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Betta Get Sorted

Quick update.
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The crypts are starting to grow quite quickly now
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Seen a little bit of hair algae so need to keep an eye on that but just wondering what the best way is to clean the rocks
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Toothbrush and then water change?

I have a single horned nerite in there (who was not wanting his photo taken tonight) and wondering whether it might be worth adding another or adding an amano???

Betta still changing loads but again he doesn't want his photo taken tonight
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Tank has settled in quite nicely now but MK seems to be struggling. Lower older leaves just keep melting leaving the stems.

Frogbit looks green and healthy so not sure it is fert related? Could be a lack of light?
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Main update is the Betta passed a couple of months ago . Nothing immediately obvious but went off food, stopped being particularly active and then just faded out. The lockdown has put paid to me getting a replacement. I also got an amano
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but he only lasted two days as he decided the tank wasn't for him and went walkies
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Flora wise things are a little better with most of the buce filling out nicely (too well in fact) and the crypts doing well. The MK however is down to the last stem. I am hoping my change in the fert mix I am using might save it.

So today I had a little time on my hands and set about experimenting with the Oase FiltoSmart 60 I bought some time ago along with some glassware. (https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/awkward-and-small-pipework-problem.60727/)
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Part of this is because the JBL filter that was in there had started to get a bit noisy and the misses was complaining....

This is the flow in the spin pipe which seems quite a lot less than I was expecting.
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There is currently no media in the first compartment only a sponge in the second. First thoughts are the pump is quite noisy. I have expelled all the air but there is still a lot of humming from the impeller (and it isn't vibration onto the table) and I am not sure there is enough flow (good for a Betta but not sure the plants will appreciate it)
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So I am not entirely happy with the flow.

There is an Aquael 50W heater in there which (I think) was previously keeping the whole tank at a fairly consistent temperature. I am now seeing a 0.3/0.4 °C difference between the from of the heater and the opposite corner of the tank. I think part of this is that the inlet is next to the heater so I am probably taking the hotter water straight into the filter.

There is little to no sign of movement in the tank (no swaying leaves). I have also noticed a build up bubbles on the surface
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Is this a lack of surface agitation?

I am considering moving the inlet to the opposite corner to the outflow but not sure I can do this without making it look rubbish.

Thoughts on whether this is too bad for plants (the Betta when I get it will probably like it)

 
Main news is that I have ordered a new Betta

I moved the inlet a week or so ago so that the inflow and outflow flow are roughly in opposite corners I can now see minimal movement now but it is only just noticeable. So far most of the plants don't seem to be affected but one crypt parva does seem to be adjusting . It seems to have dropped a bit and doesn't seem too happy. Hoping this is just adjusting to the reduced flow

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Still not happy with the flow and a few of the crypts at the front are starting to look a little sad which I think is probably down to distribution rather than levels of ferts.

Fish seems keen to remind me it is nearly time for his tea and keeps photo bombing
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Task for next week is going to be attempting to clean the inflow which I suspect is going to be a little challenging given how narrow the pipework is
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I must say, as someone else doing a planted low tech Betta tank I am finding it tough compared to my last low tech (a 45cm with a HOB filter blasting right down it). I think the Betta considerations obliging higher temperatures and lower flow makes getting to a balanced system significantly harder.

What temp are you running at BTW?
 
IWhat temp are you running at BTW?
28°C

Tonights consideration is a protein build up on the surface after feeding frozen Daphnia. Debating whether to add an air stone to generate a little more surface agitation
 
Hi Jameson, I personally would lower the temperature to between 25 to 26 C, this may help the plants a bit as well as being okay still for the rather lovely looking Betta.
 
A lot of things have gone on but haven't got round to updating in a while.
In terms of the tank I added an air stone in the opposite corner to the outflow and run this for 30 minutes twice a day. This seems to have helped with the protein build up and the crypts near the air stone look a little better than they were. I have thrown the last stem of MK out and added a stem of hyrgrophila siamensis 53b which seems to have taken off.

The big thing is I lost the betta and bought a new one (I cannot believe I am not on my third betta). I cleaned the filter and this seemed to increase the flow a bit and he somehow managed to get his tail sucked into the tiny slits in the inlet and did not survive the injuries he sustained. He had been doing really well and looking happy with the flow.

Whilst getting the tank ready for me new boy yesterday I managed to inadvertently loosen the pipework for outflow and then found water spraying out the filter.... In my state of panic I managed to break the glass inflow in two. I have replaced the inflow with the stock one that comes with the tank (a plastic pipe with a little strainer that needed a little shortening)
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This has noticeably increased the flow which seems a bit odd but the old glass inflow must have been restricting the flow more than I thought.

The new boy is another HM and he seems a little more angry and inquisitive than the last boy. He has already attempted to exert his authority over the spin pipe on a number of occasions even though this has managed to suck him in and send him into a spin a couple of times now.

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No idea what has triggered it but several of the buce plants have decided to flower
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The Hygrophila has really taken off and is going to need trimming again.

The new boy is settling in well and had such a completely different character to the other betta's.
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I have decided to try some Babulti shrimp in with him but I have a feeling they might end up as snacks
 
I have decided to try some Babulti shrimp in with him but I have a feeling they might end up as snacks
So I think I can safely say he does not like shrimp tank mates but does look them for dinner...
I haven't seen any shrimp for a few days now but have found a couple of decapitated heads. This betta is definitely more aggressive than the last two I have had so wasn't entirely unexpected.
 
Its a stunner love bettas , i will get another one day

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
It is possible that your Betta has a liking for shrimp eggs rather than the shrimps themselves. Unfortunately, a berried female is unable to defend herself from attacking fish. A decapitated head hints that the shrimp was cut in two in pursuit of the eggs.
 
It is possible that your Betta has a liking for shrimp eggs rather than the shrimps themselves. Unfortunately, a berried female is unable to defend herself from attacking fish. A decapitated head hints that the shrimp was cut in two in pursuit of the eggs.
No none of them were berried. I think he is just a bit of a psychopath... Then shrimp triggered a hunting mode and you can see him still searching and ready to pounce even though I am sure he has despatched them all already
 
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