# My new divided tank



## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Evening all (well, for those of us in a GMT time zone its evening lol).

as some of you will have read, my brother has built me a custom tank to house 6 bettas, based on a barracks sort of idea that you'd see in your local store.

well, we have it mostly populated now, bar two boys in quarantine. I've been promising pictures since i joined, and now i have my PC back, so here we go.

Ok, first up, the overall effect.









and now my gents!

First up is Leonard, my blue/red/purple CT that started the whole thing:









He seems very happy in his new home:









Next up is my red VT that i got at Christmas, called Sheldon:









Next is the VT my brother had reserved for me for a few weeks in the shop he works in, called Raj:









Raj's colours are gorgeous! red/white/blue/and bits of orange in the right light:









and this is Howard, the red/blue/white VT also from the store my bro works in:









Howard and Sheldon having words!









this boyo is called Jim, mostly white VT with traces of red and blue, he's immense! i can't wait to add him to the tank from quarantine to see him under proper light!!!









and if u look closely, some of the Amano shrimp:









now, as you may also have read, i have a blue CT in a quarantined bowl. you can see him in the picture with Jim and u can easily make out the greyness of the fin rot. he really isn't doing well at all, he has developed acute fin rot that has set in in a matter of hours, and he has some form of fungus developed on his face. However, we are treating him using treatments from my bro's work, and we will do our very best for him, we wont just give up!

anyways, comments welcome. there may be some who don't like it or who have grumbles about the set up, but in the last 20 mins we just added more weed to the cells, and we have a large piece of wood to break up for each cell also to give plenty of places for them to hide.

incase you're wondering about the names, i have named the 4 boys already in the tank after the cast of The Big Bang Theory, with the thought that the other two will be named after my favourite drink....Jim Beam, hence the white-ish one is Jim. if the blue CT makes it he'll be Beam, if not i'll reserve the name for another time.

water change and first feeding in the tank to come this evening!

Phil.


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

Looks amazing. Your brother did a nice job


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

That looks great  Is there a heater in there? I would love the have a system like that @[email protected] so many bettas!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

thanks for the positive comments folks.

yes there is a heater in the far right cell, a Rena 50 heater and the pump/filter is an Eheim ecco pro 130.

the lighting is an Arcadia unit with a Marine White bulb and reflector.

Phil.


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## mand (Nov 19, 2010)

Looks amazing and great names (love the big bang theory), Are they some Terry Pratchett books i see hiding in the background?


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Thanks mand!!!! Big Bang Theory is outstanding.

its not so much "some" Pratchett books as the entire Discworld and Stories of Discworld series. I think I started them when I was about 14 and its taken me til 27 to catch up to his latest release. Brilliant books!!!

Gave them their first feed of JBL Nanobetta flakes last nite, and with the exception of the sick CT, they ALL took the flakes!!! well pleased with that as i'd no idea what the new ones were getting in the stores!

Phil.


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## mand (Nov 19, 2010)

Your Sheldon is identical to one of my lads, only mine keeps making a mess of his fins (first finrot now tail biting). Also discovered yesterday 1 of my females is actually a male so had to seperate him from the community tank. The joys of Betta keeping !!!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

yeah i spotted a number of red VTs on saturday that were very similar to Sheldon, only younger looking. he blew his first bubble nest last week, so i guess he's probably roughly 6 months old or so by that?? not sure tbh.

we've no idea where the finrot could have come from other than it came with him from the store and the move then set it off or something, but it is horrendously aggressive. never seen anything like it. he's gettin further water change and further treatments tonight as soon as im in from work, we wont be beaten that easily!

i found myself paying more attention to the fish than what i was watching on TV last nite!!! its class!

Phil.


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## cjayBetta (Jan 18, 2011)

http://www.bettafish.com/member.php?u=23844 I love this tank! I want one so bad


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## Goomba3 (Jan 20, 2011)

Very nice tank! How does the water move through the dividers?


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Cheers CJay!!

Goomba - the dividers are made of seperate upright lengths of glass attached to the cross-members. as the dividers are made of a number of seperate peices, there are gaps between these pieces allowing the water to flow from the left hand side of the tank as u see it in the pic above, to the right hand side. if u look at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th pics in particular you can see the gaps between the pieces of glass.

