I'm planning on setting up a sorority, and I'd like to know your advice! I want it to be as easily cleanable and accessible as possible.
I'll probably have 4 girls to start and change the tank for more later. Some thing I'd like to know about are
Best substrates (I have black/white gravel now)
Hardiest beginner plants (I MIGHT plant my tank)
Favorite tank mates (if any)
Decor (I'm only panning on keeping my shipwreck thing, because they use it to hide in and like it a lot)
What size is the tank?
I'd use black sand, fish prefer darker substrate..
Java fern, anubias, hornwort, are good starters. Bacopa is a nice easy rooted plant. Posted via Mobile Device
There is a sticky thread in this section about beginner aquarium plants.
Tankmates are hard.. you could do cory's but you need a group of at least 6 and with 4 girls then you are getting a little over-stocked. Maybe snails?
Best substrates.. it all depends on if you are doing a tank with live plants
Decor, I would seriously consider a piece of Malaysian Driftwood for a centerpiece, my guys love it! The nicest tanks are the tanks that look natural. Dont have a perfectly good plant and then one real colourful decoration that looks like it doesnt belong.
Picking girls.. Pick the ones that catch your eye ;)
As far as choosing girls I was meaning more of... how to avoid ending up with overly-aggressive girls. I know some people say there are certain ways to tell which girls may be issues before you buy them.
Also, some people do sororities with dark substrate and lots of plants with only a single centerpiece of wood or something along those lines. Do you think the pants compensate for not having much in the way of caves or decor?
Yep... Usually betta girls aren't very fond of caves, thick plants is better than caves because it's hard for them to chase each other through thick plant coverage. Posted via Mobile Device
I'm planning on setting up a sorority, and I'd like to know your advice! I want it to be as easily cleanable and accessible as possible.
I'll probably have 4 girls to start and change the tank for more later.
I strongly recommend starting out with at least 5, preferably 6. The more you have, the more easily the hierarchy is established and the wider the aggression is spread.
Some thing I'd like to know about are
Best substrates (I have black/white gravel now)
Entirely depends on what you want to do with it. I'm a massive fan of the natural look, so I would always choose natural gravel or sand. Sand is easy to clean in that the dirt settles on top so you can just hover the vacuum over it, but you don't have to be as careful with gravel - you can get right in there and disturb it as much as you like without sucking any up. You also need to stir sand regularly to prevent gas pockets forming.
Both are great: it just depends on what you want.
Hardiest beginner plants (I MIGHT plant my tank)
Definitely recommend planting. It makes for a dense, ever-changing environment that is great for fish. I like elodea/anacharis, hornwort, java fern, anubias, lacefern, java moss, rotala wallachi, ludwigia repens, crypts and ambulia'. Oh, and duckweed. Floating plants like duckweed make the fish feel more secure.
Also check out Mo's thread on basic plants. :)
Favorite tank mates (if any)
Depends on the tank size. If it's a ten gallon tank, just have the girls. You won't have room for anything else. In a 15 gallon you could also have a school of cories. In bigger tanks, you could try a school of small, peaceful fish like ember tetras or Endlers livebearers. What is your water like? Hard or soft? PH? That will determine your possible tankmates.
Decor (I'm only panning on keeping my shipwreck thing, because they use it to hide in and like it a lot)
Again, since I love the natural look, my only decor tends to be plants, the occasional terracotta pot, rocks and driftwood. Basically, you want cover on all levels - low, mid and high - so that the girls always have places to get away from each other. You need to pack the tank so full that you can't see the back.
And best yet... Picking girls!
Sisters or girls who are used to living together are always going to make things easier. Of course, it can still be done with girls who are used to living alone - it just makes it harder, and you have to remember that some girls are simply not cut out for sorority life. I've been lucky - here shops always keep girls together, and even my girls from different shops have fitted together smoothly. I think dense planting really is key.
As always, pick the girls you know you will love. :) If you can, go for girls who aren't aggressive little snots! :)
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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