# siamese fighter?



## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

What is the best way to keep a single siamese fighter in a tank on its own?? What size? Amazing fish and have always kept these but had no success when in community tank even with multiple females and blood worm what is the best way. I thought a kept in a tank on its own?? small table top tank with built in light ect... Ideas please


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## Snailgirl (Sep 29, 2008)

I'd recommend a 5 Gal+ tank, heated and filtered with a filter without too much flow so he can build a nice bubble nest. Make sure the filter media is well matured. They prefer heavily planted tanks as they're more like their natural environment and give them somewhere nice to sleep.


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## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

*re siamese*

could I put 1 in the new acrylic ornimental tanks made by bio orb they are square with rounded corners have internal filter and LED lights bout 200 quid u get them from pets at home????


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

BiOrb Life tanks are naff, they are really hard to look after long term and are so prone to problems. Not to mention, not enough surface area for siamese fighters and the bubbles just make them miserable.


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

The bigger the better... I would go at least 30l. Low output on the filter to keep the water current low. Water slightly warmer- I've had them at 29oC in with discus, but aim for at least 26oC. Lots of large leaved plants for them to rest on. Floating plants also help. Almond leaves/bogwood to soften the water. 

Good mixed diet... live, frozen and flake rotated all work well.

If the tank is big enough, you might look at adding other tankmates. My first choice would be smething like otos/dwarf corys, or if your betta is pretty chilled, you could look at adding inverts such as shrimp.


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

Betta are my passion! I have 5 males and 4 females atm myself. Crowntail, deltatail, superdelta, halfmoon and veil tail. I keep mine in tanks ranging from 17 - 30 litres, with the girls in a community tank. I know someone who keeps a betta in a Biorb Life tank (the squareish one), but the round biorbs aren't as good for them I'm told, although I've never tried myself, mine are all in normal square tanks. I have other round biorbs with different fish in, but the maintenence can be a pain. They're lovely tanks if you look after them well, but looking after them well is hassle. Same with the life tank. Biorb's instructions are rubbish! Add chemicals and add goldfish :-O No. Just No. If you want a life tank, you'd have to change the ceramic media to rounded gravel and ditch the carbon and zeolite in the filter. As well as find some fake plants soft enough for a betta, and some bogwood that acutally fits through the hole (harder than it sounds!) A fluval edge is an awsome looking tank for a fighter, but you can't fill it to the top like it's supposed to be used, Fighters are anabantids so they need plenty of air space at the surface to keep popping to the top to breathe. If you do go for one, be prepared for the top glass to totally mist up since it's underfilled. A Fluval Chi might be an option though, google them, they're really nifty tanks and there's a 25L version. Or a nice 35L arcadia arc tank? They have decent lighting for real plants.
One thing I will say is avoid any sharp objects of any sort. They will tear their tails on anything given half the chance, which leaves them vulnerable to finrot. Real plants and a sand substrate are your best bet. (amazon sword and vallis grow well for me, even with crap light, but nothing will grow in my biorbs no matter what I do!!) If you're keeping a single fish, a nerite snail makes a good tankmate, but be prepared to scrape snail eggs off everything! As for water conditions, betta are from blackwater environments so the ideal pH is 6.5. Totally impossible in london unless you use RO water (which I now do) The most important thing is a stable pH though, fluctuating pH causes more trouble than the wrong pH generally. Defo agree, get hold of some Indian Almond leaves and always leave a half or 1/4 of one in the tank, they have too many benefits for betta for me to list! But one is helping with pH. I change mine every two weeks or so. Bogwood is defo good too, it leaches tannins replicating blackwater and helps with the pH in the same way as the leaves, but without the antibacterial properties of the leaves. (Remember to ditch the activated carbon as it takes out all the good stuff almond leaves or bogwood put in) As for feeding, I give my little guys hikari betta bio gold, most of them have two-three pellets a day, but I have a very big fish who gets 4-5. Once a week I give them bloodworms, about 5 worms each and the following day I don't feed at all. Once a month I also give them a bit of pea each. One pea does all five boys. Microwave it then shell it and feed it once its cooled. It helps with the digestive system since betta can be prone to constipation. I keep mine at 26 degrees. A lot of places I found when I first got betta recommended around 24-28 degrees, so I just went in the middle, and I've kept them at that happily ever since. Defo get a heater, below 26 degrees they seem to get really lethargic, as I found out when one of my heaters packed up  Tank got down to 18-20 degrees or so and the fish didn't look too good at all. There have been reports of betta living to 7 yrs! But most make it to 2-4 or thereabouts. Bear in mind that most fish are anywhere between 6 months to a year when you buy them.

