Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
A single beta in a 20 litre?
- Penguin (Penguin)
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I've been considering a single male beta (would need to buy a heater, but that shouldn't be a problem), and setting up the tank in my office. Another of the managers is a fishie person, so getting the fish fed when I am on holidays won't be a problem, though the fish may go without food from Friday eve to Monday morning. What do you think? Is it cruel to keep a beta by itself? If not, is a 20 litre tank enough? If it isn't, is there anything else I could keep in it?
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- JohnH (John)
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Would this tank have sufficient lighting to sustain some plant life, Bettas are certainly happier in a planted tank than with none.
If you think about it, if you fed him on Friday when you were leaving the office and again on Monday on returning I don't think it would be too much of a hardship for a Betta...IMO fish do not suffer from going without food for a couple of days.
John
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N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- Penguin (Penguin)
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- Anthony (Anthony)
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- tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
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The only other option IMO is to use it a a fry tank with an air powered filter on it.
If you are going to keep a fish in a setup long term, you should give it the best environment possible.
Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!
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- arabesque (Mick Veale)
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in my old job..
a small heater in it set at 28.
fed freezedried bloodworm.
changed his water every day
and last thing on friday i feed and watered
him and .. put a little lid over the vase
to keep the air temp the same
and he thrived...
even got him handfeeding bloodworm.
holding it a bit above the water level and
he'd jump out and snatch it from my fingers.
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- arabesque (Mick Veale)
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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The only problem I see is temperature. Bettas like it hot and the atmosphereic air they breath should be equally as warm.
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- JohnH (John)
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I have no heater or filtration but this thrives and has done now for getting on for a year.
OK, so Paradise aren't quite as coloured as some male Bettas can be but they're still great characters and, like the description Holger gives for the Betta, they have the auxiliary air-breathing apparatus; but because they come from a cooler area in China they are more at home with lower temperatures.
In the same sized tank next to it I also have (again no heater) half a dozen White Clouds, also from a cooler area, but this time with a gentle u/g filter running.
So, there's a couple of other options for you to consider...and both which will live perfectly happily at normal room temperature. No doubt, if Platty's around he'll be able to suggest types of Killies which would also be fine at the lower temps - I recall his postings to that effect some time before Christmas.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Easy to breed to if you have the space for all those young. You can also keep them in a garden pond in the summer. Just make sure no cats, heron or mink can get at them.
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- Penguin (Penguin)
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In regards to the filter: are you sure I don't need one? The tank has a hood (only a plastic thing, not fitting too snuggly), so surely there would not be enough air exchange without a filter?
BTW, asked the boss today about having the tank- thought it was wiser ust in case something happened and it leaked all over my expensive computer equipment- she said no problem and even offered me some money towards it, as a stress reliever! (I have the corner desk in an open plan office). Hurray!
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- JohnH (John)
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But from a point of view of air exchange you would find that this would happen naturally if the lid wasn't too tightly-fitting...I'm no scientist so perhaps someone better able could explain this more accurately than ever I would be able to?
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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- tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
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I would still think it would be best if you put in some sort of filtration. I would recommend a sponge filter of some sort. It will help oxygenate the water and act as a bacterial filter. Have a look at the Interpet Airstream Single Sponge Filter offered on aquatic-online.com
sponge filter
The only other thing you would need is a small air pump to run the filter. But if your boss is offering to donate some money that shouldnt be a problem.
Couple of pics of my paradise fish!
WWMC's
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- Sean (Fr. Jack)
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That would be a ecumenical matter!!!
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- Penguin (Penguin)
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- tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)
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Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!
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