# Need advice.



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

So, about 4 months ago, my 18 yo son and his GF bought a Betta fish with a small 1 gallon round tank. No filter. Just the fish. He is really pretty but his tank gets nasty in just 2 days of changing water. 

So, today I purchased a new 3 gallon tank with a filter, and have been researching how to keep the tank clean. I read suggestions of getting ghost shrimp or a Zebra snail to go in there with the Betta to clean the bottom of the tank. Having difficulty finding these w/o driving all over God's green earth and online they want more for the cost of overnight shipping than they do for the snails/shrimp. Oh, think I also read maybe little African frogs are good for Bettas. Is this true?

So, I have a few questions.

I read not to change all the water, but it is so gross, how do you not change all the water? When this new tank comes (later today) I will put new water in it with these drops to make tap water safe. How often and how much water do I take out to keep it looking clean?

Can I put anything in this 3 gallon tank with the betta to help with cleaning? If so, what, and how many? 

I am doing this because my son has seemed to lose interest in this fish and he had his tank so dirty, and didn't feed him for like 2 weeks, so I kind of took over. I don't know how he survived. The water was so dirty I don't think the fish could see out of his tank. 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Rapidly changing water conditions are really stressful on a fish's body, even if the conditions are going from bad to good. Do a partial water change of about 50% one day, then another 50% the next and so on and so forth. Once the water's cleaned up, you're going to need to cycle the filter, which means building up beneficial bacteria that will consume ammonia in the water as well as convert nitrite into nitrate. The standard way to cycle a tank is to let bacteria build up in the water by introducing some kind of waste, like fish food, but to cycle the filter quickly, you can buy a bottle of Quick Start from the pet store which contains the bacteria you need. Be aware that ammonia spikes before the tank is cycle can injure or even kill your fish, so don't neglect the cycling process. 

From there, you can change about 50% of the water every week. Remember to never neglect water changes in a tank that small. Small water volume means dangerous water conditions arise quickly.

Snails can't be housed in a tank that small. Snails produce a lot of waste, which will quickly overpower the the tank. African dwarf frogs can't be housed in anything less than 10 gallons, and they have to be kept in schools to thrive; they can also be aggressive towards fish. Shrimp might be possible, but the tank needs to be heavily planted with either real or silk plants for shrimp to thrive in such a confined space with a predator (the betta). 

To keep waste out of the tank, use a gravel vacuum to suck excess debris out. Water changes + filtration + gravel vacuuming with keep the water clear.

Your tank will also need a heater. Bettas are tropical fish that have to be kept at temperatures of 78 to 81F. A small adjustable 25 watt heater will work. I use a Marina 25-watt in my 3 gallon tank. You will also need a thermometer.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> Rapidly changing water conditions are really stressful on a fish's body, even if the conditions are going from bad to good. Do a partial water change of about 50% one day, then another 50% the next and so on and so forth. Once the water's cleaned up, you're going to need to cycle the filter, which means building up beneficial bacteria that will consume ammonia in the water as well as convert nitrite into nitrate. The standard way to cycle a tank is to let bacteria build up in the water by introducing some kind of waste, like fish food, but to cycle the filter quickly, you can buy a bottle of Quick Start from the pet store which contains the bacteria you need. Be aware that ammonia spikes before the tank is cycle can injure or even kill your fish, so don't neglect the cycling process.
> 
> From there, you can change about 50% of the water every week. Remember to never neglect water changes in a tank that small. Small water volume means dangerous water conditions arise quickly.
> 
> ...


Is Tetra BettaSafe not the same as Quick Start? 

Heater huh? So 2 plugs to plug in, filter and heater. Why don't the Walmart's tell you this when you buy their Betta's that are sitting in cups? 

Oh, I don't know. A bit over my head and I am an animal lover. Have 4 cats, a dog (Basset hound) a Senegal parrot, a lizard, and they seem to thrive. I just feel horrible for this fish and am trying to make him more comfortable.

When you say heavily planted, what does that mean exactly? Like does the whole bottom of the cage need to be covered in green plants? They (the son and his GF) have 2 fake plastic things in there now. Any plant name suggestions and where I might get them from online? I was going to get the little moss balls for shrimp and just get one shrimp.

OH thank you so much for reading and answering me.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

By heavily planted, I mean the tank needs to be pretty much a jungle. Not only is that necessary for shrimp, but it's great for the betta too. Trust me when I tell you that your fish wil come alive when he has a ton of foliage to play in. Here's a video of one of my tanks, showing what I mean. There's around 10 or 11 fake plants in this tank:






Quick Start is cycling bacteria that you can just put in the tank to start up your nitrogen cycle (the nitrogen cycle, as I mentioned, removes ammonia and nitrite from the water through a process called biological filtration). The nitrogen cycle will start on its own eventually, but that takes weeks, and you don't want your fish swimming in ammonia until then. One thing that can help you naturally cycle faster is putting the dirty, unrinsed gravel into the new tank with clean water. Gravel also accumulates cycling bacteria, so that's useful to transfer over. The water conditioner you're using is designed to remove chlorine (which is also deadly to fish), but it doesn't cycle the tank. 

And yeah, a heater is a necessity. Bettas can't thrive at lower temperatures, and being housed at the wrong temp shortens their lifespans and makes them lethargic, less colorful and more susceptible to disease. When your tank is heated, you'll see so much personality you didn't before.

Walmart doesn't tell you this stuff because by and large, the staff just doesn't know. There's a lot of myths floating around about bettas that are just 100% not true. Further, most Walmarts don't have anyone managing the fish at all and the staff are completely apathetic to them. A lot of my bettas came from Walmart (I have 7 bettas!), and the deplorable conditions they're kept in there sicken me straight to my core. I wish I could take them all. I hate supporting the Walmart fish trade... but on the other hand I'm glad to have taken the beautiful fish I have away from that hell.

I can also recommend some useful cheap stuff to help you (plants, heater, etc) if you want.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Welcome to the Forum! :wave:

The first thing I would do is to work on cycling. Here is this sites tutorial on fish-in cycling.

http://www.bettafish.com/30-betta-fish-care/507585-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html

I would not add any other critters in a three gallon. To keep the tank clean get a piece of airline tubing and vacuum the substrate when you do water changes. Easy peasy. ;-)

After the tank has been cycled and stable for at least two months you could add shrimp. The problem is shrimp are extremely delicate and the slightest amount of Ammonia can kill them. "Heavily planted" means you cannot easily see your Betta if you glance at the tank. This offers protection for the shrimp. Stress of living with a predator in insufficient cover/protection also kills shrimp. People make adding shrimp sound so easy but it isn't.

African Dwarf Frogs are fine with Betta; however, you need at least a 5.5 to house three and a 10 to house six and so on. I've had them for years in tanks 5.5-20 with no issues in the preceding numbers. Some sites say a minimum of a 10 gallon but the breeders I know say that's not true; however, you do not want them in anything less than a 5.5. You do need at least three as they are very social.

You do need a heater as fluctuations in temperature can compromise a Tropical fish's immune system and lead to illness.

If you want silk plants I would recommend www.drsfostersmith.com. They also have a Hydor 25 watt adjustable heater.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Okay, so today, so far I bought the below and am working on picking out a heater I can get here today or at least tomorrow.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tetra-Bubbling-LED-Half-Moon-Aquarium-Kit/16940357

Bought extra filters for it too.

Trying to find the Quick Start to get here today or tomorrow. Hard to do you know.

Bought these to add to what is already in the tank https://www.walmart.com/ip/Penn-Plax-Purple-Bunch-Plant-Pdq/401161588

Bought 2 of these: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aquarium-Moon-Rocks-Ceramic-Rock-Cave/277320356

A stone decoration thingy.

I want live plants but I know nothing about them.

Was gonna buy these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1A0ESG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=A131SO7MHPCPON&psc=1

I can add this onto my already pending order for pickup today but it says 5-10 gallons and I do not want to fry him. 
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tetra-Submersible-Aquarium-Tank-Heater-5-15-Gal/10291808

The Quick Start is harder to come by today.

Thanks so much.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Seachem Stability is my choice for helping cycle aquariums. I've used it to successfully cycle tanks from 2.5 gallons and up in around 14 days. Don't know if Wal-Mart carries it. You don't really need anything; but the additives help cycle tanks faster.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I will wait on any added critters till the water is right.

I also have a ferret forgot to mention before.

May go up in size if tank eventually as I figure this critter out and how to properly care for him.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

That heater is a preset (it's not adjustable) and is too high wattage for a tank that small. You would need a 25 watt preset for that small of water volume, though a 50 watt adjustable heater would work fine. Walmart carries the Marina 25 watt adjustable I think, that's what I use in my small tank.


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hagen-Ma...-Heater-25-Watt-6-Up-to-5-5-Gallons/128600594


You will need a thermometer to use this as it doesn't have temperature labels, so be sure to pick one up. Walmart sells them for like $2.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> By heavily planted, I mean the tank needs to be pretty much a jungle. Not only is that necessary for shrimp, but it's great for the betta too. Trust me when I tell you that your fish wil come alive when he has a ton of foliage to play in. Here's a video of one of my tanks, showing what I mean. There's around 10 or 11 fake plants in this tank:
> 
> Cirrus 2 - YouTube
> 
> ...


