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First planted community tank with Betta

Z

Zepp914

CCA Members
In the past I have kept community tanks and I have kept Bettas separately. I have read that docile bettas can sometimes be kept in community tanks as long as the other fish don't have long pretty tails. Our previous bettas were not particularly docile, but this one seems to be. Today was the day to give it a go. Wish me luck!

The 10g tank itself has been established for a while with Rasbora and a very happy Amano shrimp. The plants I have are Water Wisteria (back left), Pygmy chain sword (front left), Dwarf Sag (front right), and Cardamine Lyrata (rear back). Supposedly the Cardamine is the hardest of the 4 to grow, but it seems to be growing the best. I have added 2 Osmocote tabs to add some nutrients to the sand soil. I have no CO2 and no liquid ferts. Prior to this the only plant I had experience with was Anubias.

So far the Betta hasn't eaten (no surprise), the Rasboras don't particularly care for the betta food (surprise as they love shrimp food), and the betta doesn't seem interested in the rasboras and vice versa. I will say that the Amano shrimp is my favorite thing in the tank and I really hope he and the betta get along. There was a long stare down when they first met and I was worried something would happen, but the shrimp fled and I believe the betta was only being inquisitive. I have never seen this betta flare at anything, but you never know. I have a snail in quarantine that I may add in 2 weeks if it survives.

Also before you make fun of the pirate ship, I have an 8 year old so there must be something ridiculous in the tank. The betta's prior home was Sponge Bob's pineapple :\

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FishEggs

FishEggs

Well-Known Member
Nothing wrong with a sunken ship in the tank. I had one on display at the Big Fish Deal. It was made of Lego too.
Looks like a good start to your tank.
 
B

b considine

a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude
I once kept a seemingly docile betta in with some neon tetras in my daughter's tank, also a 10 and more heavily planted than yours at present. (Hey, the blues looked great together.) One by one, I found the neons disemboweled in the morning. This after several months of "harmony".

There can be only one...

Blaise
 
Z

Zepp914

CCA Members
b considine said:
I once kept a seemingly docile betta in with some neon tetras in my daughter's tank, also a 10 and more heavily planted than yours at present. (Hey, the blues looked great together.) One by one, I found the neons disemboweled in the morning. This after several months of "harmony".

There can be only one...

Blaise
Click to expand...

I was hoping I would see the aggression in the first few days. I had no idea it could be months down the line. Thanks for warning me. I will be counting fish every morning.

I thought about getting neon tetras or fancy guppies, but they looked too pretty and was worried he would murder them. The rasboras are bland and I thought they could outswim him. Then again, neon tetras are fairly fast. It is possible that I have never seen a betta at full speed. This guy seems rather slow.

Right now, he has been content to hang out in the pirate ship and in the Cardamine. The rasboras never go in either, but the shrimp does. I hope he continues to get along with everyone. If not, he will be finding himself back in the smaller tank.
 
B

b considine

a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude
I think the betta snuck up on them at night, in the dark and hit them from below. When the lights were on, the neons easily avoided it.

Blaise
 
Z

Zepp914

CCA Members
I made the unfortunate mistake of purchasing Marineland equipment for the tank above. The filter, heater, and light all failed in the first 6 months. The filter failed first and under warranty, but the company shipped out the wrong thing, so I didn't bother with them anymore.

Anyway, I upgraded to a 29G High tank and moved all of my plants over. I went with the planted+ 24/7 for lighting. So far the Water Wisteria (left), chain swords (middle), and dwarf sag (middle right) are doing much better. The cardamine was doing terribly in the new tank, so I am trying it out as a floating plant. I added some Java Fern (behind the ship), Crypt (middle back), Creeping Jenny (far right) and Alternanthera reineckii cardinalis (red plant). Time will tell how these plants do.

Current stocking:
1 Betta
7 Rasboras
6 Peppered Cory catfish

I wanted to add some Clown killifish to swim at the top of the tank, but couldn't find them anywhere. I was able to order some Gertrude's rainbow fish, but I have no idea when they will arrive.

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Z

Zepp914

CCA Members
Update:

My driftwood mostly sunk. I buried it a bit to hold it down and tied some rocks to it. I tried to attach my Java Fern to it, but I can't get the leaves to stay upright. The Wisteria and Creeping Jenny have grown an inch in the past 2 weeks. The crypt has grown some new leaves. Unfortunately the AR Reineckii is losing its color. The oddest surprise is the chain swords are completely out competing the dwarf sag. I may have too much light for the dwarf sag as it grows best in the only shaded spot I have. I added a couple more amano shrimp and they are eating the hair algae. Two of them live in the reineckii plant. Two more seem to live on my thermometer. It is the cleanest thermometer you have ever seen, but come on guys clean that crypt.

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My Pseudomugil gertrudae (Gertrude's rainbow fish) arrived. I was hoping to get a male and 2 females, but I believe I have 3 males. I really like these little guys and am toying with the idea of finding some females and attempting to breed some. I wonder if they would do well in a cherry shrimp tank.

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