Sparkling Diamonds

Do bettas have a rough time with those bubble walls that you see in some tanks? I'm seriously contemplating getting a couple for my bettas today when i go to the pet store (One per tank. haha) But i was wondering if bettas normally have a hard time swimming when the bubbles are present?

Or, do they thouroughly enjoy them?

COBettaCouple

What I've done for our bettas is put the small bubble stones in the corner of the tank the filter is in. They get the bubbles but there's still quieter areas of the tank for them when they want. All of our bettas are happy with them and sometimes play with them.

LZ Floyd

If you are referring to an air stone, your betta should have one. Bettas, being tropical fish, should be in warm water (80 degrees). Warm water supports less oxygen than cool water, and the oxygen lost to the water being warm should be replaced.

Though Bettas do breathe air at the surface, the oxygen is needed to help support the fish, as well as help the bacteria colonies that form the backbone of the cycle do their job.

The air rising from the airstone also helps to break the tension at the water's surface to allow certain harmful gases to escape. But you don't want the aeration device to run at full steam, just enough to give the water a bit of movement. (Bettas don't seem to care much for a lot of motion in the water.)

You'll need an air pump, air line, air volume controller (or gang valve) and whatever stone(s) you want to use. If you have more than one tank you want to feed air to, you might be able to get away with a larger air pump and a gang valve with enough outlets to serve each tank.

Rena makes a pretty quiet pump, which you can get at drsfostersmith.com if you can't get one elsewhere.

Mike

Phloxface

I wouldn't get a bubble wand. That's too much water disturbance. I got a short 3 inch one for Lava's tank once and I found although he was curious and wanted to play in the bubbles, it was too much for him. The best ones to get I find are also the cheapest. The small bulk bubble stones that you can get for about 39 cents. Get a gang valve (to control the amount of air going through) and some suction cups to attach the hose and stone to a corner of the tank away from delicate plants (which can get torn apart by too many bubbles), away from his feeding spot and away from where your Betta usually likes to sleep. Put it about 3/4 of the way down. If it's too close to the bottom it can stir up too much sludge and debris from the gravel.
All my Bettas love playing in the bubbles. It tickles them when they swim through and some even like lying right on them and taking bubble showers! You just need to be able to control the amount of bubbles so it won't throw them around too much or it won't be enjoyable anymore.

COBettaCouple

Yea, we found ours love the little bubble stones and are happy with things setup how you describe them - when we get back to FL we'll move them up to 3/4 of the way down.

Sparkling Diamonds

Thanks, so much everyone! Silly me went and learned today from trial and error. The bubble want was rediculous, to say the least. And i tried one bubble stone (hadn't read about the 3/4 depth, or the suction cups) and tried just keeping it under the gravel... which was a wreck. And what made matters worse was my aweful memory and forgetting the gang valve. So, tomorrow i'm off to petsmart to try and find the needed supplies to give Apollo a good home for easter. To try anyways. My mother came out and said it tonight, that i'm giving them a home in paradise, my thoughts were (Well, i'm trying...and sure as having a rough time time that it!) So, thanks Everyone for all the help, you're all wonderful and i sure as couldn't do it without you.

COBettaCouple

Petsmart has the gang valves on sale now - at least the ones here, so good timing. Good luck getting it all setup to how you want it today.