That tank is gorgeous!!! Fishy looks very happy in there.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> That heater is a preset (it's not adjustable) and is too high wattage for a tank that small. You would need a 25 watt preset for that small of water volume, though a 50 watt adjustable heater would work fine. Walmart carries the Marina 25 watt adjustable I think, that's what I use in my small tank.
> 
> 
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hagen-Ma...-Heater-25-Watt-6-Up-to-5-5-Gallons/128600594
> ...


Okay, I have no way to get there so was trying to sort by what is available in my local store for pickup today by my son on his way home from work. There are only 2 available and that was the smallest one. I'll look more, maybe amazon has one and I can pay for next day delivery or something.

How about this? This is available.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Interpet-Life-Thermal-Flat-Aquarium-Heater-4-gal/55317014#read-more

Wanted to add, the one you linked cannot be delivered for another week.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> That tank is gorgeous!!! Fishy looks very happy in there.


Thanks! Those plants all came from Drs. Foster and Smith and were very cheap. The big ones were only $1.75 and my fish love them. I use them as filler in all of my tanks. 

I've never used a heater like that, so I have no idea, but it looks like it could work until you have a way to get something better eventually. 

I would hold out on live plants for now. There's a ton of stuff to learn about raising them, as all live plants are different. Good reason to start some new research!


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Think I decided on this one because it comes next day pretty much and they have the Quick Start too.

https://www.chewy.com/marina-submersible-aquarium-heater/dp/152031


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

That should work well for you. It has auto-shutoff when not submerged, too, which is good. Random pro-tip: never remove a glass aquarium heater from the water while it's turned on/plugged in. Rapid temperature changes can cause glass to crack, and if that happens you'll have water flowing into electrical components when you put the heater back in the tank, which is bad. Extremely bad. Always unplug the heater and let it cool down for 15 minutes before removing it from the water.

Also, I want to see photos of your fish. Here's one of my Walmart guys! His name is Mellow. The first pic is him looking depressed on his first day home. The second is what he looks like now in heated, clean water. Bettas make such incredible turn-arounds when they're treated right.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Okay, also ordered one of these. Do Bettas use them? https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-betta-bed-leaf-hammock/dp/154815

Here is fishy. I think my son said they named him King. This was right after I cleaned his tank last week.





He is blue so not sure why he looks green.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

OMGosh DZIM, your tanks are all so beautiful. You must spend a ton on them. I spent over 100 today for 1 Betta fish. Crazy. But, hope it makes him happy.

Question on heaters. Do they need them in the summer?

Oh and thanks on the heating info about unplugging it and letting it cool down before taking it out completely.

Also ordered more plant stuff, even though not the best, and a thing that looks like an anemone coral, so I can jungle it up. Will check out Dr. Fosters plants too, but wanted to get some fast for new tank. I can always change them out for better ones when I take my time picking them out.

King does not like pellets at all. They just sit there. He only likes the flakes. I think he will eat the little shrimps but I am not sure because my dog ate the bottle so need to get more.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

I actually don't spend much on my tanks, believe it or not. I'm pretty thrifty. I scour eBay for good deals, and stalk Foster and Smith for their regular 25% off sales and no-minimum shipping. I grab stuff opportunistically when it's as cheap as possible. Pretty much all of those plants cost between $1.75 to $2.30 each, and even then they were cut down by discounts. It's possible to be a cheap fish owner. You just have to be patient!

Bettas do enjoy leaf hammocks. I had one for a while and my (now deceased) betta used it a lot. They're best positioned near the surface of the water, as that's where bettas enjoy lounging the most. 

And yeah, unless you live in a tropical climate, they'l need the heater in the summer. Rom temperature water is always a few degrees lower than the air in the room, so your house would need to be consistently in the upper 80s to keep the water at the right temp without a heater. Some betta keepers live in climates where they can do that... I don't envy them. I can't stand the heat.

Your betta's adorable! His tail looks strangely short though. Is it just the angle, or is his tail actually that short?


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I don't think his tail is short, but I am no expert. When he is all clean (because you cannot see him through the water with a camera right now), I will try to get better pictures. He seems to know me, he comes to the side I feed him on. He's cute.

I hope this new tank with the filter and water changes keeps his tank clear. I just have to figure it all out when it all gets here.

You know how they sell that water for Bettas in the Walmarts? Is that water better to use and cycled or is it a crock and waste of money?


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

The reason I mention the length of the tail is because it could indicate a couple of things. If his tail is shorter than average for his breed (likely he's a veiltail), it could mean he's actually female, or that he has a disease called fin rot, which can happen when a fish is housed for extended amounts of time in dirty water. Fin rot will always cause raggedy and blackened edges on the fin, though. A healthy tail that's naturally short won't be discolored or extremely uneven. Fin rot is curable, though. Usually it will clear up when the fish is kept consistently in better conditions. 

As for pellets, he may find them too difficult to eat. If he swallows them and then spits them out, that would suggest perhaps the pellets are too big, or too dry. I soak my fish's pellets in liquid vitamins (a product called Vitachem) for about 5 minutes until the pellets are essentially a soft mush, and they have a much easier time with them. You could try soaking his pellets in a cup of tank water to soften them up before feeding and see if he takes to them then.

"Betta water" is pretty much a scam. Unless there's something seriously wrong with your tap water (IE, you can't drink it yourself), then conditioned tap water is all they need. The thing about cycling is that the bacteria actually doesn't live in the water. It grows in the water and then attaches to the gravel, and to the sponges inside your filter, where it then stays permanently. When the water gets sucked into the filter, it passes through the bacteria colonies in the filter sponge, where the bacteria proceed to consume the ammonia and nitrite, and then ammonia and nitrite-free water flows back out. So any kind of "betta water" type of product wouldn't have anything you needed, even if it came from an actual established tank.

Speaking of that... something I forgot to mention: Don't change your filter sponges, and never rinse them out with clean water when you're removing gunk. You can literally use the same filter sponge for years. Further, never let the sponge dry out. If the sponge has to be taken out of the filter for some reason, scoop out some tank water into a bowl and float the sponge in it. To clean the sponge, again wring it out and swish it in dirty tank water to remove debris. Treat your filter bacteria like another tank inhabitant. Drying out the sponge, or rinsing it with clean water, will kill the bacteria and cause your cycle to crash, which will cause ammonia spikes that will kill your fish.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Okay, I do not think he is a girl, but I could be wrong. I do not think he has any disease process going on but again I could be wrong. 

I just woke him up in his filthy water, made him come to the front of the tank, and tried to get a better picture.



Do you still think his tail is too short?


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I work nights from home and have not been to bed yet, so I am heading that way so I can be to work on time, but will check in later. 

Thanks everybody for your help today and especially DZIM!!!!


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

I see now that he's definitely male. However, he does have some fin damage going on... that said, it looks more like he's been chewing on them as opposed to it being damage from fin rot. He might've bitten his fins out of hunger, or stress from the water conditions. And he is definitely a veiltail. Those fins will eventually grow back and fill in nicely in a few months once he's in a clean tank. 

I would recommend changing some of that water. Maybe change about 20%, then do another 20% in a few hours.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Hi! Lovely boy, and I agree that he's likely fin bitting. 

To your shopping list I'd add some Indian Almond Leaves (IAL), and some Seachem StressGuard. With the last one make sure to get StressGuard and not StressCoat. Both the IAL and stressguard will help him settle into his new home, and help prevent infection in his fins.

Before adding the artificial plants and decorations to your tank make sure to test them to make sure they are safe for King's delicate fins. The best method is to run a pair of panty hose over them, if the hose snags then his fins can snag and rip. If you do not have any panty hose then at the very least feel the decorations, if they feel point anywhere then his fins could catch. 

The Tetra heater you mentioned may or may not work in the tank, it's important to have a thermometer and keep an eye on the temp in the tank. I had that Tetra one in my 2.5 gal and it would not heat the water up past 76 degrees, being a 50 watt heater it should have been more then powerful enough. I upgraded 2 days after having the Tetra to a Hydor Theo 25 watt. Still not happy, I'm a bit obsessed but I rescued my boy from WalMart 20 days ago and want him to thrive, I have a Cobalt NeoTherm 25 watt coming tomorrow. The Hydor one is for some reason dropping the temp in the tank to 76 to 75 degrees overnight. 

Keep an eye on him when you first put on the filter, if it's blowing him around the tank, or if he's refusing to explore the tank, then it might be too strong for him. I've found that most of the filters that come with aquarium kits are way to strong for bettas, let us know if it is and we can help you either modify the filter or pick out a different one. 

Before trying to grow live plants in the tank see what type of light it comes with, my Tetra came with 1 very dim LED light, no way would that thing grow plants. I'll need to upgrade the light before I can even think of live plants in that tank, which is a shame since my other betta loves his live plants. Once you know what type of light you have, and if it's bright enough for plants, try Anubia Nana, it's a low light, and very easy plant and should be great for you to start with.

