Worm Bin
My Worm Bin = Free Betta Food
I've had my Worm Bin for quite a few years. As you can see it looks a bit weather beaten but it still does the job very well.
When I bought my Worm Bin (aka Worm Farm) a few years ago to recycle organic kitchen waste into garden fertilizer I never thought I’d find this use for it. Free, Live Betta food!
Last autumn I found some White Worms on the underside of the worm bin lid and looking very similar to Grindal Worms I decided that they might make a tasty snack for my Betta Fry. They were really easy to harvest as well as they crawled up the inner sides of the worm bin, above the compost, so it was just a matter of harvesting them with a pair of tweezers.
So first of all you might be wondering where they came from? Well they just happened to move in all by themselves. Whether they were already in the compost when I bought the compost worms, I’m not sure, but they certainly have turned out to be very welcome guests.
Just harvest your White Worms with some tweezers and then let them rinse in some aquarium water for a day or so.
Therefore after I started feeding my Bettas the white worms it then dawned on me that the worm bin was also loaded full of lots and lots of composting worms as well. They would also make quite a nutritious snack as well but the composting worms presented a few problems that the white worms didn’t.
Firstly, the composting worms were less inclined to crawl the sides of the worm bin and were mostly covered in compost. They were also full of compost on the inside as well so I was suspicious that bacteria might be a problem if I was to feed the composting worms to my Bettas.
The other problem with the compost worms was most of them were too large for adult Bettas to eat in one piece. They were simply more than just a mouthful.
Place the compost worms in a cup so they can excrete their waste until they are clear inside. Then you can rinse them in some clean water and cut into bite size length for your Bettas.
So this is what I did. I first selected juvenile worms. I found that there was enough of them in the compost bin to supply a fairly good amount of food. Next I placed them in a white styro foam cup half filled with aquarium water and over a period of a couple of days the worms would purge themselves of everything they’d eaten from the compost bin.
Because the worms were slightly translucent you could see the line of compost within their body but after they’d purged themselves it was all sitting on the bottom of the cup and their bodies were then clear. I’d then place them in another cup for a while so they could rinse themselves and then feed them to my Bettas.
So what I’ve found is the compost worms make a good food for adult Bettas that are being conditioned for breeding or even just as to supplement their diet. The worms will also live in the water for quite a few days so if you’re going away for a few days you can add as many as you need to your tank so your Bettas don’t go hungry.
The other thing I also discovered is you can easily cut the larger compost worms to size with a sharp pair of scissors so they are easier for your Bettas to swallow.
White worms can also be treated the same. I’ve actually fed these to my Betta fry straight from the compost bin but it probably wouldn’t hurt to rinse them also in some aquarium water for a day. One thing I’ve noticed is the white worms only seem to survive for about 2 days while submerged so you can’t rinse them for as long as the compost worms.
White Worms form clumps when submerged in water, which makes it easy to cut them smaller if required.
The white worms are also about 4 times longer than Grindal worms so if you want to feed them to your smaller fry then it’s just a matter of cutting them to length. Now I know you’re probably thinking that cutting enough white worms to length to feed lots of fry is going to be time consuming but here’s what I’ve found. While they’re in the water just swish them around and what you’ll find is they’ll cling together to form a tight clump. Just lift the clump out of the water with some tweezers and then cut it with your sharp scissors. Just do this 3 or 4 times and before you know it you’ll turn 20 or 30 white worms into over 100 wriggling little worms you can then tip into your fry tank.
Then just stand back and watch you fry go crazy over them. I once saw two fry grab the same white worm. Each fry had a different end and it was just like a tug of war. I watched these two fry fight over it for more that 5 minutes before I decided to leave them to it. I’m not sure who won the prize but it certainly shows just how much they liked the white worms.
So there you go, if you’d like to feed your Bettas something a little different every now and again then a worm bin might just be the answer, as once you’ve paid for it the food is free.
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Aquarium Heaters
Aquarium Heaters are an item that can get overlooked when it comes to fitting out your new Siamese Fighting Fish tank. Male Fighting Fish are quite often sold in pet stores and do have a reputation for living in small containers and tanks. As a consequence, often there isn’t enough room left in their small container for the aquarium heater so the sales assistant often advises a heater isn’t required.
Don’t believe it. If your Siamese Fighting Fish’s container is too small for an aquarium heater then it is way too small to keep your Siamese Fighting Fish in. One male Fighter will need at the very, very minimum, about 4 to 5 litres of water but 10 litres is even better.
Therefore it really begs the question, when do you need an aquarium heater for your Siamese Fighting Fish tank? Well the first thing to understand is Siamese Fighting Fish are a tropical fish and as such prefer a water temperature of at least 20 deg C (68 F) and ideally about 25 – 27 deg C (80 F). So if you can’t consistently maintain a minimum of 20 deg C then an aquarium heater comes highly recommended for your Siamese Fighting Fish tank.
