# Jag's Betta Spec! Update 9/16



## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Initial planting 










Guppies are in!! I'm gonna have to figure out how to turn the filter down because they are getting blasted around... lol. Plants so far are vals, crispus, narrow leaf amazon sword, crypt wendtii red/green, crypt parva. Going to scour the beach for rocks for a hardscape today 










My first impressions are wow, this tank is pretty good for an all in one! Can't go wrong with a 40gph pump with a lot of media space in a less than 2 gallon tank, lol, but with the pump turned down all the way and some sponge crammed behind the overflow it's nothing guppies can't handle. The light is decent for a kit light, should definitely be bright enough for the low light plants I've got in there. It looks sleek too. I'd LOVE it if it was about a gallon bigger... but it's perfect for a betta, small fish like guppies, micro fish, or shrimp  We'll see how it holds out over time.


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## T3Knical5urg3 (May 16, 2012)

A simple way to turn the filter pressure down is to cut some slits in the rubber hosing running to the outflow. This also creates more water movement in that chamber, which is often used for heaters.

Another option is to use a valve. I dont remember the one I got but just measure the inside diameter and google search it.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Ah, I should've thought about cutting slits in the hose.... I did cram one of those preset Tetra heaters back there. I will do that if the flow bugs the guppies too much. Right now they seem okay.

Unfortunately my rams are not doing very well. One of them is extremely dominant over the other and the submissive guy is looking very skinny and listless. I am going to have to separate them VERY soon. Today maybe. Stupid pet store gave me 2 males and they still fight in a heavily planted 33 gallon.

Water all cleared up, guppies stopped freaking out... it is SO hard to get a picture of 3 moving objects at once with an iPhone...


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Nice start and beautiful guppies


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks! They're not bad for Petsmart cheapies


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I figured they were but still nice. I've been lucky to get some that are considered show quality so now I don't get anymore from there.


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## iRun (Apr 12, 2011)

i just bought one too. I probably need to be medicated for my absolute lack of impulse control. I'm taking mine to work. I'm thinking plants and shrimp for sure, beyond that...who knows


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I don't plan on breeding them, but one day I'd like to have a ton of them in a long and shallow tank... they are small, very colorful, active and friendly... I think guppies are underrated 

and iRun, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I'm enjoying mine! I'm a little worried the light isn't strong enough for some plants, but the 13w Fluval PC light for the Flora/Ebi is one I commonly see used as a replacement.


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## iRun (Apr 12, 2011)

Thanks! You saved me some time researching alternate lights in case the LED isn't cutting it.


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

+1 to the fluval 13 watt. It is a great light for the Spec.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Here's the new scape










Rock in the back left is kind of meh, I picked up a few at the beach and only had those to work with. I'm liking the Aqua Soil, this is the first time I've actually had it underwater. The cyperus helferi is too long for the tank IMO, I hope to replace it with hairgrass or something eventually. There is e. tenellus in between the rocks, but it was almost all wrecked in my last tank so it will take a while to grow in. The c. parva is only temporary in there until then.


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## FisheriesOmen (Jan 14, 2012)

where'd the guppies go? and I'm loving the new soil, I'm not much of a fan of bright soil in my planted tanks.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Haha, they went back in my 10g tank for a while since the Aqua Soil isn't cycled yet and it's doing the ammonia thing. They'll go back in when it's done


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

and its table:


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## CorrinaCorrina (Jul 1, 2010)

Beautiful setup! I am thinking of getting some guppies for my spec. I had a beta but he didn't like it in there. To ebb the flow I scootched the top bit of the hose off the exit spout and pointed the spout up into the tank away from the fish. I really like the long cyperus helferi, I think it gives the scape a beautiful movement that can be lost in a tank this small. Keep the updates coming!


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks! The cyperus is starting to grow on me (heheh) too, I just hope it can survive in here as I had a lot of problems keeping it alive in a low tech tank... but I think it will be fine with the Aquasoil.

