Unbreakable fish tank?

[LightBright]

Looking for people who know about pet fish care!

We got a baby Siamese fighting fish very recently. He’s very friendly and social so we keep him in our living room during the day. We feel that we have to move the tank into a darker room, earlier than when we turn off the living room lights, so he gets adequate quiet and darkness. We carry the glass tank from room to room.

It scares me to carry this glass 2.5 gallon tank, for multiple reasons. In fact I want to stop doing this.

Does anyone have ideas on what to do? Can fish be covered at night? Should we just keep him in the private room? Should we get a plastic tank (what kind?) that can be carried safely and that is safe chemically for the fish? TIA

 

[Karl_K]

hmmm... just give it a place to hide out of the light if it wants to.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fish+tank+house

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

Well lucky for you, I am an avid fishkeeper!

Don’t move the tank. It puts undue stress on the tank itself and also on the fish; they’re very sensitive creatures. Let him be, unless you’re up until midnight and awake at 6 am every day, they will be fine. Believe me, being in a stable environment is much, MUCH better than making sure they have enough sleep. If you really want to, you can totally cover the tank. But the tank itself should stay in one place unless it is an emergency or it’s being dismantled.

Also, as general recommendation, betta tank sizes are 5 gallons minimum for a longfin betta, and 10 gallons for a shortfin (due to their less heavy fins, and therefore more activity.) Just something to chew on if you’re ever in the area for an upgrade!

 

[LightBright]

hmmm... just give it a place to hide out of the light if it wants to.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fish+tank+house

Great idea! I’ll get him a hiding place that can be really dark. He currently has a few plants and likes a certain water plant that resembles a big green pompon or sea anemone. He swims into it and hides in the leaves at times. But if we come to the tank he wiggles out from the plant to see us and begs to be fed.

Well lucky for you, I am an avid fishkeeper!

Don’t move the tank. It puts undue stress on the tank itself and also on the fish; they’re very sensitive creatures. Let him be, unless you’re up until midnight and awake at 6 am every day, they will be fine. Believe me, being in a stable environment is much, MUCH better than making sure they have enough sleep. If you really want to, you can totally cover the tank. But the tank itself should stay in one place unless it is an emergency or it’s being dismantled.

Also, as general recommendation, betta tank sizes are 5 gallons minimum for a longfin betta, and 10 gallons for a shortfin (due to their less heavy fins, and therefore more activity.) Just something to chew on if you’re ever in the area for an upgrade!

Thank you for this info! I’m not sure what kind he is, I’ll look it up. We got him tiny. He was very skinny and didn’t eat much at first but now he’s hungry all the time (getting bigger) and instead of spitting out his food he gobbles it up. I think a five gallon is what we will graduate to when he’s full size. He likes to swim up and down and explore.

Do you know a good brand of tank, that’s study and unbreakable? Is a plastic tank not appropriate (chemically harmful)? I’m assuming only glass.

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

Do you know a good brand of tank, that’s study and unbreakable? Is a plastic tank not appropriate (chemically harmful)? I’m assuming only glass.

Actually, it’s not uncommon for people to use stock tanks as breeding bins, although they are not as attractive as a glass tank, for sure.

 

[kenny]

I you do decide to get another tank, here's a tidbit ...
People keep pet fish because they enjoy looking at them.
It's relaxing and interesting.

That's why taller tanks sell better than shorter ones holding the same number of gallons.
These so called show tanks show the fish better.

But, all other things being equal, show tanks are worse for the fish.
Like us, fish need oxygen, in this case oxygen dissolved in water.
Oxygen only gets into water where it contacts air at the surface, or from rising bubbles from an air-stone or filter.
For a given number of gallons, the greater the tank's surface area, the more oxygen gets in, keeping fish healthier.

Breeders and well-informed novices, who prioritize fish health, consider picking a tank with the largest surface area at the top for the fish, not the front for viewing.

But then, Bettas don't need as much surface area as other fish do, as explained in this snip from Wikipedia:

Bettas are exceptionally tolerant of low oxygen levels and poor water quality, owing to their special labyrinth organ, a characteristic unique to the suborder Anabantoidei that allows for the intake of surface air.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish#cite_note-11"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a>

Carrying a full tank, even half filled with water, is dangerous.
A gallon of water is about 8 pounds, so a 5 gallon tank is 40 pounds.
Shifting all the weight, when carrying, puts stress on all the seals that they were not designed to handle, possibly resulting in leaks.
When a full tank is moved the water sloshes around and is hard to control.

Worse case: Water spills over, wetting hands, floor and shoes, so you to slip and fall, breaking the glass, severing arteries in your foot/leg, neck? ... If you don't bleed to death, you get out of the hospital you have to pay a zillion dollars to replace your flooded hard wood floor and rugs/carpeting.

Nuff said. You get the idea.

 

[winnietucker]

I’ve kept betta off and on for years. Lovely little fish! So much personality in such tiny bodies.

Anyway, petco does a $1/ gallon sale (at least they did while I was living on the continental US.
I don’t think they ever did it where I live now). That would probably be a great time to get a new tank. I personally like to keep them in 20 gallon long planted aquariums.

