Petco bookshelf tank...

Xeek

I am considering buying this tank and will fit it on one level of my bookshelf, not the top level, so height is limited. Does anyone with this tank know its dimensions with the hood installed? Amazon.com shows it as being 24 x 8.2 x 9.3 inches. This is great, but I'm not sure if 9.3 inches high is with the hood and light in place. I think I have about 13" of height available, but can't fill that completely because I need space to maintain the tank.

Stocking it? Well after thinking about crayfish who will kill each other, and breeding shrimp which I don't think I have the time to ship every so often - dividing it for 3 bettas sounds appealing.


Petco Bookshelf Freshwater Fish Aquarium - Office Fish Tank and Home Aquarium from Petco.com

AK Fresh Water

Sounds like enough room for one betta. Not three.

Xeek

Why do you think that? Bettas are kept in far less space often, though I find that cruel. The length may not add to the amount of pollution the water can handle but it does add to the swimming space for the fish if at least on a horizontal plane which I find better than a 2.5G tall tank that some people use for these fish. There is plenty of space for them to swim compared to what these fish grew up in.

They're not all that dirty, and AqAdvisor.com (which I am told is conservative on its calculations) considers the tank only 75% to capacity when stocked with 3 male bettas.

Could you add more reason to why 3 bettas can't live in a tank like this? I am already prepared to add a 2nd filter to the other side of the tank as the dividers will severely restrict the water flow. I will have a heater, but it's not a major concern of mine in a warm climate and the inside of my house is never below 74. I have an unheated crayfish tank that stays at 78F in the bedroom (computer equipment keeps the room warm). Anyways there will still be a heater - power could go out on a cold night

Olympia

Just be careful, the front of the tank bows a little and it's pretty tricky to get a divider in perfectly (you'll need to cut it yourself.)
Posted via Mobile Device

Xeek

I plan on custom making it. I'll be taking my time on this - I have enough tanks that already have water in them to take care of in the time being. So this would be no hurry. I still have 2 or so weeks before I even start stocking my 16 gallon tank.

Olympia

Also, woah, what happened that you are getting so many tanks so soon! :p You'll have enough bettas to be classified a betta maniac soon.
Posted via Mobile Device

Xeek

I am a maniac, that knows he will want more bettas in a couple of months! Might as well have water ready for them! I just lack the space for 2 good sized tanks and want to make the best of it.

I tend to plan ahead too much. I like to shoot a lot of ideas around It's going to get me in fish trouble! So far I haven't killed anything knock on drift wood.

AK Fresh Water

Just because the norm is to keep Bettas and Goldfish in horrendous, inhumane conditions, it doesn't make it ok. I'm not saying that your set up is cruel, but I stand firm in my belief that 2 gals is not enough space for a Betta to thrive. Here's what our website's profile has to say about it, " 5 gallons is agreeable to many as a safe minimum size. Lesser than that is often considered cruel, as this restricts space for them to flaunt their fins as they usually do in the wild."

AqAdvisor is in no way the authority on fish stocking. Yes, it can be helpful in planning tanks, but like any computer, it cannot fully account for the complexity of real life. It is prone to mistakes. It is a good start, but it doesn't come close to the advice and knowledge of experienced fish keepers. I've been in the hobby for only 2 years or so, so I'm definitely not an expert.

It's important to recognize that just because a fish CAN live in a situation, it doesn't mean that it will be happy or thrive. If you're set on having multiple Betta, I would highly advise on splitting the tank into two, rather than three. I feel very strongly that 5 gallons is the minimum for Bettas, but if you're going to split the tank I feel that 3.25gal each is much better than 2gals.

I apologize if I come across as rude or standoffish. I'm just very sensitive and upset about the treatment of Bettas and Goldfish.

AK Fresh Water

I would also advise not adding a second filter. Bettas love slow moving water. Having two filters run would create a very uncomfortable environment for your Betta.
Yes, having a heater is highly advised. Since the tank is small the temperature can easily fluctuate. Having a heater in it can help maintain a stable temperature. Major temperature swings are very bad for fish!

Xeek

That all, kind of makes sense. In normal circumstance I would only put 2 bettas in that much water, but the added length seemed to give the fish more space to stretch out and I wasn't worried about them not being able to flaunt their fins in an 8x8x7" space. Normally a tank at 6 gallons would be much taller and the horizontal space would be far less. This is what lead to my idea of divided 3x.

In any case you have a good point, dividing it 2x sounds more ideal and my current betta looks so very happy in his 5 gallons and I would hate to make a fish not have something close to that to enjoy.

I'm going to go home and do some more measuring and maybe just buying another 5g tank for another betta would be good.

I will add one thing. To compare these bettas to wild bettas is a bit difficult. The ones often kept as pets have been bred over many generations to have fins like they have now. In fact a wild betta will have smaller fins and likely able to flare in less space (if we want to talk geometry). I know there are other issues that these fish require more space.