Here's my 2.5 gal, soon to be 3 gal cause yeah, like I said, I'm a bit obsessed...


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

With regard to Indian almond leaves, you can actually just float a bunch in a large jug and store it in the fridge. Every time you do a water change you can add some of the IAL water in (making sure to warm up the portion to room temperature first). It'll help you not waste the leaves/tannins and stretch them out further. You can buy IAL direct from Thailand for like $2 a bag on eBay. Some US sellers charge outrageous prices for it. Having said that, the tannins from the leaves will turn the water yellow/brown, and you may not be into that. It's a common practice for breeders in Asia to keep bettas permanently in the brown IAL water. It's apparently extremely good for their health, but it is ultimately up to personal preference. I'd probably do it myself if local sources for IAL existed that weren't hugely overpriced.

(Link to cheap IAL from Thailand and a photo of what the water will look like).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7g-Catappa-...128539?hash=item2a8f610c9b:g:dloAAOSwkbJZzJW3


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

DZIM said:


> With regard to Indian almond leaves, you can actually just float a bunch in a large jug and store it in the fridge. Every time you do a water change you can add some of the IAL water in (making sure to warm up the portion to room temperature first). It'll help you not waste the leaves/tannins and stretch them out further. You can buy IAL direct from Thailand for like $2 a bag on eBay. Some US sellers charge outrageous prices for it. Having said that, the tannins from the leaves will turn the water yellow/brown, and you may not be into that. It's a common practice for breeders in Asia to keep bettas permanently in the brown IAL water. It's apparently extremely good for their health, but it is ultimately up to personal preference. I'd probably do it myself if local sources for IAL existed that weren't hugely overpriced.
> 
> (Link to cheap IAL from Thailand and a photo of what the water will look like).
> 
> 7g Catappa indian almond leaves ketapang leaf shrimp betta fish aquarium care | eBay


My water is not that bad but I only use 1 leaf and have been rotating between 25 and 50% water changes every 2 to 3 days. I'm wondering just how often the owners of the fish in the photo is doing water changes. In the picture in my previous post that IAL floating at the top of the tank had been in my tank for the better part of a week.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Hi. Thanks all. I was at work so just getting here now. I am so annoyed. I placed my order with Walmart for same day pickup at 8:30 am yesterday and it was not ready when my son went to pick it up and it is still not ready, no email, nothing. So, I have to hope it will be available today for pickup, otherwise, I guess I will have to order a new tank somewhere else and cancel the stuff I ordered from Walmart. Pain in the tuccus. 

I expect my Chewy order today too, so let's hope. If the stuff does not come, I have to change his water, it is disgusting. 

I hate to think he is tail biting but I agree it is possible. My son didn't feed him for about 2 weeks, so I do not know what he ate and he was in filthy disgusting smelly gross water for a few weeks until I took over. I told him today all the money I spent on his fish so he has given up his rights to his fish. It is now my fish. 

I will look into the Stress Guard and the Indian leaves. Right now, I am just pissed I do not have the tank yet.

Oh did order a thermometer. Think I need to get test strips too right? Any suggestions on what kind?


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ordered the StressGuard, gonna go look for Indian leaves now.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

This is the most reliable test kit:

https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWAT...id=1507799608&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+test+kit

Once the tank is done cycling, you only need to test water parameters every now and then, or if something is wrong with the fish. Doing partial water changes every week will keep your tank stable. Therefore, this kit will last you a very long time.

And yeah, he's definitely been biting. Self-cannibalizing is probably how he survived that long without food. A betta's fins will grow back with time, though, so he'll be just fine in a few months.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Just got off website chat with Walmart. Got an English as a second language customer service helper, and this was his/her response to why my order was not ready.

Kaevyn P: Thank you so much for waiting, I'm truly sorry for the delay in your order, in this case I'm able to see that the store has taken more time to fulfill the order because they were checking that there were not a damage product or any inconvenience with the order and fulfill all the items in your order. 
Kaevyn P: I do apologize because I know how important it is for you, in this case if you would like to wait a bit more for today later I would like to offer you a gift card of $5 as compensation for this delay, if you do not longer want the order I can process a cancellation for your order.

So, asked if it will be ready today and she says it will but to call such and such number to ask if I have any worries and got 5 dollar gift card. 

Still very annoyed.

I have to change his water. I feel horrible he is sitting in there. Maybe I will just do a half tank change today before the new tank comes. Does that seem safe? It has only been about 9 days.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

9 days is an extremely long time to go between water changes in a bowl that small without a filter. 

It would be a good idea to do the water change gradually. Change slightly less than half of the water and replace it with clean water that's the same temperature at as the water in the bowl. In about an hour, do another partial change. Keep doing the change gradually so he has time to acclimate to the clean water. Go slowly until you've changed 100% of the water. Remember to use the water conditioner to remove the chlorine every time you do a water change! After the water's been fully changed, do 50% changes daily until the new tank is set up. 

The reality that newbie betta keepers aren't taught is that without a cycled filter, the water needs to be changed literally daily. Yes, daily. The "change it every week" schedule is only for tanks with a filter. Without a filter, toxins build up rapidly even if the water looks clean visually. Ammonia is invisible, but it's being produced by the fish as well as any food going into the tank at a steady rate. By the way, remember to remove uneaten food within 30 or 40 minutes of it being placed into the tank, that'll fowl up the water rapidly. What he doesn't eat, scoop out and throw in the trash.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I had no idea DZIM. I know in about 2-3 days, it starts getting cloudy. I will, when done with work in 1/2 hour, do a little less than half water change, wait an hour, do a bit more, until his new tank comes later. When new tank comes later, do you suggest all new water with the filter and with the Quick Start that the tracking number says will be here today by end of day, and my BettaSafe for chlorine. I did order the StressGuard a few minutes ago so will probably be here tomorrow. 

Poor little fishy.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

All new water will be totally fine once he's acclimated to clean water. Very rapid water chemistry changes are dangerous, but once he's been slowly exposed to clean water, he'll be totally fine going into a clean tank. The key with fish "gradual". They (and all aquatic animals) can be very sensitive to sudden chemistry changes.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ordered the test strips, now only thing left is the Indian leaves. I think anyway.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ordered the Indian leaves.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

You're probably pretty well set up at this point. You might want to get a gravel vacuum for tank maintenance. A gravel vac is a pump with a suction chamber on the end that is used to suck waste out of the gravel or off of the tank floor. Try to get one with what's called a 'self-starting siphon'. I have one that has to be forced to siphon, and it takes longer to get suction than it does cleaning the tank after it starts... there are some out there that are battery operated as well to make it even easier. 

I'm also going to recommend you a Youtube channel that will teach you a lot about aquarium maintenance. It's one of my personal favorites that I learned a significant amount from:

https://www.youtube.com/user/AquariumCoop

It's good to learn a you can about these subjects, and there is an incredible wealth to learn. Though, as with anything, remember to double and triple-check information you learn against other sources (like discussing said info with the people on this forum) to make sure it's right. There's a ton of misinformation floating around out there as well.

Welcome to the betta club. I think your boy will give you a lot in his time with you. I'm glad you're giving this creature a much-deserved second chance at life, and I hope you come to love bettas as much as we all do here. It's hard not to love them when you get to know them, though.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

So the filter won't grab the stuff on the gravel, I assume? I will look into the suction tube filter thingy. How do you self-siphon? Suck it till it starts? Have you ever gotten a mouth full of water.

I will check out the youtube site.

Thanks for all your help. I will probably have questions once the tank is set up about really how to cycle and how I know it is fully cycled and all that, but let me get it all set up and going first. I will have alot more time this weekend (off on weekends) too look more into cycling. 

I hope his tail grows back.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

The filter will pick up a portion of the debris, but there will always be a percentage that escapes it and settles into the gravel. You can actually just do water changes simultaneously while gravel vacuuming as the vac will suck out some of the water for you. 

TO start the vac I have, you just submerge both ends until the hose fills up with water, but for whatever reason it takes forever to get all the air out of it. When doing large water changes, though, I actually just appropriated a gasoline siphon pump with a manual hand pump. It's the kind one would use for siphoning gas out of a car or lawn mower. I have multiple divided 10 gallon tanks though, so something like that might be overkill for a 3g. 

This is a gravel vacuum:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tom-Aquarium-12-Gravel-Vacuum/20700459


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ordered the gravel filter you linked. Thanks. Be here the 13th it says. Forgot to use my 5 buck gift card from before, oh well, I will use it another day.

Was watching a video no Betta types and now I want a half moon one. Beautiful fish. I love the white Bettas I am seeing too.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I might eventually go up in size and may even split like a 10 gallon with a divider and have 2 fish. We shall see. Let me get down cycling and caring for the one first.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Divided tanks are great because you can have two bettas for the effort and cost of maintaining one. If you go the divided route, avoid commercial dividers from Petco and such because they're bad quality. If your divider fails, your fish's life is at stake, as bettas are hugely aggressive and will kill each other if they can get at one another. I hand-built and installed all of my dividers myself. I can teach you how to do that if you ever want to go down that road.

