Loaches Online Forum

Not getting too far with my betta enclosure questions and the material to use, but I am getting info on the loach forum.

For the betta connoisseurs -- do you think an enclosure with a depth of 22 inches is too deep for a betta? He will be able to come up for air, of course. For those who have not read my other posts, I'm planning on making an enclosure for my community tank for the betta.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Fran

I am not sure if he will use that much depth. I have usually kept them in smaller tanks, like 10 gallon. I have one now in a 20 long, which is also shallow. He will visit the bottom of the tank, but usually hangs out closer to the surface, not much more than a few inches down, and most often just under the surface.

Thanks, I, agree.

Fortunately I didn't need expert help. My betta is in a 7 x 7 acrylic enclosure in my 55 gallon. 12 holes are drilled on each side. This has been a great move for the betta--his fins are open all the time, he's very active, he's eating EVERY type of food I offer him. What a great move I made. I have a very happy betta. It must be the warmth of the water that has made such a drastic change.

FranM wrote:Not getting too far with my betta enclosure questions and the material to use, but I am getting info on the loach forum.

For the betta connoisseurs -- do you think an enclosure with a depth of 22 inches is too deep for a betta? He will be able to come up for air, of course. For those who have not read my other posts, I'm planning on making an enclosure for my community tank for the betta.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Fran

I used to breed bettas. You can't have the water too deep when they breed because the father tends the next. The eggs fall to the bottom and the poor fish goes nuts going up and down. When they are babies it is even worse for the old dad.

When I wasn't breeding them I put them in a deeper tank. At first I had to put in rocks so they could rest on them. They had lost the ability to swim to that great a depth. They would struggle. After a little exercise they could swim the length and depth of the entire tank. I think it helped keep them healthy by strengthening their muscles. Those little containers are a joke. I wouldn't keep mine in anything smaller than a 10 gallon half filled. When I bread them I put them in large rubbermaid containers with a sponge filter. The water was about 6-8 inches deep and had a lot of plants in it. There was enough room that I could usually keep the mother in the container until the fry were swimming around.

Bettas are not fish you have to keep all on their own. In fact, they love company. I have one betta living with a rainbow shark and two gold fish. Another lives with two African Dwarf frogs, a small platy, a female betta, and an assortment of snails. They tend to not like the snails when first added, so be sure they're larger than his mouth. I had bettas in a 55 community tank, but my female became lethargic and mostly stuck herself to the filters so she didn't have to maintain her position the hard way. Granted, these are lower pull filters, so she was unharmed and could easily move away from them. The male, on the other hand enjoyed swimming the entire length and depth of the tank. But moving that much fin can be exhausting. So he'd tend to take a rest on a flat surface towards the middle of the tank. If you want a deeper tank for them or one with a lot of water movement, you should give them places to rest close to the surface so they can easily breathe. I actually saw "Betta beds" at the local pet store recently. It's a plant leaf made of a rubber compound that suctions to the side of the tank. Floating plants are good for that as well. It's easy for them to swim into and sort of relax. I give the same advice for young bichirs. The only thing I advise when introducing to a community tank is keeping an eye on what you're pairing them with. "Fin nippers" like tetras are not a good idea and aggressive or large fish will eat them for dinner. I'm sure you know all of that. Just be sure that you're giving your guy everything he needs to be happy and introductions are key when living in a community. Watch what you feed him as well. Too much protein can be fatal so veggies are a great idea. Broccoli and chopped raw peas work really well. Try it out and see which he likes more. I would advise a ten or twenty gallon tank for bettas for the most comfort on their part, but a larger tank can be used. If you intend to breed, a ten gallon tank around half filled with no substrate is key or the male won't find the eggs. But you'll probably want to wait on breeding. Males should be at least a year old first.

Well, sorry for getting off-topic a little, but I hope this really helps! Bettas light up when they're in a tank with flowing water and friends! Best ojkif* luck!

**My cat needed to put in his two cents too, I guess.

Bettas are not fish you have to keep all on their own. In fact, they love company. I have one betta living with a rainbow shark and two gold fish. Another lives with two African Dwarf frogs, a small platy, a female betta, and an assortment of snails. They tend to not like the snails when first added, so be sure they're larger than his mouth. I had bettas in a 55 community tank, but my female became lethargic and mostly stuck herself to the filters so she didn't have to maintain her position the hard way. Granted, these are lower pull filters, so she was unharmed and could easily move away from them.

Hi again.

The betta has been doing WONDERFULLY in his enclosure and I attribute the health and beauty to the warmth of the tank water. I can't let him go in the tank as much as I'd love to because the clown loaches will view his fins as a meal and his fins will get caught on decorations. He stays safe and secure in his enclosure and he gets all worked up when the cherry barbs swim near. I'm so glad I put this enclosure in and yes he can reach the surface, of course. In fact, he's so eager that while in the process of feeding him he jumped out and thankfully landed in the tank and not on my feet in front of the tank. But he was so anxious to get his food in the enclosure that he didn't try to swim away and it was easy to get him back inside.