Iggy says goodbye to small tanks!

[Iggy]

I am getting really tired of small tanks!

Sure, bettas can survive in them, but thats not enough for me!

I am actually going to be abandoning all my small tanks (1gal to 3 gal) and will be dividing up my 17 gallon (long, shallow and wide) into 5 seperate 3.4 gallon sections, with shared heat, light and filtration, so each betta will have a nice, long, heated space of their very own.

I am just looking for some opaque plastic sheets, just so they don't see as much of each other, just through the holes

I have a really nice (quiet) fully flow adjustible power filter (top fin 40) and good quality 150w submersible heater already for it, I just need to setup a 'gutter' to channel the out-flow of water to the other end of the tank. The water will come out the far right divided space, and flow back in on the far left divided space. In vs. out should keep the water flowing, albeit slowly (fine for bettas right?) and heated!

My 17 is well built, with a stand and flourescent lighting, which means I can put it where I want it, like in my Living room where I can sit and see them!

I think I can sell my small tanks when my fry grow up pretty easily!

It will be planted with java fern, floating java moss and perhaps water sprite.

This will be one NICE system, don't you think?

 

[mimi13chan]

yea same I want a BIGGER TANK!!!!! I have a 10 gal I want a 20 - 50 would be nice ^_^

 

[PreciousGems]

Sounds good . I am not worried about small tanks at the moment, my 2.5 gallon is empty, as I only have 8 bettas (Abe died suddenly for no apparent reason), and I don't have any bowls or jars with bettas in them. Its pretty peaceful, as I only have my 20 gallon and 10 gallon (divided into 8 compartments) set up. I hope you can find the opaque sheets and that your plan goes well (don't you just hate when you measure wrong?).

Alexa

 

[pablo111]

I moved from a 1/2 Gallon Bowl, to a 10Gal tank, to a 20Gal tank, to my current 40Gal tank.

People say a bigger tank is less work.

BUNK!

My ten was too small, but the twenty was great. Keep in mind too that aquascaping becomes difficult the bigger you go! A ten gallon will look absolutely professional with the simple addition of one decent java fern, three rocks, and a branch. A Forty is less simple. And also, the water changes that used to take me one bucket now take me ten buckets. More trips to the washroom to fill up, more chemicals to buy, more expensive larger media, more expensive filter, everything. (My first filter cost fourteen dollars. My new one was almost a hundred)

If you have fish that are happy in their enclosure, think twice about the absolute agony involved in A) setting up a new tank and B) Hauling about a hundred and fifty pounds of water each time you need to do a water change.

My eyes love my forty. My back hates it.

 

[MrMup04]

cool for me, i like a big tank, kinda big tank, average tank, and a small tank

good luck with ur new project

 

[Iggy]

My Python will make short work of the water change

As far as decorating, I completely agree, bigger tanks = more decorations = more cost. My new 38 gallon will swallow up all my plastic plants to date and will still have room to spare.

I think my 17 gal will ferns/moss/etc will not be too hard to fill up.

I think I will go with 'smoked' or tinted acrylic dividers, I am making a cardboard template first, which I will bring with me when I buy the acrylic sheets to cut down.

I am just tired of the smaller tanks, all looking different, with not enough room for decorations plus an adult betta to swim in, and all the bloody airline tubing, filters, etc etc etc

 

[Lotus]

One large tank will definitely be less work than five small tanks! Good luck with getting suitable divider material.

The Python definitely helps with water changes. We got one a few weeks ago, and it definitely made water changes in the 65g easier. We had our big tank first, and then got some smaller ones. More tanks is more work. When we get the 187g finished, I think we'll be really glad of the Python

Of course live plants can be propagated, so you can fill a lot of tanks if you have time and patience. The set-up cost is higher with light etc, but I think they're really worth the trouble