I have two half-moons named Overcast and Sunset. I bought them for $8 and $10 respectively from an online breeder named Du Truong. Here's his eBay site. I'd recommend bookmarking it in case you want some good healthy half-moons one day. He tends to get a nice stock of white half-moons, one of which I bought myself. He even has some of my fish's brothers for sale. I highly recommend him.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/vodanhdanny-8/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Below are pictures of my HMs! Meet Overcast (white) and Sunset (blue/pink/clear)!

(That's also Sunset in my icon, being curious about his Buddhist friend).


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Beautiful DZIM. How do they ship them, may I ask, with all the water needed in the cups? I once ordered red eared sliders online but they sat in like a Styrofoam crate with some wet paper towels, but I can't image how fish are mailed. I added him to my Favs at Ebay and am browsing now.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Mr. Truong doubled them up in plastic shipment bags filled with Indian almond leaf water, then wrapped each bag individually in padding. He filled the box with padding as well and fit the bags in snugly. The fish were shipped in a standard cardboard box, which was mailed Priority. They arrived perfect and unharmed within 2 days. I was worried the entire time they were going to be dead when they arrived, but they were 100% perfect. Overcast spent all day zooming around his tank like he was having the time of his life within an hour of being settled in. I wouldn't trade either of them for anything.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I want him: Live Halfmoon Betta Male Fish DT-16 | eBay 

But what is up with his chin area? Is that normal? Looks like it's cut to me, but I am know next to nothing about them.

Or him:
Live copper Halfmoon Betta Fish DT-28 | eBay

I am not ready, so just looking. You ever see any white like that with blue around the edges of the fins?


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

It's not cut at all. The betta is doing something called flaring, which an aggression/dominance display where the betta puffs his gills out and extends a fleshy flap underneath the gills called a "beard". Bettas do this to show hostility to an enemy, and can be made to do it by showing them their reflection in the mirror. Breeders take pictures of bettas flaring because they also puff their fins out when they flare, giving you a good view of what their fins look like. Normally a betta's fins are pretty relaxed, so the only way to get a good view is to make them flare.

I've seen so many different kinds of bettas... one of the best things about them is that they come in literally infinite color patterns and varieties. So many bettas are totally unique, they're like actual gems. I have a particular fondness for what's called a koi galaxy betta. This is what they look like!

https://www.google.com/search?site=...0..0.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.0.0.n3d-ZcgNHWk


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ahh, okay. Thanks.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I WANT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will wait a while though but so beautiful.



Live Betta Fish Male White Platinum Halfmoon HM #2030 | eBay


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

I have such a weakness for white bettas, or bettas with a combination of white and other colors. I consider myself blessed to own Mellow and Overcast, but I sure wouldn't say no to that guy, either. I need to be rich...

Another type of betta I'm hugely fond of are the dumbo ears. I was planning to buy a pair for my newest tank before I decided to get the half-moons instead.

Here's a dumbo ear I found on Google. The fluffy fins are some of the greatest things I've ever seen. I still want some... I may set up another divided 10g sometime next year.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I like the dumbo ears too. Some day. Not now though. 

It is weird I like the white because my absolute most favorite color in the world is blue but there is just something about those white Bettas. Gorgeous. I also like the blacks too.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Careful. You'll get addicted and wind up with dozens of bettas. Kind of like me. My first ever betta since I was a teenager was a beautiful cellophane veiltail I bought from Walmart that lived with me for two years until his death. When he died, I did the smart thing and bought 7 more. I still want more. It's only a matter of time...

My ultimate favorite are crowntails. I currently have 4 crowntails. Their fins make them look like some kind of deep sea abomination and I love them for it. 

A nice video of some show quality crowns:






I find all of my crowns are also very feisty and aggressive compared to veiltails I've owned. Most of them have no fear of me whatsoever. Mellow even bites me when I stick my hands in the tank...


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Nice. I noticed on googling Bettas and seeing some for sale, some that the tails seems see-through. I will have to find a picture of one. Here ya go. I like these alot.



Live Betta Fish Male White Orange Big Tail Halfmoon HM #1804 | eBay

Anyway, my tank came, just woke up. No gravel though, Walmart was out of what I picked, so they cancelled that part of my order. So, I'll have to use the little I have in my 1 gallon and order from somewhere else. 

Can I use lizard sand in a Betta tank?

This morning though, after I did my many water changes, I put the Quick Start in his 1 gallon tank and his betta bed and his anemone, he got way more active.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Bettas with transparent fins/bodies are called cellophanes, because they resemble plastic wrap. Some bettas like that one have partial cellophane markings, though some exist that are completely transparent over their whole bodies - my old cello (RIP) was one of those.

You can definitely use sand in your tanks. Some people use play sand (like the kind for a child's sandbox), or pool filtration sand from the hardware store. The thing about sand, though, is that it's extremely difficult to clean. Play sand especially. Sand contains huge amounts of fine dust that will cloud your water to the point of total obscurity unless you pre-rinse the sand for literally hours. I would love sand in my tanks, but I'm just not up for that kind of work. 

Transfering old gravel over is good because ammonia-consuming bacteria tends to nest in the gravel. You can just put the old gravel in without rinsing it, just remove any debris with the gravel vac before hand.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Okay, so he is in his tank. I do not like the tank, I guess the shape. I cannot fit, well it fits but takes most of the tank, one of the rock/plant things I bought. 



It seems too tall rather than long. He is hanging out at the top, hardly going toward the bottom. So, next tank will be long, rather than tall.

He is hanging by where air bubbles come in. 



Hate all the tubes all over the place, but it is what it is. 

I need plants big time. Walmart cancelled the plant order I had made, out of stock I guess. 

Anywho, have to go to work, and will get better pictures later.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I want a transparent some day.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Plastic zipties (never use anything with metal in it, such as twist ties) can be used to manage cables and tubes both inside and out of the tank. Can also use suction cups to route tubes in the tank where you want them. 

Your fish already looks like he's doing better. Nice bright color, which suggests he's less stressed out. Bettas tend to go pale/dull when they're stressed, so the bright full color means he's doing pretty good. What's left of his tail is expanded rather than clamped, which is another good sign (bettas fold their tails up tightly when they feel bad, and expand them when they feel good). 

He's probably just chilling out and getting used to the new environment. In time his activity levels will likely increase. Bettas tend to lounge near the surface a lot. They are surface-dwelling fish after all. 

Here are some plants that I use, are inexpensive and realistic. They look great in my tanks:

Artificial Aquarium Plants: Hagen Marina EcoScaper Lobelia Cardinalis

Aquarium Decorations & Artificial Plants: Azoo Real Plant Artificial Lobelia cardinalis

Azoo Real Plant Artificial Anubias | Aquarium Decorations | DrsFosterSmith.com

Artificial Aquarium Plants: Hagen Marina EcoScaper Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

This site is also having a 15% off sale right now, so all of these should be discounted for the moment as well.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Thanks, gonna order them later, and to be honest, think I might get a 5 gallon tank. I really do not like the shape of this dohicky but then I will need a bigger heater and filter, right? 

The filter came with the tank, came with:

Tetra Bubbling LED Half Moon Aquarium Kit: 
Auto color-changing feature highlights the fish makes for a fun experience
LED aquarium kit uses small filter cartridges
3-gal half moon tank with a clear lid
Included feeding tube
6 LED air stones
Tetra internal small filter cartridge to maintain water quality
Tetra air pump with airline tubing and an airline connector valve

Don't think I got the feeding tube and/or the 6 LED air stones, but package was sealed so not sure why they were not there, but probably the filter won't be enough for the 5 gallon, right?

Also hate the lid, hardly stays on. 

The heater, https://www.chewy.com/marina-submersible-aquarium-heater/dp/152031, says it is good at 25 w up to 6.6 gallons. 

I don't know. 

I'm waiting a bit to check temperature after the heater has time to heat it up. It should be around 78 degrees, right?

I have plenty of plastic zip ties, so that own't be a problem.

The stress guard will be here tomorrow and the Indian leaves and the gravel filter thingy.

The test kit and a few odds and ends (some moss balls) will be here Saturday.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

25 watts should work out in a 5 gallon, though it also sort of depends on the quality of the heater itself. Some heat up well, others don't. You can just try it and see what happens. 

The filter will also probably work on a 5 gal, as long as it's just the betta in there. That said I used to have that same filter that came with a 3 gallon Tetra Cube and I wasn't a fan of it. It didn't have much suction so there was always fine debris in my water, and the canister took up too much room in the tank. I still have the Tetra Cube, but I replaced the filter with an Azoo Palm hang-on-back filter and used an adjustable Marina 25-watt heater in it. 

Replacing the filter came with its own set of challenges though... the Cube doesn't have a rim, so the HOB filter didn't sit correctly on the edge, which in turn caused me to come home one day to a pool of water on the floor. Had to shove a lot of styrofoam between the tank wall and the filter chamber to get it to sit right. Worked perfectly once I got that straightened out though though.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

If you decide to get a 5 gal or 3 gal tank, do your bank account a huge favor skip the kits and just get the tank. If you do that you can get the equipment of your choice, instead of the cheap stuff that usually comes with kits, and save money. 

