biOrb for bettas

I've had a beloved betta in a 2-1/2 gallon bowl for about 10 weeks. Sparkles gets regular (partial) water changes but the bowl has no filtration, lighting or heating. In spite of that, he seems like quite a happy little guy. I know for sure he's going to need a heater when the weather cools down (it's still practically summer here in Arizona), so that's not part of the question.

I have had tropical and marine aquariums in the past, so I understand the basics of the biological cycle. However, he's my first betta.

I decided to give him a better home, bought the Baby biOrb for him yesterday, and set it up last night. When I plugged it in, it really appears to me that it wouldn't be a happy home for him because of the water turbulence, particularly on the surface but also throughout. Also, the substrate provided (and required for effective biological filtration) is rough lava rock. Yet, I've read user reviews and talked to a guy who seemed knowledgeable that the Baby biOrb (4 gallons) is an ideal environment for a betta.

After setting it up, without putting Sparkles into it, my instincts tell me it's not a very good environment because of the water turbulence and lava rock substrate. The little bit I've seen here on Fishlore probably confirms that. However, I couldn't find much specific discussion about the biOrb here, my by-far favorite fishie forum, so I thought I'd open the topic.

I'm probably going to return the biOrb, but perhaps someone here will shed some light and I'll change my mind. It's quite an ingenious design, and it looks really, really pretty. But I don't want to do anything that would disturb Sparkles' health, liveliness, or rest when he's in his Zen-like peaceful mode. I really don't think the biOrb is going to be a good home for him, but I don't know.

I have very little space to place him in where he can frequently see me, his favorite person. I don't want to stick him in an out-of-the way corner. Plus, selfishly, I wouldn't get to gaze at him more than he looks at me!

Because of the space, which is only about 14" wide but fairly unlimited in height and depth, I'm only seeing three options:

1) Keep him in his unfiltered bowl, keep up the water changes (and turkey baster) but add a heater.

2) The biOrb.

3) A small conventional three-gallon aquarium, such as an Eclipse 3 Gallon Acrylic Aquarium System on Amazon, which I haven't seen "in person." This might be my best option, but is it really cheesy-looking? Is its filtration safe and effective? Anybody have any experience with it?

 

The store I go to has a BiOrb set up with a Betta in it. While the tank does look nice, it looks like it is very difficult to do water changes and cleaning because of the shape. There is a lot of turbulence on the top which makes it hard for the Betta to get air from the top. The staff there leave the filter off in there half the time for the sake of the Betta but that defeats the purpose of having a filter. That Betta has been in there for several weeks and although he seems happier than the ones in the cups, I have noticed his tail has several rips in it, probably from the rough rock on the bottom. Also, I noticed that when the Betta swims towards the back of the tank you cannot see him due to the shape of the tank. The round shape distorts the view of the fish quite a bit.
I personally would go with the 3 gallon Eclipse. It is an excellent tank with an excellent filter! It's not cheesy looking at all. There are several members who have their Betta in them on here. All the Eclipse tanks are excellent Betta tanks. I have the 5 gallon Hex tank myself and it's a great tank.

 

On the petco website theh have a picture of a betta in a biOrb, but then again there's a gold fish in there aswell so it kind of shows what they know.

Jack

 

I would go with either a 3 gallon eclipse or a 2.5g OR 5 gallon minibow kit (both at wally-world). the bio-orb is cool, but I wouldn't put any of our bettas in one, so I couldn't recommend it.

Bettas really can thrive in tanks smaller than 10g. we have 2 bettas in 5 gallon tanks and 3 in 2.5g tanks, and haven't had to treat any of them for any sickness. the females even have vertical stripes most of the time. ;D

a 10 gallon tank is great if there's room, but a smaller tank can work just as good and be a happy betta home. ;D

 

I think the bioOrb looks lovely, and would be a beautiful decoration with just maybe a plant and some pretty glass stones in it. It seems to be one of these things created for the owner with little consideration given to the fish who has to actually live in it.

I personally would not keep a betta in it. I just got a 5-gal MiniBow and I love it, as does my betta!

 

The bioorb looks like a lovely tank, I'm sure. But...I use a homemade filter for my girlfriend's bettas. I use the old box style filters, with gravel and filter floss. They don't mind the flow and it works very well at filtering water.

