Our betta, Mugen, was an impromptu early Christmas present from my husband because he knows I miss having fish tanks. He’s never had fish before so he let me drag him around petsmart and we got a 36 gal bow front with fluval stratum and lots of plants for him! He’s colored up a lot since we got him, and he is a giant pig and who’ll take food from our fingers, but my husband is worried because he swims back and forth in the back for most of the day. He does stop and swim through driftwood, etc. but spends most of his day back there. He also seeks to enjoy swimming right into the currents from the HOB and sponge filter (overall flow is low and he has plenty of places to rest if he wants!). Tank parameters are good and we’ve just added some Amano shrimp, nerite snails, and neocardinia and he could care less about any of them and everyone seems pleased with the tank haha. They’ll stare at each other if he runs into them, and then everyone will go on their way. Tank is still a bit cloudy from the stratum settling because we keep shoving plants in there, but I just added some purigen to the filter so hoping it will clear up tonight 🤞 I do also plan to get backing for the tank in case he can see his reflection!
https://v.redd.it/lmd4zdmrofag1
Posted by AbraKadabraAlakazam2
7 Comments
Baffle the flow. It can like it in small doses but he will get stressed and it can lower his immune system. They like still water so…I mean…if the plants are being shoved around in the water then it’s too strong for a betta long term. He is a gorgeous boy tho! Dragonscale betta’s are so pretty.
Seems happy and super active! Never had this short fin type so can’t speak for their swimming habits.
Shut up. My betta is Samurai Mugen too!
Floaters should help out. For that size of a tank frog bit would be perfect.
I have 5 plakat tail types and they love to move around and explore constantly. The only suggestion i would have would to get some frostbite floating plants. They help with your tank health and bettas love to rest at the top in them.
You can add some tall plants if you like, to give him more cover. Or water lettuce. The roots grow really long and they look beautiful. Also, yes, he’s probably extremely happy in his mansion! He’s super pretty 🖤
Nerites can starve to death really easily in a young tank and if you’ve used stratum do you know your pH/gH/KH? It often cuts into KH which then also lowers pH and the inverts have minimum requirements for all those parameters. Nerites for example do best in a pH at 8 or very close to it. Our pH naturally dips at night as well.
Purigen won’t clear up cloudiness from substrate disturbance, floss can perhaps help. I’m assuming your tank was cycled first- it looks like a bacteria bloom especially in the light. Just a heads up.