My list of my crazy fish

So here's what I got in my tanks-

36 gallon bowfront-
7 Corydoras (3 Juliis, 3 peppered, 1 Skunk)
2 Red wag platys
6 Neon tetras
2 Nerite snails
2 Otocinclus
1 Betta
I know people may think I'm nuts for putting a betta in a community tank, But Bub the betta is rather mild mannered. He shows no aggression when I'm feeding him bloodworms and the platys swipe them, sometimes right from his mouth O.o . I figure that it has to do with the size of the tank, it is big enough for him to have some space.

10g shrimp tank
20+ RCS
You'll note my attempt at aquascaping, it was nicer before I did a water change and forgot to not just pour the water back in.

5g- Not pictured (yet)
3 rcs
2 dwarf puffers
many pond snails (mostly empty shells now, see above item for reason)
I take any pond snails from the other tanks and plop them in with the puffers since the puffers do not seem to want to eat most of the food I put in there and the seem to love to eat the snails.

Are those marimo balls in the middle pic?  I was given two but I think they were the cheap fake ones.. made out of presses algae or something! It's an interesting read on the activities of those balls!  Have you experienced them moving about sorta?  Bill

They are marimo moss balls. They are rather light-weight, so just about anything will move them, From me sticking my hand in to tend the other plants to the corys bowling into them when the chase each other or when they root around on them. I have not heard of them moving on their own, Gonna have to read up on them, but they will start growing "bumps" if you do not turn them so they continue to keep the round shape. You'll notice that one is smaller than the other. That is because I divided it to put some in the shrimp tank. I may have to divide the large one soon, it is getting a big bump on the backside of it.

I need to find my camera, The cell camera just does not cut it.lol

Dredging the depths of this ol noggin but I seem to recall that they can periodically float to the top of the tank... Something to do with an O2 buildup within? I'll have to do some research... Interesting thangs if you're into plants! Bill

Nice! collection of fish and love the bowfront . I always have a betta in my display tank. He just chilling there and doesn't ever bother anyone.

Neo.. ya just dredged up a recall on my part... When I had that 125 set up full of Angels, I always had a pair of Betta's in with them.... The issue I had was they were too timid at eating time with the Angels!  Bill

If the tank is too big they do seem to hide most of the time. From my experience you have to keep an eye out for them during feeding time to make sure they are getting their share.

As was my point... Oddly enough, when it wasn't feeding time, they were stellar displays!  Bill

I keep Betta's in my Angel tanks, too! They are peaceful and beautiful to watch.

Yeah, I think Bettas have to be one of the most misunderstood fish out there. They can be from mild mannered, like my Bub, to downright vicious. It just depends on the individual fish. I think Bub is a confused betta, I believe he thinks he's a guard dog. He patrols the tank religiously and inspects any new thing a put in the tank. If I add a new cory he just checks'em out and moves along. When I added the two Otos, he flared a couple times at the bag and followed them around for a half hour afterwards until he figured out that they were not a threat. I find that I have to distract the platys when I feed bub his pellets or bloodworms by sprinkling a few flakes on the other side of the tank or they will swarm and steal his food right from my fingers lol.

Dalk.. you sound like the typical fishkeeper!  In touch with your charges!  Glad to meet another "nutcase!"!!!

I love the name! Bub the Betta! They ARE misunderstood. If you get some on the milder side, a pair is a great addition of color. NOT a great idea to put them in a tank with guppies!!

About the floating moss balls. You need lights strong enough to make your plants start to pearl, to make the moss balls float. Pearling is when the plants release so much oxygen that it forms visible bubbles on the surface of the leaves. Just take the plant and put it in a tall glass on a south facing windowsill. Once the sun hits it, tinny oxygen bubbles start to form and get trapped in the moss. Doesn't take much before it will begin to float. You can also shape the moss balls as needed. Just squeeze it into the shape you want. Depending on how strong the lighting is, the walls of the moss ball are only about 1"-2" thick but the ball can grow larger than a bowling ball, if well kept. Once they get too large just rip them into smaller pieces. Slow growers unless you have very strong lighting such as 4-6 bulb HO-T5's or metal halides.

The cheap moss balls are actually java moss wrapped around something that will float such as styrofoam. Then held in place with fishing string and a weight. Nothing wrong with this, but I like my java moss to grow on drift wood or rocks and not floating around.

Ok..now I HAVE TO get a betta and give it a whirl myself!! My son is CRAZY about them and always asking for a halfmoon! Has anyone noticed a difference in temperment between the different varieties? Any input is appreciated!   

I just kinda lucked out with Bub as far as his getting along with the other fish. All male bettas will display aggression at various levels, regardless of type, from simple flaring or posturing to outright attacking other fish (The latter is more common). The more fancier finned ones can also be subject to fin-nipped from certain fish. I'd recommend them alone in a tank or possibly a snail tank-mate. If you just want to give a betta a try, I suggest a 5 gallon minimum with a heater and plants that do not have hard, sharp ends (Live plants tend to be better, Anubias is good as are amazon swords) a small bubble filter. Bettas with large tails will struggle in too strong of a current. A top for your tank is a must, they can jump out. A cave or one of those floating logs should also be added. I'm not a fan of the tiny fishbowl fad, constant water changes and a fish that just floats around in a lethargic state due to lack of space. They can breathe air from the surface, but they should'nt have to rely on that as their only means of breathing.

I can honestly say that each betta I've seen has different personalities. When I come from work, Bub rushes up to the front of the tank. A friend's betta (a elephant ear) will rest in her hand when she sticks it in the tank. Bettas can be easy to care for and really rewarding. For a child, a betta is a great choice for a starter fish, since they are a fairly hardy fish that can live a few years. Just remember that like all fish, they have basic needs.