I quite liked the guppies in there, but, I'm opting for a betta instead. I bought a pearl & gold halfmoon plakat with blue grizzle spots. I'm excited!


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Betta is here!  he's quite the character already. He needs a name though, any suggestions? lol










I can't wait until I have a real camera and can photograph him properly 

Tank looks pretty good, ammonia is still sky high with daily water changes but the cyperus seems to be adjusting well with little issues.


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## BuyAllTheBettas! (Jun 22, 2012)

:O What a gorgeous Betta! I'd name him after some ancient god or an angel or something, he has such an ethereal look with that colouring.


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## cecile1 (Jun 7, 2012)

I always seem to name mine by personality, I've got a nice red HM male- who was named Frank- sometimes I think people in the dorm think I'm married- I'm always talking to Frank!

I'll throw some names into the ring- Flur, Flurry, you could name him something to do with white, snow, in another language?

Anyway I love your setup and he is a pretty little looker!


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## FisheriesOmen (Jan 14, 2012)

I personally prefer names that don't pertain to how they look. I would name it something like Timmy(if it's male) or some sort of name with a smooth pronunciation Like anything with like an Sh- Ce- etc.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I'm the same way, don't really like naming things based on appearance... like people who name dalmations "Spot" hahaha.

Here he is in the Spec -










It still has some very slight ammonia readings but I'm doing twice daily water changes and that has been keeping them at 0.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

he looks like a young mustard gas DT male, except his colors are a little paler then most mustard gases. good topline too. nice little fish.
no idea on names though.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Here he is, lounging in one of the craters he dug in the Aquasoil... he's a very strange fish, loves digging, wedging himself in between the plants nose down, and resting against the overflow :

In this picture his head looks very weird and deformed. It's just from the angle of the picture/the glass. He's definitely not a frankenfish. If any one can help me properly ID his color/pattern I'd appreciate it!


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I think he should be named 'Digity' if this is the same fish that is digging in the AS.


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## Otto72 (Oct 1, 2010)

Spartacus! :thumbsup:


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## limeslide (Jan 27, 2010)

VERY nice fish, and tank!!


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## battered (Jan 1, 2012)

Any updates? How is the c. helferi doing in there?


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, lost my sister to cancer recently, been a tough few weeks.

The c. helferi is actually doing pretty well... a little bit of die off in the transition from emersed to submerged, but there is new growth and it is getting taller... it's almost overcrowding the tank!

Betta is doing great too. He's too much of a digger though, I'm scared he's going to get himself stuck somewhere.. I'm probably going to rescape the tank without rocks in the near future. It looks awful with all the dirt shoved into the center.

Pictures speak better than words lol -


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Here's some more pics of pretty fish:




























Dang I need a real camera. One thing at a time...


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## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your sister, hopefully this little betta will bring you some comfort and something to focus on


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

I hope you were able to spend time with your sister and comfort each other.

All good wishes to you and your fishes.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Unikorn said:


> I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your sister, hopefully this little betta will bring you some comfort and something to focus on


Thank you, he does, in a way. My sister loved bettas too, she had two of them. Just days before she died, she saw a picture of mine on Facebook and commented that he would look nice with her black one... and asked where his long tail went lol! Unfortunately her bettas got left behind. I couldn't take them on the bus back home with me. I changed their water and wished them the best before I left. I did take her cat, though.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

This was me rescaping this tank today-










Anyways I wanted to go with something hardscape-less because my betta likes to move things around and I didn't want him getting hurt on a rock or branch. So there is a bit of HC (which will probably die) and some other boring stem plants. Maybe it will grow in nicely. I will post pics in a bit


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Here we go -










I wish I had a real camera. Anyways there's some HC in the front, e. tenellus, downoi, and crypt parva in the mid, and some bacopa, lobelia cardinalis small, and l. repens in the back. Everything is all bent and crooked from floating for a few days when my 10g started leaking. Hopefully it straightens up soon.


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

Any new updates?


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Nah, sorry. Stock light isn't really strong enough to grow anything, most of the plants look like crap and the tank is going through a diatom outbreak. I can't afford a new light right now so it's just hanging on in the meantime. All my downoi died and I'm a bit bummed.


