I wanted to make a long 4-6ft tank with several 6-8in cube sections for a Betta for my BF. He is always drooling over a Betta or two at stores, this way, he can pick his absolute favs as he finds them and they wont be in separate tanks all over the place. Is a 6 or 8in cube enough space for just one Betta and a plant? I also wanted to make it myself, but not with glass. If I use Plexiglas, how thick would it have to be?
Tank Building for Bettas
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That's a wonderful idea. Each betta needs a minimum of 2.5 gallons so it would depend on how tall the tank is. Ideally you would want to give it more horizontal space than vertical. You could get a 55 long off craigslist and buy some tank dividers and do it that way.
Building yourself with plexiglass may be possible, but I don't know how myself.
Building yourself with plexiglass may be possible, but I don't know how myself.
That is a cool idea! I have a couple of tips for you.
I second that each cube should be at least 2.5 gallons.
Be sure to make it so that the Bettas can't see each other, while flaring is neat to watch constant flaring due to the Bettas being able to see each other will stress the Bettas out a lot.
Use a heater, Bettas are tropical fish and do best in water that is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not necessary to put a heater in each of the betta cubes as long as the cubes are in a central tank and have water flowing through them so that you can put one or two heaters in the tank then have water circulating the heater water through all of the Betta cubes.
Use a filter rated for the size of the whole tank or more. While Bettas prefer slow moving water going without a filter would be very harmful to the health of the Bettas unless you did daily water changes. to reduce the agitation of the water you could use something to slow the water coming from the filter down.
Use a lid on each and every cube because Bettas are good jumpers and if there was not a lid they could easily jump from one cube to another and then get into fights. The lids should be perforated to allow easy air exchange.
And one of the the most important things is there should an easy way for constant air exchange to occur because Bettas require atmospheric oxygen to live because they have evolved to use atmospheric air to supplement the oxygen they extract from the water using their gills and as a result they cannot survive on the amount of oxygen that they get from their gills alone.
Hope this helps
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I second that each cube should be at least 2.5 gallons.
Be sure to make it so that the Bettas can't see each other, while flaring is neat to watch constant flaring due to the Bettas being able to see each other will stress the Bettas out a lot.
Use a heater, Bettas are tropical fish and do best in water that is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not necessary to put a heater in each of the betta cubes as long as the cubes are in a central tank and have water flowing through them so that you can put one or two heaters in the tank then have water circulating the heater water through all of the Betta cubes.
Use a filter rated for the size of the whole tank or more. While Bettas prefer slow moving water going without a filter would be very harmful to the health of the Bettas unless you did daily water changes. to reduce the agitation of the water you could use something to slow the water coming from the filter down.
Use a lid on each and every cube because Bettas are good jumpers and if there was not a lid they could easily jump from one cube to another and then get into fights. The lids should be perforated to allow easy air exchange.
And one of the the most important things is there should an easy way for constant air exchange to occur because Bettas require atmospheric oxygen to live because they have evolved to use atmospheric air to supplement the oxygen they extract from the water using their gills and as a result they cannot survive on the amount of oxygen that they get from their gills alone.
Hope this helps
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I actually would recommend a minimum of 3 gallons per betta. They do take advantage of every bit of swimming space that you give them and are much happier with more space. Even if you go by the ridiculously improper 1 gallon per inch rule, they need at least 3 gallons since they get to be about 3 inches. I also would recommend, as someone else did already, that horizontal space is more important than vertical.
Keep in mind that these fish originate in rice-paddy-like conditions where it's not very deep, but there is a lot of water to swim in (think acres/miles). While they like slow-moving, shallow water, they do need plenty of room otherwise. I would actually try to get a long tank or custom-build a long tank that may only be 18" tall but is quite long which can be divided. As someone already said, opaque or at least semi-opaque panels would be best since most bettas will challenge each other and the constant threat would stress them.
Btw, the idea is pretty cool. I like it.
Keep in mind that these fish originate in rice-paddy-like conditions where it's not very deep, but there is a lot of water to swim in (think acres/miles). While they like slow-moving, shallow water, they do need plenty of room otherwise. I would actually try to get a long tank or custom-build a long tank that may only be 18" tall but is quite long which can be divided. As someone already said, opaque or at least semi-opaque panels would be best since most bettas will challenge each other and the constant threat would stress them.
Btw, the idea is pretty cool. I like it.
I do not recommend using plexiglass as it cracks and bows easily and would have to be VERY thick or it will outright break. I would just use glass. Between each betta I would also put a dark black seperator in front of the glass, and then you could just take them out when you please and watch the bettas flare and show off their fins, but for the most part they will be seperated and will not become stressed.
Oh, I didn't know they had Betta tanks! I bought a knock-down terrarium 90gal for my 6 tree frogs from this place! They jacked up the tanks price after I bought it, lol. I was just thinking of ordering glass or acrylic sheets from them to make my own, what great timing!
that design looks really cool but I would suspect they would jump the walls and kill each other unless you figured out a way to seal the top without removing the air supply. I guess if you put a plexiglass lid with holes drilled it would be ok. Just make sure it's tight. I say this because I made a plexiglass divider in a 10 gallon once for some sparkling gourami and my ram when I had them QT'd because the ram would pick on them. I woke up every morning to see the gourami had jumped the wall just to get picked on by the ram. In a case where betta's don't like each other I see every chance at them jumping.
Good luck I would love to see them. And if your going to get betta's why not check out aquabid, they have 100 times cooler betta's then the fish stores.
Good luck I would love to see them. And if your going to get betta's why not check out aquabid, they have 100 times cooler betta's then the fish stores.
I still think it is simplest just to buy a used whatever gallon long tank and put some dividers in there. You can make your own dividers by drilling holes in the material of choice (plastic, etc.), can also spray paint whatever color you want.
I have a betta in a 55 and he loves to swim in the current of the filter, I think most bettas will be fine after they adapt to them, as long as they are not too strong. Maybe a couple lower range HOBs would do.
This thread is giving me too many ideas right now...
I have a betta in a 55 and he loves to swim in the current of the filter, I think most bettas will be fine after they adapt to them, as long as they are not too strong. Maybe a couple lower range HOBs would do.
This thread is giving me too many ideas right now...