 

The store I go to has a BiOrb set up with a Betta in it. While the tank does look nice, it looks like it is very difficult to do water changes and cleaning because of the shape. There is a lot of turbulence on the top which makes it hard for the Betta to get air from the top. The staff there leave the filter off in there half the time for the sake of the Betta but that defeats the purpose of having a filter. That Betta has been in there for several weeks and although he seems happier than the ones in the cups, I have noticed his tail has several rips in it, probably from the rough rock on the bottom. Also, I noticed that when the Betta swims towards the back of the tank you cannot see him due to the shape of the tank. The round shape distorts the view of the fish quite a bit.
I personally would go with the 3 gallon Eclipse. It is an excellent tank with an excellent filter! It's not cheesy looking at all. There are several members who have their Betta in them on here. All the Eclipse tanks are excellent Betta tanks. I have the 5 gallon Hex tank myself and it's a great tank.

Glad to see you're still here Sincerely

 

Bettas are surface swimmers and since the Bio-orb has a shape that cuts the surface area down due to the spherical nature of it, they do not really do a good job of providing a good home for bettas. They need as much surface area as possible and of the choices you have given, the 3 gallon regular tank would be the best. I have had mine in anything from the 3 gallon Eclipse tanks, to the 25 gallon tanks. The truth is that they do thrive in the bigger tanks but if you do not put any other fish or inhabitants in with them they can live in a 3 gallon, but nothing smaller. I have even seen people get small filters, heaters and lights and fix bowls so they did not have to buy a regular tank. I fixed a 3 gallon vase this way for one of my bettas but for the reasons that I do not recommend the Bio-orb, I am just as happy that this is not longer in use.

Rose

 

Fish kisses to all!

Thank you to all! What a great and helpful bunch of folks, even if you are, uhhh, kind of fishy!

Based on my initial instincts and most of all on your collective knowledge, the biOrb is out. I'm about to order Sparkles' three-gallon Eclipse tank, based on digesting your suggestions and my own and Sparkles' needs. It seems like it'll be a much better home for him than the biOrb.

While I'm at it, might as well go ahead and install his heater, so I'm ordering a Marineland Stealth 50, which I read elsewhere on FishLore is a good one. Sparkles thanks you, and I thank you again!

 

best of luck and we'll love to see pics of the tank when it's setup. ;D

 

Oh yes pictures please!!!

Good luck to you and to Sparkles. (Love the name and can hardly wait to see him in his new home)

Rose

 

Thank you to all! What a great and helpful bunch of folks, even if you are, uhhh, kind of fishy!

Based on my initial instincts and most of all on your collective knowledge, the biOrb is out. I'm about to order Sparkles' three-gallon Eclipse tank, based on digesting your suggestions and my own and Sparkles' needs. It seems like it'll be a much better home for him than the biOrb.

While I'm at it, might as well go ahead and install his heater, so I'm ordering a Marineland Stealth 50, which I read elsewhere on FishLore is a good one. Sparkles thanks you, and I thank you again!

Pam, I have 2 - 3 gallon and 2 - 6 g Eclipse. I love them, they look great ( nothing cheesy about them), and I really like the filter in the top. The flow from the bio wheel is not turbulent ( I fill the tank with water right to the top). In fact, the Bettas seem to like to play in it. One of the eclipse has cories and an oto in it, and they are all happy as clams. And another good thing, the company offers on line help, and very fast in their responses, so any questions you can go straight to them. ( And, they are virtually silent! ) Also, the light is great, not incadescent that would heat the water , as so many smaller tanks have. I also have the Stealth heaters and think they are great as well.


I use one 3 g Eclipse as my Hospital tank and bought a small foam filter to use in it, **** a regulator on the tubing and just leave the filter out - and put the heater in. There is no ( well hardly) any turbulence and it keeps the tank clean ( I have no substrate in the hospital tank).

I think you will be much happier with your choice - it is a good product. Good luck!

