Betta tank upgrade.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Mumma.of.two

Mumma.of.two

Aquarium Advice Obsessed
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
11,142
Location
Sunny Queensland, Australia
Well, my husband is out of town for a couple of days for work, so I decided to take the kids to the pet store for some 'window' shopping. Bad idea! They had all their tanks on special. So, of course, I bought one. :p

A while back I inherited my sisters betta when she moved across country. The poor thing had spent the last 2 or so years of its life in a small, unheated, unfiltered vase. When I got him I gave him a heater and made a filter for a second hand 2.5g tank. He has seemed so much happier in his new home. Unfortunately, lately my daughter has decided to terrorize him by pulling his decorations in and out of his tank. So I thought he could live out the rest if his days in the new tank with a lid. It's just a cheap and nasty 10g start up kit but it should do the trick.


image-422716941.jpg
Here is the new tank. Excuse the toys in the background. Haven't had a chance to pick them up! Too busy tank shopping. LOL.


image-3405340048.jpg
Here is his current tank.

By my best guess he is from 3-4 years old and in the last month or so he has developed some fin rot I can't seem to shake. The new tank and more water volume, I hoping, will help with this. The plan is to let him live out his days in this tank with MAYBE a couple of small tank mates. Haven't decided if I will put anything else in while he is there.

I will post some pics when I am done setting it up. I just hope I have enough gravel otherwise I'm going to have to wash some sand.
 
Congrats on the upgrade!

BTW I wouldn't do Neons; they are very active little fish and need a lot more horizontal swim space than a 10 gal can provide (plus they may be too active for the Betta). :)
 
librarygirl said:
Congrats on the upgrade!

BTW I wouldn't do Neons; they are very active little fish and need a lot more horizontal swim space than a 10 gal can provide (plus they may be too active for the Betta). :)
Click to expand...

Thankyou. Don't worry I wasn't thinking neons. Maybe ember tetras. Was going to get some for my 17g but chickened out and got neons. Thought they cost too much but ended up spending the same on my rummies anyway!

Found some gravel I had stored from when I got my 70g. It's a bit ugly IMO but it will do for now. Got the tank in position and filled up testing the filter right now. Going to put all the media from the old one straight in it. Should be a perfect fit.
 
absolutangel04 said:
Hooray for new tanks! BTW, that little tank would make an AWESOME shrimp tank. Its already planted and everything!
Click to expand...

I totally agree.

And the 2.5 looks really nice, no joke. He must have been so excited for the move!!
 
Ah shrimp! Should have thought of that. Used the plants in the new tank. They look really small and not as healthy as they did in the 2.5. Managed to fit all the bio media in the new filter but not the sponge. It was too course to let the water through. I squeezed the old one out onto the new one in the filter. Will have to keep an eye on my parameters. Should be ok. Also replaced the cfl that came with the tank with the one I had in the desk lamp over the old one. Noticed it was 5000K. Going to try find a 6700K when I'm at the supermarket next time.

.......And now it won't let me upload the photos! Darn. Will try again later.
 
image-2112269277.jpg
Still very cloudy. I didn't wash the gravel. Will have to do a PWC tomorrow.

image-3687897718.jpg
Mr ramshorn snail.

image-1314972842.jpg
One very unphotogenic betta.

image-3426284712.jpg
And here he is again. Not liking the camera one bit!

image-2265276269.jpg
My other betta tank. 8 gallons.

Going to see how the plants I already have do under the lights, then add some more.
 
Mumma.of.two said:
Still very cloudy. I didn't wash the gravel. Will have to do a PWC tomorrow.

Mr ramshorn snail.

One very unphotogenic betta.

And here he is again. Not liking the camera one bit!

My other betta tank. 8 gallons.

Going to see how the plants I already have do under the lights, then add some more.
Click to expand...

Wow everythig looks great!! You really do have a gift for aquascaping btw!
 
Gboy66 said:
Wow everythig looks great!! You really do have a gift for aquascaping btw!
Click to expand...

Thank you!

A question for Betta owners. Does a betta's colors fade when they get old? I ask because he doesn't appear to be as bright as he use to be.

image-1870566688.jpg
Finally got a half decent photo of him.
 
Test results are:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - between 0 and 5ppm
pH - 7.6 low range test kit
- 7.4 high range test kit (stable)
I just found once of my juvie panda cories dead too. PWC done Thursday or Friday (can't remember exactly). The cories where new to the tank friday. The only thing I did different was dose different ferts but they are the same ones I always use in my other tanks with no problem.

So so bummed right now.

But on a brighter note, my other betta is doing well in his new tank. :)
 
Your 8 gal tank is totally gorgeous!

I'm so sorry to hear about Cloud :(

Yes, bettas colors often fade as they get older.
 
the life expectancy of a betta is 2-3 years, if you say he is 3-4 he could be close to the end of his life which may be why he is not as colorful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Danio8
Upgrading Tank Size
Replies
8
Views
294
Danio8
Danio8
L
Fin Biting or Fin Rot?
Replies
11
Views
478
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
P
Sick Bettas
Replies
18
Views
514
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
B
Panda Catfish in a 10 gallon tank
Replies
2
Views
358
Bubblewrap
B
F
Betta keeps spitting food!
Replies
3
Views
353
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom