# My new beta and his tank partner.



## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I've been caring for various animals for years, and recently my dear boyfriend purchased a beta after a couple of months of having a fish for a brain. So when I was given a new tank to put my toad Gunter in... you can guess what happened. I've had Terrapin for only a few days now and I already love him to death. His and Gunter's tank is on a cart so I have it close to my turtle tank, which is on a stand, unless it's being cleaned. The little guy loves to flair at Ichigo (my turtle) and it's hilarious to watch them swim back and forth while staring at each other. My boyfriend mentioned posting here to find out what people think, and I figured I might as well.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

Wait, you have them in the SAME TANK? Not a good idea. The toad looks like it could really damage the Betta if it tried. Also, that rock and the shallow water give the Betta hardly any room to swim.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Please get the betta his own tank! Thats really unsafe for him! He could get seriously hurt! Not much swimming space either... I think your betta would like a tank to himself.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Gunter does not hunt fish, she is far too lazy for that. I've housed fish with my toads before, when I had more of them and they do not see anything swimming as a source of food. Also, they ARE in a twenty-five-to-thirty gallon tank, and it is a little over a quarter of the way full. Even with half of it as a land mass and the cup, which he hides out in, that still leaves at least three gallons of area and water for him. 

I do have a backup tank if it doesn't work out or if I see him paling at all, but I have housed fish with my aquatic and bi-aquatic animals before, this is just the first time I've done it with a beta.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

Not to mention that most amphibians release toxins from their skin which pollute the water. Also some prefer cooler water temperatures compared to the warm water that tropical fish need to thrive. 2 of the reasons I don't keep my bettas with my fire bellied newts.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I think you need to be banned.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Maybe not banned, but please Dino, put the betta in his own tank! We know what we're saying here :/


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Gunter is a Fowlers/American Toad mix, and I do know that she is poisonous, but as I said, I've housed fish with her and my other toads before and have had no issues. Also, she doesn't release toxins into the water, otherwise I would have never added fish in the first place. Do understand, I have a backup, but that is just that, a back up. I thought this through before I did it, it was NOT some random decision. I pride myself in the keeping of my pets, they are like my children and I do not do anything without full confidence that they will be ok with it. Gunter ignores Terrapin completely, and Terra' seems content with swimming in his half of the tank. In a few weeks I'll have a better filter that will hide under Gunter's landmass, in which case that will be gone and add even more room.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Why would I be banned? It's not harming him, otherwise I would have moved him already.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

im not normally one to judge .......... but that is one of the worse setups I have ever seen.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I'd also like to add that at a quick glance I've seen quite a few people with one gallon tanks and no one chewing them out. The water is approximately five inches high, and according to my volume, it's about three full gallons for his size only. I do partial water changes every other day, and will do full water changes every week, just as I do my turtle. Also, I have and use water conditioner in the water for him. It doesn't bother Gunter so I have no worries for her on that one.


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## Akzeal (Nov 26, 2010)

Depth-wise, she's got about the same depth as a typical rice-paddy, it looks like. About 15 cm/6 inches. Just from the pictures, I think her betta has two or three times his height in water, which is about as much as mine has. Three gallons swimming room is as much as a betta in a 3-way divided 10 gallon, too, so I'm really not seeing the problem.

As long as you keep a SHARP eye out for any signs of distress on Terra's part, and maybe change the water a little more frequently than normal, I think it's a cute set-up, and not a problem.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

"im not normally one to judge .......... but that is one of the worse setups I have ever seen."

And you say that because...?


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

DinobotLoki said:


> "im not normally one to judge .......... but that is one of the worse setups I have ever seen."
> 
> And you say that because...?


Umm because toads eat fish .............. and they do secrete toxins from their skin which Im sure would not be good for your little guy.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Really, I'd like to say that this is quite stupid. I posted to ask for how I could make the setup better, not to be hounded about hurting my fish, which it is not as far as I can tell. Suggestions about moving Gunter's landmass one way or another, or a way to put the filter so as to take up less room, that was what I was hoping for. Instead you attack me, assume that I don't give a rats behind about Terrapin and that I've not made sure that things are safe- even though I've made it clear that if I notice anything awry in the tank I have a back up one for my fish. I have more area for my fish then most people do, with a filter and heater keeping the water at a nice, even temperature. Also, as Akzeal said, it is about the same range of water height as his, and I will be looking out for any signs of distress or paling which is another thing I've mentioned two or three times now.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I'll say it again. Gunter will not eat him. Again. Gunter will not eat him because I've housed fish with her before and she has no interest in them. You are thinking of frogs, not toads such as the one I have. I also feed her outside of the tank in a carrier and as such she knows that food is not put in her enclosure.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

And again with the poison, I have checked the water and she doesn't secrete any unless threatened, which she is not.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

You asked for our opinions and your getting them.

I think what most are concerned about is the toad/fish mix, not the amount of water he is in.

If you think its working and you have both animals best interests in mind then good, keep going with it. I just dont believe in this sort of aquarium setup.

Also your toads may be very different to what we get in Australia. Over here we do our best to try and kill them all as they are a pest and take away the habitats of our beautiful native frogs.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

but, but.. you're making me secrete poison, I can't imagine the toad is far behind -kidding
the betta's clamped fins, spiny bent up ventrals and pale coloring show that he is really in poor health mentally and physically, the whole rice paddy myth being applied to domesticated bettas is WRONG..
there are articles on proper betta care all over this site look around
and you did get feedback, you just chose to get hostile and argue with it, so now you just appear unstable
I'm sure praying will help clear everything up


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

For bettas it's not just paleness you want to watch out for. When they're stressed they'll get stress stripes, which are horizontal stripes down the side of their bodies. Their 'chins' usually get pale too when they're striping up. They like hiding places and plants to make them feel secure.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

You guys really shouldn't be so quick to jump at a new user. Banned? Why? Not EVERYONE will do everything the same way as you, let's not be so dramatic...instead of jabbing at the new user, present facts and atake time to accept what s/he's saying. S/he does seem to care for her animals a lot, and all newbies to betta keeping make some mistakes! This sort of posting is not welcoming at all IMO.

That being said, the pictures are too big and don't load properly for me, so I can't say much except welcome to the forum.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

My toad IS a native to my area. She is a fowlers/american mix that I found half dead a few years ago when my neighbor tried killing off the group we had in the nearby park. Her poison has to be ingested, and she does not secrete it unless on her last line of defense.

Like I said, if I notice anything at all harming either of them I'm ready and willing to take care of it and separate them. But as it is the fish is doing fine, he has brightened considerably since I brought him home, is eating and is very active in his side of the tank. And Gunter just doesn't care, she's an old girl, one of my oldest. 

Also, sjones, I just got him three days ago, and as far as I've read it takes up to two -weeks- for a fish to relax. If you think that he is pale now, you should have seen him when I got him. He was grey and pink, and none of his beautiful blue was showing. I have looked around, and I see fish being housed in tanks whose size should be illegal, but then there are people like you who I'm assuming house them in larger tanks. So yeah, I think you misunderstand the fact that I am not angry here, I'm baffled. 

I have never once harmed any animal I've brought into my home, and this fish is not going to be the first. I look forward to having him around for the few years that beta are said to live.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thank you Jupiter. I appreciate that greatly. I'm not great with cutting picture size, so I do apologize for that. 

And thank you for the other ways to watch out for him vaygirl, I'll write them down and post it on my wall near the tanks and use it for his twice-daily check.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

Jupiter said:


> You guys really shouldn't be so quick to jump at a new user. Banned? Why? Not EVERYONE will do everything the same way as you, let's not be so dramatic...instead of jabbing at the new user, present facts and atake time to accept what s/he's saying. S/he does seem to care for her animals a lot, and all newbies to betta keeping make some mistakes! This sort of posting is not welcoming at all IMO.
> 
> That being said, the pictures are too big and don't load properly for me, so I can't say much except welcome to the forum.