 

[kenny]

I’ve kept betta off and on for years. Lovely little fish! So much personality in such tiny bodies.

Anyway, petco does a $1/ gallon sale (at least they did while I was living on the continental US.
I don’t think they ever did it where I live now). That would probably be a great time to get a new tank. I personally like to keep them in 20 gallon long planted aquariums.

Great point.
That's where and when I got all my tanks ... but you gotta wait for the sale.
One time I needed a tank immediately, but it wasn't tank-sale time.

I didn't need to put on my Karen Suit because my name is Ken, so I asked to speak to the manager, of course with sweet Bibi on my shoulder.
I told her my tank just broke while cleaning it and all my fish are in a bucket with an air stone, so I need a new tank now. (All true).

She gave me the $1-per-gallon price.
Tell 'em Bibi sent ya.

 

[Bron357]

I had a cute wee fighting fish but there was an incident. Sad face.
So I just stick with my Lalique fish with gems as gravel.

 

[kenny]

@Bron357
Aww, your Betta is beautiful!

I don't have a tank running now.
But maybe next time, I'll "do" Bettas.
Less work, and potentially a fascinating friend.

Of course, I'll do whatever best accommodates each, male and a female.
I'd love to witness their fascinating bubble nest process, including the male 'squeezing" out her eggs by wrapping his body around hers.

That's so romantical!

Maybe I'll pull out my fancy-schmancy camera gear to do macro pics and videos.

BTW, we gay men don't " get or have" things ... we "do" things. HAHAHA!

Oh, is that Lalique Betta collection yours?
If not, where do I have to fly to see it, Paris?
Not that I could fly anywhere anymore, even in the US; I don't have and won't do that "Real ID" thing ... especial not for those 2 precious sweethearts currently in the capitol.

 

[LightBright]

I you do decide to get another tank, here's a tidbit ...
People keep pet fish because they enjoy looking at them.
It's relaxing and interesting.

That's why taller tanks sell better than shorter ones holding the same number of gallons.
These so called show tanks show the fish better.

But, all other things being equal, show tanks are worse for the fish.
Like us, fish need oxygen, in this case oxygen dissolved in water.
Oxygen only gets into water where it contacts air at the surface, or from rising bubbles from an air-stone or filter.
For a given number of gallons, the greater the tank's surface area, the more oxygen gets in, keeping fish healthier.

Breeders and well-informed novices, who prioritize fish health, consider picking a tank with the largest surface area at the top for the fish, not the front for viewing.

But then, Bettas don't need as much surface area as other fish do, as explained in this snip from Wikipedia:

Bettas are exceptionally tolerant of low oxygen levels and poor water quality, owing to their special labyrinth organ, a characteristic unique to the suborder Anabantoidei that allows for the intake of surface air.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish#cite_note-11"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a>

Carrying a full tank, even half filled with water, is dangerous.
A gallon of water is about 8 pounds, so a 5 gallon tank is 40 pounds.
Shifting all the weight, when carrying, puts stress on all the seals that they were not designed to handle, possibly resulting in leaks.
When a full tank is moved the water sloshes around and is hard to control.

Worse case: Water spills over, wetting hands, floor and shoes, so you to slip and fall, breaking the glass, severing arteries in your foot/leg, neck? ... If you don't bleed to death, you get out of the hospital you have to pay a zillion dollars to replace your flooded hard wood floor and rugs/carpeting.

Nuff said. You get the idea.

This is great info, thanks. We suspect the fish enjoys the surface because he’s created a nest in “the plant Pom Pom”. Not under it, where he could find a hollow cave, but nestling on top of it, at the surface of the water (with his dorsal fin almost breaking the surface) embraced by a little tangle of stringy leaves. But he rushes out to see us if we are around.

I told my daughter to pick the fish with the best personality, not the best colors, so she picked a silver and black fish with a very slight tip of rust red on the bottom fin. I’m pretty sure he’s a short fin, because he has a short but spiky tail that he flares and shows off when he sees us, but nothing flowing.

I’ll look into tanks with larger surface areas.

RE CARRYING - This is my exact concern. I am stopping the practice of carrying as of today. Gah! I’m a very safety-conscious person and everything you describe is very possible. The current situation just screams DANGER, I will stop.

 

[LightBright]

I had a cute wee fighting fish but there was an incident. Sad face.
So I just stick with my Lalique fish with gems as gravel.

I’m sorry about the incident with your beautiful beta. Your Lalique fish are also beautiful.

 

[LightBright]

I’ve kept betta off and on for years. Lovely little fish! So much personality in such tiny bodies.

Anyway, petco does a $1/ gallon sale (at least they did while I was living on the continental US.
I don’t think they ever did it where I live now). That would probably be a great time to get a new tank. I personally like to keep them in 20 gallon long planted aquariums.

I’m surprised at how much personality this little fish has! Needless to say, my daughter’s promise to take care of him didn’t last five minutes, now he’s my fish. Haha.

 

[kenny]

I’m surprised at how much personality this little fish has! ...

I can't count how many times DH & I have said that about our little parrot, Bibi.