Betta Barracks Plexiglass display tank

[Vyache]

I saw a display tank for bettas at a fish store in Sacramento, California. It was long enough to put lots of bettas in it, each in their own compartment, the compartments were connected with holes and a filter was on the back so all the water was filtered through. I plan to make at least one of these contraptions, and if they are easy and cheap enough to make, maybe offer a few to some LFSs. I searched for hours using google and couldn't find any plans nor even a picture of one of these tanks. Well I'm going to start from scratch. I'll post pics and plans as they go along. If anyone can offer advice or point me at some web pages with info on working with acrylic please do. I read everything on acrylic offered on the krib and have a pretty good idea of how to start, but this project will definitely by a learning experience.

 

[Vyache]

Ok so heres the dimensions I've decided on for my first go at this tank. The bottom will be 6"x20" a standard 10 gallon tank is 20" long so a 19" light fixture with an 18" bulb will fit on top. The tank will be divided front to back. The front part will be 4" to give the bettas plenty of swiming room, also an aquarium light is 4" from front to back, so the buld will be centered above the fish space. The remaining 2" will be space for heaters and filters. I was thinking about hang on the outside type filters but I might check out internal type sponge filters and see if they will fit back there or not. Basically I picked 2" because that is the width of the plastic flaps on the back of most tanks. The rear could be divided in half with a solid piece (no water flow holes) If you put an intake on one side and outflow on the other the water in the tank would flow in a complete circle through the tank and the filter. The front part that will contain the bettas will be divided equally into eight compartments each 2.5 inches wide (20"/8 compartments). 2.5" seems a little narrow, but the fish will have 4" the other way so he won't be crowded. I decided to make the whole thing 5" deep. That way I can fill the tank to 4" and still have a 1" cushion of air between the light and the water. A heater may be unnecesary depending on how much heat the light puts out. A heater may be needed to maintain temperatures while the light is off however. There aught to be a cover between the light and the water to prevent splash. I'm going to draw a picture of these plans using photoshop but I'm in the college's math and buisness learning center right now and they don't have software I'm familiar with.

Here's some calculations:
Overall size of the tank 20"x6"x5"= 600 cubic inches = 2.6 gallons

Pieces of plexiglass needed:
1 - 20"x6" bottom
3 - 20"x5" front, middle, back
1 - 20"x4" cover
2 - 6"x5" sides
6 - 4"x5" compartment dividers
1 - 2"x5" rear divider
Total surface area 690 square inches (if I put it my calculator right)

I haven't been to the hardware store to check out the selection of materials yet so I don't know what size sheets are available for cutting down. I'm thinking for such a small volume very thin plastic should work, but it might be easier to bond thicker materials. Right now I'm thinging 1/4 inch thick plastic.

I plan on using a table saw to cut the pieces and a drill press to drill water flow and air/feeding holes.

Next post will hopefully be a picture of the plans. I also intend to run by the hardware store on my way home so I might get more info on that end. If this whole project works well I'll condense and edit it into an article for this website.

Please give me some input! Do you see any flaws in my plans or have any questions or suggestions?

 

[luvfishies]

Ok here's some input. 2.5"x4" is just not enough space for bettas.

I don't like this idea AT ALL. This is the polite version.

We come here to make our fishes happier not to look for alternate methods of crowding them just to please our eye. Not only that, having them that close to each other is stressful to them, and if the sides are blacked out it's a pretty boring existence. Bettas are lively interactive little critters usually, and this just rubs me the wrong way.

Even 4 chambers is pushing it, but a "little" better than the 8 you're planning.

Sorry vyache. This is the polite version. I"ll stop now.

 

[Vyache]

I just did some calculations measurements and conversions. I measured the cups that most of the LFSs in my area display and sell bettas in. They hold 1 cup of water when filled 1/4 inch from the top. They do not have filtration nor do they have heaters. They place them on a shelf near each other that the fish can see each other and display to each other.

Now, I'm proposing a 20 inch x 6 inch x 5 inch tank that would hold 8 bettas. If filled to four inches deep it would hold 2.08 US gallons of water. That means that each fish would get about a quarter gallon of water. Its swiming space would be a volume of 0.17 gallons which is equivalent to 2.72 cups. This tank would have a heater and filtration.

This is significantly better conditions than many bettas get. Anyone with more than a couple male bettas needs a tank like this. We simply don't have the room to house every male in a seperate tank.

Right now I've got 6 male bettas and four females. One lucky male gets to swim around in my 135 gallon community tank and the others are doing ok in vases and bowls right now, but winter is coming on and they are going to need heat. Plus, two of them bred today.

If I play my cards right, I'm going to have a whole bunch more to house soon.

The project continues!

 

[Vyache]

Here are some tips I found on some betta pages:

http://www.bettatalk.com/housing.htm

Having two jars with a betta in each, right next to each other is best, so the bettas will flare at each other and be more active.

in a divided tank set-up, the tank has partitions, preferably clear ones so bettas can see each other,

http://www.bettastarz.com/adultcare.htm

Its a form of exercise. A chance for them to spread their finnage.

http://www.bettasrus.com/faq/behave.htm

Not only is it fun to watch, it is good exercise for them. I keep all my bettas within view of each other.

