Giant Plakat Starter Kit 2012 - written and updated by John Ho aka Livingwall

[Livingwall]

Giant Plakat Starter Kit (GPSK)2012 by John Ho aka Livingwall

The purpose of the Giant Plakat Starter Kit is to provide a comprehensive guide to prepare any hobbyist to have the knowledge and skills in maintaining and grooming a Giant Plakat.
Disclaimer: The information shared is a consolidation of information found in the internet and based on my practical experience of keeping and grooming Giant Plakat.

1.0 Introduction

It was documented in the middle year 1999 in Thailand, Mr Athapon (Uncle Sala) and his son Mr Natee found a very large specimen of a green traditional male plakat which is 4 inches in length in one of his ponds. It was an exciting discovery and they became to look through over 400 cement ponds in their farm for the biggest size female plakat in an effort to breed giant size plakats.
(source: http://www.ram91giantbettas.com/giant.htm)

By year 2001, many large strains of giant bettas are created, long fins, plakats, etc, were created through selective breeding. Many thai breeders had also began to buy giant plakats from Mr Sala’s farm and this is where the pioneer giant breeders contributed in researching and experimenting with improvements of the giant plakats. Surat aka Ram91, Uncle Daeng, Wansan betta, nicebetta, etc are some of the thai breeders and farms which are constantly coming out with improvements of the new generation of giants.

[Livingwall]

2.0 Defining a Giant Plakat

In my personal opinion, to determine a giant plakat the full length from the tip of the mouth to the end of the caudal fin must be at least 3 inches in length. An easy way to determine is to use the length of the typical lighter as a standard measurement. Therefore, a plakat which does not reach a full length of 3 inches at adulthood cannot be considered a giant plakat.

Therefore, buying young giants at 3months old is a risk that you need to consider. In order to minimize the risk of your new giant is a true giant, it is recommended that you purchase from established Local fish shops which carries true giant plakats from reputable giant breeders. Another way is to buy ready giant size plakats which at 5-6 months should reached 3 inches in full length. To be sure, bring along a measuring tape or lighter to do a rough measurement before purchase.

Another way is to purchase directly from the thai giant breeders via aquabid.com but you will need to do some research of the credibility of the sellers and to take in consideration the risk of not being able to see the actual fish.

Currently, there are many variation of giant plakats, the traditional plakat type, the halfmoon plakat type and as well as over halfmoon plakat type. Not forgetting many variations of colours too!

[Livingwall]

3.0 Water Quality for Giant Plakat

One of the unique thing of giant plakat is that because of the size of the giant plakat, the weight is almost 5 times of the normal plakat! Not to mention the huge appetite and messy eating habits! As a result, maintaining the water quality of the giant plakat tank is very important.

The recommended tank size of the giant plakat should be at least 7 inches(W) x 12 inches(L) x 9 inches(H). The water level should be 80% of the tank.

Preparation of Aged Water

Items required:

a) A big pail of water (10 litres)
b) A water pump with air tube / top portion of the power filter
c) 1 cap of Seachem Prime water conditioner
d) 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt
e) ½ teaspoon of EIHO Water Stabilizer

Add 1 cap of Seachem Prime water conditioner, 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt and ½ teaspoon of EIHO Water Stabilizer. Leave the water pump with air tube running overnight in the pail of water.
I will usually store the aged water in those portable water storage containers (10 litres) so that I can used it when needed.

[Livingwall]

Important Tips when you brought home your new Giant Plakat

When you first purchase your Giant Plakat, please make sure that the tank and the aged water is prepare way beforehand. You will need to put the plastic bag with your giant plakat into the new tank and aged water for 1 hour before slowly releasing it to the new tank.

This is to ensure that the temperature of the water in the tank and in the plastic bag is as close as possible. This is also to let your giant plakat to get used to the new tank environment.

When the giant plakat is released to the new tank, you will need to monitor closely it’s behavior. Preferably to mimic the water conditions that your newly bought giant plakat’s original tank conditions at the aquarium shop. This is to minimize PH and temperature shock.

