plastic bins as betta tank?

[chrissylee13]

has anyone used these before? if so do they work well? can you divide them? heat okay?

i'm simply wondering because i wanted to get a bigger tank for 2 of my males but i'm going to be moving within a few months (hopefully). and i thought it would be a good inexpensive way to give them a lot of room.

[bettasusa]

I would say as grow out tanks for fry they could work very well. As for separating adult fish I am not sure because most bins tend to have irregular shapes (for handles) and tend to slant inward as you go down, meaning the top of the bin is wider than the bottom. The problem I see here is getting the right type of divider to match the slight slanting but you could also use Plastic Canvas which works pretty well and can be cut to shape and size pretty easily.

You would also want to make sure that the bin is made of a nice thicker plastic than the typical storage bin you find at target/walmart. These tend to bend with the weight/pressure of the water over time causing the lid to not fit properly or at all. So if you do consider getting a bin I would say your nearest Home Depot/Lowes would be a good place to check out as they may have more regular shaped bins that are made more for holding tools etc, and better quality plastic.

Also for the heater you'd probably want to make sure the heater has a protective cover to keep it from coming into contact with the plastic bin.

It would be really cool to see what a sorority would look like in an all black bin with floating plants etc. Would look a lot like koi in a pond but the mini version. >>>Bettasusa>>>>Gets Ideas...LOL

http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Org...atalogId=10053

http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Org...atalogId=10053

[scootshoot]

They work just fine. Few posters didin't like em cause they not very clear to view your bettas from the sides but if you can deal with it....go for it.

[Bombalurina]

Many people use them as temporary/quarantine tanks, or emergency tanks when funds run out, because they are great for holding fish and also easy to store when not in use. They are perfectly safe and should take a heater just fine. :)

[chrissylee13]

thanks guys! i just heard stuff about the plastic being unsafe or something. well, funds may run out for me if my fiance and i have to come up with a $600+ deposit/first months rent for an apartment or house to rent. may even just buy a house at this rate... it would cost just as much. :/

luckily, i spoil my little fishes... so they won't ever go hungry! :D

but i just might try it out!

[purplemuffin]

When a cat knocked over red beard's tank we used a plastic container. If you do this later, be sure it's not a cheaper brand--though he stayed healthy, the cheaper brand ended up bending quite a bit under the water pressure. It made us worried it could break eventually.