But we can be judged? That's fine but IMO we are welcome post freely with our opinions, I am not a novice betta keeper and I learned pretty much everything from this site which I am thankful for, but I will not be "shushed" by a member who has more posts than me.
SO your sort of posting, is not welcome IMO.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Ok, a friend of mine made them smaller. Here we go.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I'm not attempting to shush you or show any authority over you, I'm just pointing out that a lot of the posters here could have been a lot more civil in replying, especially since s/he is NOT trolling or being rude. :/


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

That... did not work.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

The second picture did.

I reckon that maybe instead of the cup that you are using you could maybe get a log that he could swim all the way thru.

I know my fish love this sort of thing and its not so much a "dead end" but somewhere to explore.

They are inexpensive and available in nearly ever pet shop.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2758.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2760.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2761.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2762.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2763.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2764.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2765.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2766.jpg

Here, I hope this works better.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Ooh. That's a good idea. I have one like that for my turtle and know just where I can get another one a little smaller. With that I could probably take out part of Gunter's landmass and she can use it as well for sunning, then there will be more swimming area for Terra' and still plenty of land.


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## eclover09 (Oct 1, 2010)

Yeah I think people are being a bit..aggressive with there wording >< There are ways to tell people you disapprove while still sounding civil...

Personally, I never like mixing species and I wouldn't put a Betta with a toad nor any kind of fish or the like with one. BUT, I don't think anyone can outright judge unless they have bad personal experience doing this or proven facts, like a website or something somewhere that proves this is a very wrong set up. If the Betta dies well, then that is dino's responsibility and a lesson learned. And hopefully if the fish is truly stressed, she will remove it as she says. We can only take people's word.

So, its obvious dino wants to keep this set up and feels comfortable with it. There are people who keep male bettas in the same, large tank and say everything is alright with it. So since she seems quite firm in keeping this set up, instead of telling her it's wrong, wrong wrong, maybe some advice how to make the Betta more comfortable might help, since she has never had a Betta before with the toad in this way.

To me, it looks like there's enough water for the Betta and space. Many people on this forum say its fine to keep a Betta in one gallon as long as the water is kept clean and that is certainly more then one gallon space. I think though you might want to add more plants or hiding places for him. Maybe get some moss to carpet the floor? A place for him to relax in. 

Only problem I can see, is the toad moving in and out of the water a lot and disturbing the water, which would freak the Betta out since they don't like water movement, I know my Betta's stress stripe the moment I start moving them about. But since you say she's older, maybe she is not active enough to disturb the Betta frequently as a younger and more active toad might.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Those work. 

TBH I don't see what the fuss is about. The betta has room to move around, and there's a heater...I'd just get some plants and keep an eye on keeping the water nice and clean for him. CTs are a bit more sensitive to water conditions than other bettas. I think the log is a good idea too.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

Geez, guys. Put away your claws and try and speak rationally. 

That setup is not something I'd personally try myself, but if it's working out so far, it's working out so far. Just keep a close eye on them just in case something goes haywire. 

Welcome to the forum, by the way.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

DinobotLoki said:


> Ooh. That's a good idea. I have one like that for my turtle and know just where I can get another one a little smaller. With that I could probably take out part of Gunter's landmass and she can use it as well for sunning, then there will be more swimming area for Terra' and still plenty of land.


Yeah .... and hopefully that would give in a nice place to hide. I dont imagine he would use the cup much?

Another thing that might look really nice is a terracotta pot with a nice anubias plant on it. I used to have a log and my cories and bristlenose would sleep in there but then I decided on a pot and they love that too.

Anubias plants are super easy to look after and I think that they can live in and out of water. So it wouldnt matter then if some of the plant was above the water.

You can get all different size pots.

But a log may be more functional for your toad ....