Every time I get a kit I end up scraping the stuff that comes with it, including the light and filter, and buying the ones I like. I've learned it's cheaper in the long run to just get the aquarium not the kit.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Oh yeah, about the moss balls: be careful what temperature they're kept at. 

I've had 14 Marimo moss balls for two years and they started degrading badly when I adjusted tank temperature to above 80 degrees. Marimo are cold-water plants that prefer heavy shade. They can't tolerate temps above 78 degrees, and actually prefer temps of 76 and below. They can work in betta tanks as long as the temps are reasonable but if you want to go warmer you'll need to take them out. I now keep mine in a plastic jar on my shelf as a desk-only plant.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Funny story. Had my younger son (16) help me set this up because I have a back injury so cannot carry too much or walk too far, and I asked him to put the thermometer in the tank. So, I am watching him do it and he is sticking it outside the tank. Silly, had to tell him it goes inside the tank. My son thinks the Betta bed is silly and he won't use it. He does show it interest, just have not seen him lay/hover on it yet. Might have to move it up some. Its about between halfway and 3/4 up in the tank.

I cannot stop watching him, supposed to be working, to see what he is up to. He is hanging around the filter now like where the water runs in, maybe he likes the feeling. Has not checked out the bottom of the tank yet that I have seen.

I really must thank you so much for all your help and everybody's help. I asked my son (the 18 yo) what he thinks. He said, "I think he was fine in the bowl." I asked him how he could let him live in that gross water so long and not feed him and if he had smelled the gross water? He said yeah but no answer about the other stuff. He is just really lazy. Horribly lazy.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Rainbo said:


> If you decide to get a 5 gal or 3 gal tank, do your bank account a huge favor skip the kits and just get the tank. If you do that you can get the equipment of your choice, instead of the cheap stuff that usually comes with kits, and save money.
> 
> Every time I get a kit I end up scraping the stuff that comes with it, including the light and filter, and buying the ones I like. I've learned it's cheaper in the long run to just get the aquarium not the kit.


I will do just that, no kit, just the tank. Maybe next week. Spent so much this week for one little fish, hopefully he thrives and does not die on me.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> Oh yeah, about the moss balls: be careful what temperature they're kept at.
> 
> I've had 14 Marimo moss balls for two years and they started degrading badly when I adjusted tank temperature to above 80 degrees. Marimo are cold-water plants that prefer heavy shade. They can't tolerate temps above 78 degrees, and actually prefer temps of 76 and below. They can work in betta tanks as long as the temps are reasonable but if you want to go warmer you'll need to take them out. I now keep mine in a plastic jar on my shelf as a desk-only plant.


I ordered the moss balls when I was going to get a shrimp or shrimps, so maybe won't put them in there. I read somewhere they like the moss balls.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> Funny story. Had my younger son (16) help me set this up because I have a back injury so cannot carry too much or walk too far, and I asked him to put the thermometer in the tank. So, I am watching him do it and he is sticking it outside the tank. Silly, had to tell him it goes inside the tank. My son thinks the Betta bed is silly and he won't use it. He does show it interest, just have not seen him lay/hover on it yet. Might have to move it up some. Its about between halfway and 3/4 up in the tank.
> 
> I cannot stop watching him, supposed to be working, to see what he is up to. He is hanging around the filter now like where the water runs in, maybe he likes the feeling. Has not checked out the bottom of the tank yet that I have seen.
> 
> I really must thank you so much for all your help and everybody's help. I asked my son (the 18 yo) what he thinks. He said, "I think he was fine in the bowl." I asked him how he could let him live in that gross water so long and not feed him and if he had smelled the gross water? He said yeah but no answer about the other stuff. He is just really lazy. Horribly lazy.


The sad truth is that bettas are a fish that have tons upon tons upon tons of misinformation surrounding their care. People hear, "they live in shallow, slow-moving water" and think that means they can stick them in two inches of filthy water and they'll do fine. Pet stores encourage this out of a combination of ignorance and greed. Some genuinely don't know, and some believe that by giving people the wrong info, they'll kill that little $3 "disposable" fish in 2 months and come in to buy more. I've heard of pet store staff that legitimately thought bettas have a 3-month lifespan. Bettas can live up to 6 years!

Bettas actually are adapted to shallower, slow-moving bodies of water, but in nature that shallow water is many miles long, and heavily filtered by an immense wealth of toxin-consuming plants.

This is a picture of where bettas naturally live:










Definitely not a dirty, ammonia-filled one gallon bowl.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I wanna get some of that stuff on the top of the water, but then I worry how I will clean his tank and feed him and ugh, I am mental, sometimes. 

Just came in from the kitchen where I was getting myself some Chinese food and found one of my 4 cats (Monkey) checking out the fishy. He never even noticed him in the bowl. Now I have to worry about cats bugging fishy.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

As long as they can't get in the tank, he should be okay. You might wanna tape the lid down so the cats can't pull it off. 

The floating plants are called duckweed. They're great for goldfish and bettas, though I think they need fairly good lighting to survive. You can easily get duckweed on eBay, or even here on this forum. Java moss is another good thing to get, it's hardy and easy to keep. I like dwarf water lettuce myself, because the roots hang down into the water and it looks great. 

I don't keep any live plants though, as I always kill them...


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I can't even keep house plants alive, so probably won't be great at keeping aquarium plants alive.

So, trying to decide whether to get a 5-gallon that I can split for 2 bettas eventually or is that too small, so should get a 10-gallon? Or, should I just get a 5-gallon, not plan to split and get a shrimp or 2 or 3. I eventually want one of those white or translucent Bettas and with just a 5-gallon and no split, won't have room for one. 

Ugh, decisions, decisions.

I also have limited space especially if I want to keep him with me, which I do, so weight would be an issue. 

Fell in love with this except for the lid.

Marineland Contour Desktop Aquarium Kits: Aquarium Kits

And seems quite expensive for a tank. 

But, I should not think of dividing a 5-gallon, too small, 2.5 gallons per fish, really? Right?


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

5 gallon tanks are too small to split because while bettas can hypothetically live in 2.5 gallons, there's also the tank's 'footprint' (the length) to keep in mind. Bettas swim more horizontally than vertically, and spitting a 5g would create a very narrow space where much of the length is vertical... they won't be comfortable like that. Split a 10g one time and that'll be perfect. A nice cube shape with 5 gallons of room per fish.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I don't know about this heater and/or thermometer. Directions say heater's red light will turn off when tank reaches 78 degrees. Well it turned off. Thermometer in front of tank says maybe 70, but more like 68. 

Do thermometers take time to read right? The heater's red light is off, it's automatic, so no way to turn it back on.

It's back on now. Maybe I missed it. It is very dull red.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Heaters will turn on and off frequently so as to heat the water gradually. I think what the directions are saying is that the heater will automatically shut off when the temperature reaches 78 so as to not go higher than that, not necessarily always that it's at 78 when it shuts off. IE, it will turn on and off when the temperature is below 78 in order to bring the temperature up slowly. 

Still, if you don't see a steady increase in temp by tomorrow, definitely get a refund. I don't like preset heaters, myself. I prefer adjustable because you can control how much heat is coming off it at any given time.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> I will do just that, no kit, just the tank. Maybe next week. Spent so much this week for one little fish, hopefully he thrives and does not die on me.


Totally understand! I just spent a fortune on updating my new guys set up. He's an impulse, he needed rescuing, WalMart betta so I grabbed a 2.5 gal plastic tetra tank, and tetra heater, to put him in. That was nearly a month ago, Today his new heater came, tomorrow his new tank is coming, and I think next week his filter will get here. Basically I've spent a fortune on that boy, but not satisfied I'm online looking at end tables to put his tank on. I need Bettaholics anonymous
!


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> Heaters will turn on and off frequently so as to heat the water gradually. I think what the directions are saying is that the heater will automatically shut off when the temperature reaches 78 so as to not go higher than that, not necessarily always that it's at 78 when it shuts off. IE, it will turn on and off when the temperature is below 78 in order to bring the temperature up slowly.
> 
> Still, if you don't see a steady increase in temp by tomorrow, definitely get a refund. I don't like preset heaters, myself. I prefer adjustable because you can control how much heat is coming off it at any given time.


Yeah, will do. I checked reviews on this puppy and it seems lots of people are not happy with the temp it reaches. I thought it meant that the light will turn on red until the water reaches the 78 degrees and then shut off, but stay on constant until then. It just turned on again, after being off 20 mins or so. 

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-C25-C...K6Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_2?pageNumber=2

I hate heat for me personally, so I still am running my ACs, but it has been getting into the 80s during the daytime where I live, so I just turned the ACs off, but I have it set to go as low as 62, so maybe room is too cold.

I don't know if it is worth returning. It was 10.99. So I will give it another day, see if the temp raises. Then, if not, I'll just buy another one. Put this one in an odds-and-ends box or something.

It turned off again. LOL


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Rainbo said:


> Totally understand! I just spent a fortune on updating my new guys set up. He's an impulse, he needed rescuing, WalMart betta so I grabbed a 2.5 gal plastic tetra tank, and tetra heater, to put him in. That was nearly a month ago, Today his new heater came, tomorrow his new tank is coming, and I think next week his filter will get here. Basically I've spent a fortune on that boy, but not satisfied I'm online looking at end tables to put his tank on. I need Bettaholics anonymous
> !


