Betta update - welcome to Boris and Bob

NetMax wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message
.. .

Elaine T wrote:

Gill Passman wrote:


Ok I know it was quick but I've had a fishy day. Maintenance on the
Community tank and finishing off the QT tank which this time didn't
find it's way back to the box.....plant friendly substrate and loads
of cuttings....in fact I still had to throw over quarter of a bucket
full away.

Went to a new place (mentioned by "Fantastic" Derek) and they had the
most wonderful bettas....couldn't decide between a red or a
turquoise/purple tinge betta so bought both. LFS guy had a bit of a
trauma until I explained they were going in different tanks. Both
settling in well although not eating yet. Boris is the red one,
obviously, and Bob the other one (got over-ruled by the kids as I
wanted to call him Ivan) :-) . The kitchen is now back to normal with
bettas coming to see me when cooking :-)

Also got too tempted as they had some fantastic Clown Loaches of
around 3 1/2 inches long and no sign of ich....the community tank is
now back up to 5 and it makes a big difference to their behaviour -
dancing clown loaches and scrums again :-). Don't think the Red
Rainbows were too happy though as they decided to spawn again in the
Java Fern...they left the fern and the Clowns were straight in there
for a snack :-( . Only problem is that now I really, really have to
go for the tank upgrade....christmas present perhaps :-) They are OK
for now but I can forsee me needing a larger tank pretty soon....

Just thought I'd share

Gill


Very cool! I'm so glad you found some new kitchen buddies.

I bought a betta today too. I decided a planted tank and herbivores
for the office was too complicated (filter, lighting, timer, ferts,
Excel...) and too expensive (I wanted a 6 gal Nanocube). So the new
betta's hanging out in a Kritter Keeper that I'll seed tomorrow with
some java moss and an anubias that should be OK on ambient light.

New Betta doesn't have a name yet, but he's pretty, with a turquoise
back, red belly and head, and white-tipped red fins. He's currently
alternating between checking out all the swimming room (compared to
his cup), tasting the gravel, and trying to scare away his reflection
in the tank.


Bettas are very special fish :-) Boris has scooped up the bloodworm
from the bottom of the tank so that's good :-) Bob is still a bit shyer
but he drew the platy buddy who I will now move - they don't seem to
happy together - Mr Bluey was far more tolerant....Know exactly what
you mean by trying to scare away the reflection - my two are busy
flaring at themselves in the glass - but nothing compared to the few
secs they were together in the bags (separate) at the LFS - he rapidly
but a barrier between them (so I'm thinking they might get more of my
business).

My office project will be for hubbie and maybe a larger scale -
although I do believe that this is a ploy to get me to do more work for
him - lol. As he has a passion for tetras I'm thinking of filling a
30gall (or perhaps my 200L when I upgrade it) with just
neons....probably cause a market shortage locally if I do this if
NetMax's stocking levels are sustainable....lol

Your office betta will keep you great company....

Gill



*gulp* what kind of stocking levels are you planning? I can be a very
bad influence. Incidentally, as a species tank, the 500 Neons in that
60g did actually work very well. Had they been left to grow up, the
right number would have been closer to about 120 of them. The only trick
to making it work was i) an automated water change system (doing 4 carbon
filtered water changes per day) ii) twin sponge filters (each about the
size of a Fluval 404 canister) and iii) a full time staff pampering and
feeding them all day long (the Neons especially liked frozen baby brine
shrimp). I'm sure your office set-up will be just as good ;~).

Boris & Ivan would have been much more fun imho, but if the kids get to
name them, then they get to share in the work keeping them too, so it can
all work out.


Not as high as I've seen you mention :-) I'd never quite have the
courage....It's all still very much in the early planning stages. If I
manage to get my home upgrade to a 5/6 footer I will use the 4 foot tank
- other than that I know someone trying to sell their 3 foot (approx
30gall). The filtration would be the spare 304 I've got in the garage
seeded initially with one of the pads from the Fluval 4 Plus in the 4
footer.

Tank will be heavily planted and I'll probably use a plant substrate
rather than gravel...it looks really effective in Boris's tank and is
doing good for the plants....although I may rethink this.

Neons are the choice at the moment although I'm not sure what quantity -
(certainly not 500 - LOL). I was going to ask you once we'd decided the
set up. Hubby was looking at the Rummy Noses in the 15gall in the
kitchen and commenting how much he liked them as well. (Oh and I saw
some wonderful wild caught green discus yesterday - but wow they cost a
lot for me to make mistakes with - water is hard and high pH so I still
think they would be a no, although I know Elaine has done well with
hers). Whatever it ends up as I'll have to be disciplined to keep it as
a species tank.

Feeding is definitely going to be a consideration although the office is
only 1 mile away it will involve weekend visits...(I got put off
auto-feeders many years ago when I used one for my goldfish and came
back to no fish). So this will determine stocking levels (and type of
fish) as well.

The timescale for the tank going in will probably be mid to late
November as we've got too much work going on at the moment (and not much
cash right now). It gives me plenty of time to plan it I guess, and get
the plant cuttings nicely rooted.

Gill