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks. Yeah, I need to do that still. I've been searching for some hardy plants, and was debating getting an anubus or some other fern. Do underwater moss plants need extra lighting or anything? I know I have to get low-level plants and such, but I'm not sure if I'll need more lighting. 

And yeah, I can understand the concern for Gunter swimming and causing a water upheaval so I've been watching, but she seems more inclined to just sit in the 'puddle' that her land makes at the side, or float half in and half out about where she is in the picture. My poor old girl, lol she's so lazy, she loves sleeping in the dry moss at the top.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

If the pot was short enough that could work well I think. I have a few somewhere and will find and check out one. I think that with that it would look pretty. And I do know that I want to get a different filter. The one in my turtle tank is a decorative rock one that I could put the log and some of the rocks around it for Gunter and add in much more space in that way too. With the pot near where the filter is now then that would be nice for him to hide in I think.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Just make sure that the filter isn't too strong. Betta prefer still water and have a hard to swimming against currents because of their long fins.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Ok, I'll check and see how strong it is in the turtle tank when I feed them tonight. Her's is a larger one, so I'll have to take that into account too. One thing I did notice is that the current from the filter in the fish/toad tank was quite strong so I had placed the rocks and original betta cup against it to pull back the suction as much as possible. He seems to like hanging around it now though.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Alright, here's a small update. I went and checked on them, because I'm paranoid as all heck. I originally panicked because I could see Terrapin anywhere and had the immediate thought that he was hiding in the cup, but when I found he wasn't there I was going to admit that you all were right and I was wrong... 

And then the little brat peaked out from under the moss of Gunter's rocks and I realized that the little crevice that I thought would be safe with moss(fake) hanging over it to deter him. Instead he seems quite cozy in there. I'm afraid of it collapsing and hurting him though, so I'll still work on finding better plants/hiding places and fix that spot as soon as possible.


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

Unfortunately, if your betta has found a spot he likes like that, he'll do just about anything to get back in it. Might want to consider rearranging something or blocking ALL gaps to the side because if your toad is moving around and one of the rocks slips your betta could get stuck or crushed. I mean blocked off really well. Bettas are so good at wiggling their ways into places they shouldn't be.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Alright, I'll check and see how sound it is when I go back. If it's near where I used the bigger rocks and there is no danger I'll leave him until I get better hiding spots. Otherwise I'll use some more smaller rocks to plug up the entire hole and any others I can find.


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

Sounds like a plan. BTW, welcome to the forum.
And just some advice, when you post pictures it's best to hit 'enter' between each picture that way it doesn't stretch out the board.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Aye aye. *salutes* I'll remember that, since I want to take more when I fix up the tank better. Thanks for the welcome, all of you that did. ^^ I do think I'm going to enjoy it here.


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

Akzeal said:


> Depth-wise, she's got about the same depth as a typical rice-paddy, it looks like. About 15 cm/6 inches. Just from the pictures, I think her betta has two or three times his height in water, which is about as much as mine has. Three gallons swimming room is as much as a betta in a 3-way divided 10 gallon, too, so I'm really not seeing the problem.
> 
> As long as you keep a SHARP eye out for any signs of distress on Terra's part, and maybe change the water a little more frequently than normal, I think it's a cute set-up, and not a problem.


I agree fully! 

I don't think we are giving Dino enough credit here... 

Betta's are hardy for a reason, not saying to push them to their limits but I think this set-up is safe. 

And I'm the OCD cleaner and yet I approve this set up hahaha.

To add to this... 
I think we'll all be eating our words if suddenly her betta ends up living way longer than many of ours. 

It's an experiment... I think we should all put on our lab coats and observe updates rather than destroy an interesting idea.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Ooh. Does that mean I get to play as Dr. Horrible? Though in all seriousness I do love the way you thought of that. When I was told I should post pictures I had expected that more people would have already done duel tanks before. Shows how much I know really. lol I really doubt that Terra' will live longer then any of yours here since he's my first betta, but I hope he lives a long life. I already have a friend fighting over his being her godchild should I kick the bucket anytime soon. Apparently, out of all of the pets/children I have, she thinks the fish is the cutest.