I have him on a shelf above my desk, but if upgrade to 10 gallons, so I can eventually split and get another one, no way would I trust the shelf to hold the weight, but I have no room for an endtable in my office/room. Maybe I can put it on my file cabinet, but then it is too at cat level for my liking.

It's crazy.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> I don't know about this heater and/or thermometer. Directions say heater's red light will turn off when tank reaches 78 degrees. Well it turned off. Thermometer in front of tank says maybe 70, but more like 68.
> 
> Do thermometers take time to read right? The heater's red light is off, it's automatic, so no way to turn it back on.
> 
> It's back on now. Maybe I missed it. It is very dull red.


Which heater do you have? Some just don't work right. I have a Tetra Submersible that would not heat the water up above 75 degrees, it's supposed to heat the water to 78 then shut off. Keep an eye on the thermometer, if after 24 hours it hasn't gotten the water to 78 then it's not going to.

For any heater you get let it sit in the water at least 30 minutes, an hour is better, before plugging it in. That'll allow the heater to calibrate to the temperature of the tank and be more accurate.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Rainbo said:


> Which heater do you have? Some just don't work right. I have a Tetra Submersible that would not heat the water up above 75 degrees, it's supposed to heat the water to 78 then shut off. Keep an eye on the thermometer, if after 24 hours it hasn't gotten the water to 78 then it's not going to.
> 
> *For any heater you get let it sit in the water at least 30 minutes, an hour is better, before plugging it in. That'll allow the heater to calibrate to the temperature of the tank and be more accurate.*


BBM.

I did not do this. I did not read the directions until after when I thought it was not heating. Let's hope I didn't mess it up.

I have this one: 25 W

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-C25-C...0035L9K6Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> I have him on a shelf above my desk, but if upgrade to 10 gallons, so I can eventually split and get another one, no way would I trust the shelf to hold the weight, but I have no room for an endtable in my office/room. Maybe I can put it on my file cabinet, but then it is too at cat level for my liking.
> 
> It's crazy.


I'm in a small apartment and am very limited on space which is why I hadn't gotten another betta (he's my second) before now. The space I'm looking to put the tank in is around 2ft long and 14inches wide, so not a lot of space and I'll be sacrificing the wood T.V tray that I"m currently using as an end table and a lot of the space that have for my stuff on that tray. But the tank will fit there, I"ll be able to easily see my boy, and the tank will be away from the drafty window which is where he is now. Where I'm looking to put him is pretty much the only place the tank can go unless I keep it by the window.

I bet if you get the dimensions of the tank you'll be able to figure out a place to put it.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

I keep all 4 of my tanks in my bedroom. 3 out of 4 are divided 10gs. I just stack them on top of these shelving units:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Workchoice-3-Tier-Zinc-Metal-Shelving-Unit/23607140

Though, I've always wanted to get a few of the 5-shelf version so I could have room for a few more tanks. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Honey-Ca...justable-Storage-Shelving-Unit-Black/17108682

For the 3 shelf unit, I put one tank on top, one tank in the middle and put supplies on the bottom shelf. The shelving platforms are also adjustable to any height which makes them very convenient as tank stands.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> I keep all 4 of my tanks in my bedroom. 3 out of 4 are divided 10gs. I just stack them on top of these shelving units:
> 
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Workchoice-3-Tier-Zinc-Metal-Shelving-Unit/23607140
> 
> ...


It would be hard to explain but i do not have the floor space for one of those shelving units. I am in an 2/3 bedroom house/apartment (rest of house is rented by others), and I stay in the front room, the kids have other rooms, and then the living room is between me and the other rooms. My room is my office (since I work from home). I have a bed in here, my desk, and the washer and dryer. My doorway enters into the living room, but it is a big huge opening, not like a door. Picture a laundry room with a desk and a bed in it. My dressers and other stuff are out in other rooms. So, literally have 2 feet if that around my desk to put stuff. On one side of desk cannot put anything because then the dryer won't be able to be opened. On other side of desk, is my bed, 2 feet from my desk. Behind me, which would mean I would not see fishy too often (I would have to turn around to see him,) I have a big huge Walmart like garage storage shelving unit where I keep some craft stuff. I could make room on there, but then again, I would not see him too much. So, I have like rigged hutch in front of me on my desk (in front of a huge drafty window), where I put a piece of wood across two 3-drawer little plastic cabinet things, so I have a shelf for my printer and computer stack, etc. That is where fishy is now. I can see him all the time. I'm afraid the wood won't hold the 10-gallon. I might move myself into my son's room who is almost 19 and has sort of moved upstairs, renting the vacant apartment, but I wanted to leave his room free in case it doesn't work out. Also, that means I have to move a whole bunch of tucked and wrapped computer and cable wires to the back of the house, and I am not looking forward to doing that, especially with my back. I have little help. Hubby is a truck driver, takes one car to work and leaves it there while he is out, comes home about 2 times a week, sleeps a few hours, and takes off again. 19yo son, works, takes our other car to work, so he has it all day, comes home, and is very lazy as I mentioned so getting him to help me with anything is like forget about it. He is also gone most weekends with his GF.

Rack I have behind me.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Muscle-Rack-36-W-x-24-D-x-72-H-Five-Shelf-Resin-Shelving-Black/35584048

I know, TMI. Long story short, I'd have to move stuff around for a floor shelf like that, but would love it. Then, for cleaning, I'd need help moving the tank to the kitchen, of course. Maybe I am better off with two 5 gallons, or at least two better 3 gallons, but then one has to clean 2 tanks. Grrrr.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Moving tanks for cleaning isn't necessary. Once your tank is set up and cycled, you never actually have to take it apart or do anything except vacuum the gravel and do partial water changes every weekend. I never move any of my tanks at all. I never even take the fish out of them. Just get a 1 gallon bucket (I actually use a 1-gallon cereal container for water changes, though I have 5 gallon buckets for big water changes) and siphon the water into the bucket with the gravel vacuum. If carrying 1 gallon buckets is too hard for you with your injury, you can pace the water changes slowly throughout the day. Like do half a gallon at a time, then do another half gallon, etc. Dump dirty water down the toilet, fill bucket with clean water, and scoop it in with a cup. A 3g only needs 1.5 gallons exchanged once a week.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> Moving tanks for cleaning isn't necessary. Once your tank is set up and cycled, you never actually have to take it apart or do anything except vacuum the gravel and do partial water changes every weekend. I never move any of my tanks at all. I never even take the fish out of them. Just get a 1 gallon bucket (I actually use a 1-gallon cereal container for water changes, though I have 5 gallon buckets for big water changes) and siphon the water into the bucket with the gravel vacuum. If carrying 1 gallon buckets is too hard for you with your injury, you can pace the water changes slowly throughout the day. Like do half a gallon at a time, then do another half gallon, etc. Dump dirty water down the toilet, fill bucket with clean water, and scoop it in with a cup. A 3g only needs 1.5 gallons exchanged once a week.


Ahh, okay. Was thinking I had to carry the tank to the kitchen. Thanks.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

1 gallon of water weighs around 8 pounds, so a 10g full of water would weigh around 80 pounds, maybe bump that up to 90 pounds to account for the weight of the tank itself. Potentially more if you're carrying it full of gravel and decor...plus water sloshing everywhere... not an ideal way to spend the weekend. Water changes on all my tanks takes me about 20 minutes with a siphon. No movement necessary. I usually just watch Youtube while freshening up the tanks. It's very easy. 

Removing the fish or doing 100% water changes on a cycled tank is almost never necessary. There's a few cases where you'd want to break down the tank, change all the water and clean everything, and those cases are: there's a disease outbreak in your tank and you have to sterilize it, or for some reason your water parameters went crazy and you need to start over with the cycle. The 2nd one should basically never happen just as long as you're keeping up with regular 50% weekly water changes. It could potentially happen if there's something wrong with your city's tap water, but if nothing's happened in a long time it probably won't.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> Ahh, okay. Was thinking I had to carry the tank to the kitchen. Thanks.


Nope only time you would have to do that is if you let it get really dirty or had some type of disease outbreak, and had to do a deep cleaning. My 5 gal is a soil substrate tank, I set it up in April I thing and I have not emptied it completely since then, at most I do a 50% water change on it, but usually just do 25%. If you were going to have a 1 gal, uncycled tank then you'd probably be best off just doing 100% water changes. Larger tanks are usually easier on upkeep. 

Given that I cannot use a gravel siphon on soil I use a piece of airline hose to clean my tanks plants and my betta's cave, The snails take care of algae and any uneaten food, and the waste from the betta and snails feeds the plants. If you're sticking with gravel substrate and artificial plants, you can still use the hose to vacuum off the plants and any other decorations you have in the tank.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

So, have the tank and everything set up since probably 9 pm. It is now 4:30 am, and temp still is at 68 degrees. The thermometer is a bit hard to read, even with glasses on, but it is between 68 and 70. It should be a bit warmer by now, no?