Phil.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

unfortunately the blue CT we got at the weekend has died today.

he was alive this morning following his water change last nite. we had introduced an airline to the tank to increase oxygen, i believe i read on here that can help a little, and he was been treated for the finrot. unfortunately it just seemed to be so aggressive that it was too much within a matter of days.

such a shame as he was a gorgeous blue colour.

rest of the boys are doing grand and all seem to be enjoying their new home and tormenting one another through the glass lol!

Phil.


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## mand (Nov 19, 2010)

Sorry to hear about the crowntail, sometimes there is nothing you can do to save them.
Hopefully you'll find another CT to replace hin soon.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

cheers mand! yeah i guess thats just the way it goes sometimes.

once i get the other one currently in quarantine into the main tank i'll set about finding a new fish, my brother's shop got a batch in yesterday but were all VTs, i dunno what the craic is here with not being able to get CTs!!!! really annoying! i'll probably end up looking for a nice VT coz i dont wana be waiting around for months on end to finish populating the tank.

Phil.


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## Sherleelee (Dec 19, 2010)

*This tank is sick as! Would kill for a setup like this, your bro did an awsome job *
*p.s sorry to hear about your betta that passed, you did all you could do*


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Cheers Sherleelee!

i'll be sure to pass on the compliments to my brother.

yeah its a shame but i'll go hunting in a week or two and try to find a new lad to join the gang!

Phil.


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## iheartmybettas (Jan 31, 2011)

That looks awesome!! What size tank is that? Me and my husband are picking up a 55 long tonight to divide 10 ways. We haven't worked out all the details yet but I may have questions for you!!


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## leeb62 (Oct 22, 2010)

Nice tank for sure man. Your tank is so freaky cool, so did your brother use those sealant for fish tanks at walmart to clue the divider to the glass?


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## amber31190 (Feb 6, 2011)

lee, i love your avatar betta, i have a thing for white bettas


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

@ iheartmybettas - thanks. its 36 inches long by 8 inches deep by 11.5 inches tall, meaning that each cell is 6" by 8" by 11.5" which is plenty of room for them, the 4 boys in there already are very happy in their new home!

i cant promise i can answer your questions, but i will forward them to my brother who built it and try to get answers for you. drop me them in a PM sure when the time comes.

@Lee - i live in NI man, we dont have walmart here. my bro works in a tropical fish shop, i believe he used fish-safe sealant yes, both clear and black. the dividers are made of strips of glass, so the tank is 100% glass, even the handles on the cover glass are glass. It took a few days to dry/cure, but so far so good.

Phil.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

well, got in from work last nite to find the white veiltail no longer amongst the living.

very odd. he had a touch of white spot, but it was nothing serious and was being treated. i had watched him feed the night before, and he was grand when i went to work. very very odd.

think i'm just gonna stick to the one fish shop from now on, Exotic Aquatics in Belfast where my bro currently works. everything iv got from them is alive and healthy, anything i havnt has died, clear pattern emerging.

i've spaced the remaining gents out a bit to give them some peace to let fins regrow from an "incident" over the weekend. we've raised the height of the dividers now and all the wood is in. i think i'm going to double my number of Ammano shrimp to 12, or perhaps add a few wood/bamboo shrimp to really keep things clean, but im not going to add any more bettas for a few weeks, let things settle down after finding the white one dead yesterday. dont think there's anything sinister going on, but just gonna let things settle before adding anyone new.

Phil.


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## leeb62 (Oct 22, 2010)

amber31190 said:


> lee, i love your avatar betta, i have a thing for white bettas


 
I have two baby fry from this kind. The avatar male doesn't seem like he wants to breed yet. Normally he a fast breeder.

Here the link if you wanna see. He is growing so fast now since I jar this fry, but he hasn't develop any color yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-k2aDQJxNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waB4_rEtHO4


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## leeb62 (Oct 22, 2010)

Nanglebadger said:


> @ iheartmybettas - thanks. its 36 inches long by 8 inches deep by 11.5 inches tall, meaning that each cell is 6" by 8" by 11.5" which is plenty of room for them, the 4 boys in there already are very happy in their new home!
> 
> i cant promise i can answer your questions, but i will forward them to my brother who built it and try to get answers for you. drop me them in a PM sure when the time comes.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I this a project that would be good for me in the near future.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

bit of development over the weekend.

