Two Interesting Things I Heard From People.

[DiscusKeeper403]

Well from two separate people I got some interesting information. First I talked to a man who had a 20 gallon tank with 20 Betta's, both male and female, and he says they are healthy, and he has had them for two years! Second I heard a man tell me he used to breed guppy's, and he got the females to grow to 4 or 5 inches!! He told me his secret was to feed them Gurpers baby food, not the fruit one but the thick vegetable or meat ones work, he put them in this feeding container? He said it sat on top of the water and the females would go and eat from the bottom of it. He ended up selling these guys for like 400 dollars a pair! (fry that is)

Just shocked me to hear about those two things and thought I would share.

 

[rdd1952]

I hope you heard these things on April 1 as those are both April Fool's jokes. Obviously, I don't know either of the 2 people but I have very serious doubts that either could be even remotely close to the truth EXCEPT that you could have 20 bettas in a 20 gallon tank using a lot of dividers.

 

[starrynightxxi]

that many bettas in a tank is probably similar to the theory behind overstocking cichlid tanks. there are so many fish that no territories can be established and any aggression is spread out. As for the guppies, I've seen some really large guppies before so I wouldn't immediately discount it. I don't see any reason why you couldn't breed guppies bigger, after all, there are "giant bettas".

$400 a pair is more money than I would spend on a guppy, but then, I don't like them much...

 

[t1tanrush]

I wonder if someone has tried the 20 betta thing, I wonder if it could possibly work?

 

[-germ-]

T1tan
Rush
Only one male betta to a tank!
Lets be honest.... Male betta are well known for not getting on together...
Living like this would be unsuitable and asking for trouble!!!

 

[t1tanrush]

T1tan
Rush
Only one male betta to a tank!
Lets be honest.... Male betta are well known for not getting on together...
Living like this would be unsuitable and asking for trouble!!!

I have kept plenty of bettas (So I'm not stupid I've saved them from finrot/SBD etc), I also know cichlids can be very aggressive just like bettas, so I wonder if this actually could potentially end up working like it does with cichlids, although I'd do 10 in a 20 ... I think 20 is a bit much for such aggressive fish. Hmm.... Anyone know if anyone has seriously tried this?

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

No, the guy had the tank going with them in there, and I don't doubt him, he didn't seem like he was lying. And the other guy was the same, he really didn't seem like he was lying...


Oh and BTW, it was people who came into the store I work at...

 

[rdd1952]

I guess its possible but I would have to see it before I believed it. And I've seen people tell huge lies and not blink an eye.

 

[Tolak]

I've seen some female guppys that were in excess of 4". A local breeder has his fishroom pretty evenly split between different species of corys, and a line of all red guppys he's been working on. Some of the females are huge, he feeds a homemade beefheart mix that includes plenty of veggies such as spinach, spirulina flake, as well as some sort of livestock vitamins. He has done the guppy show circuit in the past, and won quite a few shows. 5" for a female is without a doubt obtainable.

As far as the bettas go, I wouldn't know, but I have done adult angels ala African cichlids, and the aggression is spread just the same. This would probably be something for a betta breeder to try, as they would have the facilities if the situation went south.

 

[-germ-]

I guess i'm looking at the condition alot of bettas arrive at the LFS in, after being kept in groups, it's generally very poor, scales missing and fins torn....
I wouldn't risk it, and as Tolak touched on, to do so without 20 cycled Betta tanks spare would be asking for trouble.
Not IMHO worth it when you could just purchase the 20 tanks or large divided tank you'd need as back up in the first place, and just keep them seperately.

 

[Lhutch]

i smell bull hahaahha

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Yeah I guess i'll have to talk more to the guy with the 20 gallon. I didn't really think that guppys got that big pretty cool though!