Val

 

Pam, I have to agree with everyone on here. The eclipse tanks are great. They look great and are very easy to nmanage. I have a 3 gallon( housed by Pebbles,and 2 oto cats- I kow overstocked, but don't have much of a choice right now), 5 gallon hex which is dismanteled till we sell our condo and get a bigger house, and a 2.5 minI bow housed by RJ. They are all great tanks and the fish are very happy with their homes as well. Natalie

 

Thanks again! I set up the Eclipse 3 Wednesday night. I haven't introduced Sparkles to it yet, though. It looks just perfect for him, as far as I can tell, and looks and fits great in the preferred space. I really like the design and engineering of it. I like the way all filtration is in the hood. Extremely clever design, and I especially like the way the biological filtration takes place in the wheel in the hood, receiving lots of oxygen. It all makes perfect aquarium-health sense, especially for such a small tank. The surface seems "alive" without being too turbulent. Changing the filter should be a snap, as should water changes, since opening the hood and taking it off are so easy! Even the fluorescent light is a very sparkling, very pretty color.

Well, that's what I think, anyway. The important thing is what Sparkles thinks. Therefore, I have a few questions for my favorite Betta-savvy advisers.

When I set up the tank Wednesday night, Oct. 10, I put about 25 marble-sized glass aquarium stones in the new tank from his old (current) bowl to help pre-cycle the tank. I'm thinking it should be good enough by tomorrow, Sunday, to introduce him to the new home. After all, he self-cycled his 2-gallon bowl himself in the first place, and now he has the filtration to help.

I really think it will be okay, but I don't want to make a mistake that could harm Sparkles, so I thought I should ask. I'm obviously eager to see him explore his new home, and I really want to get him out of the bowl as soon as possible. I'm thinking of doing about 20% water changes for the first couple of days after introducing him, then every couple of days after that for a week or so, plus sucking up his little poopies with a turkey baster every time I see them. I've also fed the little piggie less that he usually gets during the past few days in preparation for the move. Does this sound like a reasonable and safe plan?

 

It is going to take much longer than a couple or so days for your tank to cycle and you are going to need to test your water and do water changes to keep the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels down as you would have done in the bowl. The bacteria on the stones if there is any may help but the place that has to grow a bacterial bed is the bio-wheel and this is going to take a bit of time no matter what.

Sparkles should not be in harm's way if you do the water changes and check the water to make sure of the levels. Just check for ammonia and nitrite only until the first week or so is over and then you can start to check for nitrates every other day or so until they start to form and then every day after that. The testing for ammonia and nitrites though is necessary every single day to make sure that they are not building up to toxic levels. After the tank is cycled all the way and the levels go to 0 then you do not have to do daily testing anymore, just before water changes and when there is trouble in the tank or if you question something. So until the tank is cycled it is: ammonia and nitrite testing every day, and nitrate testing every 2 to 3 days after the first week until they start to show up and then daily until the ammonia and nitrite levels go to 0.

You should not do more than 50% water changes while the cycle is progressing nor should you have to. Just leave Sparkles in the tank and remove half of the water and replace it with fresh water. A lot of really new folks get excited about the "bad things" in the water and start doing 100% or 75% changes and this will really slow the cycle down and is not necessary. (and can even be harmful)

The temperature of your tank at 80 degrees will help to grow bacteria. The bacteria grows really well at this temperature and will thrive in the tank and on the wheel.

One last word about the Bio-wheel. A lot of people get very excited when it starts to look gunky. Please, please and double please resist the temptation to "rinse your bio-wheel" to remove some of the gunk. Your tank will suffer, your betta will suffer and in the end, so will you. They are supposed to look awful and that is just the bacterial colony that you see. If you ever worked in a lab, you would know that when bacteria grow and prosper they often do not look pretty so be ready. They will make the bio-wheel look like you have put chocolate pudding on it and it has gone bad but that is what it is supposed to look like. If it bothers you, shut the lid; but please do not rinse your bio-wheel. You will kill a lot of your bacteria if you do so. (and terribly damage your cycle)

I do hope you enjoy your new tank and your betta Sparkles does too. They are very fine tanks and I have had a lot of them. I never really had a problem with any of them that was not my fault and when a problem arises, if ever, the people at Marineland are the best and easiest of people to deal with. They stand behind warranties to the letter and bend over backwards to help you so be sure to register your warranty (by card or online at:
)

I hope some of this has been helpful and will help keep you from having some problems. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you need help and be sure to keep us informed of the progress and send pictures when you can, we Love Pictures!!

