Rice paddy Biotope, anyone offer advice?

[BenGoloid]

Hello there, this is my first post; let's hope it isn't totally out of place.

 

I have kept Bettas for quite a while now and find them really enchanting. There's something about a fish that requires you keep it in a little 2.7 gallon tank to itself that makes me smile inwardly.

It was after hearing the 'mud puddle myth' told to me for the third time by a local fish stockist that I decided it would be a good time to actually make an example environment of the kind a Betta (in this case Betta Splendens) would live in naturally; a planted paddyfield.

 

My current Idea would call for a three foot tank, not tremendously high and with about eight inches of water above the substrate, adequately planted with (if possible) rice or sufficiently rice like plants that then fill the rest of the airspace above. Filtration would possibly be provided by an external filter hooked up to a drip bar at one of the ends to provide very slow flow across the tank. Hopefully I could hide the necessary heaters somewhere in the system.

 

As for the Bettas themselves, I'd hope to use bog standard non-show plakats: I think it's the closest I'd get to feral Bettas that live in the fields. Hopefully the increased size and vegetative cover might allow for the stocking of multiple individuals.

 

Are there any suggestions this community could offer?

[Lalani]

This is a saltwater reef forum, but maybe someone here can help.

[BenGoloid]

This is a saltwater reef forum, but maybe someone here can help.

 

Aah! I thought I spotted one or two freshwater tanks in this particular sub forum. My mistake!

[crrichey]

IMO that tank sounds cool enough to belong in this section. I would recommend using whatever plant you choose to create natural baffles. Then place individuals in each section.

[schgr.cube]

No idea, but this sounds awesome.

[Jacobnano]

No idea, but this sounds awesome.

 

+1 This would be really cool if you do it right. Just keep planning way ahead of time and it will be awesome.

[mickey85]

I wouldn't use any filtration or mechanical water movement at all, honestly. For some ideas on planted tanks and their specific requirements, I'd check out www.plantedtank.net. The people on there are very nice, and incredibly helpful. Otherwise, I like the idea.

 

Remember, in a rice paddy, there is very little movement. If you are dead set on some sort of mechanical filtration or movement, remember that any filtration is going to strip the water of nutrients that the plants need, and that the plants will more than make up for the bioload of 6-12 female bettas, if you are planting a 3 foot tank. Change a couple gallons weekly, and call it good. That would keep it from stagnating, and the fish would provide their own water movement. I think what I would do with this setup is to use play sand (yep, the stuff you can buy at Lowes, etc), or, if you're really set on being authentic, good, old-fashioned dirt. Make sure that it's clean and free of fertilizers and pesticides. Plant the rice, then fill the tank and let it settle. It could take a while, but a good way to fill the tank is to use a plate and run the water VERRRRY slowly into the tank onto the plate. That will keep stirring to a minimum. It would also help to have moist soil before starting this to be as dust-free as possible.

 

If you use sand, as it is almost 100% silica, you'll have to fertilize. With soil, you wouldn't have this problem as much. Once it settles and the rice starts growing, I'd toss in a bunch of females, so you can have more than one fish. I'd also suggest using some form of slow-water asian catfish or loach to help keep the tank clean. Keep one side of the tank kinda sparse for feeding, or stock it with live food occasionally.

 

When I was breeding bettas splendens, I had three mated pairs of convict cichlids each in their own 10 gallon tank (loaded with rocks, and with plenty of gravel to dig in). once the babies were free swimming and slightly larger than pin heads, I'd suck them out with an air tube and stick them in with my girlies - they'd go NUTS.

 

As far as lighting, a tank like this is super easy. I used to keep my planted tanks open topped, and with very little water movement (i.e. a powerhead putting out maybe 50 gph for a 10 gallon tank). I'd then hang fluorescent shop lights over the tanks with grow bulbs in them. The plants did swimmingly.

 

 

Another thing to think about - do you really want to keep domestic betta splendens in a biotope? IMO, it'd look kinda weird. I'd say to either go with wild-caught splendens, or go with another breed, such as Pugnax or Imbellis. They're just as pretty (and IMO, prettier than the "show fish"), hardier, and would look a bit more at home. Something else to consider is to use another anabantoid, such as gouramis. In a setup this clean, you could probably even stock it with chocolate gouramis and have them make it.

 

Good luck no matter which way to go, and if you need any help, feel free to PM me - I used to be into planted tanks quite a bit, and loved every minute of them.

 

BTW, check this out - yeah, it's for a pond, but the basic structure (i.e. depth and substrate) would be similar:

 

Fish in the rice paddy

 

Rice paddies have lots of natural food for fish. This is one of the advantages of raising fish and rice together. Fish help the farmer by eating weeds and insects in the paddy field. Fish manure fertilises rice and increases rice yield.

 

It costs very little to keep fish in your paddies. You may even save money because keeping fish in your rice paddies reduces the need for expensive pesticides and fertilisers.

 

Keeping fish in rice paddies is not a new idea. Fish such as catfish or mudfish used to live naturally in rice paddies. Your grandparents may even remember catching them.

 

Making a pond

 

You will need a pond next to the paddy so the fish will have a place to go when you harvest your rice or when there is a shortage of water. Choose an area of the field that holds water. This is often the lowest spot in the field.

 

Your pond should be about 6 metres square and about 1 metre deep. Slope the sides of the pond to help prevent erosion. As you dig out the pond, add soil to the banks of the pond to help prevent the pond from overflowing during heavy rains.

 

One side of the pond should open into the rice paddy. This way the fish can swim in and out of the pond, and the pond will be a refuge for the fish when the water level is low. When you drain the paddy for the rice harvest, do it slowly to give the fish time to retreat to their pond. When the field is drained, all the fish will be in the pond and they will be easy to catch. If the fish are not yet big enough to eat, you can feed them in the pond until the field is ready for rice again.

 

Fish dig and swim around rice plants, searching for food. If you have just transplanted your rice seedlings, wait about ten days to three weeks before you put fingerlings in the paddy. This way the rice transplants will be well established and the fingerlings cannot disturb them.

 

http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Foot...+rice+paddy.htm

[lakshwadeep]

Good luck! My mom's father used to grow rice in India.

[seagul]

i think finding rice plants would be difficult, but that doesnt mean there arent alternatives!

 

 

asian biotopes arent just rice patties! check out ADA tanks for some ideas.

 

also, google, "riparium"

 

water movement is needed, even for plants, the water must be air'ated haha., id use a simple airstone/stones.. or a bubble curtain.

 

 

 

check out my south american inspired FW planted 20g long.

[mickey85]

Why does the water need to be aereated? For the air-breathing labyrinth fish?

[seagul]

plants need air too, even aquatic plants.

 

some form of water movement is a must, or you will just be making a stagnant pond.. unless you plan on doing large water changes weekly... that would also provide aereation.

[mickey85]

Of my four planted tanks, only one of them had any movement at all. heat fluctuations (if you use a water heater), fish movement, etc. all contribute to water movement. Also, if you do water changes as you should, you'll be fine. It's a better method, IMO, as then you don't have any equipment mucking up the look of the tank.

[doctaq]

then you should have a praying mantis living in the emmersed plants rice or whatever

[BenGoloid]

Thankyou everybody for the diverse and informative posts you have made. I've had to put this projct on hiatus because other people in the house cannot, at the moment, see the appeal of this particular experiment.

I will be carrying it out at some ponit in the near future though, I am sure.

 

I am being urged to set up a small marine tank instead, because would be more attractive for the house!