20 gallon high blackwater setup starring Betta dimidiata

Hi everyone! Picture update;


The tank's tint has been getting steadily lighter...I hope that eventually stops. I added 10 oak leaves today. Not much else to report, but I am strongly leaning towards trying Betta dimidiata in this tank, as it is a hardy, attractive betta that does not strictly require blackwater conditions if I have to tear this setup down at some point (or if I am no longer able to provide uber-soft water for it).

 

Hi everyone! I missed the picture update last week, so here is the tank as of a few minutes ago;


I trimmed the pothos a little (and potted the resulting cutting in a mix of sand and peat moss...we are having a yard sale soon and I would like to sell a cutting or two there), added 15 oak leaves, and did a 16 liter water change. The old tank water had a TDS of 10 ppm, which seems like it is going to be the normal value from the decaying wood and leaves. On a side note...I have most of the money needed for adding fish to this tank, so there will be fish (hopefully Betta dimidiata) in this tank by the end of the month (potentially earlier) so long as nothing goes wrong; in preparation for that, I picked up some frozen mysis yesterday (and got a good scratch from the freezer in the process! ;( ) to supplement the pellets and baby brine shrimp I already have available.

 

Hi everyone! Last night I performed an experiment to check whether this tank is cycled...around 9:15pm last night I added about 1.65ppm of ammonia (via Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride) and this morning (around 7:10am) I tested the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in the tank using the respective API test kits. All were 0ppm, so clearly nitrogen is getting processed...though I have no clue whether that is primarily the pothos' 'fault' or whether some of it is due to nitrifying bacteria/archaea in the tank. This also increased the TDS by 5 ppm overnight, likely from the residual chloride ions.

 

Hi everyone! I don't have a picture update today, but I will say what happened with the tank. I broke my finger last Wednesday (a week ago) and the faucet I make the RODI water with is downstairs (my tank is upstairs), so I only did a 3 gallon WC Sunday. Saturday we had a yard sale, and I successfully sold both of the cuttings of the pothos that I took off the main plant...it's already growing new stems below where I took the cuttings.

I'm feeling a little discouraged...Betta dimidiata does not appear to be available anywhere at the moment and I REALLY want to have this tank stocked by the end of this month (I'm nervous that most other mouthbrooding bettas would breed the males to death in a tank this size).

 

Do you absolutely have to breed? Otherwise if that works with these species (not a betta expert) how about an all-male group?

 

Maybe! But I really do want a spawning project...I could try a different genus of fish altogether or go with the coccina complex (which are bubblenesters...I am wary of trying splendens complex bettas again).

 

Hi everyone! I was not able to use the RODI unit today, but we did get some rain and I was able to collect some reasonably pure (4-5 ppm TDS) water for the 3 gallon water change. Here is the tank as of a few minutes ago (I opted to take the picture without the tank light off, as this is after its normal photoperiod);



I rearranged the pothos in the back and gave it some suction cups to support itself on, but I cannot say much else has changed. This tank WILL have fish in it by the end of the month...I just still haven't decided which.

 

Hi everyone! Small but significant update...Betta dimidiata is available on aquabid again I am planning on purchasing the fish (hopefully this week...it is an auction rather than a 'buy it now') and getting them in this tank the subsequent Thursday. Hooray!

 

Hi everyone! I did a 3 gallon water change a few minutes ago, but otherwise not much new with the tank itself...however, I won two pairs of F1 Betta dimidiata They will hopefully arrive Thursday. Here is a picture of some of the fish he was offering (I hope they look this good for me!);

 

Hi everyone! I did a 3 gallon water change a few minutes ago, but otherwise not much new with the tank itself...however, I won two pairs of F1 dimidata They will hopefully arrive Thursday. Here is a picture of some of the fish he was offering (I hope they look this good for me!);
View attachment 803756

What is the scientific name, dimidata wasn't showing anything. They look like Macropodus dayi.

Oh, never mind Betta dimidata, they do look quite similar to Macropodus Dayi though.

 

What is the scientific name, dimidata wasn't showing anything. They look like Macropodus dayi.

Oh, never mind Betta dimidata, they do look quite similar to Macropodus Dayi though.

Betta dimidiata...sorry about that! Simple spelling error

 

Betta dimidiata...sorry about that! Simple spelling error

I didn't even realize, probably because I've never heard of them lol. But they really do look like m. dayi.