Now the next thing to understand about Siamese Fighting Fish is they will survive in cold water for short periods of time but that is all they will do ….. survive ….. for awhile anyway. Cold water and Siamese Fighters don’t mix. It will make your Siamese Fighting Fish susceptible to disease and sickness. He will be miserable and will most likely die well before his time.
Therefore if you find yourself in a pet shop being told something different, then don’t believe it. You’re being misinformed.
Therefore once you’ve made the decision that your Siamese Fighting Fish’s environment warrants an aquarium heater then the next decision is what type? Well the first point I would like to make is this. Aquarium heaters are not an item that you should skimp on. Lets face it, what you are doing is placing an electrical device into a body of water. Everybody knows that water and electricity don’t mix and despite the fact that aquarium heaters are purpose build to be placed in water, it would be safe to say that there are some heaters that are better than others.
Some aquarium heaters aren’t designed to be submerged below a certain level while others can be fully submerged. Therefore, if you’re after a submersible aquarium heater then make sure you read the specifications as you may be disappointed when you get your heater home and discover it isn’t fully submersible.
Next up you will need to decide the correct size aquarium heater you require. As a rough guide, the amount of litres equals the amount of Watts. Therefore a 25w aquarium heater will be suitable to heat up to 25 litres of water. Make sure you check the packaging though and follow the manufacturers recommendations.
Aquarium heater safety is very important as well. It is essential that you read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. There is also an important point that can also be overlooked as well.
Many people understand that aquarium heaters come with a thermostat that will maintain the water temperature within a certain range. What some people don’t realise is that it will only do it when the aquarium heater is submerged in water. If you were to turn on your heater without water in your tank it will heat up very fast, melt through the plastic/rubber suction mounts very quickly and if you are using a plastic or acrylic container it will melt through that as well. So you can see, aquarium heaters can be dangerous when not used correctly.
Therefore you can see that following the safety recommendations is vitally important when using aquarium heaters.
So if you’d like to house your Siamese Fighting Fish comfortably in the warm water he requires and your climate or room temperature can’t provide it then you will need to use an aquarium heater. Remember just follow the instructions, do your homework about aquarium heaters and your Siamese Fighting Fish will be happy, healthy and eternally grateful.
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Plastic Aquarium Plants
Plastic Aquarium Plants can be a low maintenance option that make looking after your Siamese Fighting Fish tank a little less labor intensive. So if you’d like to add some more visual interest to your tank there are many types of plastic plants to choose from but before you do here’s a word of warning.
Plastic Aquarium Plants with sharp edges can damage the fins and tails on your Siamese Fighting Fish.
Therefore if you’re going to add plastic plants to your fighting fish tank make sure the plastic is soft and doesn’t have any sharp edges that your Siamese Fighting Fish can catch his tail on.
This happen to both my male Halfmoons and in particular my blue butterfly. When I purchased him he had a beautiful rounded tail and after a couple of days in a display tank with plastic plants the edges of his tail was freyed and he looked more like a Crowntail, than a Halfmoon. So be warned as this was a hard lesson for me to learn.
Another point worth mentioning about plastic aquarium plants is they can attract algae which means you will have to clean them regularly, so the associated bacteria doesn’t become a problem for your Siamese Fighting Fish. One way to solve this problem though is to add an “algae eater” to your tank such as a Bristlenose Catfish or Apple Snail. Another way is to add a conditioner to your water that has an additive to inhibit algae growth.
Therefore plastic plants can add to the look and feel of your Siamese Fighting Fish tank and your fish will appreciate the many benefits that they offer but just in case you still like the idea of a live plant without the live plant maintenance then you might want to consider some Java Moss.
Java Moss doesn’t have roots and therefore doesn’t need to be planted like more conventional plants. It has a soft leaf so it won’t damage your Siamese Fighter’s fins but it can get rather sprawling and doesn’t have a more conventional plant like structure, so it may not be eveyone’s cup of tea. At the end of the day though you might want to use a combination of plastic plants with Java Moss draped over them.
Therefore there are many ways you can go about decorating your tank with plastic aquarium plants but at the end of the day it will all just come down to your personal taste and what suits you the best.
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Sponge Filter
Sponge Filter with fine sponge.
The first point to make about sponge filters are they are a very uncomplicated device and as such can be easily made yourself. There are many plans on the internet relating for DIY sponge filters. In fact I’m a big fan of DIY but only when “doing it yourself” saves a few dollars or if the design is better than the bought one. Therefore can I just say this about Sponge filters, these things are very inexpensive to buy, so unless you can find a design that is better than the one you want to buy for your Betta tank I’d just say, save yourself the trouble and just go ahead an buy one. It’s as simple as that.
I use an air pump to drive mine. Power heads can be added to sponge filters as an alternative but in a Betta tank an aquarium air pump should be sufficient. When used in a Betta breeding tank you will need to be able to adjust the air flow from barely any at all to a moderate air flow when the fry get larger. I use an air pump with adjustable air flow and an X Valve to decrease the air flow even more. Most come with a weight on the bottom and in some cases the filter may have to be used with a strong air flow for some time before the weight takes effect and secures the filter to the bottom of the tank.