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

Depends... do you have a Freeze Ray and catchy tunes?


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I bet I could make the freeze ray, dunno about the catchy tunes, though my off key singing could maybe freeze people up like a two for one deal. They'd be holding their ears and unable to stop me bwahahaha! *coughs and gives innocent look* I'd have to find a Captain Hammer though, that might be a little difficult.


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## nosada (Dec 9, 2010)

well that doesnt look good, have you left the water overnight ? im unsure if its clean enough with all those rocks


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Nothing intrigues a betta more then cubbies and hidey holes. They LOVE them. They're very curious little guys. This gets them into a lot of trouble. You could make him some that you're not worried about and that might keep him busy. They're predators so I think they think they're hunting.

For moss, you could consider a couple marimo balls. I don't think they have a lot of light requirement. Anubias are great, hardy plants for sure. Java fern is another good choice. They're both very low maintenance.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I know it doesn't look very clean on camera, but it actually is. I scrubbed the rocks and all of the gravel before I put it in. The yellow-green tint is from the lighting and the position of the tank, and I check every day to make sure that a cup of water comes out clear. It's been running with the filter for four days now, and I've been cycling it during that time. Also, the sandy looking silt at the bottom is from my moss, and I'm going to purchase an eye dropper and turkey baster to clean that as soon as I can. That and I will be doing a fifty percent water change tonight, with a ninety percent change in a few more days.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

DinobotLoki said:


> I know it doesn't look very clean on camera, but it actually is. I scrubbed the rocks and all of the gravel before I put it in. The yellow-green tint is from the lighting and the position of the tank, and I check every day to make sure that a cup of water comes out clear. It's been running with the filter for four days now, and I've been cycling it during that time. Also, the sandy looking silt at the bottom is from my moss, and I'm going to purchase an eye dropper and turkey baster to clean that as soon as I can. That and I will be doing a fifty percent water change tonight, with a ninety percent change in a few more days.


Are you still cycling your tank??????? 

A spike will cause stress on your betta and can lead to fin rot. Are you testing your water everyday for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

Are you adding sechem stabilty or something similar to every water change?


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I'm adding water conditioner every time, if that's what you mean. I haven't been checking the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate every day yet, but I'm going to get a kit to do so when I go out to get my pet supplies. I was told that as long I did regular water changes and kept a watch for any signs of distress on the fish's part that it would be ok to cycle the tank while the fish was inside, I just had to be very careful about it.


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

Pet shops will tell you anything.
Your fishie kinda doesnt look 100% so I would be surprised if you had ammonia. If you do you will have to do daily water changes to bring it down a little.

No sechem stability or sera bio nitrivec breaks down ammonia or nitrite due to the bacteria it contains. It can also speed up the cycling process.

My tank is mature, and I still add stability when doing a large water change or adding new fish. It just keeps healthy bacteria in your tank.

This will tell you abit more about cycling a tank

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fishless.php


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## Biomess (Jan 1, 2011)

If I was this poster, I would have been just as defensive. It seems Dinobot came to us for advise and feedback, and immediately had some very gruff comments. Please share your comments and concerns, but in a civil and suggesting manner and not a condemning one.
There are many other betta owners who house their fish in the smallest of tanks/bowls or you can check youtube and see them housed with very aggressive fish if you like. This setup, may not be ideal to you, but it is way better than many. 
My concern would be that Gunter would pollute (with digestive waste) the water more so than the average fish tankmate, so I would suggest a more frequent water change schedule. And to give Terrapin a hiding place like the log tunnel another poster suggested, I added a couple of spiral looking marbles in my betta homes to give them something different to look at, it's so cute to see them swim slowly around it while staring into them.


