Stagnant Vs. Strong Current

[rammingspeed]

Hi, perhaps I'll answer my own question here before I finish this post, but what I really want to know is has anyone housed a betta in a community tank for a long period of time (not including the effect of other fish on longevity) successfully?

I've housed the same betta in a 1gal fishbowl (go ahead throw tomatoes at me) for over a year. He's battled fin rot but thanks to some melafix and aquarium salt healed several months back. This was due to some neglect on me and my girlfriends part and we've since learned our lesson.

I know its natural for a betta to live in an environment where the water is relatively stagnant, and doesn't create a lot of movment. I can imagine a strong current on such large fins would only tire a betta out within a matter of hours.

The first betta my girlfriend and I housed was put into a community tank (10gal) and lasted several days before dying. He was fed proper food, wasn't being attacked (fins looked fine) or for that matter attacking anything else. Everything else in the tank survived for months before being moved out. I was overrun by livebearer children lol. The betta was first to die.

Considering that these fish are so hearty (water param wise) I'm not attributing his death to anything but the current associated with the HOB filter. Is this an accurate assessment or does anyone keep them successfully in a community tank with a HOB filter which creates strong currents at the outlets (I'm not talking a breeder tank here, I just want it to survive). Also taking into consideration the current isn't strong throughout the whole tank, just at one side (like the previous tank mentioned) and there are plenty of ''dead spots'' where the betta could rest..

I have a lot of experience with community tanks now, but as you've heard hardly any with bettas in them, and I'm not moving pong if anyone thinks there's a good chance I'd just be setting him up for death.

I know ''if it aint broke, don't fix it'', but I honestly don't think this betta is "happy" in his 1gal environment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tibby25731]

I wouldn't like to move a male into a community, too many things could go wrong. Is there no chance you could get him a small tank, and use a small filter with something to cut the current? Bettas don't usually do well in big tanks even if they are the only occupant, but more that 1 gallon would be good for him, give him more room to explore.

 

[Honeythorn]

So get a 5 gal tank and a sponge filter or undergravel filter.Sponge and undergravel filters create little to no current and do the same job as a normal filter. He may be nipped and harrassed in a community tank. A 5gal tank or plastic tub will be easier to maintain, filter and heat properly. You could plant it and he will have more swimming room and no potential bullies that may be found in a community. A 5 gal tank can very easily fit on a desk if you are worried about space.

Also in the wild, the water is not stagnant. VERY slow moving yes, but it is refreshed with rainfall, small streams/tributaires, and irrigation ditches channeled from rivers such as the Mekong. Oddly enough the local people don't collect fish for fighting when they're dying in tiny puddles. They do it in the wet season when the water table is high.

 

[dusky]

Ditto to previous replies. I wouldn't put any of my males in my community tank. Out of interest what's in it? Love his name lol

 

[chesterscot]

have to agree with the above
scot

 

[rammingspeed]

Thanks for all the replies. Its a 10 gallon tank, holding 3 Peppered Corys, the last of my common guppy brood from ages ago (black and white fancytail male) (1), and 2 dwarf platys. The stocking isn't ideal at all, most of them are just fish that had to be displaced from other tanks and have lost their mates and buddies over the past year or so. They're all real peaceful. I was more worried about the betta going after the guppy, but I think the guppy is getting pretty aged himself and is more interested in loafing until I put food in than anything else. He's probly depressed, too. -.-

I was actually going to house Pong in my 5gal hex which is currently home to puffers and put the puffers in my 30gal, but was strongly advised against that as they may have attacked my German Blue Rams. I actually found a thread on here where someone had modded the marineland integrated filter so that it created basically no current, I'm not sure why though. I've always cursed the thing while keeping puffers in there cause they're so messy and the return just barely trickles into the water. lol...Perfect betta filter I guess.

The fish in the 10gal aren't my concern, I just wanna know if pong be alright with some dead spots in the current, or if its gonna be detrimental to him if he can't make his bubble nest..(even though it serves no purpose). I noticed someone said they usually don't do well in community tanks. Point taken, just wanna know if someone -has- had success.

In the meantime I guess I'll be begging my girlfriend for the go-ahead to get another small tank to which she'll probably reply with a firm slap to the face. lol

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Athena]

I tried it but it was a disaster, so I had to buy a 5 gallon tank for my Sammykins and a sponge filter. They are great for small tanks cos you can control the water flow output and I have it set so that it's just at a gentle bubble. He's so much happier now.

My female betta is in a community tank, though, and she is absolutely fine. I think it's mainly the males that are not so good with it, especially if there are other fish with fancy/flowing/longer fins/brightly coloured (as the Betta will get jealous and try to fight them) and also if they are in a tank with fish prone to fin-nipping others, as those gloriously long fins on a Betta are like a billboard saying "nip me, nip me!" LOL

I wouldn't move your Pongo to that community tank, if I were you. Just rehouse him to a slightly bigger tank on his own (tell girlfriend it's a must for Pongo's sake)

Athena

 

[Honeythorn]

Is there any way you could put the fish that are in the 10 gallon , into your 30 gallon? That way you could put the puffers in the ten gallon ( as they really should have more than 5 gals ) and put pongo in the 5 gallon .

Reading your description of the filter on the 5 gal hex, I'm wondering if it's similar or the same as mine. Is it like this? ( Dunc's tank )

Because with tall plants and so on I've found this works GREAT for a betta. Well it does for Dunc anyway.

 

[newfishy]

I have found that the bettas I have raised from birth, seperated the male with dividers and always kept some corys in with them and have been in normaly filtered tanks are better in gentle community tanks.

growing up in a filtered tank has had them build strenght that I have found my store bought bettas do not have. growing up seeing other males and with other very gentle fish has made the males and females less agressive and spazy.

 

[Amunet]

Also with bettas in the wild, they don't have the large fins petstore bettas have.

Anywho... I would do as suggested and just get the betta his own 5gal tank.

I've had a female betta in our 28gal community tank. It has 2 filters in it so the current in the water is pretty good, but she never had a problem with it and was pretty healthy until she died while we were on vacation
BUT of course, females don't have the long fins males do, so yeah... to be on the safe side, I would just go and buy a 5gal for the lil fella.

 

[rammingspeed]

Is there any way you could put the fish that are in the 10 gallon , into your 30 gallon?

I -could- do that, but they would probably just become harassed to death by my German Blue Rams if/when I can get them to breed. The male is already harassing the crap out of my celebes rainbows which I'm giving to a friend soon. Most of the fish in the 10 gal are very old and fragile and would probly like to finish out their days, there, and not being harassed. =P

The puffer tank is overstocked, and yes we have the same tank. Marineland setup. 3 puffers in 5 gal was to appease my gf (who wanted a friend for 'blimpie') who was told by the LFS we visit very rarely that they're "schooling fish'' to which I laughed in reply. Anyway we're sticking with what we got and probably won't move the puffers until we move ourselves into a new place with more space and a sturdy floor for a 75 gal we own. At which point a lot of fish are gonna get shifted around, and the puffers may end up in the 30gal.

I added real dense plantings to their tank last week and now that they're not staring each other in the face all day they seem to be fine. This tank has an additional internal filter since I wasn't happy with the integrated marineland one alone. They're messy little buggers.

Thanks again for all the advice. I've seen fit not to put the betta in the 10gal community more or less because of the climate change rather than the fish. I guess it'd be like sending someone away to a senior citizens home with the temp set at 50 degrees but all the other seniors are used to it. Ok so bad analogy. lol

 

[Honeythorn]

You can set up a plastic storage tub in place of a tank if you want something bigger. It won't look great but will be more stable.