Went yesterday to Exotic Aquatics and got 7 more ammanos so that i have 2 per cell, and i also picked up a blue/green/pink Veil Tail. I almost took a blue and pink VT to fill the tank, but i know they have CTs in quarantine, so i'm gonna hold off until they're available.

Also, after introducing them all yesterday, we noticed that the other 4 have whitespot, obviously due to that infected white one that died. so, having to treat that now, shame we didnt see it before putting the new boy in, but we'll get it cleared up.

i'll try to get some pics of my new boy soon!

Phil.


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## mand (Nov 19, 2010)

Lucky finding CTs, i'm still looking.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

mand - it was a specific request to Exotic Aquatics in Belfast. He seemed to be just getting VTs in for months on end, so the request was made for a batch of CTs and it was no problem.

it may be worth asking at your local store if they can put in an order of CTs from the wholesalers?!?!?!? no harm tryin, if they're anyway decent and value the trade they're bound to at least try.

Ok, well with the passing of the white one (who i called jim), and the loss of an ammano, i went yesterday for some re-stocking! got 7 ammanos so there are now two in each cell, and I would like to introduce the new Jim. He is mostly blue with big streaks of pink in his fins, however, the camera is showing him up with more green and I can't really get the pink to show but here's some pics anyway. got the wood in now too as you can see. the currently uninhabited cell is the second from the right. as mentioned, touch of white spot has appeared but treating for it.




























and the overall effect at present:









Phil.


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Looks gud!

BBT Fan much? :lol:


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## mand (Nov 19, 2010)

Looks good with the wood in.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

cheers!!!

BBT?? lol excuse my ignorance

Phil.


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## cjayBetta (Jan 18, 2011)

Big Bang Theory!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

lol duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh Phil!!! lol cant believe i didnt pick up on that! u can tell i was just into work and hadnt had my coffee!!!

Cheers mand! bought it as one piece and took an axe and saw to it.

First feed of the JBL NanoBetta flake food for the new Jim last nite and he took it very well, so very pleased.

Phil.


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## Goomba3 (Jan 20, 2011)

I like how each section has his own piece of wood and plant. Looks nice and connected while being separate at the same time. Nice job!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

cheers Goomba! 

i have discovered that the shrimp can squeeze between the dividers of the middle cells, which explains all the wandering going on lol!!! i thought they were going over the top, pleased to know they're not.

new VT Jim is settling in well, him and Raj wind eachother up all day but they're both happy campers.

also, shipment of CTs due in to my brother's work today, and the benefit of having an insider is first pick of the group before the public see them. i've told him to bring whichever one catches his eye the most, im not fussy on colour choice, just whichever one pops the most! so hopefully he'll be home to the QT tank tonight! and then we'll finally have the full compliment of 6 bettas!

Phil.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Well, the crowntails finally arrived in yesterday and my new one has been brought home. haven't had the best chance to see his proper colours as he's in a QT tank just now, but once i get him into the main tank with the light i'll get some pics of him. he does look class though and has confirmed that i'll be tryin to keep a mix of CTs and VTs in the tank on a permanent basis.

i've ordered some car door/boot (or trunk as some of you may call it lol) rubber seal to finish the top of the dividers. my red VT is a viscious brute and i'm not risking a jumping incident with the new CT. the rubber seal has a U shape clamp that will attach along the top lip of the dividers, and then an O shaped seal running along the top, meaning that the cover glasses will just sit right down onto the rubber O seal....sounds awkward to explain, it'll make sense when you see it. hopefully that'll be here within the next couple of days and i can get my new CT moved into his new home!

Pics to follow as soon as he gets moved in with his neighbours!

Phil.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

*Update*

Well at the start of the month a batch of CTs arrived into Exotic Aquatic in Belfast and I was fortunate enough to acquire this new gentleman, a blue and red CT. He's quite small so i'm guessing he's young. This now sees the tank at it's full capacity of 6 bettas.

So, joining Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, Raj and Jim, this is Beam. Don't think he appreciated having his picture taken lol.



