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## Akzeal (Nov 26, 2010)

meeka said:


> Pet shops will tell you anything.
> Your fishie kinda doesnt look 100% so I would be surprised if you had ammonia. If you do you will have to do daily water changes to bring it down a little.
> 
> No sechem stability or sera bio nitrivec breaks down ammonia or nitrite due to the bacteria it contains. It can also speed up the cycling process.
> ...



She _is_ doing water changes, every other day, which she said on the second page. For 3 gallons, partial water changes every other day should be fine, no? I remember... OldFishLady? Or 1Fish2Fish, mention that in anything less than 3 gallons, it took at least a couple days for the ammonia to build up. I also remember them both saying not to bother adding stuff to 'jump start' the cycle, unless it's media from a mature tank.

Also, if I understand right, she said she's only had him a few days. He's probably still recovering from the store...


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Dinobot, I cycled my first tank with fish in it. Yes, you will need to do regular (small) waterchanges...usually daily, or even twice daily. You'll be okay just as long as you keep a careful eye on your betta. Test kits are a little expensive, but they're very helpful when it comes to reading the water parameters-it'll let you know if your ammonia or nitrite levels are too high.


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

Welcome to the forum (; I think you got the reaction you did because literally no one on here has ever tried to house bettas with amphibians before. It's out of our realm, and thus scary. To me, this is intriguing. Maybe in the future you could try going all out with this. Maybe a 15-20 gallon tank that's split as almost an ecosystem of sorts... one part with a land side, the other with a water side. It could end up being quite beautiful indeed. Trying to make both sides as natural as possible. I don't see why it couldn't work. Heck, it could be fun!


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

For water changes every day how much should I change out? Or rather, how small are we talking? I could do a twenty-five percent change every day and then fifty every couple days, or something along those lines? Also, the person I talked to wasn't anyone from the pet store. It was someone who has a beta. At the pet store I go to for basic supplies I never ask them anything, not when I know more then most of the employees. If I have questions about caring for anything I take a trip out to Two Turtles, which is a specialist shop. I'll definitely get the kit too, even if it means I have to wait a little extra time on the plants and little extras.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Hey, I love that idea. They are housed in a twenty-five gallon right now, but I would absolutely love to get something bigger and go for that. I've always loved natural looking setups, partially why I used rocks instead of plastic, and that does give me some ideas. It looks like I'm going to need to start saving up for a nice sixty tank and all the fixings lol.


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

Wow, it's that big? I'll be honest, I thought it was a 10 gallon. It's nice to know I was wrong there  Makes things seem much better, really. So... how freaking big is that toad? LOL
Go for it  I'm sure your betta and toad wouldn't mind a larger tank at all, lol. The only thing I can think of is the bigger you get, though, you'll need more plants to make sure neither get stressed.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

When I take my next pictures I'll measure her, but for approximations I'd say she's three or four inches long. She enjoys stretching out across my hand and her legs spill over each side so yeah lol. More plants, sweet. I was having too much fun looking at them earlier today.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

I'm SO glad people have been sticking up for you. I guess its the risk you take in a forum of anons, you're likely to get some nasty and over zealous remarks, unfortunately. I hope things work out well for you and stuff, maybe things will work out fantastic. I know you'll do your best, you seem to truly care!  I don't know if your nook and crannies issues has been fixed, but I had that issue for a bit and bought some cheap silk/soft plastic mini plants and stuck them in there so he couldn't wiggle in when I didn't want him to.
Good luck, and welcome! Don't mind some of the crabs on the site, btw, lots of us are really nice ;p


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

OH, forgot to mention... If you need to block up the holes pantyhose works great, LOL. Cheap and easy.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Lol thanks guys. ^^ Hey, live and let live, right? I'm not going to let one bad experience ruin things for me, I'm too stubborn for that. I really am grateful for the people that didn't immediately think I was having it out to kill my new kiddo, if I hadn't known how Gunter is I'd never have tried it in the first place for the same reasons that they were freaking out over. But yeah, I fixed it so that it's stable and made a little crevice for him to hide in until I get the log and plants. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts when I add them, and I really hope he likes them.