 

I didn't even realize, probably because I've never heard of them lol. But they really do look like m. dayi.

I can see that. They also remind me of Malpulutta kretseri, but that is a far less common fish than the (already uncommon) Pseudosphromenus dayi.

 

Hi everyone! Just a small update...the seller accidentally fed the bettas the day he was going to ship them and thus was not able to ship them Tuesday. I'll just need to wait another week...fine by me, of course (I'd rather them be late than dead).

 

Hi everyone! Did a water change a little over half an hour ago and just took what is likely the last fishless photograph of this tank;


The TDS was 13 ppm before the 3 gallon water change. The second pothos in the back of the tank is looking a little crowded, and I am thinking of removing it and just planting it in a pot. I saved a gallon of old WC water to replace what I will use to acclimate the bettas.

 

Hi everyone! Did a water change a little over half an hour ago and just took what is likely the last fishless photograph of this tank;
View attachment 805110
The TDS was 13 ppm before the 3 gallon water change. The second pothos in the back of the tank is looking a little crowded, and I am thinking of removing it and just planting it in a pot. I saved a gallon of old WC water to replace what I will use to acclimate the bettas.

I have to say, this project turned out beautifully. very nice example of a true blackwater tank. I would leave the pothos personally... the roots aren't abrasive and the bettas will appreciate them with the lack of cover

Tank looks great buddy

 

I have to say, this project turned out beautifully. very nice example of a true blackwater tank. I would leave the pothos personally... the roots aren't abrasive and the bettas will appreciate them with the lack of cover

Tank looks great buddy

Thank you so much! I thought they could hide in the leaves? Betta dimidiata gets no larger than 2 inches.

 

Thank you so much! I thought they could hide in the leaves? Betta dimidiata gets no larger than 2 inches.

No problem haha its completely true

The fry will hide in the leaves but the bettas probably won't hide there much themselves. As the leaves decompose they will get thin and start to compress. I know you're probably going to monitor that but they will appreciate having those roots there. I actually really like the look it gives anyways lol. Of course its up to you though

 

No problem haha its completely true

The fry will hide in the leaves but the bettas probably won't hide there much themselves. As the leaves decompose they will get thin and start to compress. I know you're probably going to monitor that but they will appreciate having those roots there. I actually really like the look it gives anyways lol. Of course its up to you though

You think it would hurt to add some submerged plants or something else to add the desired cover? Yeah, I also think the roots look quite cool

 

You think it would hurt to add some submerged plants or something else to add the desired cover? Yeah, I also think the roots look quite cool

You can make the leaves more suitable for the bettas by just adding large inert rocks under them. That will create lots of cave-like nooks and crannies for the bettas to explore in. That's what I did in my 10g blackwater and it worked quite well Different fish but I had N. Beckfordi in there and they were able to make use of it. They are a bit smaller than your bettas

 

Good news! The bettas shipped. Enough said

 

Hi everyone! Another small update...I visited a hardware store today and picked up a number of PVC pieces to provide cover for the bettas when they arrive. I did my best to hide them in the leaf litter while still keeping at least one entrance free...I was not completely successful, but at least they will have cover when they arrive (you will see the results when I take the tank shot Sunday). The remaining PVC pieces are being saved in my (currently unused) quarantine tank.

 

Hi everyone! Big update...the Betta dimidiata have arrived!


All four are alive and well. What strikes me is that this species is considerably larger than I thought...the females are about the expected size, but the males are roughly double that size and are larger than most splendens I've seen. They arrived at about 9:45 am, were drip acclimated for about an hour (after adding a drop of prime to manage any ammonia from the shipping bags), and then were added to the tank after I turned the light off (the light will have the normal photoperiod tomorrow).

The fish are cautiously exploring the tank currently...they are far from the shyest fish I have kept and regularly come to the front of the tank to watch me (though a sudden movement on my end sometimes sends them running for cover). They did not take pellets when I offered them, but this is likely because they are stressed from shipping (the seller was feeding them pellets, among other things). The males are considerably prettier than the above image suggests, with intriguing bluish green highlights in the anal, dorsal, and pectoral fins (all of which are quite long) and an extremely long spade tail; the females just have a stripe of iridescent blue in the analfin.