Eyeing up Sheldon:









And all 6 together:









Phil.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

What a pretty little fish!That is an awesome tank.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

cheers! very happy with him and glad to finally have the full compliment of 6 bettas.

Phil.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

bit of an update,

I unfortunately lost a crown tail a number of months back, so I got myself a lovely orange, blue and white CT as a replacement. I also have a couple of sickly gents at the minute, old age in one case and possibly swim bladder in the other, so today I brought home a white blue and purple VT who seems to have settled in nicely!



















Replacement CT:


















some friends to aid the Ammanos with the cleaning, one in each cell:









and if anyone is interested, in the last number of months i was given a 200 litre set up with 4 T5 bulbs and external pump. after a few wrong turns with cat fish eating my plants, the plan for a heavily planted tank with LOTS AND LOTS of neons and red cherry shrimp is finally headed in the right direction. few pygmy corries, some ember tetras, alot of blue and mosquito rasboras, some ammano shrimp, red cherries that are breeding, some ottos and a lone danio, its getting there. gonna build up the neon shoal further. excuse the breeding tank on the front, thats where my sickly red VT is resting but i dont think there's anything i can do for him.














































Cheers for looking all, after almost a year keeping fish and in particular Bettas, I am still amazed at just how varied each and every one is every time i go to my LFS. we may only get CTs and VTs here, but even in the one store I have seen some beautiful fish, shame i cant house anymore because i happily would!

Phil.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Hi Nanglebadger, I love both the divided set-up and the big tank - gorgeous! How many litres are the divided compartments?
I just want to comment on the cories in the divided tanks - as active schooling fish, I don't think it's right to keep just one per small compartment. They'd be much happier in a school of their own species with a larger footpring.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

:shock: Wow!!! Awesome fish tanks you have there!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

cheers folks.

@Bom - the divided tank is roughly (and i do mean roughly) 60 litres if not a bit more, as it was custom made I dont have an exact volume. As for the corys being on their own, I am aware of their prefered schooling, however, the advice from my LFS was that there was no problem with this and that they would be perfectly happy, which so far they have been, they are eating well and are very active and appear to interact well with the Bettas. I know corys prefer to school, and ordinarily I would agree with your comment, but I did seek advice from both my brother who built the tank and from the staff in the store and they said it would be grand. some of the bettas were harassing the ammanos, meaning some of the cells weren't being cleaned, the corys however are happily dealing with this for me.

Phil.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

That's a nice size for all the bettas. 
However, I maintain that the people who gave you advice about the cories were incorrect. Cories need a larger footprint and should be in schools - it's not a preference; they are just like tetras in that regard. Without schools,they are far more likely to succumb to stress-related illnesses (in the wild, larger schools mean less chance of being eaten, and fish don't shake off their natural instincts that easily). This isn't just opinion or hearsay - it's months of research backed up by my own experience. I'm not trying to be rude or cause offence.  I just worry for your cories. I think your bettas must be in mini-paradises, but they simply aren't suitable for cories.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

no offence caused at all, we all have different opinions and experiences, i think we will have to agree to disagree. months of research is one thing, but my fish and equipment and the advice I seek comes from people who have worked in the fish industry for many, many years, 20+ in some cases, backed up with the appropriate UK qualifications, who run their own very successful business, design build, install and maintain custom tanks on a daily basis and who have never steered me wrong yet.

I am not debating your point about the preferences of corries, i also keep pygmy corries in my community tank so I know full well about their preferences. what i dont agree with is that the folk giving me the advice are "incorrect". people with that much experience dont tend to get it wrong on such a monumental scale.

i take on board your point, however consider this, when the tank was built i was also told by folk online that i couldnt keep 6 male bettas in plain sight of one another as they would all die of stress from flaring, whilst the store where everything comes from told me they would get bored of flaring and ignore oneanother, and they have turned out to be correct as i have 6 males living happily side by side in plain view of one another.

i guess its down to personal experiences. i do accept your point, and so I will monitor the condition of my cories, they've been in a while now and seem pretty happy and are feeding well, but if i suspect they are unhappy in their environment they will be removed to a larger community tank on their own. my family aren't new to fish keeping, and my brother worked in the industry for a number of years, so there is also a lot of experience within our household, you dont need to worry that i'm a noob getting it all wrong lol. the cories will be well cared for, of that u can be assured 

Phil.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

This was soo funny, I'm reading the names and thinking "Sheldon haha I want a fish named Sheldon. He's be all jumpy and smart and stuff" Then I see Raj and started laughing out loud! I LOVE Big Bang Theory! I wish my life was like that. Great job on that tank, I love it!


