Betta In A Biorb?

[JustKia]

I've not really looked at Bettas because I knew I wanted a community tank and the last thing I wanted to do was risk something so pretty getting it's fins nipped.
However, while browsing the LFS hubby was very taken with them.
I have very little knowledge of bettas but I think, from reading on here, that they prefer a reduced flow of water and a smaller tank?
Are they happy alone? Or do they like some sort of company - albeit not of their own kind. What would be ideal?
Would a small biorb be big enough? We don't have room for another larger tank, but could put a biorb in the living room. Originally hubby wanted a biorb, but I talked him into a 125L tank so that we could go with the community aquarium.
If this would be reasonable, then I just may treat hubby to a biorb for Christmas and then a betta, once it's ready.

 

[chefrossco]

to be honest a betta in with a comm tank is fine, mine lives with plattys, guppys, plec, and also female fighters, however a small biorb will be fine if you want to keep him alone

The only fish i would not put a betta in with would be barbs, or other notorious fin nippers, otherwise they can live well in a comm tank.

 

[Cdarmychi]

I dont use a bio orb, but from what Ive seen of them, the medium sized one is ok for a male. someone correct me if Im wrong, but IF you put a heater on the thing, (to my knowledge they dont have one that is "made" with a heating element) then a small group of otos would be good when the orb matures.

please feel free to correct if im wrong on the oto part

 

[JustKia]

Thanks for the replies =)
I've got danios in the community tank and plan on adding neons eventually, and I believe both of them can be fin nippers - I wouldn't want to take the risk.

 

[jonny_dw]

(to my knowledge they dont have one that is "made" with a heating element)

The one we got had a heater for an added £10. Depends what place you buy it from but most would I imagine, give you that option.

A wouldnt have the baby orb but the 30 or 60l are fine

 

[Netty]

to be honest a betta in with a comm tank is fine, mine lives with plattys, guppys, plec, and also female fighters, however a small biorb will be fine if you want to keep him alone

The only fish i would not put a betta in with would be barbs, or other notorious fin nippers, otherwise they can live well in a comm tank.

Not the best advice to be giving a newbie to Betta keeping.

Males do much better being kept on their own and should never be kept with females.....believe me, we've seen the damage that can be done in a very short space of time and in my opinion it's not worth the risk!!!!!!

I'm not a fan of biorbs as I feel the distortion through the curved glass can cause stress to the Betta. There are lots of small tanks available that would be much more suitable and also give you a much better view of your Betta too

 

[Honeythorn]

I hear the filtration on Biorbs is rather rubbish as well. I've never owned one but I know someone who has and I was not very impressed with the design of it I have to say. Plus being what is basically a glorified fishbowl they have very little surface area when full ( and keeping one half full to try and combat this looks awful and sort of defeats the visual purpose of the thing ) which isn't great for bettas as they do like to take air from the surface.

A 5 gal basic glass or acrylic tank would be easier and most likely cheaper too, plus you can get better deals and choice on equipment ( filters heaters lights ect ) for a normal tank than you can with a Biorb. In those you can really only use the accessories made for that tank alone. Not good value IMO.

 

[loraxchick]

i agree with honeythorn. esp. on limited options available for the biorb line. get a nice 5 gal and plant it up ! He'll love it guaranteed!

 

[tibby25731]

You can get some lovely cube tanks that are just great for a betta! Pygmy cories, otos and african dwarf frogs are all possible tankmates, as are smails. However, make sure they can live in your other tank happily - if a betta decides he wants no tankmates, then you will need to move them immediately or risk their lives! Some bettas take to tankmates, others just won't entertain the idea
You are right to worry about fin nippers. I once kept a betta in a community, i was new to fishkeeping and got bad advice from th LFS. All seemed OK for a week or two but then one night the neons nipped him to death. It was a terrible sight, he lost his fins and tail right down to the base. Poor little thing.

 

[JustKia]

Interesting info there on the biorbs -Thanks =)
So a cube or similar would be preferable, and tank mates aren't really required - just plenty of plants and hidey holes...

 

[loraxchick]

Sounds good...just make sure you get a heater and a filter as well as the tank and decorations (silly comment,perhaps,, but some folks dont know bettas need them).

 

[Davo86]

Sounds good...just make sure you get a heater and a filter as well as the tank and decorations (silly comment,perhaps,, but some folks dont know bettas need them).

If its the style of the biorb that has got your attention, have a lookk at the Bi-ube This has a larger surface area and although comes with the same basic filtration, this should easily be enough for just the 1 Male Betta

 

[smegforbrains]

I would recommend a sponge filter run from a small air pump. You can seed this filter from your main tank by wedging a filter pad between the sponge and the gravel for about 2 weeks and then removing it.


It would be best to do this and have the tank bacteria'd up before your Betta moves in


If you go down the cube route, something about 12"x12"x12" will be bout 5 UK gallons (27 litres), like the Superfish Aqua 40 or Aqua One AquaStart 320 would be ideal.


You will need a 50w heater and you will need to set it at around 26c.

Cories would make ideal tank mates. You could fit half a dozen Pygmys in a tank that small and they will tolerate 26c quite easily.


If you do decide on tank mates, introduce the Betta last.

If you have the Betta first, take him out and re-arrange the tank, introducing the new tank mates before putting him back in. This will distract him enough so he doesn't see the new additions as a threat to his territory.


Best of luck, and you have one lucky hubby

 

[AdAndrews]

TO HELL WITH BIORBS!!

I hate my biorb(baby), i wish i hadnt brought it for the money you could get a really nice 30 litre planted tank, the filtration on the biorb is rubbish it just sucks the poo underneath but when u take the sponge up to clean it thousands of poo float up(yumm)

TO HELL WITH BIORBS!!

plus the air pump is rubbish on them 2

 

[JustKia]

I'm getting the impression not many like the biorbs lol - but I'd rather know that now than in 6 months time =)
I remember reading about the sponge filter on another thread on here.

You can seed this filter from your main tank by wedging a filter pad between the sponge and the gravel for about 2 weeks and then removing it.

Sorry to ask a daft question but did you mean put the sponge filter into (what will be) the established tank, or to take media from the established tank into the new one?

Not a silly comment about heater/filter at all. I did know, but I hadn't mentioned it, so you were right to point it out =)

Did have a looksie on ebay and saw a few 5G tanks that come with lights, heater and filter (filter is one that has baskets for media but is in the tank hood, sucks the water up and through the media in the hood and back out the other side), wonder if that would be too much flow for a betta though...
The tank will have to be a one with a hood/lid as we have 2 cats - thoroughly fascinated by danios at present

Good idea about potential tankmates being suitable for the community tank, incase the betta turns out to be antisocial, in which case the pygmy corys are probably a good idea.