Question about Betta food in a community tank

[patandchickens]

Quote:
You've actually *seen* this happen, have you? I've kept various bettas in 20L tanks (edited to clarify, since I'm in a metric-system country, that I mean 20 gallon 'long' tanks) over the years and never had anything remotely resembling that problem. Pet stores do like to try to convince people it's perfectly ok to keep bettas in tiny tanks, and alleging they can't handle bigger tanks *is* one of the arguments used. It's not any more true than the other arguments used, though, IME.

They can get shredded-looking fins from being picked on by other fish, rubbing against sharp-edged aquarium ornaments, or infections associated with poor water quality.

The pools that bettas live in, in nature, are about a trillion times larger than a 20L tank anyhow. Really. (Although, wild bettas don't have the hugely long tails that aquarium strains do, either)

I would not hesitate one moment to put bettas in a bigger tank as long as they have congenial tankmates.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Yeah, my betta actually LOVES his big tank! He sleeps in the little skull I keep in the tank at the bottom and durign the day he swims near the top.

I've actually had the reverse problem where my bettas would shred their fins on things in a tank that was too small. First I upgraded to a 2.5 gal and still had the issue so I then went to a 5 gal. He was ok with the five gallon, but I decided I wanted to try a community tank so I bought the ten gallon.

I did try very hard to find tank mates there weren't too flashy and would not pick at the betta's tail and fins at all. The platies fit all those descriptions and I haven't had any problems yet. The betta does chase after the platies every now and then when they get too close to his skull, but that keeps him in shape. He's not obsessed over trying to kill the platies! Of course the cories just swim at the bottom, so I haven't had any issues with them at all.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I love talking about my fishies!

 

[abluechipstock]

fish actually do good with a variety, i feed my fish as a stable diet, new life spectrum you can get the micro pellets or flakes, it has natural color enhancers, for your cory cats you could give them shrimp pellets even though they would be fine cleaning up the extra flakes that hit the bottom, i have some big fish, south american cichlids, some big catfish and an osphronemus(giant gourami), i give them pellets, canned tuna, silversides, as a treat some live feeders, and beef heart, you can get it at the pet store, but i actually go to the butcher and get them to grind a beef heart for me, you pay 6.99 for a couple ounce package, i pay 2 something for a 3 pound heart, i freeze it and break chunks off of it, as for upgrading your tank, if you have the room go for at least a 55 gallon, the larger the tank the easier to take care of it, the ecosystem is less fragile in the big tanks, i have a 55, a 125 and a 220, they are well established, i clean them once a month through the winter but when summer comes i'll do them weekly because it's easier to bring the hose, i have well water so i don't have to treat it, i have a syphon with a hose on it, i do a partial water change 20 to 25 percent, that cleans the gravel and keeps your bacteria intact and you ammonia and nitrates down, the water changes is what makes you big fish grow, plus if you are feeding heavy like i do to get them big you get a lot of ammonia build up quick thus the more frequent water changes, i would get a pleco of some sort to keep algae down, i would get a variety that doesn't grow huge since they get lazy when they get bigger, the bristle noses and the chocolates are smaller and are constantly working, have fun with your tank and don't be afraid of expanding, it's a great hobby, good luck

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Quote:
You've actually *seen* this happen, have you? I've kept various bettas in 20L tanks (edited to clarify, since I'm in a metric-system country, that I mean 20 gallon 'long' tanks) over the years and never had anything remotely resembling that problem. Pet stores do like to try to convince people it's perfectly ok to keep bettas in tiny tanks, and alleging they can't handle bigger tanks *is* one of the arguments used. It's not any more true than the other arguments used, though, IME.

They can get shredded-looking fins from being picked on by other fish, rubbing against sharp-edged aquarium ornaments, or infections associated with poor water quality.

The pools that bettas live in, in nature, are about a trillion times larger than a 20L tank anyhow. Really. (Although, wild bettas don't have the hugely long tails that aquarium strains do, either)

I would not hesitate one moment to put bettas in a bigger tank as long as they have congenial tankmates.

Have fun,

Pat

Yes I have on many occasions seen this happen and it wasn't by being picked on, it looks distinctly different! As I said to the OP though, if your fish is fine then that's great, just to keep an eye out for possible problems. It doesn't hurt to have more info. I hope the OP's fish or everyone's fish do very well, it's just something to be wary of.