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

Cheers pitluvs!

Unfortunately I lost sheldon yesterday and Leonard is looking rather poorly also, old age for Leonard and suspected swim bladder ailment for Sheldon but Raj and Howard and the other two are all doing well.

very pleased with the tank to date, the guys serve to keep me company in the evenings!! lol

Phil.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Aww so sorry you lost one 

Haha I have about 30 episodes of The Big Bang theory backed up on my DVR, trying to play catch up to them hehe.. I have a geek crush on Sheldon 

I do have a question.. you have single cory's in their spaces in the divided tank? They really would be better in groups of 4+ in a larger space.. and that's 17 years worth of keeping those funny little guys. 
Do what you would like by all means, but I think they would be more happy, healthy and active in the proper home


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I tend to favor in the idea that cories should be together, as per 95% of the internet's say. Sometimes having 20yrs+ experience means little, as usually people who have been in the trade that long usually don't upgrade their knowledge as we evolve and learn that yesterdays treatment may have not been the best. Nothing worst in my opinion than someone who's been in a trade too long 

Glad to have you all the way from Ireland! I'm part Irish myself, although 95% of the population here is haha


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Luckily, I love researching things I love.. and in a trade too long.. don't understand? I started fish keeping in high school because I love fish. I continued throughout my adult life, because I love having a tank around. Now, granted new things come and go in fish keeping, but the basics don't. Water chemistry doesn't. A schooling fish doesn't all of a sudden become a solitary fish, the temperature for the fishes don't because the regions they are from are still the same for the most part (granted, over the generations some can tolerate slight differences in temps), but the basics are still there for fish keeping of tropical fish. 
So me keeping a tank or two around for a long period, doesn't mean that the corys have changed- they were schooling fish who needed a larger foot print back in the early 90s, just as they are today. 

As far as not upgrading their experiences.. yes and no. You can't really say "usually" because there are a lot of people like me, or even a lot of the older members here who keep multiple, large, thriving tanks are always keeping ourselves knowledgeable with what we are caring for. There is no "usually".. more like, people who have a passion for a certain thing will always be reading up on it, will always be shopping, will always be watching out for that species. 
What you are probably thinking is the old school myths with goldfish and bettas and people who had them years ago when it was common for them to be in not so good conditions and decide to have them again and think it's fine to do what they did years ago. But people who keep tanks.. usually did their homework, set up the tank and left it alone and let it thrive. Or they are passionate about their species and continue to learn over the years. You can't really not do research or know what you are talking about if you are keeping the same species over so many years because you love them.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Before I head off, want to clarify- I'm not telling the OP that she needs to, or that she is a bad owner for keeping them that way. They are warm and healthy- but they could be happier in the proper conditions. It's her tank, her choice and I'm not going to say she is wrong. It's just a statement that she would get more out of them and keep them happier in the proper setting is all.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Ok, Myates... you wanna go? haha

I didn't mean all, I meant most or some at best. I have seen it personally, in all animal types where people think because they have owned an animal for X amount of years, everything they do and say is golden when new studies and research has shown that some older methods don't really work as well as we thought. As humans, we thrive to make things bigger better and stronger, and the fish world has had it's shares of myths that are busted. Like yes, the Goldfish. When I was young, in the 80's, it was perfectly fine for Goldfish to be kept in small tanks. I was actually told my Common Goldfish was just as "spoild" as me because my mother bought it a 10g tank. Now, we know different. Most of my expertise in this comes from other animals though, what I have seen over the years. I know many who have owned pet rats for 30yrs+ and think feeding seed mixes is acceptable, and that I am depriving my rats by feeding them a staple lab block with vegetable sides. Studies show, that person is wrong, I'm not. 

Regardless, MYSELF personally, I wouldn't count everything a person says as golden if they have X amount of years in whatever hobby they enjoy. I would take the advice and do my research to see what is true today and what is now. 