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

... Completely off topic but I love your avatar.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I have a feeling you and I are going to be the best of friends... ^^;


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

LOL
Question though... why is he so short?? XD He's midget size. It's just awkward lol.
Alright! Enough off-topic on my end :3


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Aww, but I love being off topic! ^^ Seriously though, I have no clue. I'm going to hope that you know who is holding the guns on him, if not then you need to watch The Boondock Saints


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## SimplyPeaChe (Dec 28, 2010)

honestly...its her choice. If the toad isnt hurting the fish...and the fish is healthy, then there is no reason for anyone to tear her down.


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

... I need to watch the Boondock Saints, LOL. I'll put that on weekend to-do list


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

...I totally just noticed that avatar..... *YES. *New best friend. lol


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Woohoo! *is ridiculous*


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Gotta agree, the avatar makes me laugh. :lol:


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Now that everyone is DONE arguing, I'd like to welcome DinobotLoki to the forum. DinobotLoki, you said you've housed fish with your toad before and had no problem and you said you'd keep a close eye on things. That's good enough for me.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

What an interesting setup...I have never kept toads or frogs...but I would think it would be a bit like keeping ADF and Bettas together and this is done all the time...you got a good plan and staying on top of things...so I say go for it and nice looking Betta by the way and toad for that matter.....welcome to the forum.....


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks again everyone. ^^ I did move things around so that he has much more room, and got him a little decoration to hide in until I can purchase some plants and moss. I also got a test kit and from what I can tell the Nitrate levels are low, though I'm wondering about the Nitrite levels because they are a little higher then I'd like. It's been a long time since I've cycled a tank that's relatively small, I've had my turtle tank cycled for a few years now and I'd add some of that medium but I don't think that my turtle conditioner would be safe for Terra.' Does anyone have any suggestions on that?


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

(I'm totally not creepin' on ya, just bored. lol)
As long as the conditioner takes out the heavy metals and chlorine that makes the water toxic, it should be fine.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Hey, creep away. XD It's also got agents to degrade turtle food, so I guess that's the part I'm worried about. Though, if I find that it's safe then I'll not have to by fish conditioner anymore and that would save me quite a bit, since a single bottle of BioTize for amphibians has lasted me a year, but my bottle of fish conditioner is already half gone.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

I don't know if it helps but I use the same conditioner for my fish and the newts. Neither of which are dead.  ... I use AquaSafe Plus. It seems to do it's job. 

and in the turtle conditioner, I bet they put enzymes in it to break down the food, which shouldn't be all that harmful. do you feed your turtle pellets, or something else?


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I feed her pellets regularly, but every other day I go in and use a spoon to pick up anything uneaten. And she gets crickets or whatever happens to be the uneaten crickets and meal worms from Gunter, so there is that.


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## dragonfair (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome to the forum, Dinobot! I love the name you picked for your little fishie. How is his color perking up? Can't wait to see some more pics when you get it all set up how you want it!


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks! Lol, I figured that since he was going to be housed with a terrapin... it just fit. XD I'll take some more pictures after my next water change, which will be shortly. I moved some things and though I don't have plants yet I kinda like the set up insofar. His color is doing nicely I think, it's gotten darker since I moved things so I'm very happy with that.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Picture time. ^^; 

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2791.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2788.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2801.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2808.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g36/Lav1980/BetaForum/DSCF2818.jpg


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## fflores (Dec 9, 2010)

welcome dino


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Update. I guess the 'experiment' is over. I woke up this morning to find that Gunter had died in her sleep during the night. She was old, well over the max age for her species and had been slowing for the last few weeks. It was one of the reasons why I moved her into a different tank and got Terrapin, and I am happy to say that in her last days she was content. Terra' liked sleeping under her while she soaked and she liked having company. So, that being said I want to thank those who supported my two and welcomed me. Thanks.


