mslane

I have recently acquired :
2 betta (males, separate bowls, one very ill)
4 african dwarf frogs
2 clown loaches
1 comet goldfish (I'm fish sitting for my nephew, in his own bowl)
I have bought a 55 gallon tank,filter,light,(need carbon,etc, heater, vacuum, etc)
I was wondering, what kind of community could I put together or do I have to get another tank?
The jury seems to be out on betta compatibility, some sites say yes, others no.
I am currently treating the sick betta (bluebeard) with Maracyn II but he doesn't look well. He needs heat and his tank is acrylic.

Butterfly

Depending on how big the clown loaches are right now(they get 12 inches or bigger) they will be fine in the 55g for now.The clowns will pretty much claim the bottom level of the tank. I'm afraid the tank may be a little deep for the frogs. I kept a male betta in my 75g for a long time and he did well and the other fish didn't bother him. Just depends what you put in for mid and top water fish.
Some kind of mid-water schooling fish would be nice. I have black neons and green neons and they keep the tank lively swimming around in their own schools. I also have 2 angels in mine.
You could put a couple of bristlenose pleco in there to keep the algae down. they get about 5 inches. So use your imagination and stock with full grown fish size in mind.
Carol

mslane

thanks so much for your suggestions. I guess I should get say a 10 or 29g tank for the frogs or is that too deep? Right now they are in a small plastic bowl (with a wide top and a lid). They don't have any filter or aeration, so I partially change their water frequently. I was told the betta could get along with the frongs, but when I put him in the frogs actually swam up an nipped at his tail. I figured he wouldn't stand for that much longer and took him out.

Sadly, bluebeard, my other betta passed on. I think Bonsai will be a solo artist. I can't bear to lose another betta.

Butterfly

Yes a 10G or a 20G long would be nice for the frog and then maybe some more frogs and in the case of the 20G long some other fish also. just make sure their not nippy. The 29 g is a bit deep.The frog probably thought the bettas floaty fins were food. The betta can easily go into the 55G. Mine loved the floating plants, they were his domain.
Carol

Attached Images

	betta in plants.jpg (70.4 KB, 25 views)
	betta.jpg (103.4 KB, 29 views)

mslane

Now that raises yet another question, what kind of fish would be compatible with the frogs? I imagine something peaceful.

Butterfly

mslane; I fiund this while surfing the internet Thought you might enjoy it. http://flippersandfins.net/BetaFrameset.htm
Carol

mslane

Thanks! that was a lot of fun looking at the site! I think I will go with the plan to get a 10g tank with Java fern and moss and I think I will leave the frogs to live on their own. I'm so afraid they will nip or get nipped. The jury is still out on whether peaceful fish will be that peaceful with the frogs doing their acrobatics. It would be too irrestistible to not want to nip them. It did say ghost shrimp or cory cats would be nice to help clean up the place. Have you ever kept ghost shrimp?

Gunnie

Ghost shrimp are a blast, but don't usually last very long. I think the longest I was ever able to keep one alive in my tank was 6 months. They are a lot of fun to watch though!

Butterfly

Ghost shrimp are cool!! since they are fairly clear my hubby did an experiment he saw on TV. If you feed them nothing but red food(like Omega One color flakes) they will have a reddish color to them, and if you feed them nothing but green food(like veggie wafers) they will have a greenish color. Just do each color for a couple of days running. What happens is you can see the food processing through their digestive tract.
But mine only last until somebody figures out they will fit in their mouth and they become fish food. don't know if the frogs will eat them or not, but they won't hurt your frogs. Just amke sure the tank is covered securely so frogs and ghost shrimp will stay inside the tank.
Carol

mslane

are ghost shrimp expensive? I have only seen them in pictures, they are not common. then again, I haven't really been looking for them.

Jason

Ive never seen them in fishshops down here

Butterfly

Two of my local fish stores use ghost shrimp as live food and sell them 10 for $1 so their not expensive at all. You could call around your stores and ask if they have them and they would probably order them.
carol