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

Sorry to hear about your downoi.

*awkward cyber backpatting*


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks :'( It will be greatly missed. Stuff melts like ice cream in Death Valley.

I am going to do some fiddling in the tank tonight. I'll post pics after.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Rescaped the tank. Got needle leaf java fern and e. tenellus in the back and some crypt parva in the front.










Noticed 4 LEDs on the light are burnt out. Going to contact Fluval. I know it's a relatively common issue but I've only had the tank for 5 months...










It's very very hard to take photos of a crazy betta with an old iPhone camera... I desperately need a real camera


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## Matt1977 (Feb 17, 2012)

Awww that's a happy looking betta...I'm liking the new scape! As for your light, have you looked at other lights for your Spec? 

I've seen a few Specs with this light. Its available here in Australia LFS. But I dont know about Canada... its called: 

60 x LED Blue & White LED "ipower" Aquathrive Aquarium Light Units NANO TANKS, its about $20 Aus here...


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## smirkis (Oct 1, 2012)

upgrade that light! i had mine for a month and pretty much lost all my plants. the fluval 13w is dirt cheap on fleabay and its brand new. 27 shipped. it'll save you from rescaping every few months lol. beautiful fish and tank btw


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

smirkis said:


> upgrade that light! i had mine for a month and pretty much lost all my plants. the fluval 13w is dirt cheap on fleabay and its brand new. 27 shipped. it'll save you from rescaping every few months lol. beautiful fish and tank btw


Yeaah... probably not to Canada  It's over $60 on Canadian Amazon.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

I'll could send you my stock spec LED if you want, I replaced it with the CFL system... just need money for shipping and say like $5 - lemme know if you want (I used it for about 1 week)


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Aw that's nice of you but don't worry about it. I am going to put an ad up in the SnS eventually looking for an old Flora/Ebi light or something, and in the meantime keep looking on Fleabay and Amazon for lights.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Nice tank and beautiful betta


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

Jaguar said:


> Aw that's nice of you but don't worry about it. I am going to put an ad up in the SnS eventually looking for an old Flora/Ebi light or something, and in the meantime keep looking on Fleabay and Amazon for lights.


NP.... ya when I thought about it shipping it wouldnt be worth it considering you could get something better for probably about what it would be for me to send it to you in canada anyway lol


sooo I am thinking about putting a betta in my spec, what has your bettas behavior been like in the tank? seems like they make suitable tanks for them but are on the small end of the spectrum


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I do think my betta really enjoys the Spec. It's true they're not the best because they are small and mostly vertical space. They might be better for plakat or female bettas since long fins might get blown around or caught in the overflow. My betta's favorite thing in the world is resting against the overflow. I can see him hanging out there right now! I would love to get him a Mini M but that'll have to wait 

You'll probably have to do some mods since the filter is so strong. I turned the filter down to low and stuffed the overflow area with filter floss. That lowered the flow enough for my plakat, but for a long finned you might want to cut some slits in the return hose. I also had to pull my hardscape out because my betta kept wedging himself behind the rocks and I was paranoid he was going to end up getting hurt or stuck and drown


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

I put a ball valve in the filter hose and have it almost shut so the flow is REAL mild at the moment... 

I am still debating about getting a betta (crowntail) or going with shrimps and a few nano fishes....... ugh it is hard to decide


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I would love to do something like chili rasboras, CPDs or even endlers and a couple shrimp! It is tough to decide. I went for a betta because I love their personalities  His tank is right beside my desk and he's fun to watch.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

exactly... ya I am debating a betta alone or cpd's or chilli rasboras both of which would include shrimps

well I have plenty of time to sit on the decision as my tank cycles all month long


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

borrowed a real camera, got some pictures of my betta...


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## Basil (Jul 11, 2011)

Nice Betta!


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Haven't posted about this tank in a while!

It's nothing but a stunted amazon sword and some c. parva, but here's some pics.


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