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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Bubbles?
I've noticed that some of you have bubbles for your bettas to play in and others do not...I'm guessing that's based on personal preference as well as betta personality. Based on her tendencies to surf the current in her tank and play around when I'm doing water changes, I think my little girl might like bubbles. How would those of you who have bubble setups suggest I add them to her tank, and how can I test if she would like them beforehand? | 
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| It is not really a personal preference at all. The fact of the matter was I put the first airstone in to help to circulate the heat in the tank so it was close to the heater. Then the fish began to play in the bubbles close to the heater so I went with a bubble wand so they would not be right at the heater. THEY decided that they wanted the bubbles and I just took the hint. Now I use Sponge Filters in place of airstones as they produce the bubbles, help to provide a bacterial bed for the nitrifying bacteria to keep the tank healthy and are back-up filters if something happens to one of the tanks (like happened with 2 of my 12 gallon tanks a couple weeks ago). It also gives me a continual source of emergency filters for quarantine or hospital tanks as they "cycle" in about 10 days and when I need to replace a sponge (like out of a hospital tank) it is cheap to do and I pop it back into one of the big tanks and in 10 days or so it is cycled and ready to be used in an emergency again. Plus they do not cost that much. I never have one of my bigger tanks without one or two of them bubbling away in the background anymore. The fish are getting their bubbles, the tank its gentle circulation to prevent hot spots around the heaters, and the filters are ready for any use I need them for. Never run one without a control device though. If nothing else, put a knot in the tubing and tighten and loosen it to control the amount of air force going through them. I really do like the cheap kind that fit into the tubing and are easily used inline instead of the type that hangs on the tank. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...90&pcatid=3690 (the $1.49 set has enough for 5 air lines and they are reusable.)
The best and quietest airpump on the market in my opinion is on sale right now too. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...8&pcatid=12738
Believe me, the quietness of the airpump is something that you can only imagine being important if you get ahold of one that is NOT. The above airpump does not even make me aware of its presence and I love the way it looks. It is almost a decoration on its own. BUT the quietness is the selling factor! I have 5 tanks and if they all sounded like a couple of the airpumps it has been my misfortune to own, I would be in trouble.
One more thing about the sponge filters that I need to say. I have battery powered airpumps also and they are hooked to my systems so that if the power goes off the air stays on. BECAUSE they are hooked to sponge filters, my tanks will continue to be cycled. If the power goes off of a normal filter and there is no circulation of water through it for 30 minutes you begin to lose your bacteria. If you have sponge filters that can handle 2 times the size of your tank and it is still circulating with the battery air pump, you still have a bacterial bed acting in the water to keep it cycled and ammonia, nitrite free and help keep your fish healthy.
One more reason why I love my sponge filters.
Rose   | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| One of my bettas, a male, is obsessed with his bubbles, and my others couldn't care less about them.
The one who loves them has a limewood diffuser which gives off millions of very tiny bubbles. He spends a lot of time trying to bite them and just sitting in the flow. 
I have the same air pump that chickadee linked, and I can also say that it's totally silent! | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Yeah, I think she'd enjoy any motion in the water, since she's a surfer, and she'd definitely try to eat them. Little piggie-fish. | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Master Of Fish Poo!
| Some of our Bettas like them more than others, but mostly bubbles are a winner with them.  | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| After having watched her videos which I thought were wonderful and the activity level she has and the way she "surfs" the current of the filter, I can almost guarantee that she will love having a current of bubbles to play in. She would be a real explorer and adventurer. I can tell she is very healthy and happy or you would not have such a lot of activity in that tank.
Congratulations on her and Congratulations to her. (you for finding a wonderful and healthy baby and her for making you see her and choose her. It was in HER plan you know. I truly believe that she chose you first.)
Rose  | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by chickadee  After having watched her videos which I thought were wonderful and the activity level she has and the way she "surfs" the current of the filter, I can almost guarantee that she will love having a current of bubbles to play in. She would be a real explorer and adventurer. I can tell she is very healthy and happy or you would not have such a lot of activity in that tank.
Congratulations on her and Congratulations to her. (you for finding a wonderful and healthy baby and her for making you see her and choose her. It was in HER plan you know. I truly believe that she chose you first.)
Rose | I don't doubt it, Rose. When I saw her the first time in the store, I posted about her and the "look" she gave me. Of COURSE I was going to rescue her after seeing her still in the store over a week later! You've seen her colors...is she a cambodian? Her body is pale, but not white as I've seen cambodians described. | |
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| I really believe that the standard says "pale or pastel" colored body with darker fins of a different color. I think she could qualify.
She certainly has some Cambodian blood in her genes.
I have even seen some Marble Koi Crowntails classified as Cambodian so go figure. See picture.
Rose | |
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March 13th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Well, I got a Whisper pump, airstone, etc. today. I'm going to wait until the next water change to fiddle with her tank, though. We'll find out soon if she likes the bubbles. | |
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March 13th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Oh I can hardly wait. Are you going to post a video? I sure hope so.. She is such a sweetie. You are not going to get me to believe she is a demon child...
The worst little betta is still much better in my opinion than most anything I can think of. I just love the naughty ones.. 
Rose | |
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March 14th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Well, right now they're in, but I have the flow valve almost completely closed off so she can get used to them slowly. I tested them out in the water change bucket before putting them in...man, that thing's strong! I figure, she probably needs to get used to the bubbles, so they're going really slowly right now to acclimate her to them. I don't want to stress her out or overwhelm her. I've got the pump near my desk so I can easily reach the control valve to adjust the flow as she gets used to it. | |
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March 15th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| She will come around and maybe they are just not as exciting at the low level as she wants them to be. Maybe you will have to set them a bit higher to entertain her. She is a party girl after all. She surfs the current and has a WHEE of a time. Try to slightly raise the amount of the flow and see if she goes after it. Sometimes this will help. If not she is just being a pill.
She could just be not showing off as she knows you are watching too. They do not do a lot of things when they think we WANT them to. They are brats that way TRUE.
Rose
But a very cute brat..yes she is...  | |
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March 17th, 2008
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| | Master Of Fish Poo!
|  She is definitely a special little character. She's a brat and she LOVES it and knows it and knows you'll love her.  | |
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