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Betta fish entertainment decorations?

1K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Kuronue 
#1 ·
I have a question with this toy that has a mirror that floats in the tank... it looks fun and all.. but won't continiuos flaring stress them out?

Also I wanted to ask... Among betta's my hobbies include drawing and sculpting, you know arts and crafts?

Then a little light bulb went off in my head. I have some regular brown and white clay (the kind you cook after you're done) and I thought instead of buying decoration, I could perhaps make my own?

You know buy some silk plants, and build them a little castle or cave, incrust seashells, marbles, or smooth peebles. (Safe with no jagged places where they can get hurt)

That way I could give their homes a theme and a bit of uniqueness :D (not to mention to have fun with it) Of course i would stay away from paints and such, it doesn't matter if they crystalize I don't want to risk chemicals getting into the water.

I see some clay pots and such sold as decoration in stores, so that is where my idea came from, tell me if it safe and if it's a good idea? :D

Tell me what you think XD
 
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#2 ·
I would not reccomend the mirror and I would be careful with clay but the kind of clay flower pots use is okay but most paints are unstable.
 
#6 ·
I didn't intend to use paint I did say it in the begining, as they can have chemicals that can harm the fish more than anything. Perhaps I can just use good old brown clay used for ceramic pots.

But if you truely think brown clay is even a risk (minimal it may be), I won't bother, care over stetics anytime :D
 
#7 ·
i've actually been reading up tonight on aquarium-safe paints for a project i'm about to start. it turns out that 100% acrylic paints are safe and stable in an aquatic environment, since they're essentially the same stuff an acrylic aquarium is made of. you just have to let them set for two weeks before insertion to make sure they're chip-proof.
 
#9 ·
Mirrors should not be kept in a tank long-term. You are right; mirrors do stress fish out over a long period of time. Betta fish can benefit from flaring as exercise but it should not be for long periods of time and the mirror would have to be removed when you are done. I would not recommend having a mirror in a tank for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time.
 
#13 ·
that's why, if their tank lights are on, we keep the room lights on as well. it cuts down on the reflection inside the tank.
 
#14 ·
As permanent item I would agree and say the mirror is a bad idea, it will stress your guy out and if he decides to start attacking it because the "enemy" isn't going away, he might even possibly hurt himself.

I have found that using a compact mirror for very short amounts of time works just fine, and you don't necessarily need to put it in the tank. None of my bettas have never had an issue with seeing the mirror through the aquarium glass.

A couple monitored minutes to get them to flare and do the little dance. Once or twice a week it has always made for a very happy betta in my tank.
 
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