 

Hi everyone! The fish are settling in fast...before yesterday was over the bettas were taking omega one pellets (usually after they had already hit the leaf litter...sometimes quite a while after they hit the leaf litter) and had discarded all remaining traces of their shyness. I fed them baby brine shrimp this morning and they eagerly ate that also. I even tried to feed them omega one pellets from a pair of tongs a few minutes ago...one of the females was willing to take the pellets from the tongs and none of the bettas appeared particularly wary of the tongs, but it appears that the pellets are harder than they enjoy and the bettas inevitably spat them out at first before going for them again shortly thereafter. I'll probably use a softer food next time I try to train the bettas to eat from my tongs/fingers.

 

Hi everyone! I was watching the bettas a little while ago...and found a pair courting I'm feeling bad that I did not get a video, so a typed description will have to suffice.

The courting male turned slightly darker, with a faint tiger stripe-esque pattern, blue scales appearing on his operculum and on his side, and the blue already on his fins becoming more intense; he would slowly follow the female around (who developed a much more pronounced striped pattern and a darker blue on her analfin than she had before); the female spent most of her time still hunting baby brine shrimp but would occasionally approach and touch the male or flare at him (during which he would turn on his side). I witnessed multiple dummy embraces by the pair (all in a secluded portion in the tank under the pothos), but I had to get ready for work and thus was not able to witness any actual spawning (assuming it occurs); the male flared after several of the embraces, and the long fins this species possesses made that a spectacular sight, almost reminding me of a domesticated betta. The female would flare at and attempt to drive away the other pair if they got too close, but the male was not particularly interested in doing so (he did flare once at the other male, but that was the extent of his efforts). The other female had a similar striped pattern, but the second male shows no evidence of wanting to spawn right now. Very excited by this development, but as this species is prone to eating its fry I am not confident many juveniles will survive even if the male holds to term. I am going to make a more serious breeding attempt (with a quarantine tank for the male and his fry) in winter.

 

Congratulations! They must feel really at home in your setup, to begin breeding behaviour so soon. Hopefully you can get some photos of the displays.

 

Congratulations! They must feel really at home in your setup, to begin breeding behaviour so soon. Hopefully you can get some photos of the displays.

Unfortunately, the would-be spawning male has apparently decided that the tank should only be HIS home...he has become unexpectedly aggressive to the other three bettas, keeping the other pair in hiding and taking some bites out of the tail of the female he tried to spawn with. I added some fake plants for now to break up the lines of sight, but I am getting very worried...this species is not supposed to show this much aggression. Did I get a rogue, angry male that should be removed from the tank (perhaps to keep as a wet pet)?

EDIT; I just figured out WHY he's being so aggressive...he's holding! His throat is extended from holding his progeny, and the female he apparently spawned with is protecting him from all comers even though she has been visibly fin nipped. I was just expecting him to be seclusive and hide while holding...that's what everything I read about mouthbrooding bettas said. That shows you how much I know How is he biting/nipping other fish with a mouth full of eggs?

 

Unfortunately, the would-be spawning male has apparently decided that the tank should only be HIS home...he has become unexpectedly aggressive to the other three bettas, keeping the other pair in hiding and taking some bites out of the tail of the female he tried to spawn with. I added some fake plants for now to break up the lines of sight, but I am getting very worried...this species is not supposed to show this much aggression. Did I get a rogue, angry male that should be removed from the tank (perhaps to keep as a wet pet)?

EDIT; I just figured out WHY he's being so aggressive...he's holding! His throat is extended from holding his progeny, and the female he apparently spawned with is protecting him from all comers even though she has been visibly fin nipped. I was just expecting him to be seclusive and hide while holding...that's what everything I read about mouthbrooding bettas said. That shows you how much I know How is he biting/nipping other fish with a mouth full of eggs?

Interesting!

 

Interesting!

What's even more interesting is how quickly I jump to conclusions...the male was not holding after all. He is still trying to spawn with 'his' female today, and both of them have damaged fins. The other pair is fine now that I added the fake plants and are simply trying to avoid the dominant pair.

 

Hi everyone! Here is the weekly tank shot;


I had to add the fake plants in the middle to reduce the aggression the dominant pair is showing towards the other pair...this species seems to form very pronounced pair bonds in which both members tend to stay near each other and act hostilely towards other pairs. Even with this extra cover, the subordinate pair is confined to the left third of the tank most of the time, and I am thinking I may need to move them to their own setup...the two males are noticeably different in color (the subordinate male is more reddish, the dominant male more blue), so I think I can achieve that. The subordinate male was showing interest in spawning with the subordinate female, but this was quickly halted by aggression from the dominant male.