Rose

 

Thanks, Rose and all! Well, Sparkles is in his new home. Sparkles' reaction has surprised me. I thought he'd be happy, happy, happy, but he seems angry. I put him in a fish-safe bag from the aquarium shop, as the temperature was five degrees different between his old bowl and the new aquarium (even though they've been sitting within a few inches of each other for for four days). Go figure. I guess it's because of the 1-1/2 gallon difference in water volume and that the bowl is glass, while the Eclipse 3 is acrylic.

While in the plastic bag, Sparkles was looking around at his new home. His gills were moving a little faster than usual, and I think that was because of some anxiety at being captured. (He's quite a jumper when he sees the net.) But he swam around in the plastic bag with interest, checking out the new environment, looking at his new plant, looking at me, etc.

When the temp stabilized, I let him out. To my surprise, he seemed angry! Well, I don't know his emotional state, but it seems that way. Maybe he's just excited. He's been flaring and swimming in an agitated manner, up and down, back and forth. He seems extremely interested in the edges and corners of the Eclipse 3. He wouldn't pay attention to me. When I tried to feed him with two little pellets, he finally grabbed them then immediately spit them out. He's never done that before.

What I'm thinking is that his whole world has been in a round bowl, and that the concept of a rectangle is totally new to him. Could this be true?

Back when I first adopted him, he adapted immediately to his big round bowl from the plastic bag from the tiny glass bowl from which I bought him. To my surprise, he ate within minutes of my putting him in the big bowl, even though he had been transported, put in the pet store's little bowl, put in the plastic bag, stayed overnight at home, then put in the big bowl in my office, all within 48 hours. He surprised me with a lovely bubble nest two days later!

How do the commercial Betta people raise the fry? I know Sparkles was raised in Oregon. Would he have been in a round bowl all his life before now? I would have thought commercial Bettas would have been raised in large, rectangular, divided spaces. Does anybody know? He's acting like it seems like such a foreign environment to him, and in particular, the corners.

Oh, and Rose, thanks for all the advice, but especially about the Bio-wheel looking like spoiled chocolate pudding. I already knew it should look disgusting when it's most effective, but I wasn't prepared for that! Good to know!

And to all, I'll post photos as soon as possible! Thanks for asking! I love your photos, too!

 

That's extremely interesting (and a tad worrying for you, no doubt) behaviour, Pam. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't follow the whole thread but I myself was considering a bio-Orb for my betta as there's way less chance of seeing himself in the reflection. I had a male betta in a hex and he was driven crazy by his own reflection. He also came from a small bowl.

So you didn't like the bio-Orb (for my own interest)?

 

That's extremely interesting (and a tad worrying for you, no doubt) behaviour, Pam. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't follow the whole thread but I myself was considering a bio-Orb for my betta as there's way less chance of seeing himself in the reflection. I had a male betta in a hex and he was driven crazy by his own reflection. He also came from a small bowl.

So you didn't like the bio-Orb (for my own interest)?

Read the whole thread and you'll definitely not go for the biOrb! I really don't think it's the way to go. I think the Eclipse 3 is much better and costs about the same, but the jury (the jury being my Betta, Sparkles) is still undecided. It seems like it'll be a great home for him, but he is still fighting it. I don't know why. Definitely don't go with the biOrb for a Betta! It's way too turbulent, especially on the water surface, but also throughout.

Well, a couple of you asked for a picture. Here's Sparkles exploring his new tank. It's not the very best possible photo of him. He's still surprisingly suspicious and tentative.

 

HI Pam

I can't find the picture.

Of course you're right. Am being lazy (too many threads to go through).

I've read it now. Mmmmh. Shame. I was really tempted to get one. My LFS sells them, and they're quite cheap as tanks go. And I liked the idea of the integrated filter.

But that's a lot of objections: distortion, excessive current, sharp substrate. I think I'll pass. Thanks for preventing me from making a mistake.

Read the whole thread and you'll definitely not go for the biOrb! I really don't think it's the way to go. I think the Eclipse 3 is much better and costs about the same, but the jury (the jury being my Betta, Sparkles) is still undecided. It seems like it'll be a great home for him, but he is still fighting it. I don't know why. Definitely don't go with the biOrb for a Betta! It's way too turbulent, especially on the water surface, but also throughout.

 

HI Pam

I can't find the picture.