So, might complain to Chewy, see what they offer. Maybe its defective. Maybe I didn't give it time to get used to the water before plugging it in. Last few times, including right now, the light is off on the heater.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

It's probably not working correctly. Every time I've started up a new heater, the temp rose a 2 or 3 degrees within an hour at least. Definitely complain and try to get a refund. Some better heaters for you are one of these two:

Hydor Theo -- I own 2 of these. They're actually relatively small, so if you wanted you could get the 50 watt model of this, keep it adjusted low, and use it safely in your 3g. That way, if you ever wanted to use it on a larger tank, you wouldn't need to buy a more powerful heater. An admin on this site, @RussellTheShihTzu, uses 50 watt Hydors in her 2.5 gallon tanks with no problem. 

Aquarium Heaters: Hydor Theo Heater

Marina adjustable 25-watt -- I own one of these (as well as the enormous 50-watt version that would never fit in a small tank), and I've been using it daily in my old 3g for two years now with no problem. It's main drawback is that it doesn't have temperature labels, so you just have to crank it up and watch where the thermometer lands. Keep an eye on it for 24 hours to see where it peaks at, and if it's too high, turn it down slightly.

Marina 25 Watt Mini Submersible Aquarium Heater | eBay

The big thing about adjustable heaters vs. pre-set (which is what you have), is that for adjustables, upwards wattage doesn't matter at all (I once saw someone put a 100 watt adjustable in a 5g), because you can make it go to any temp you want within its capabilities. With pre-set, it's putting out the same amount of heat always, so if it's too hot or too cold for your tank, there's nothing you can do.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Gonna get the Theo 50 w, and adjust low. I am also ordering a few of the plants you linked before, but the ones I really like are out of stock till middle of November. Thanks, again. Maybe Chewy will just do a credit for my next purchase or something.

Gonna look for an easier thermometer to read too. Tiny tiny numbers.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

For thermometers, I prefer to use these on my tanks because they give very fast and accurate readouts:

3 pcs LCD Digital Fish Aquarium Thermometer Water Black FREE Extra Batteries | eBay

One of these I have has been running every day for 2 years and the battery is still going strong. Works great. I dunno if it would still be too small for you or not though. 

Only the temperature-sensing probe and the cord is submersible, though. The body of the thermometer has to stay on the outside of the tank. It comes with a suction cup to hang it on the outside of the tank.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

You said no metal inside right? So this one is out?



Plastic one is out of stock at Drs.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

DZIM said:


> For thermometers, I prefer to use these on my tanks because they give very fast and accurate readouts:
> 
> 3 pcs LCD Digital Fish Aquarium Thermometer Water Black FREE Extra Batteries | eBay
> 
> ...


Okay, thanks.

Should not be too small. 

The one I got, is this: https://www.chewy.com/marina-floating-thermometer-suction/dp/131461

I just cannot read it. Way smaller than their picture shows.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Here's a pic I took of one of mine just now, with a quarter for reference. And Emperor's big red head on the bottom right. He came over to see what I was doing...

The numbers are decently big.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Done, ordered the digital thermometer, Theo heater, 4 plants. Good to go for now.

Will wait a week or 2 or 3 before deciding on 10 gallon tank. I really have one, my son has his lizard in it right now, but I have a 40 or 50 I want him to put the lizard in, but we do not have a lid for the 40 or 50. Not sure if the 10 has a crack either, the way my son takes care of things, plus I would want a fresh sterile one.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Be careful with using reptile tanks as fish tanks. Depending on what it was designed for, it may not even hold water. If it was sold as a reptile tank, it may not be water-tight even if it isn't cracked. Last thing anybody wants is to have a tank burst. That's every aquarist's nightmare. 

Walmart sells 10gs made for fish for only $14. That's where I got all of mine.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Ugh the more I work with this tank, the more I hate it. So, it came with this thing that gives off bubbles and changes the color of the lights. I have no gravel so the thing will not stay where I put it and it just keeps floating around. I am about to take it out and have no light in there other than the room light. But, wanted to ask first, do Betta's like the bubbles. The bubble stream can be adjusted, and I have it going pretty high now, but he seems to keep going over there to get some bubbles, it seems. 

Then, every time I put my arm in there to make something stay down, water comes out the top. This is not an easy feat, because I have to stand on my desk to reach it.

I thought I had the heater figured out. It was seeming the bubble/light thingy was causing it to think its hot, I don't know, shutting it off. When I moved it, it turned back on. But I cannot get the bubble thingy/light to stay down anywhere cept using the bottom of the heater and wedging it under there. Temp is still around 68 in there. 

If the bubles are not necessary and the weird changing light is not necessary, I am going to take it out.

Little stinker he is. I decided to try to feed him pellets again because I read they are better for him. I fed him 3. He takes one, spits it out. Goes to the next one, takes it in, spits it out. Did the same thing to all 3, and did it numerous times. In front of my face. So, took them out and gave him flakes. I have to get some shrimp in a can and try that too. I put my finger in there just still. He came up and tasted me, then ran away. He is so cute.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Got my test kit. So, tested just pH and ammonia.





Weird kit. They have 5 tests but only give you 4 test tubes. 

How does this look?

Hard for me to tell. Seems between 00.25 and 00.50.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Also got his Indian leaves, so put one in the tank.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I am completely at a loss and confused about cycling and what I need to be doing. I just put this water in yesterday. I put QuickStart and BettaSafe in it. Waiting on the SeaChem, not here yet. Edited: SeaChem StressGuard just arrived, and am going to put some in now. This bottle should last for a while. 

How do you wash the test tubes out after you test? If I just rinse, won't the tubes have residue from yesterday's test in there as well as the chemicals from the test itself? 

I checked out the thread about cycling but I am even more confused now. 

I dunno. Water is not even hot enough yet. Does that affect ammonia and or nitrites/nitrates (yes, didn't test them yet). 

I am going to go nap. See you all later and thanks again for reading my posts. I am just such a newbie and need so much help.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

If I miss any of your questions please let me know! Lack of sleep has my brain a bit fuzzy. 

No, they do not need a bubbler, or technically a filter. Both of those will oxygenate the water, and the filter will additionally keep the water clean, BUT betta have what's known as an labyrinth organ which means that they can take oxygen from the surface of the water to breath if they are in low oxygen water. Contrary to rumor to do not need to use that organ, and if they are in water with a high oxygen you won't see them come to the surface to take a gulp of air as often. My own 2.5 gal tank has neither a filter or bubbler right now and hasn't since I got the tank. Some betta's like to play in the bubbles, some don't care either way, and some don't like them at all so it's just a matter of preference for them. If you wan't to take the bubbler out the bottom of the tank feel free! You can always put it back in later when you have something to weigh it down. 

I don't know if you have a filter on the tank or not, but if you do not you will need to keep up with the water changes because the ammonia and nitrite will rise even faster. Also an unfiltered tank is very hard to cycle due to the beneficial bacteria having less to grow on. The bacteria likes to grow in the filter sponge and to a much lesser degree it'll grow in the gravel and on the tanks decorations.

I clean my API test tubes, and the caps to the tubes, by rinsing them really well in hot tap water then turning them upside down to dry. 

Here's the forums guide that explains how to do a fish in cycle... http://www.bettafish.com/30-betta-fish-care/507585-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html 

It looks like the ammonia test you did shows .25 ppm . Am I reading that right or is the color off due to it being a picture. If it is .25 did you test the new tank, or the old tank? If it's the new tank was the water completely fresh? The reason for all the questions is that if you tested new water, then it should have 0 ammonia, but sometimes tap water contains ammonium (not toxic to fish) and the API test will read it as ammonia. All that to say if it's new water do a test on your tap water to double check that that's the problem. It'll save you a bunch of headache later on when you are cycling the tank. 

When testing the tank water while using Prime make sure to test the tank water right before a water change, or 48 hours after a water change.

A couple of things with the heater, it may be that the thermometer is not working correctly, I've had that happen. If the thermometer is right then try unplugging the heater for 2 to 3 hours, leaving it in the tank, and then plugging it back in. If it's still not heating the water then you'll know it's the heater that's not working correctly.

Hopefully that answers all your questions, if I missed any just let me know.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Rainblo, this is a new tank I just got yesterday and put him in at around 9 pm last night. It has a filter and heater (but heater doesnt seem to work and have another one coming in the mail). It is not the filter I want to remove, it is this changing light/bubbling thingy that I want to remove. 

So the water is new. It has QuickStart, BettaSafe, and Seachem Safeguard in it, and an Indian leave. The water was a bit cloudy today but it is crystal clear now. 

I did not buy Prime. I bought QuickStart and SeaChem on suggestion here.

My fish seems to love the bubbler. He also loves his new Indian leave. He hangs out under it all the time.

I am just going to unplug the heater, wait a few hours and take it out and wait for the new one which should be here tomorrow. 

I have read a good bit of the cycling thread but it still goes over my head. I do not understand what I am trying to do. I guess I need to change half the water in a week. My starting purpose here was because the round bowl w/o a filter or anything else I could not keep clean, so was wanting to get a tank mate to eat the gunk, but it developed into much more than that, why we are at 10 pages of posts. I have done pretty much everything asked, except order the Prime, because I do not believe that was recommended to me until now. I have QuickStart and BettaStart and SeachemStressGuard. I can't possibly need another drop, can I?


