We need some help. I’ve been sharing my newly reacquired aquatic passion with my step-son, and I had to explain to him why Zoe-fish (our female VT) needs to live in such a “BIG” aquarium. It’s only 3.5 gallons, but to him, it’s huge. See, he has 3 pet bettas at his mom’s house, each of which only occupies approximately ¼ gallon, one of which shares it’s little betta cell with 2 African Dwarf Frogs. He didn’t realize that anything was wrong, since his mom purchased from the pet store the divided ½ gallon tank that was supposed to be made specifically for bettas for 2 of the fish. The third betta who cohabitates with the frogs came in a ¼ gallon “habitat” container with a stick of live bamboo, and the instructions simply said he should feed them and change the water every 3 months. That’s right – this is how this aquatic prison is marketed. WHY IS THIS NOT ILLEGAL? Why are aquarium manufacturers even allowed to produce a tank that holds less than a gallon of water? Even that’s pushing it IMHO.
Back to the question – when my step-son started reading the articles I put in front of him about betta care, he asked if his 5 friends (3 bettas, 2 frogs) could come live at my house. I don’t want them to die, so I think they will be traveling the 180 miles from OK to TX in 2 more weeks. The 2 boys in the divided tank are newly acquired (within the last 2-3 weeks), but he’s owned the “habitat” for about 8 months now. He admittedly has NEVER changed the water. The frogs seem to have eyesight issues, as they fall short of their food when they try to grab it, and have to try several times before actually catching it. The betta’s fins are tattered. Really, it’s nothing short of a miracle that these guys are all still alive.
We currently have 2 tanks at my house – a 3.5 gallon “GloFish” kit with a filter and a 10w Aqueon heater (constant 80 degree water), which houses our Zoe-fish. We also have a 10 gal Aqueon Deluxe kit that I have not yet started setting up, as I’m waiting for my Eco Complete to arrive in the mail. I was planning to make this a heavily planted tank to hold 3 panda corey cats and a male HM, none of which have I acquired yet, but I have my sights on a gorgeous HM “sky hawk” blue mustard gas **drool**. Should I just give up on the little aquascaped 10 gal community and divide this tank? Can I divide it successfully for 3 males? Should the frogs remain with the betta they’ve been living with for 8 months? Should I move Zoe-fish into the divided 10, and move the betta/frog combo into the 3.5? Or should I just figure out how to affordably acquire a few more 3-5 gallon tanks? Thanks in advance for any advice.
1. you can still aquascape and have it divided, its just e 3.3 gallon scapes instead of one large 10...
2. Yes you can divide it successfully. You can have up to 4 sections in a 10 gallon tank without being over-stocked.
3. The frogs should have 2.5 gallons a piece, if you want to keep them with te same betta then I suggest aqua scaling your 10 and using it for those guys. Or you could just get a 5 gallon and use that for the frogs...
4. I think you should put 1 betta and 2 frogs in the 10, use te other tank for 1 of the other 2 bettas, and purchase 1 last tank for the remaining betta. They have 5 gallon kits at Walmart for like $27 and they are pretty nice, you could divide it...has an LED light, adjustable filter...etc.
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Do you happen to know if that kit comes with a heater too? Heaters are a little pricey, and I keep reading horror stories of heaters in small tanks overheating. Does anyone have a good suggestion for safely heating a small tank?
I LOVE it because it isn't that expensive and it is made to reach a certain temp and stop. I have 4 of them and I haven't have any issues so far. I've had the oldest one for three years.
That's the heater I used in my 5g. I've also used the next step up for my three 10g tanks and all of them stay at a consistent 78 (and I keep it cool in my room where the tanks are kept).
A lot of people recommend the adjustable heaters, but if you're looking for something cheap, I think these are great. I would, however, definitely get a good thermometer for the tank just to make sure. I check the temp of my tanks frequently.
Yay for rescuing these guys. I have the heater listed above in my 2.5 gallon and it's really nice and has yet to overheat the water. Use to be in my 5 gallon until I got a new heater for it.
This is the "rescue refuge" for the betta and 2 frogs that were living together in a quarter gallon. It sounds like the other 2 boys aren't coming to our house after all. This is my first attempt at planted tank, so if anyone has any suggestions or sees and mortal flaws, please let me know. The red gravel and 3 small stones all came from their original home.
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