I thought I uploaded it correctly as an attachment, but here it is again. It's a picture of Sparkles looking back and forth between me and the strange new heater and thermometer thingies in his new tank. I re-named the and maybe it helped, but I'm sorry for two posts with the same if that's the case.

 

He might be tentative, but he's also GORGEOUS. What a beautiful fish! Is he already in our betta photo gallery? ()

 

Don't be worried about his behavior, please. He is okay. They will spend days sometimes going over every new little thing in their environment and what you saw was his "hunting" mode probably. He is in his big game hunter mode and checking out his new home to make sure there is nothing in there that might "get him" and he has to go and act all macho on you to show he is the boss of the new place. When he feels he has his new territory all set up and established he will settle down and be a much more appreciative little boy. He could also have still had his nose a bit out of joint for being netted and bagged and to his way of thinking "rudely ripped from his home". They are tempermental at times but when he settles in and gets to know that he is Lord and Master of the Tank, he will love you again. Don't worry if he does not eat during the settling in, that is very common and actually tells you that he is taking this moving in thing very seriously. Try leaving the lights off for a day and letting him have it quiet and he will be a different boy the next day when he has had a day to pout. They love having a pout day once in a while and it makes them happier afterwards.

Have fun and don't worry, it will be fine. He is just being a betta.

Congratulations, he is a very beautiful betta and has a lot of personality. You are a very lucky owner and mommy.

Rose

 

I think his behavior is somewhat common. they're not the biggest fans of changes and he's also in a totally new and unfamiliar kind of place to live so he'll be on-guard and curious as he gets settled in. Soon enough, he'll accept his home and begin to feel safe and you'll see more & more of his personality come out. ;D

he's a beauty, btw!

EDIT: lol, looks like we both had the same idea at the same time Rose.

 

You know what they say about GREAT MINDS ....

At least they can see here that we do agree on things.

Rose

:;pumpkin

 

I"m sure Sparkles will be okay. I've found a few bloodworms helps them forget whatever is worrying them!

When I put my guy into his new big home, he examined and flared at everything there, just to be on the safe side. So cute!

Watching them in new homes makes you realize how much they do enjoy space and decorations and do NOT like living in tiny bowls.

 

He is very cute Pam. Like everyone else said don't worry too much about him going nuts. He has lots to explore in his new home. He will come to love and appreciate it more as well as love and appreciate you more for providing him a bigger and better home. Natalie

 

what do great minds have to do with me?

You know what they say about GREAT MINDS ....

At least they can see here that we do agree on things.

Rose

:;pumpkin

 

Well, Dave, I think you are great anyway!


Rose

 

thanks Rose.. here's your

Well, Dave, I think you are great anyway!


Rose

 

Sparkles is gorgeous! Reminds me of my old betta Vladimir.

 

Thanks again for the advice, encouragement and compliments on Sparkles' looks! As you all predicted, Sparkles loves his new home. He decided to like the new Eclipse 3 tank about 24 hours after I introduced him to it. Here are three pictures:



I enjoy the pictures of the gorgeous bettas that you've posted. It's even fun seeing all the creative names you've come up with for the little guys and girls. Speaking of girls -- the thread I linked to above shows lots and lots of photos of pretty girls. Sure, they're not as spectacular in looks as the boys, but it sure seems they can have just as much if not more personality and smarts!

 

lol.. don't you love their curiosity? ;D he's a very handsome Betta!

 

Looking for some Eclipse aquarium solutions

Sparkles is still very much enjoying his new Eclipse 3 tank! He's fluttering about and showing off like such a happy little guy!

I'm looking for some solutions that would make him (or more likely me) even happier.

1) He's a bubblenest-blower, but he hasn't been able to make a bubblenest in the new tank because of the very slight turbulence on the top of the water. I know this is for me, not him, but I'd like to see the lovely, sparkling results of his efforts. He's been trying, but his perfect little bubbles just scatter to the front of the tank. I'm trying to think of some non-toxic donut-shaped thingie I could put in the tank that would float. Maybe he'd learn he could build a bubblenest in it? I thought of a baby teething ring, but they seem a little small and are all made in China. Gee, stores still sell baby teething rings made in China to give to human infants to chew upon? I wouldn't even trust one in my fish tank! I'm concerned about the headlines on lead poisoning and other toxins in Chinese food, much less objects.