I have found numerous accounts of bettas displaying at each other being good for them and none that say that it stresses them out.

 

[Vyache]

Its no master piece but hopefully it makes sense.

 

[Britfish]

So you keep Bettas in vase's and bowls, and want to keep them in a "case" so they can see each other and display. Wont this stress them a little?  Sounds kinda cruel to me?

 

[qc]

Umm we could all sit here making assumptions but you will never know..

As long as there is enough space, good filtration and heating they should do fine. maybe insted of going with 8 or 4 you mite try 6 gives them all a little extra room to space even with full finage open!

Give it a try.. if it doesn't work you can at least say you gave it a try and as long as you monitor the fish closely and react accordingly to any signs you will be able to spare there lives!

 

[Pooky125]

I'm with luv and britfish on this one. I have a betta in a 30 gallon community tank, and one in a half gallon bowl (quarentine tank) The one in the bowl, never moves, its not that he can't, he just won't. he chooses to sit and stare out at the rest of the room, then play with his clump of java moss. The betta in the 30 gallon never stops moving. He's always playing around, swishing through the plants. Sure it has heating and a filter, but what about the space for him to stretch his fins, and move around. Bettas are not the boring lil fish everyone seems to think. They all have a personality, and all are quite active when givin the space to be so. It's good excersize to keep the bettas next to eachother for a few minutes, but not continually, it will stress them out beyond belief. Reconsiter your project...

 

[Vyache]

Your set up with two fish sounds great. Right now however, I've got 10 betta. I'm breeding them, hopeing eggs will hatch in two days or so. This is not a project for the casual betta owner; its for the addicts. I don't have enough 30 gallon community aquariums to go around for all my fish. Yes, 1 fish in a large tank is ideal, but it is not practical for someone who wants to have more of these type of fish.

Have you done any research on whether housing bettas together will stress them out? I cited three sources who say its good for them and have not found any that say its bad.

 

[Vyache]

Hmm thought I posted this message earlier but its not here so I guess I'll have to try to figure out what I said before and rewrite it:

qc: I've decided that I'm going to make the compartment size adjustable. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this at first (still not absolutely sure) but I came up with three alternatives. First, I could cut slots in the acrylic front and back. This would weaken the plastic however, and there might be a slot right in the middle of a compartment, not too cool. Second I could glue little pieces onto the inside face of the front and back, there would still be ugly dividers when the compartment was bigger than the smallest size. So I decided on the third method for now: I will cut little half inch tall dividers and place them in front and back between the compartment dividers. I can put some gravel in to keep them from falling over.

With the tank set up like this I can adjust the size of the compartments and see which is ideal.

 

[qc]

I think that angle of changable dimensions would be the better option that way you will be able to react quickly to any stress signs and potentially reduce or remove stress by giving them more space.

 

[aznpanther98]

i sorta had an idea of dividing a tank into 5 sections to hold 4 bettas and the 5th one would be set up with a filter and piped to the first section so creat a slight current but of course never did it b/c i was to lazy to get the materials and watnotbut i did make a divider with some acrylic i found in the garage and that worked for the two bettas i had in my old 5 gal until i gave that tank to someone else they were fine what i noticed was after a while they weren't interested in flareing at eachother and just swam around seemed like they were bored with eachother

 

[Vyache]

Ok. so I got some materials. Plexiglass at the local Home Depot was $25 USD for a 30"x36" sheet of 1/4" think and $6 for a 24"x18" sheet of 1/8" thick. I got two of the later. I went to a plastic place, Enterprise Plastic, and got a canister of acrylic solvent for $6 and an aplicator bottle for $5. I used my dads table saw and cut up the pieces according to my schematic.

You guys were right! It looks way too small for 8 bettas. I need to go back to Capitol Aquarium with a tape measure and see how big theres is.

 

[Vyache]

I got a dozen 1 gallon jars from my grandmothers shed today. My bettas have much bigger homes now, unfortunately still no filtration or heat.

 

[qaffle]

wouldn't it be easier

From how i read your message it appears you're going to set it up so their are permanent points where the dividers are. Why not just make it so the dividers go wherever you want them to be.

I don't see why you couldn't just make the regular tank, then for dividers cut pieces of glass Some_Thickness x (Tank_Width - Tank_Glass_Thickness) x Tank_Height.

Then to hold the dividers in place you buy or make latches that will hold the top edges in place. Something like this
black is dividers, green dividers, red(tomato)tank.

side view
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&nbsp ||
&nbsp ||
top view
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if you cut holes in the dividers for current (or drill) i don't think the water would move the dividers if they're on tight enough, and i doubt anything else'll move them if you put the clips/latches on tight enough.

 

[Vyache]

Eureka! An excellent idea that I had not thought of. Clips sound like a great solution to my adjustable divider dilima.

 

[qaffle]

glad i could help

 

[niki090909]

My lfs has undergravel filters for fish bowls, ranging around 2 bucks, it comes with a filter plate, tube, and a plant to stick in the middle. Great deal I'd say, also walmart sells mini heaters for fish bowls, atleast mine does. I'll get you the brand names of these and let you know.

 

[Mike]

http://www.petresources.net/fish/bettas.html

read it you might learn something. some more ideas for betta homes.
~~Mike