And is it bad that it irks me when people say "older members"? haha I feel like i'm 12 and saying "I'm 12 and a HALF!"


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

ummmm..."she" is a 28 year Northern Irish male with a beard and earrings who curses (not on this forum as its clearly frowned upon), drinks whiskey, smokes the odd cigar, and plays alot of heavy metal whilst tinkering at cars and running a successful UK based car owners forum lol. The word "she" does not apply here lol.

i think the point i made was missed - i am aware of how corys tend to be kept. I am aware that they are schooling fish. i simply mentioned in the store that some of the cells werent as clean as the others as the fighters in those cells were chasing the ammanos, they recommended come corys, one for each cell, i thought "yeah i'll give it a go". again, when we built the tank the advice online, including if i recall correctly from this forum, was that male bettas could NOT be kept in plain sight of oneanother as they would simply flare themselves to death. which has turned out to be a nonsense quite frankly and which is why when i see ppl on this forum telling other members that they shouldnt let males in a divided tank see oneanother i speak up with my own experiences to state that it can be done, successfully.

again, i 100% accept the points being made about the corys. but im sitting here watching all 6 of them right now, and ok they are not schooling, obviously, but it cannot be said that they are miserable in their environments either. perhaps i wont get what is considered the "best" out of them, but they are there to do a job and they are doing it very well and seem pretty happy about it.

i genuinely appreciate the input and advice folks. you can honestly rest assured that i keep a close watch on my fish and given your concerns regarding the corys i will keep a close eye on them over the coming weeks and months too.

unfortunately Leonard succumbed to old age today, i estimate he was at least 4, so this weekend coming I will be off to hunt for a new CT to join the ranks!

Phil.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

You are so polite and take things so very well  Thank you! 

Sorry to hear about Leonard  He had a good go of it though, one would always hope their fish pass of just old age.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Sure, lets rumble!  

I didn't mean older as in old.. I was meaning members of the forum who have been with the forum for a while. Guess this teaches me not to try to make a point when in a rush and not proof read it.. whoops! And I am definitely not meaning that there aren't people who go by old methods, and most of those methods are still used in huge numbers, which is evident in the companies that continue to sell things, such as seeds for rats. 
But again, it may of been common practice years ago with the goldfish in small tanks, but it's still happening. Goldfish didn't get a big increase in size over the years, still required the same then and now... it's the use of personal computers and the internet in the home that has changed, that has taught most people more.
Which is what you do, and it's great. It's what taught me about betta care, among other things.
I just am saying you can't fully dismiss someone's experience because they have been at it for longer. It doesn't always mean they don't know the appropriate care is all.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Nanglebadger said:


> ummmm..."she" is a 28 year Northern Irish male with a beard and earrings who curses (not on this forum as its clearly frowned upon), drinks whiskey, smokes the odd cigar, and plays alot of heavy metal whilst tinkering at cars and running a successful UK based car owners forum lol. The word "she" does not apply here lol.
> 
> i think the point i made was missed - i am aware of how corys tend to be kept. I am aware that they are schooling fish. i simply mentioned in the store that some of the cells werent as clean as the others as the fighters in those cells were chasing the ammanos, they recommended come corys, one for each cell, i thought "yeah i'll give it a go". again, when we built the tank the advice online, including if i recall correctly from this forum, was that male bettas could NOT be kept in plain sight of oneanother as they would simply flare themselves to death. which has turned out to be a nonsense quite frankly and which is why when i see ppl on this forum telling other members that they shouldnt let males in a divided tank see oneanother i speak up with my own experiences to state that it can be done, successfully.
> 
> ...


