BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

I was talking to the guy at the fish store one day about how I wish I was able to make my 36 gallon all bettas (this was a while ago) and he said that, believe it or not, he saw a 75 with all bettas. He said the guy had all the plants and rocks set up like a maze, and he had 2 males in there and about 10 females. He said the males NEVER fight, they get along just fine. He thinks part of it may be because they hardly ever see each other because of how the tank is set up. There are so many rocks and plants and all. When they do, they just kind of keep swimming, they don't flare up at each other or anything! I was really surprised, but he also told me that it is all in how you set up the tank. There are so many females the males don't have to compete, and they don't beat up the females either! When he sees bubble nests he takes the male and a female out and puts them in another tank to let them mate. It is a lot more complicated than that, I know. I think this guy just got lucky, but I don't know if I am brave enough to try it.

Wow, that's cool!! I wouldn't try it myself though. lol. I have enough trouble with the cats and my betta ehe.
I've been trying to find out about this eel I saw, I can't remember it's name, so I'm having a hard time, but this one site says they're sometimes compatible... but it doesn't go into specific breed of the eel species. I believe my sister knows the name of the eel, but I think she's at work now, so I can't ask. Does anyone house eels with their bettas? lol

Happy St. Patrick's Day all!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I....am not wearing green.

That tank sounds soo cool BG... could you just imagine 2 males and 10 females??
Happy St Patricks Day, April! I'm French though, so maybe I could eat some pea soup and call it even lol.

I went back to Petland today, and picked up two cute panda corys <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> they're soo cute! The smaller guy keeps swimming around the other one, circles and circles and circles. My betta is still nice and happy. Spikeking still won't eat anything but bloodworms though, everything else just sinks to the bottom after awhile <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> SHould I give up on normal food, or keep trying? Is it even ok for them to have a diet of nothing but bloodworms? <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />
I should be getting my 20gl tank sometime either this week or next!! I can't wait! I'm going to buy at least two more corys, maybe peppered or whatever their name is, and I want some tetras <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I also found out the eels I was looking at were salt <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> and $135. Lol. So I don't think I'll have them anytime soon. Although, I think when I've moved on my own I may have to set up a saltwater tank, there were so many pretty fish I would love to have <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I made a new betta home....I fixed up the 2 gallon hex I used to have Old Blue in..my shortfin betta which I lost about a month ago.

I got some "Echo-Complete" substrate and some regular garden variety spagnum peat moss. I soaked the peat in a colendar with some paper towl in the strainer to keep the peat from getting through the holes. After the peat was good and soaked I wrapped the paper towel around it and squeezed the excess water out and put about 1/2 in layer on the bottom of the tank....then poured the echo-complete over that..bout an inch of it, making sure it was right up to the edge of the tank so the peat wouldn't come up when I poured in the water.

I filled the tank very carefully...a small amount of peat floated up to the top, but not much. The tank was a bit cloudy for about a day and a half, then it cleared up real nice. Put a fake logtype decoration in there because I don't have any real driftwood at present...along with some crypt plant, water sprite and two of those lily bulbs you get at walmart...both are sprouting nicely.

Apparently the plants love this substrate..they are sprouting new growth all over the place..I only have a 7 watt bulb in the top of that tank, but it sits right next to my 10 gallon which has 2 10W compact flourescent bulbs in it...so maybe it gets a bit of light from that.

Well, anyway, here's a pic....it's going to look real nice when I get some real driftwood in there and the plants grow up a bit...


I also put a black background on the back three panels of the tank. Got tired of seeing the wall behind this tank..looks nice...the PH is also lower because of the peat I put in there..I like that ! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Looks really cool Emg <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What does fin rot look like? I'm having a hard time telling with Spikeking, because a good portion of his fins are black to begin with... but the bottoms seem to be bent and some are black tipped... if he does have fin rot, bettafix will help right?
He wouldn't get fin rot because he's a brat and will only eat bloodworms will he?? <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

He comes up to me and swims and flares for me now <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

With the two corys I picked up yesterday, they haven't eaten their food yet, they seem to be content just sucking on the side of the tank, could they still be adjusting?

I would think your corys should be eating..I suppose they could still be getting used to thier new home though.

generally corys are skuttling along the bottom of the tank scoffing up anything and everything the others don't get around to eating.

Finrot looks like thier fins are discintegrating and falling apart. You will generally find pieces of thier fins floating in the water..thier fins will get shorter and shorter as the bacteria eats them away. There is also a fungal finrot..not sure how to tell the difference. You might want to do a web search on "finrot" for better answers.

Bettafix can take care of some finrot...but generally not the more persistant forms. For that you might have to use a stronger remedy...but I always try the bettafix first.

Your betta's fins may not have finrot, but just could be a bit irritated from one thing or another. Keeping his water good and clean every day should help it clear up.

One of the corys sits on the bottom for awhile, and the other stays very close to the top of the water sucking the tank, then they either switch or move around a bit. I've seen them both swimming about, but a lot of the times I look at them, there's one on the bottom and one on the side.
Spike's fins don't look any smaller, just bent and tipped. Should I just watch him carefully and continue to clean his water to see if it gets worse? Should I maybe put in some aquarium salt to be on the safe side?
It's ok that he eats just the bloodworms right? Or is it bad for him? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Thanks again for the help <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />