, so she might be better to talk to about specifics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted April 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 Ok I'd say for the beginning I will probably keep a few in 5-10 gallon tanks. This way I can individually heat and filter each tank. In this size I should be able to use a small aquarium heater to heat each of the tanks. I was wondering what the best kinds of filter are for these kinds of set ups? I've looked around and people seem to prefer 'sponge filters'. Based on the photos the closest thing I've seen to these are little filters designed for fry tank so the fry do not get sucked into the filter. Are these the ones people are referring to? Thanks again for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 I think a link should be allowable : http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/sponge_filters.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted April 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 Thank you that was what I thought. Sorry about all the nooby questions but I am new lol. Say I decided to take a standard 10 gallon aquarium and divide it into 2 or 3 what is the preferred method of dividing these tanks and what measures should be taken in order to ensure adequate filtration and circulation makes its way through the tanks? Thank you so much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 I have to say I'm not sure what a 10 gallon tank is. 10 litres, I know, 10 gallons, not so much. I will leave it for those who run divided tanks to answer your question - it's not something I have had to do. I agree re the sponge filters, although I keep plenty of my bettas in individual 10L tanks without filtration, alsong with plants. Adding ketapang leaf softens and acidifies the water, turning ammonia to ammonium, which is less toxic. I understand that ammonia is more toxic the higher the pH, and that marine tanks run at a high pH, so your concern re uncycled, unfiltered tanks is understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) 10 US gallons is about 37.5litres 10 Imperial gallons is about 45litres I have some of my bettas in a book case / set of shelves in kritter keepers that hold about 10 litres of water (about 3 US gallons) - contain a small plant on driftwood each and a piece of IAL, and some java moss and duckweed.... heating isn't needed yet but the kritter keepers are big enough for a 25W heater or alternatively use a reptile heating cord or heat pad to heat the group of tanks / kritter keepers. A perspex front on the shelves will keep in the heat and reduce heating costs as well.... As others have suggested ... small sponge filters can be gentle enough for small tanks and easy / cheap to run..... Edited April 30, 2010 by fishbites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted May 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Thank you for your replies. Apologies about the use of gallons. I tend to refer to a lot of American sites when it came to saltwater as Australia for the most part isn't quite up to date in that side of the hobby. It's funny, compared to saltwater I expected the "preferred" ways to keep bettas to be relatively few. it appears this is not the case . I plan on taking a trip to Brisbane shortly (as I'm relatively close). To see someone and ask about her preferred methods as well as hopefully pick up a new betta. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanagi Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 There's info on how to divide tanks in the equipment and DIY section. I use the plastic canvas/mesh stuff used for cross stitching slotted into a poster hanger, or a plastic book spine type thing that has been siliconed onto the tank. For a divided tank I like using internal filters with a spray bar that will reach into every section. An undergravel filter would also help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted May 2, 2010 Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 No need to apologise, I was just too lazy to look up the conversion website - which is a huge part of AAQ's appeal! We generally don't have to :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted May 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Well today I took the trip down to Brisbane to LFS and I could not be more impressed. someone owns a beautiful store with some of the most amazing stock and plants I have ever seen. She answered all the questions I had (and there were a lot of them) and I came home with a tank, plant, food, IAL's, Betta Scoop (really great little tool) a heat mat which someone recommended to keep it warm and It's working great so far and a beautiful red half moon dragon male who is currently residing on my desk. I highly recommend this store to anyone who can get there and to those who can not I recommend you speak with someone next time you wish to purchase I high quality Betta. I will try to post pictures tomorrow although I've never taken photos of fish before so I will try my best. Thank you again to someone at LFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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