Good luck with your little guy! They are wonderful fish to own. So much personality for such a tiny creature, and so beautiful to watch!


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

oops...sorry. Information overload!


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## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

*re fighter*

cheers just looked and thanks 4 info I send you friend request so can contact you for answers direct.The fluval tank looks amazing!!!!!!! I see what u mean bout the edge 1.I used to have marines but would like somethimg when I do the lounge out that is easy maintained was lookin at a single male fighter but this would give me chance to have some guppys or neons with it ,what fish would you reccomend with the fighter?


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## 200sex (May 22, 2011)

Christie_ZXR said:


> oops...sorry. Information overload!


 
dont think there is such a thing as to much info was a good ready


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

In all honesty, not a lot I'm afraid! Fighters can be notoriously tempramental. Guppies aren't a good idea because they can be nippy, which leads to the fighter getting a trimmed tail! Also because of their bright colours fighters often see them as another fighter and therefore a threat. I also experimented with neons with a fighter, and ended up with tail-less neons... One of my stroppier fighters has also killed an otto  If you want to go down the route of a mini community tank with an edge, guppies and shrimp make a good set up. Some people reccomend shellies, but I'm not sure the tanks big enough, so you'd have to research if you fancy them. An edge would work nicely for a few dwarf puffers, but they are hard work! Need to be fed bloodworm twice a day and won't accept anything else, and need to be cleaned out very, very regularly. Once a week 50% water changes regularly!
As for fighter tankmates that do work, shrimp are a gamble. Some fighters ignore them, some will see them as an expensive dinner! So if you don't mind them potentially getting eaten, you can experiment. Nerite snails are a safe bet because try as they might (and they will try) fighters can't bite through shells! Some of my fighters share with ottos, which are zippy enough to get away from them. But ottos need a well established tank because they're very delicate. They also need to eat algae, some people get them onto algae wafers, but I've never had any success with mine. I let my tanks with ottos in get a fair bit of sunlight, so a lot of real algae grows for them to eat. My especially stroppy fighter now shares with a gold marble bristlenose, who he can't bite through! She isn't interested in him in the slightest when he flares at her and totally ignores him, so they work quite well together. They've been together probs about 6 months now with no problems.
Corydoras seem to work with fighters too, they're too peacefull to care and because fighters stick to the top of the tank and corys stick to the bottom they generally ignore each other. However, corys should really be in groups of 6 ideally, but at least 4 and some types get very big so need a much bigger tank. If you want to experiment, a lot of shops will take fish back and swap them if they don't get on, so if you find another bottom-dwelling fish that stays little enough you could try it, but be prepared that the fighter may well try to chomp it.
My best advice would be a set up with one fancy fighter and maybe a nerite snail and a gold marble bristlenose. If you google halfmoons and crowntails, they are stunning! A lot of maidenhead aquatics can order them for you at a good price too. Gold marble bristlenoses (LDA08) can be quite hard to find, but if you do find one they stay very small, generally 3-4" absolute tops. They need sand substrate though, which suits a fighter well. If you go for a biorb though, you can't put sand in one so a bristlenose is out really. Same with the chi since it isn't big enough really. They need a fair bit of "floor space". They're very very sensitive to ammonia etc, so it's really important the tank is fishless cycled and stable first. Ideally, the fighter should be added last, which stops him being so territorial towards the other fish, well up to a point anyway! 
Maybe an edge with a few guppies in for a few months, then add the bristlenose and when you're ready rehome the guppies and get the fighter? Are you near london? I breed guppies so I'd be happy to let you have some when I have some more that are ready to go, and I could take some off you when you're tank's mature enough for the bristlenose and the fighter.


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

sorry, the smiley face should say L D A 0 8 which is the bristlenose's L-number!


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## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

*Re: Guppies*

Thanks mate for all the advice I like the idea of a small tank with a single fighter in it as when I have kept them in a community tank i ain't had much luck. Have you got any pics of your fighters? there all nice the bright red ones are stunning and the flesh coloured ones with the chocolate bits and red and blue fins are stunning.

