Fish Thread

[RiverOtter]

Enjoy it while it last kiddo! It's your money, spend it as you like!

 

[black_cat]

Enjoy it while it last kiddo! It's your money, spend it as you like!

I know that once I get to college I'll no longer have the luxury of not having to worry about paying for basic living supplies, so I'm trying to give the best for my pets while I can. Current list of projects that I need to save for is:
Betta tank
Chicken run expansion
Hermit crab tank upgrade
More chickens
If I'm allowed to keep the tank, the next one on the list would be the big tank.

 

[black_cat]

I know that once I get to college I'll no longer have the luxury of not having to worry about paying for basic living supplies, so I'm trying to give the best for my pets while I can. Current list of projects that I need to save for is:
Betta tank
Chicken run expansion
Hermit crab tank upgrade
More chickens
If I'm allowed to keep the tank, the next one on the list would be the big tank.

Might upgrade hermit crab first when the next dollar per gallon sale comes around. Then I'll have an empty 10 gallon tank for a betta.

 

[Halfpasthen]

No worries! I'm online with some time to burn, it's why I'm here.
Yes, a 10 is fine, but a 5 is perfect for a single male. Any fin type will be happy in it. And you can certainly have a lovely, fancy 5g for around $50. I recently got my daughter a 5G kit with a filter, heater, LED hood and thermometer for I think 29.99 - it was on sale. Another $15 of plants and hardscape, and $8 for a lovely, rose-orchid looking halfmoon male and she's very happy with it. I don't know if she has any pictures. He shares it with a Chinese algae eater who will pass on to me and a series of bigger tanks as he grows.

@Halfpasthen , I never said a planted 5G was abuse, I said it was perfect. And you'll notice I used "he" exclusively, as female bettas are different enough in their activity and requirements to practically be a different fish. When most people think of a betta, they think of males.
I will say I'm impressed that yours used all the vertical space in a 90g. I've kept bettas since I was a child, and when I had a sorority in a 29 (my favorite tank size) they all stayed near the top, they only ventured to the bottom if food fell down that far.

Sorry you must understand me. I was agreeing that a 5 gallon is perfectly acceptable.
And I realize that a female betta has a different swimming ability than say, a halfmoon male. That's why I said a plakat type male should have no issues in a deep tank.
An extreme finned fish like a half moon and the like would prefer a smaller tank with less flow. But a healthy, moderate finned betta shouldn't struggle. My plakat males and females bettas are every bit as agile as a guppy or molly.

 

[black_cat]

Could a veiltail male be happy in a 10 gallon?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Could a veiltail male be happy in a 10 gallon?

For sure! I’ve had a couple different ones in 10s as well as a dragon scale male. most recently I had two planted 10 gallons and they were very happy. I got pack of two sponge filters and a tank thermometer probe thing off of Amazon for quite cheap. the sponge is better since they don’t like a lot of flow as was mentioned. A lot of other ones are too strong or suck in their fins. I believe I also got the heater off Amazon. I looked up the best ones that weren’t too expensive and got those. I can go on my Amazon account and find the exact items for you in a bit. If you want. I got the hood at the pet store though and got the plant lights for it. I would for a dollar per gallon sale though or even Craigslist or something. I’ve used the heaters from the pet stores before and I didn’t think they worked that well but it depends. Anyway, mine were very healthy and happy. I got them a floating log and a stick on plant leaf too haha I also got big pieces of wood to put in there but I never got around to it. but they were fine without. I was going to put lava rock in too and ordered it but then it was pretty sharp and I read it could tear their fins so didn’t. Speaking of, no plastic plants for the same reason. Silk, etc. is fine. I also got them a special insect type pellet. I forget what it’s called but they absolutely LOVED it better than most betta feeds hahah it’s not too expensive either. Mine were very healthy and happy.

 

[black_cat]

Current plan:
Step one: Wait for petco dollar per gallon sale while saving up money
Step two: Upgrade hermit crabs to 20 gallon tank
Step three: Take 10 gallon tank from crabs and put a male betta in it
Step four: If I can secure tank (it's either 29 gallons or 40ish gallons based on proportions, I think) put either: betta sorority OR pair of fancy goldfish in it

 

[RiverOtter]

Could a veiltail male be happy in a 10 gallon?

Yes, very. Veiltails are my favorites, and I think the easiest variety to keep.

 

[RiverOtter]

That's why I said a plakat type male should have no issues in a deep tank.

Issues? No. But males, regardless of variety, still much prefer shallow water. It's like it's always in their minds that a baby could fall from the nest and drown, even when he has no nest and has never spawned.

I've kept plenty in 10s and 5s, and they're happy and don't have issues, but the taller a tank, the more you see that they don't go down much, and if they have the choice of a shallow area, will always choose it.

Truly fascinating little fish!

 

[RiverOtter]

I was going to put lava rock in too and ordered it but then it was pretty sharp and I read it could tear their fins so didn’t. Speaking of, no plastic plants for the same reason. Silk, etc. is fine.

Y'know, I've heard that but never experienced it. Mine have never had torn up fins unless it was from another fish.
BUT, I have several tanks, and like a natural look. So even though I have both plastic plants and lava stone, sooner than later I have a fine fringe of algae or java moss growing on them, which softens them up. So if you have more than one tank, put your plants or lava stone in a different, well lit one and let nature take it's course, then move them to your betta tank when they're grown out.

Oh, and for food and supplies? Kens Fish. It has a website, coupons and regular sales.