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## Kestrel (Jan 17, 2011)

Awww, I'm so sorry to hear that. :< She sure was cute, and I was all ready to give cool suggestions for the half water half land tank. 

So what are your plans now then? A community tank, a new toad? That large tank has a lot of nice potential, I'm glad you gave a full shot of it in your second update.


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## Duncan13 (Nov 7, 2010)

Aww, I'm sorry, she was a cute lil toad.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks. And yeah, she was cute lol she was one of my oldest babes. I haven't given much thought to what I want to do next, but a few people have suggested trying again with a younger animal. So any suggestions you have or any ideas let me know. I won't be doing anything too soon, but I'm happy to play mad scientist again at some point.


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## Kestrel (Jan 17, 2011)

I don't really know enough about other aquatic animals to suggest one, but I think it would be neat if there were any salamanders or turtles that would get along with fish to do a half and half aquarium. I have seen people house turtles with platys or mollies or something, but I don't know how safe it really is.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

I do have a turtle, and she's fine with fish... mostly. When I put feeder fish in her tank a couple years back she liked playing with them and nipping at their tails, but she refused to actually eat them. So I took the poor things out and gave them away. I kind of still want the same set up, half land, half water, but if I do do that I would like to get a bigger tank and set it up properly/cycle it, and plant it before introducing the animals, if that is what I end up going for.


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## Duncan13 (Nov 7, 2010)

I really like pacman frogs, they are nice pets. The thing is, you won't be able to keep anything with a frog like that. They have huge mouths and love to eat. But I think they are very pretty frogs.


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## Kestrel (Jan 17, 2011)

Well you wouldn't want a turtle nipping off a betta's fins. Although with a little research it sounds like you could easily house a group of Fire bellied newts with Terra once you modify and plant it. It doesn't sound like they eat fish or are aggressive. I guess Fire bellied toads also do alright with fish, although people did talk about them being toxic someone I saw kept guppies with them for a year, so I guess it works. I'll let you do some more searching on that if it interests you.


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## Duncan13 (Nov 7, 2010)

2 years ago I had fire bellied newts with neon tetras in a nice 50% water 50% land tank. The next morning the newts were munching on the tetras! So I would personally say no to that idea, although some newts may not crave fish as much as others lol.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Sorry to hear about Gunter. She was really cute. But it looks like she had a very good life with you.


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks guys, really. Um, yeah. Pacman Frogs are awesome... but they eat everything in site, including other frogs. A friend of mine suggested to see about tree frogs or some other frog that would enjoy being high up, but I'll have to check and see about the feeding habits of those, and how big they get. As for firebellied newts/toads, the newts will eat the fish for sure as Duncan said, and the toads are poisonous to touch so I'm not sure about that, though that would be cute lol.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

You could get some dwarf frogs. They're really sweet, and they won't bother your betta.  

Only problem is, poor dears are dumb as rocks. :/


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## DinobotLoki (Jan 12, 2011)

That thought crossed my mind too, the dwarf frogs. But I was thinking about trying something more along the lines of what I had before. I dunno, maybe I should just switch Terra' into the smaller 10gal tank I had for him if it didn't work out and retry a duel tank later with something simple, like feeder fish to start with.


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## kfish (Oct 5, 2010)

CodeRed said:


> LOL
> Question though... why is he so short?? XD He's midget size. It's just awkward lol.
> Alright! Enough off-topic on my end :3


OFF TOPIC, but he's midget-sized because he's supposed to be on his knees! It'd be pretty hard to shoot someone like that at their full height!

WATCH THE BOONDOCK SAINTS! XD (one of my favorite movies, by the way)

I'm sorry about your toad  I thought it was a really cute setup. Actually, it's kind of funny that I just found this thread because when I was at Petco this weekend I was wondering what it would be like to put a frog in with my betta.


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