Flounder is currently in a 20gal tall tank. I recently picked up a new 13.3gal shallow tank that has the same footprint as the 20 tall but is shorter. I bought the new tank to upgrade my 10gal nano community tank, but I’m wondering if I should replace Flounder’s tank instead? I notice sometimes takes breaks on his way up to the surface and I wonder if that’s because he’s getting tired. Might he benefit from a shorter tank, despite the reduced water volume?
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Posted by missionmorgan
3 Comments
In your case, and especially as he gets up in age, downsizing somewhat to at least a shallower tank might be helpful for the betta if it is struggling to get around in the 20g, but if you can, at least keep the water volume at minimum 5-10g. You can also just offer him a lot more resting spots closer to the water surface so he can rest when he needs to. He’s dragging around a lot of extra fin/tail and ofc that can get tiring… (it’s probably equivalent of us swimming with billowing fabrics tied to our arms and legs).
Hey! Betta twins! My long-finned moldy bread is also looking at a potential change in tank size. He’s currently in a 5.5 and I’m about to move him up to a 10. I’ll tell you, those long heavy fins definitely make the trek to the surface harder. Mines missing an eye, so that’s partially why he’s in a smaller set up. A 13.3 should still be plenty of space, and should make his commute easier! Maybe you can turn your nano into an extensive nano ecosystem?
His fins do seem heavy. If the tank has the same footprint I’d probably do the swap to give him a shorter distance to the surface.