[Livingwall]

4.0 Livingwall’s Recommended Water Change and Feeding Schedule

Regular siphoning of debris is a good way of keeping the ammonia level low because there are no filtration system, you will need to conduct regular water change to remove the nitrates. Using a good water conditioner like Seachem Prime also plays an important part.

Monday – Siphon debris in the morning and evening after feeding pellets*
Tuesday – Siphon debris in the morning and evening after feeding pellets*
Wednesday – Siphon debris in the morning after feeding pellets*. In the evening, after
feeding pellets* wait for 1 hour before conducting 50% water change.

Thursday – Siphon debris in the morning and evening after feeding pellets*
Friday – Siphon debris in the morning and evening after feeding pellets*
Saturday – Siphon debris in the morning (no feeding). In the evening, feed small bits of chopped market prawn. (just 3-4 small bits of market prawn is sufficient). Wait for 1 hour before conducting 100% water change, add in 2-3 teapoons of KTP juice (just to make the tank water slightly brownish). Scrub the tanks once a month.
Sunday – no feeding. Siphon debris in the morning and evening.
* Saki Hikari Fancy goldfish pellets (breeder grade, staple basic diet).

[Livingwall]

5.0 Recommended Diet for your Giant Plakat

To maximize the growth potential of your Giant Plakat, it will need the required vitamins, proteins, amino acids to provide for it’s huge capacity you will need to make sure that it has a well balanced diet.

Giant Plakat is very prone to dropsy, therefore care is need to make sure that good water quality is maintained and also to avoid food which is a source of parasites.

Based on my personal experience, I would like to recommend the following pellets and food for your giant plakat:

Live food to avoid: Tubi and bloodworms. Do a google search and check out how tubi & bloodworm is cultivated. Beef heart is a no-no, fat % is too high for a betta to handle.

Pellets to avoid: Pellets which contains colour enhancement properties.

[Livingwall]

My recommendation:

Live food: Brine shrimp and small bite sizes of market prawn meat purchase from wet market.

Pellets: Saki-Hikari fancy goldfish breeder type pellets. Select the pellet which contains garlic as one of the ingredients as it is great or your giant’s digestive system. I am not a fan of pellets which has artificial colour enhancement properties and it would compromise the health of your giant plakat.
Feeding Schedule

If you had a lot of free time, try to spread the feeding in small amounts and over multiple times in a day. If not once in the morning and once in the evening. I would always flare them before and after feeding to give them some form of exercise.

[Livingwall]

6.0 Training your Giant Plakat

Your Giant Plakat will tend to be lazy as it is bigger in size and the body is heavy, you will need to train and exercise your giant plakat to keep them in shape!

The weakness of Giant Plakat is that he is very greedy, so he will do anything for food! So based on his weakness you need to make him swim from one end to the other end before you feed him. Another way, is to train you giant plakat to flare everytime you point your fingers at him. So when you point your finger at him and if he flares, feed him. If he does not flares, do not feed him. Do this over time he will realize that he will need to flare when you point your finger at him. This is very useful when it comes to competition to impress upon the judges.

Chasing the siphon tube method.

This is one of my favourite training method, use your siphon stick and put it into the tank and in front of your giant plakat. If he attacks the siphon tube, move it away and he will chase after it. Do this a few times and it will become the “fetch the stick” game time with your giant plakat!

[Livingwall]

It is important to detox your giant Plakat once a month. Sometimes when you know that you had overfed your giant, it does help to avoid feeding your giant for 1 day to allow the digestive system to rest.

As a preventive measure to keep my giant plakats healthy, I will usually do a 2 days detox for my giant plakats.

What you need:

1 teaspoon of epsom salt
1-2 drops of Meth. Blue

add the above 2 items into the tank with the giant plakat. leave it for 2 days (no feeding for 2 days), after which you do a 100% water change.

Thanks for sharing this.