2) He goes down to the bottom of the tank to sleep. I know he must have to get up quite a few times when he's resting, especially during the night, to the water surface to breathe surface air. It seems like he'd like a tall live plant or something on which to rest. Any recommendations?

3) He has a small live plant which I placed in a plastic cup and anchored using marbles. Any better solutions to anchoring live plants? He doesn't really have substrate (aquarium gravel) since the biological, chemical and mechanical filtration mostly takes place in the Eclipse 3 hood. I just have some marbles scattered around the bottom for decoration and for a bit of additional biological filtration. I'm new at Bettas and the Eclipse 3, but I'm thinking what I have set up so far probably works well, because it's easy to find his little poops and get them out with a turkey baster. I like not having the substrate gravel.

4) Temp. I've looked high and low and seen a bunch of conflicting recommendations about temperature. Now that Sparkles has a 50-watt Stealth heater by Marineland, is the ideal temp about 80 degrees for a Betta? BTW, this seems like a really good heater. Very stable in temp, very easy to set.

5) Lighting. Let's say he gets some natural light, not direct sunlight, starting at 7 a.m. I want to see him with his aquarium light on until 9 p.m. I bought a cheap $4 Timex timer for his aquarium light. Should I set the timer for his aquarium light from, say, 3 to 9 p.m.? Is 14 hours a day too much light, even though the brightest light would be from 3 to 9 p.m.?

Thanks in advance for any additional tips you can provide! You've been so helpful! I love this forum, and especially appreciate the work of the admins, mods, and active posters here!

 

if you cut a styrofoam cup or bowl in half and can anchor it to the side of the tank using tape, that's a great way to give him a bubble nesting spot, but i'd recommend keeping the tape out of the water if possible. Usually this is easier if the water level is lower than the top of the tank.

A tall, broad leaved plant may appeal to him.. then again, he may continue to sleep on the bottom. our bettas all have the big leaves to sleep on but they like to sleep in their caves or a cozy spot on the bottom.

The way you're doing his live plant is how we'd probably do it.

78-80 is the ideal for Bettas and what we try to keep our tanks at.

we try to give our fish about 12-14 hours of light.

 

Any better solutions to anchoring live plants?

What kind of plant do you have? Java ferns and Anubias do quite well in low light.

They can be attached to rocks, driftwood or terracotta pots using elastic bands or fishing line. I find the elastics easier to work with. Once the plant grabs hold with roots spreading, you can cut the elastic.

In one of my tanks, you can see the plants. Some are tied to the wood, and others I stuck under the handle of the pot and they're rooted.
All my fish love their live plants.

And my betta likes to sleep either in his vase, or under the driftwood!

 

I am so happy to hear that he is loving his new home! That's wonderful news! I think everything you have done for him in perfect. Natalie

 

How about a feeding ring? It is attached to the side of the tank with a suction cup and stays still but always floats on top of the water. He may or may not get the idea but it would be the closest thing to what you are describing for him to have a quiet place on the surface to build the bubblenest in. (and these have been made for fish tanks and will not hurt your little Sparkles)

I knew someone who made little baggies of gravel around the roots of the plants and fastened them around the stems and then could weigh them down and move them about when and where he wanted them. He tied them with fishline and it did not dissolve in the water. You could get Anarchis or any plant that grows faily tall. As far as that goes, Anarchis does even grow without being planted. It will float on the surface and he can sleep among the leaves. Another possibility would be to get him a Java Fern and tie it to a piece of rock that you get from an aquarium store. Don't use any rock you find unless you test it first with vinegar and boil it and let it cool slowly (rock found in nature) If the rock bubbles when you put a little vinegar on it, it cannot be used in the aquarium that is why it is always better just to buy one at the aquarium store. Theirs have been tested. Rocks found in nature can change your pH a lot and kill or make your fish sick.

80 degrees is the absolute ideal temperature for a betta. Any higher is not desirable. It can get down to 78 with no problem but no lower. The only time you want it higher is when you are treating for Ich and then only for the amount of time to treat the disease.

He really should not have more than 12 hours of light a day or you will have all kinds of algae in your tank. It won't hurt him but it will be a clean up problem for you. If you do not mind the cleaning then you can leave it on the extra two hours but you will have the algae present.

Rose