One thing that I have also discovered is you can get some sponges that are finer than others. Some sponges can be quite open but I have a preference for the finer sponge in a breeding tank. Although it might not stop newly hatched fry from getting trapped in it there will come a time when the fry will be too large for it present a problem. This means you will be able to start using it more effectively at an earlier stage than one with a course sponge.
Albino Bristlenose Catfish foraging for food on a Sponge Filter
Another great feature of sponge filters is they allow good/beneficial bacteria to build up over time and as such increase to overall health of your Betta tank. If you have a new sponge filter in a new tank you can accelerate the process by sitting it in or using it in an established tank for a while so it absorbs some of the bacteria in this tank. If you place it in a tank against an established filter, turn the established filter off and turn the new filter on then it will absorb bacteria from the established sponge filter.
Sponge filters also have an advantage over corner filters in that the whole of their surface is used to filter where most corner filters have smaller inlets which means greater suction through a smaller area for a given air flow. This means small fry are more likely to get trapped in a corner filter. The exposed surface area of the sponge also attracts algae eaters such as Bristlenose Catfish and Apple Snails that like to crawl over the surface of the sponge and help clean it.
Therefore sponge filters have many advantages and despite this you may be able to get away with not using one in a small Betta tank but if you’re into breeding Bettas you will find that a sponge filter is a must have item for your Betta breeding tank.
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Aquarium Air Pump
My Aquarium Air Pump Set Up. The blue knob is used to adjust the air flow but it will not reduce it low enough to run a filter in a tank with small fry. That's why I've added the white bypass valve on the right. I can use this to adjust the air flow to an absolute minimum. The right outlet from the air pump goes to a Two Way Air Pump Manifold. One of these air lines goes to my brine shrimp hatchery and the second to my other breeding tank. The red knobs are basically on/off so I've also added white bypass valves to these lines as well. Remember there are lots of ways to set up your Aquarium Air Pump arrangement. This is just one way that suited me.
If you’re going to breed Siamese Fighting Fish then you will need an Aquarium Air Pump for your sponge filter and for hatching brine shrimp.
The aquarium air pump I bought was rated for tanks up to 70 litres (18 gallons) and I’m using it for the filters in 2 Betta breeding tanks and my brine shrimp hatchery. I’ve found this size to be adequate for my needs at this stage as the air flow to the filters is at a minimum while the fry are small. With two tanks full of water and larger fry it will be right on it’s capacity but I have tested it and it will probably be just adequate.
Therefore when selecting your aquarium air pump take into consideration your needs and select an air pump with sufficient capacity right from the start. Remember, you can always add an extra pump in the future but this will mean using an extra power outlet (and maybe using more power/electricity), a greater overall purchase expense and taking up more space and cluttering your breeding area. If you plan for the future with your air pump selection then you can make things easier for yourself with your set up.
Other considerations you may wish to take into account apart from air pump capacity are adjustable air flow, the number of air outlets, whether each outlet is individually adjustable and whether it runs silently or not.
Air Pump Accessory Kit
Also consider if your aquarium air pump comes with accessories and what accessories you will need. Mine didn’t have any accessories or air hose but I was able to purchase a small air pump accessories kit for just a few dollars. It contained 3 m (9 ft) of Air Hose, 1 Airstone, 1 Non-Return Valve, an X Valve and a T Valve.
One important consideration you will need to take into account is where you position your aquarium air pump. Obviously, keep it in a dry position away from water but if you mount it above the water level of your tank you may not have to add a non return valve. Make sure you read the manufacturers instructions though, and follow their recommendations.
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Java Moss
Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri aka Vesicularia dubyana) is a living plant that will make a great addition to your Siamese Fighting Fish tank. Therefore, whether you add it to your breeding tank or simply use it in you regular Betta tanks there are many benefits in using it.
Firstly it is very versatile, and will grow in low light or bright light, is suited to the water temperature preferred by Siamese Fighting Fish, it doesn’t mind stagnant water and instead of roots it has rhizoids which it uses to attach itself to driftwood or rocks or will even grow quite happily without attaching itself to anything. And because it doesn’t have roots you don’t have to add all the extra bits and pieces you need to grow most other aquatic plants so it’s easy to look after which can also make things easier for you when cleaning your tank.
Java Moss also has soft fern like leaves that won’t damage the fins on your Betta Fish which can be a concern with the use of plastic plants. It can also be used in a breeding tank as it can be a haven for fry, can be used as an extra food source for fry and is a great place to drip fry food such as microworms to keep them off the bottom of the tank.
Java Moss Taxiphyllum barbieri is normally purchased in a ball about the size of a golf ball. You can then pull it apart and spread it around your Betta Tank.
Now just in case you are wondering, the growth rate will depend on the conditions in your tank but when it becomes too large just trim it back by pulling bits off it to suit. Therefore if you’d like to add some Java Moss to your Siamese Fighting Fish tank then it can normally be purchased in golf ball size clumps that are reasonably inexpensive and then pulled apart as required to fill the portion of your tank as you see fit. Then when it grows too large just trim it back again.
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Betta eBooks
