Betta Barracks

[Mrs I]

I started out 2 weeks ago with 2 fighting fish and within a week had 9 males and a tank with 8 females too.

I have the females in a large tank together.

I have 3 males/females in together at the moment, and all 3 pairs are blowing bubble nests and females obviously happy to have company (if you know what i mean) lol ...

Anyway, i ordered a betta barracks through the boys at Reptile City.

Set it up tonight and couldnt be more than happy its AWESOME.

12 tanks with a sump, filter and pump system that drips water into the individual containers and then they each have an overflow hole at the back.

Pretty good for the price too.

It looks great much better than lots of little tanks around the place.

I havent put the fish in yet as i will run it for a few days first, so i will repost some more pics once i move the boys into their new home.

I can still keep my little tanks as spawning tanks so they wont go unused.

Im Excited !!

Already thinking about a second one, once i get my tax back....

Mrs I

xxx

 

[Chrisreptile]

Great looking set up, im sure the fish will love it lol.
One question, can the two tanks be easily removed for water changes?

 

[PhilK]

Not bad but I hate the fbelief it's OK to put fighters in little tiny tanks.. Poor things

 

[Mrs I]

They are all individual tanks 6 on each shelf.

PhilK, i do understand where you are coming from, but the majority of forums and articles i have read says its ok, but the males are moved into larger tanks for spawning and to flirt with the girls.

Only knew to bettas myself, although i have a large 6ft tank with tropical fish that i have had for nearly two years.

 

[Chrisreptile]

They are all individual tanks 6 on each shelf.

Nice, i have a similar set up, but its 8 tanks, all joined together.

 

[PhilK]

I didn't mean to sound rude or put you down if I did.. I don't even keep bettas so what would I know? I have just read that it is a common misconception it is OK to keep them like that..

Either way, this thread isn't about that! I agree that does look better than lots of tanks spread out everywhere.. How much did it set you back?

 

[notechistiger]

I find those small tanks for bettas quite cruel. Yes, they can live a full life in them, but have you seen how sick and "bored" they look? They sit in the one spot all day and do nothing expect occasionally come up to the surface to breathe. Keep them in a big tank, however, and they actually use the space. Whoever said that just because they are found in small puddles in rice fields means they should be kept in tiny tanks all their lives is an idiot.

Not to mention the fact that the males will be able to see each other through the glass. Constant stress because they're constantly trying to fend of other males. And yes, by the way, I have kept bettas in similar set ups.

 

[Mrs I]

They retail around $300 - $350.

Its ok Phil i didnt take offense.

Mrs I

xxx

 

[PhilK]

Whoever said that just because they are found in small puddles in rice fields means they should be kept in tiny tanks all their lives is an idiot.

Yes, they are especially an idiot because there are no tiny puddles in rice fields. Bettas may be found in rice fields, but rice fields are FLOODED with water.. So they have heaps of space in their natural environment.

ANYWAY, this isn't the place for this conversation or we'll ruin Mrs I's thread.. Should post it up somewhere else if we want to discuss that.

 

[Mrs I]

I find those small tanks for bettas quite cruel. Yes, they can live a full life in them, but have you seen how sick and "bored" they look? They sit in the one spot all day and do nothing expect occasionally come up to the surface to breathe. Keep them in a big tank, however, and they actually use the space. Whoever said that just because they are found in small puddles in rice fields means they should be kept in tiny tanks all their lives is an idiot.

Not to mention the fact that the males will be able to see each other through the glass. Constant stress because they're constantly trying to fend of other males. And yes, by the way, I have kept bettas in similar set ups.

They cannot see each other through the glass unless you want them to.

There is little padded inserts for between each tank.

Each to their own, mine dont look sick or bored with how they are kept now and there tanks they are in atm are not much bigger than these.




Excert from another site:

Provide a living space that reminds it of its original habitat. Bettas hail from Thailand, where they lived in the shallow waters of the rice paddies. Because they are able to come up to the water's surface in order to get air, they were able to thrive even though the water was stagnant. This means that you can use a small bowl without an aeration system or an aquarium filer, but you should provide some artificial foliage to simulate the leafy paddies. The plant shouldn't be so large that it takes up nearly all the room in the bowl, as your betta fish still needs some space to swim around. A happy betta will spend much of its time hiding among the leaves, just as it would in its natural habitat.You can use a live plant in place of an artificial one, but be sure that it won't be harmful or toxic to your betta fish. If you're not sure about the best kind of plant to buy, go to an aquarium store and ask for advice.

 

[Tsubakai]

I totally agree with the 'Each to their own' statement. Some people hate the idea that snakes and lizards are cooped up in small enclosures rather than out in the wild or in a zoo sized enclosure.

I like the idea of the betta barracks as at least they get filtered water rather than having to live in small bowls of ammonia soup. The only change I would make if it were mine would be to put opaque perspex sheets (probably dark blue or black) between each individual tank so they can't see each other. That would minimise stress. Males have been known to jump out of their tank if they are too stressed by the presence of another. You could remove the barriers for ten minutes a day so they can do their displays at each other - this will bring out their best colouration.

Good luck with the spawning - like breeding most animals the real fun starts when you are trying to feed all those hungry newborns.

 

[Mrs I]

Thanks, Tsubakai, they do have inserts between the tanks already, and i will be making a perspex top for them as i dont want to risk them jumping out.

I am hoping i get some babies to try raise, should be fun.... i hope lol ...

Mrs I

xxx

 

[Tsubakai]

I'm a slow typer (or maybe that should be slow thinker) so I saw you had mentioned the inserts after I'd posted. This site has some hot bettas Nicebettas Unfortunately they are not in Australia but I like to occasionally drool over some of their stock.

 

[bongie555]

bettas in a large tank are often like snake hatchlings in a large enclosure. you will find them most often hiding tuck away in a corner or hiding behind something away from the open spaces. i have both and thats what ive noticed.
anyway great set up mrs i, i once thought about doing something similar last year but never went thru with it. i was amazed to find out back then that they can be purchased and posted live from interstate. thats how much they can put with living in confined spaces.

 

[Beardieboy]

I used to have one of these, it works really well. It's a good idea to introduce the males a couple at a time so the filtration can mature. I added two every week until it was all full, never had any problems. They're great!

I would be cautious about putting a cover on top, they breathe the air from the surface more than from what's dissolved in the water, so you need to make sure there's good circulation of air for each tank. Enjoy your Bettas, they're great fish

 

[notechistiger]

Indeed each to their own. But contrary to bongie555, I've never had a betta that has hidden itself away in a larger tank. Go figure, no.

 

[Australis]

Don't worry about the bleeding hearts.

You can keep a python in an enclosure
not long enough to stretch its body out.
But keep fish in a tank many times its
body length and your a demon :-0

Go figure.

 

[sesa-sayin]

how do you keep them hot in the winter? might post a pic of 1 my Betta coccinea. these tiny little red fish have lived for nearly 3 years, but have not bred.

 

[euphorion]

i put my betta tanks on top on my snake enclosures, to keep them warm in winter. make sure you test out the right spot with a bowl of water without the fish for a few days, so make sure its not too hot (lol)

Mrs I, do you know how to feed the fry? Look at ausaqua.net it's full of useful info! If you don't know how to feed the fry yet, i suggest looking into it ASAO as if you have girlies laying eggs already you'll have fry in the next day or so! good luck!

 

[Tsubakai]

how do you keep them hot in the winter?

With the barracks you can put a heater in the sump.