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I was watching videos on YouTube about fish, some as small as Betta, having surgery, like for swim bladder, or a lesion on the side of the fish, big Koi surgeries. I guess I started looking because I was reading the thread about weird Betta disease, then some posts about dropsy and it led me to videos of fish having surgery to remove edema. Amazing stuff.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Oh and Rainblo, I used the water from the old tank to pour into the new tank, the old rocks, etc., to keep the bacteria from them in, and just added new water to the tank to fill it up.


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

KayJaMikel said:


> Rainblo, this is a new tank I just got yesterday and put him in at around 9 pm last night. It has a filter and heater (but heater doesnt seem to work and have another one coming in the mail). It is not the filter I want to remove, it is this changing light/bubbling thingy that I want to remove.
> 
> So the water is new. It has QuickStart, BettaSafe, and Seachem Safeguard in it, and an Indian leave. The water was a bit cloudy today but it is crystal clear now.
> 
> ...


It's fine to take the bubbler out, the filter will do the job of oxygenating the water and filtering it. 

No problem about the Prime, when you said Seachem my brain automatically went to Prime. I'll explain what Prime is, and what it does, and why the forum recommends it, you can decide if you want to get it 

Prime is a water conditioner like the BettaStart what you already have, but where it differs is that it also binds with ammonia and Nitrite making them harmless for 24 to 48 hours. That's all the difference there really is between the two.

Now the reason Prime is recommended when doing a fish in cycle (cycling the tank while you have a fish or fish in it) is because of it's ability to bind with the ammonia and nitrite. Both Ammonia and Nitrite are toxic to fish, BUT when cycling a tank you need a bit of ammonia and nitrite in the tank to feed the beneficial bacteria since that is what they eat. So in order to have the ammonia and nitrate in the tank to feed the bacteria, and to keep the fish safe, it's recommended to use Prime.

To cycle the tank, and keep your boy safe, just do what is suggested in the beginning of the thread I linked. Don't worry about all the other stuff that goes into detail about each step. It really is as simple as doing 25% water changes 2x a week, or when the ammonia or nitrite rises to .25ppm on the API master kit. Test your water before the water change and all you need to test is Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. What you are aiming for is 0 on the Ammonia and Nitrite, and 10 to 20 on the Nitrate. Once you achieve that your tank is cycled and you can do 25% water changes once a week. That is literally all you need to do. You can add QuickStart according to the instructions on the bottle if you want, sometimes it helps to speed up the cycle, if you don't want to be bothered that's fine too, the tank will still cycle. If you don't want to cycle with Prime that's fine, when I did my first tank I was like you and did not have Prime, my boy survived the cycle, Betta's are pretty hardy fish, just test the tanks water ever other day to make sure the ammonia and nitrite doesn't spike.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

I will get some Prime. Chewy is the best, they deliver next day. He seems to love the bubbles, so for now leaving it in. I have to get gravel. Ordered some but it was out of stock so the company cancelled my order. I have 100 of these pretty glow in the dark gravel/rock pieces coming, but that is not gravel. 

I have to find a better spot for his tank. It is up high so doing anything is becoming hard because I have to climb on my desk to get to him. So, I have to bring him down to my level. I didn't test his nitrites/nitrates because I was confused with the test kit. Only 4 tubes, but 5 tests, but I will do it soon.

Prime has now been ordered, but probably won't be here until Tuesday because it is 10:13 pm on Friday night and the probably won't process my order until Monday.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

Hey, sorry for the late reply. Had some stuff to do. On the bright side I put some Christmas lights on my tank because I'm too broke to buy actual aquarium lights for all my tanks, so now the one-man-7-fish DZIM household is 100% festive.










Some ammonia is normal when the tank starts establishing. Over time the bacteria culture will grow enough to take the ammonia down to a consistent 0 all the time. So keep up with regular water changes and test water frequently to make sure the nitrates and ammonia don't skyrocket to dangerous levels. Once you get consistently low readings, you won't need to check water parameters very often at all. It's only at the beginning that thinks are very unstable. 6 drops of Seachem Prime in your tank every day until ammonia reads 0 (meaning the cycle is established) will neutralize ammonia and keep the water safe for the fish.

Bubblers are necessary for bettas and are a personal preference for the keeper. I think they look great, but the last time I used one my fish became incredibly stressed out by the turbulence it caused, so I threw it out. Some bettas enjoy bubblers as a form of enrichment, some are afraid of them. It's all down to personal preference. If you like it and the fish likes it, feel free to keep it.

Bettas naturally live in slow moving, shallow water, and consequently aren't well adapted to turbulent waters. If you see the betta avoiding the bubbler, hiding a lot, or going pale, or showing horizontal stripes down the sides of its body, take it out.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Your tanks are so pretty DZIM. 

I am keeping the bubbler for now. He loves it, at least it seems that way. He love his Indian leaf, I cannot tell you how much he loves this leaf. He sucks up the air that collects under it, hangs out under it, all day long. i will test water again tomorrow. I didn't test the nitrates today when I did it. I was confused by the test, but I will read it further and figure it out.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

One thing I've learned is that bettas love top cover. I'm in the process of figuring out a DIY method for floating artificial plant leaves on the surface for those of us that don't do live plants. I plan to try rigging up a sort of raft from airline tubing and attaching fake plant stems to it... we'll see how it goes.

Bettas love all sorts of cover though. I had one of my fish in a mostly bare open water tank when I was still new to understanding betta behavior, and I saw an amazing transformation in his behavior once I filled the tank up with foliage. He became much more active and hid a lot less. More cover = more activity. A lot of people make the assumption that more hiding places means they'll never see their fish, but it's actually 100% the reverse.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

So, I have come for an update.

My water levels today before about 30% water change. Seems ammonia has gone up. Added more QuickStart and BettaSafe, but my Seachem is not here yet. Anything else I can do? Seachem will be here Monday it says.



So, also got some plants and a floating log, my new heater, my new thermometer, and figured out how to rig the bubble thing to the floor using a suction cup.

So, I think it looks very pretty if I do say so myself. 



How do I know the heater is on. I let it acclimate this time 20 minutes, maybe even 30 while I was arranging plants and testing water. 

I really have to move this thing down to my level. Had my son move it down for me so I could work on it, then the cords were not long enough, ugh, then he left and I had to put it back up and almost dropped it. Afraid to move it down to cat level, though. I don't know. Every few day water removals and additions are not going to work out with it up there though.

I ordered a 16 cord thing from Amazon because between his cords and my computer cords, and my crafting light cords, I have cords everywhere and I ran out of plugs on my power strips. Driving me crazy. 

Ordered this and hopefully it will make my cords nice and neat. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H5E96L2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

You can skip testing the PH, so long as you are not playing around with it, and you aren't he'll adjust to the level it is in the water so that's one you don't have to worry about. 

The ammonia level is toxic. What I would do is test the water straight out of your tap, I'm suspecting it has ammonium which is safe for fish, BUT does register on the API test. If there is ammonium in the water, then ammonia in the tank, it will make the reading higher. Still short on sleep so I'll write out some instructions and number them to make sure I"m clear, don't ramble, and don't miss anything.

1. Test the tap water, and if it shows ammonia record how much.

2. Test the tank water, again write down how much ammonia.

3. If the tap had ammonia subtract that number from the number from the tank. Whatever your left with is how much ammonia is actually in the tank.

4. If the ammonia in the tank is .25 or higher you need to do another water change. If it's .25 you can do a 25% change if it's higher then .25 then do a 50% change.

5. In 3 hours test the tank water again. and follow the directions in #4.

6. Repeat #'s 5 and 4 until the ammonia is down to 0.

I really do think that your tap water is part of the culprit, unless you are overfeeding him and there is uneaten food in the bottom of the tank.


----------



## KayJaMikel (Oct 11, 2017)

Just did my water from tap and then again in the tank.

The tap was 0, so seems my tap water is fine.

The water in the tank was between 0.50 and 1.0 ppm but probably closer to 1.0.

I did 30-40% water change today after the test in the above post.

I do not think I overfeed him. 

He doesn't eat pellets at all, spits them out, so he gets flakes, a pinch twice a day. Today, for the first time ever, I fed him a pinch of the frozen blood worms. I see no visible dirt in the tank. Again brand new tank just set up yesterday. 

New tank just set up yesterday so no dirt in it.

I put Quick Start in after the reading from before and BettaSafe after the testing.

Speaking of testing, thinking of getting the strips. This liquid thing is a pain in the buttocks.


----------



## DZIM (Oct 20, 2015)

I think it's time to start a new thread to get some advice from the forum on cycling a small tank. There are probably some users that can walk you through this better than I can. That said, ammonia spikes during the cycle are normal. Not safe, but normal. It means the cycle is starting to establish. It should start going down in time. Once you get the prime, dose it every day until your readings show 0 ammonia and rising nitrates. 0 ammonia followed by a nitrate spike means the cycle has finished.


----------