Again, I am so sorry about Leonard 
And again, not saying you are a neglectful and bad owner in any way. You are giving them a healthy, good home and that is what counts.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

i reckon we've flogged this horse to death now folks. i sought further guidance from my brother last nite and he assures me its all good, given he worked in Exotic Aquatics in Belfast for a number of years, you can see why i would trust his advice. i doubt very much that he is "incorrect".

i've been polite because that appears to be the nature of this forum and I'm not about to come on here f'ing and blinding when its clearly not the norm here, there's a time and place for that, and there appear to be a number of younger members so it wouldnt be very appropriate of me. being admin on a car site i know what its like to dole out a slap to misbehving members, i've no desire to be on the receiving end of a moderator slap just because one or two folk disagree with the way i'm keeping my corys. opinions are like butts, everyone has one, no two are the same. no point falling out over it. the tank is running well in its current state and i will continue to keep the bettas in plain sight of one another and a cory in each cell. if it all goes a bit wrong, i give u all permission to say "i told u so", but i wouldnt be placing big money on that 

Phil.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I have no doubt the cories will live long and healthy lives. It's just the difference between keeping one tetra in each cell, for instance, or a school in the larger tank. It's not an opinion that cories prefer schools, as you no doubt know from your own experience - it's a fact. I doubt in clean, warm water that it will have a noticeable effect on their health - it's more that I think fish should be in the optimum conditions, with their needs put before the asthetic wishes of the keeper.  
I'm sorry if I come across as nagging. I really don't mean to. I just care a lot for these little fish and want them to be as happy as possible, no matter who owns them.

This said, I trust you when you say you will keep an eye on them and give them lots of care. You are clearly a very experienced fish keeper and I know that what I say will not change your mind. Thanks for listening to our differing opinions so graciously.


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

no problem.

i do appreciate the input and accept the points you're making. I got the corys to be workers, the aesthetic contributions of the tank come solely from the fighters, the tank was designed and built to make the bettas the showcase, problem is they can be messy little beggars and i need some cleaning doing, hence the corys. they are there to do a job.

anyways, to finally get back on topic, hopefully this weekend i will find a replacement for Leonard, the tank is down to only one CT now so it will be a CT i'll be looking for all being well.

if im sucessful i'll throw up a snap or two over the coming weekend. 

cheers all.

Phil.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Sorry there was uncomfort.. me and Pitluvs actually do get along, and there is respected mutual opinions, as well as respected difference of opinions. We just both can be hard headed, but we wouldn't of gotten to the point of mods needed. I don't want to lose my gripe buddy over something as silly as this  

Back on topic now: hope you find the perfect one for you, and yes, we want pictures!


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## Brian10962001 (Nov 1, 2011)

I had 3 Cory's in my 55 gallon years ago with an Oscar. Over the years two of them passed and one of them continued to work, I added a pleco after that and the rest is history. Within 2 years I had a pleco that was as large as my Oscar (same with the SINGLE GOLDFISH he refused to eat that was his tank mate). The strange thing about my cory was that they all stayed about 3in long where as a friend of mine with a 55 gallon cichlid tank got his nearly as big as my hand! This time around I chose an Otocinclus for tank cleaning duty ;-) Those Cory cats were fun to watch though, and as far as durability they're tough little things. I'll never own another pleco either, they outgrow whatever you have them in, and when they get massive it's hard to even give them away. My friend had an albino channel cat in his 55 gallon that actually killed itself warring with his pleco. I've seen so many tanks where everything is gone... except for the plecos. Sorry to thread jack like that but I thought the mood could use lightening :-D


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## Nanglebadger (Jan 26, 2011)

no apology required dude, i had actually considered otocinlus instead, i have 6 in my community tank, but thought the corys might be better for the bottom cleaning.

had a few problems with plecos eating my plants in the big tank, and man do they produce a HUGE amount of waste! they are disgusting! i put 12 ammano shrimp in to clean up after one Starlight Ancistris and they couldnt keep up! 

i did order a Gold Nugget pleco before i realised that was the problem with my plants so cancelled the order. also had a Queen Arabesque but removed it as it would have destroyed my RCS.

i do like cats, but for what im after from my big tank they would provide the polar opposite! dirt and no vegetation or shrimp lol!!!!

Phil.


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## Brian10962001 (Nov 1, 2011)

My cory's never disturbed anything, they were good for that. But Loafy the Oscar would occasionally DESTROY his tank, I'm talking flip the drift wood over, all plants floating, bash the light fixture sideways. He was a weird fish! I've considered getting Cory cats for the sorority as well. The Otos are more of an algae fish and the Cory's would be good for picking up the food that falls to the bottom, but for now I'm going to stick with what I have and see how it goes.


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