Speaking of which, here is the dominant male in all his glory (he looks prettier in person);


I got a video of the dominant pair on my mom's phone, but I was not able to upload it due to internet issues. Pity.

 

Hi everyone! Small update...I reduced the temperature to 72 fahrenheit after the 3 gallon water change yesterday, and that seems to have reduced the aggression to manageable levels - the fish within the pairs are getting along a lot better, and while the pairs are still squabbling with each other it's mostly bluster at this point. They still have not spawned, though, even though I have seen the dominant pair wrapping repeatedly...maybe they are not comfortable spawning with a second pair in close proximity?

 

Hi again everyone! The dominant pair has vanished, and the subordinate pair has started exploring part of their territory...I am going to take a wild guess and assume they spawned for real this time (I messaged the seller and he said that the males try to hide while holding). Cautiously excited...but no clue whether fry would survive in this tank alongside the adults or even if the male will hold to term.

I saw something rather funny out of the subordinate pair today...I fed them some thawed mysis shrimp, and they would swallow the shrimp and spit it back out repeatedly like they do with the pellets (coincidentally, I suspect these bettas would not do well in a busy community due to their laidback eating habits). The subordinate female did this repeatedly at one point, and every time she did the male tried to steal the food right from her mouth...not a great partner

 

Hi everyone! As of last night and this morning, the subordinate male (and perhaps the dominant male...can't tell for sure with him) are holding. Humorously enough, the subordinate male is still begging for food! Speaking of which, is it safe to feed the fish or do water changes while the males are holding?

 

Hi everyone! It has been more than a month since I posted about the blackwater tank. To summarize...the males did not hold to term, everyone is eating again, I heavily trimmed the pothos, and I lost some interest in both of my tanks because I wasn't feeling very good. I just did the water change earlier today and moved the fake plants to give the tank a more attractive appearance...here is the result;


The new scape prompted the fish to temporarily lose their hostility towards each other and cautiously explore their 'new tank' together...it is intriguing to watch.

 

Hi everyone! Still struggling to muster interest in my tanks, so I can't report much new with this tank. Just did a 4 gallon water change today.

 

Hi everyone! My interest in my tanks is still flagging...I did a 40% WC yesterday, the first in two weeks. A few weeks before that, I had an issue with cyano growing on the pothos roots, which I resolved by hacking off the afflicted roots...hoping it doesn't come back. The pothos is growing well but has yet to reach the magnificence it had before I trimmed it heavily.

As for the bettas...I don't see the males very frequently (they seem to almost constantly be holding and/or courting). I am not enjoying them as much as I had hoped (though that may partially be because I am feeling decidedly depressed right now).

 

That is a shame, the tank was looking good and they are interesting and unusual fish. I presume you have not yet got any fry from them? Have you seen the actual spawning or just courtship, then holding? It would be good to see some pictures of them!

 

That is a shame, the tank was looking good and they are interesting and unusual fish. I presume you have not yet got any fry from them? Have you seen the actual spawning or just courtship, then holding? It would be good to see some pictures of them!

No fry, but I have repeatedly seen the fish spawning, even the female passing the eggs to the male. Part of the reason I am struggling to maintain interest in my fish is that my room is cramped enough that I lack a good place to set up a nursery tank for the fry or a brine shrimp hatchery to keep them fed until they will take prepared foods. The tank doesn't look awful by any means, but it is not quite as good looking as it was at its peak (mostly due to my ill advised idea to hack off a lot of the pothos).

 

No fry, but I have repeatedly seen the fish spawning, even the female passing the eggs to the male. Part of the reason I am struggling to maintain interest in my fish is that my room is cramped enough that I lack a good place to set up a nursery tank for the fry or a brine shrimp hatchery to keep them fed until they will take prepared foods. The tank doesn't look awful by any means, but it is not quite as good looking as it was at its peak (mostly due to my ill advised idea to hack off a lot of the pothos).

Mm that is a shame, it would be interesting to be able to rear some fry, and to record the spawning behaviour, is it possible to film it? The pothos should grow back I would think, don’t know how long it would take though, as I have no experience with it myself.

 

Hi everyone! Here is my first picture update in a long time...


I just did a 4 gallon water change earlier today. All four fish are thriving, but I don't see much of the males (the largest of which is approaching 3 inches before the tail!).