The fluval chi where is the heater? would I have to add loads of floating stuff because the plants seem to be anchored at the bottom in the middle. How often, would I have to do partial water changes on these tanks? What would be the best substrate? and also, can you put as an alternative frogs or newts or crabs with them? Do you recommend feeding frozen cubes pop straight in of bloodworm?

Cheers


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

You're welcome  I love these little fish!
I have tried an african dwarf frog, but I had no luck. He was too shy to come out for food with the fighter there, so it's a difficult one.
I love the look of the chi, but I don't have one (yet!!) so I'm not sure how the filter works and if it will take sand. Also, I don't know how good the lighting is for real plants. You know those jungle plant things you can get for reptiles? There's an aquatic version and they're one of the few fake plants I've found fighters won't tear their fins on! You'd have to chop it down to get it in a chi though. My o/h would murder me if I came home with another tank!! I've got 10 at the moment, plus the 4 cats, and the beardie...
Newts I know nothing about I'm afraid, but crabs need to be able to get out of the water for air sometimes. Treat them sort of like mini turtles to give you a rough idea. So a chi isn't suitable unless you want them constantly escaping and wondering around the house! (I have had this happen when I was little, my mum stepped on one of my dads escaped crabs because she thought it was a spider :-/) 
The chi doesn't have a heater, so you'd need to find one which will fit. The fluval edge heater looks great, but its pre-set at 26 degrees I think, so if you ever want to use the tank for something which needs different temps in the future, you can't. I have aqua-el heaters, which I really like. They're about 20 quid though.

That's my edge:










This is my baby biorb:









This is Nina, a plakat female:









This is Brisies, the LDA 0 8:









Mokusam, my pride and joy! A crowntail boy:









And spot the fighter! That's Splodge, a superdelta male:


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

Sorry, forgot to add, I wash and defrost the bloodworms in a feeding cone, then use tweezers to dish them out to the boys and put the cone in the community tank for my other fish to polish off the rest.


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## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

*re siamese fighters*

Yeah I like the fluval chi, How often would I have to do a partial water change on these? could u use the edge for fighters? :2thumbn the chi adverts it shows a fighter in the tank??? how without a heater? have you got a fighter in your edge tank? does the edge come with the heater?


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## Christie_ZXR (May 14, 2011)

I have a veil tail in my edge. Ideally you want to lower the water level so he can breathe the air at the surface, although some people say their fighters will learn where the gap is for breathing, but I think it depends on the fighter. Neither tank comes with a heater, so you need a seperate one. They aren't massive tanks, so you can pick up a small heater easily. If you go for the chi, I'd stick to just one fighter and maybe a nerite snail. 10% water change once a week is the usual recommended.


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

baldym said:


> What is the best way to keep a single siamese fighter in a tank on its own?? What size? Amazing fish and have always kept these but had no success when in community tank even with multiple females and blood worm what is the best way. I thought a kept in a tank on its own?? small table top tank with built in light ect... Ideas please


Go to www.seriouslyfish.com and click on their knowledge base link. Type Betta splendens in the search box and read the species profile. 

You'll then understand the pitfalls of having a tank that is too small and too large (Yes, Betts's are not suited to very large tanks).

I've kept and bred these for years now. Rather than type a massive post I'm being lazy and reffering you to this one. 

Remember that they prefer softer water....


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## baldym (Sep 18, 2008)

*re info*

cheers many thanks


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## Matt 96 (Oct 24, 2011)

Just a bit of advice! Siamese fighter's should not be kept with other long tailed fish because they will fight. 

Might help!


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

Matt 96 said:


> Just a bit of advice! Siamese fighter's should not be kept with other long tailed fish because they will fight.
> 
> Might help!


You mean the fighter is highly likely to attack the long tailed fish. 

RFUK is not known for good Betta advice. Andy007 knows his stuff but rarely posts in the fish section any more.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

I used to hate them until I got one. So full of personality, if I miss a feed he'll get grumpy, when I get to feeding him he'll snatch the food off the surface and really shake it about. Always playing in and around the plants and never sits still for more than a minute.

IMO you really want a lot of plants in the tank for cover etc. I have a 23 L but wish I'd gone slightly bigger. 30L at least really.


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