# Is my tank too small and do I have everything I need



## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

I just got a Tetra Halfmoon 1.1gal aquarium and i put two 8 inch fake plants, a thermometer, a mini bette heater, and a tank ornament. I was wondering if i overloaded his aquarium a little too much. He doesn't seem to be struggling getting around his home, but im not really sure if its too crowded. Also i have Tetra BettaSafe Kit, BettaMin Tropical Crisps, Top Fin Water Conditioner, Top Fin Betta Bits, and Top Fin Bloodworms; I was just wondering if i got all that i need or if i need some other stuff that would be beneficial for Avalon.

Thanks 
Good Vibes


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

What cute tank...I have never seen that one before and nice looking Betta too. It looks fine to me and you have everything needed that I can tell. Heater and thermometer to maintain/monitor temp-with the goal to maintain temp in the 76-80F range.

IMO/E-a 1gal is fine to keep a Long fin male long term provided that you maintain water quality.

I can't tell if it has a filter or not, however, IMO/E-filters are optional for this species-especially when kept in smaller tanks-since the water movement can sometimes be the cause of fin damage and stress.

I would watch for fin damage due to the plastic plants-sometimes the plastic can snag their delicate fins and cause damage.

Water changes that I recommend on 1gal unfiltered tanks-Twice weekly...1-50% and 1-100% to maintain water quality-provided that you don't overfeed and remove uneaten food within a reasonable time.

Nutrition-good quality varied diet fed in small frequent meals.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

Oldfishlady said:


> I can't tell if it has a filter or not, however, IMO/E-filters are optional for this species-especially when kept in smaller tanks-since the water movement can sometimes be the cause of fin damage and stress.
> 
> I would watch for fin damage due to the plastic plants-sometimes the plastic can snag their delicate fins and cause damage.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the reply
Thank you i saw him and there were like 3 other people in front of me looking and i just went up there and scooped him up instantly. The tank is really nice so far, its awesome cause the light can also be put on the bottom and with the clearish gems the light has a cool affect at night.

I was actually reading your water change post last night. I got Avalon New Years eve and already have done one 100% water change and plan to do a 50% tomorrow.

I do not have a filter due to the tank being too small to fit but i did buy one just in case i upgrade to a 2 gallon tank or so, its a Tetra In-tank Whisper 3i (up to 3 gallons, air pump included) do you know if that would cause any harm?

Also, I have been feeding him the flakes the most cause he seems to have trouble with the bits, it seems his mouth is too small but i do feed him 2-3 bits if he'll take them. Any ideas on what i could do?

Im also new to this and i have no clue what IMO/E means hahah could you inform me?
Good Vibes!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Sure-IMO/E...in my opinion/experience and I still have to ask what some of this stuff means myself...lol....

Its hard to say if a Betta will have problems with water movement or not...this can vary for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes it is trial and error. Same for the fish food-sometimes you have to experiment and try different things/methods to find what works best.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

In my opinion/experience.

How long have you had him? Sometimes they take a while to adjust to new food.
For food you want to feed a good pellet with 42% protein, or in that range. Omega one and NLS are both highly recommended.


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## mahi (Jul 20, 2012)

Your tank is not too crowded.

My betta seems to like crowded. He prefers to swim between plants and he seems to like to explore things.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

HAhahah i see IMO/E makes since i thought it was gonna be some crazy scientific term
ive had him since new years eve the only reason i asked if it was too crowded is i see some of the peoples tanks on here and im impressed and just had to make sure 1.1gal isnt to small.

Also i plan on getting some new fake plants to replace the reddish one, the all green one was more rubbery than plastic so i think it should be fine. I want a big leafy bush like fake plant in there.

And Silverfang the Top Fin Betta Bits i have say 42% but i will for the omega one and NLS cause i see both of those are recomended alot but i never see them at the 2 petsmart stores i go to.

@Mahi thanks Avalon doesnt seem to act constrained i bought the little asian esque tower thing so he would go in there but i have yet to see him use it

Also the tank seems to stay around 75 degrees with the Marina Betta Heater 

And one more question Avalon has not flared once he seems to be very dosile i even tried to see if he would when i put a mirror in front of him and he didnt even acknowledge it. He is pretty small, so i was wondering if it comes more with age or not?


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Petsmart has Omega One, but for some reason they don't put it by all the other betta foods (at least not at my store). It's in the fish food isle. Petco carries NLS.

My current 5g with my two bettas is heated at about 76, and I am convinced that my one boy prefers it warmer. He was in a quarantine tank for a week healing up some fin rot (from tail biting) and the tank was at 80 and he built his first bubble nest! I've had him since November and he's never done that before. I ordered a new adjustable heater for the 5g tank so I can get it a little warmer and make him happy. They say the recommended range is 76-82, so you might want to see if you can get him a little warmer.

One of my boys also doesn't flare in a mirror, but constantly does it when he sees his reflection in the tank glass at night. I think it's normal.


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## DiiQue (Jul 15, 2012)

The Whisper 3i will be a little strong for your betta -- even if you put it in a 2g tank. I had it on my 1.5g Tetra tank and I had to baffle it because the water coming out and into the tank pushed my betta down hard. The easiest way to baffle the filter is to stick a piece of aquarium spong into the filter itself (on the side where the water poured out). I also had to adjust the air pump by bending the hose and tieing with a rubber band. I adjusted the air flow by making the "loop" bigger/smaller until I got the perfect amount that still pushed water up the intake but not as much as it would have had I just left the air alone.


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## Kwomais (Dec 31, 2012)

It could just be that he's a little stressed from the move. My Alpha took a whole week to fully flare for me. I started training him to flare by showing him a mirror and putting my finger near the glass & then every time he flared, he got a daphnia. Now, every time I show him my finger, he flares, then heads to the surface of the water lol. But he definitely didn't flare at all for the first few days and as I said, he didn't fully flare for a week.


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## happypappy (Apr 5, 2012)

i would recommend a sponge filter. Also, watch the plastic plants with fishy's fins -- longfin bettas can rip fins on the plastic.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

how big and coast are sponge filters and will it overcrowd my 1.1 gallon tank

Yea im gonna get him silk plants this weekend.

Good Vibes!


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

*Update!!*

I went out and got two silk leafy artificial plants check em out


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## happypappy (Apr 5, 2012)

*filter*

I would probably not filter a tank that size ---- But water changes are essential! Great looking plants.


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

He looks happy. As long as you follow what oldfishlady says you can't go wrong. She is the master!


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## bethyMT (Nov 24, 2012)

Yeah, you don't need to filter a tank that small. Just keep doing your water changes and your fishie will be fine. 

If you ever upgrade to a 5 gallon or larger tank, then you'll have to filter it, but until then you don't. 

If you really wanted to be fancy, you could even get a small live plant (such as anubias) to put in there. They don't need to be buried in gravel and don't need a whole lot of light. Just a thought, certainly not something you need, but may be fun to try.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Great little tank!! Love the plants and your gorgeous royal blue boy!


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

*Thanks Everyone*

yea i change his water once a week and i bought a filter (Whisper 3i) just incase if i felt like spending the money on a 2.5-3 gallon tank one day


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

*Update!!*

Alright so yesterday was my 21st birthday so i decided to get my betta a new tank!

I went there and picked the Fluval Spec 5.6 gallon aquarium. I was looking at fake plants and was kinda not into them so i totally veered off and got some real plants! He seemed to really love his tank, but something was just off having one betta in the tank so i decided to do some research on tankmates. Today I went and got 3 Ottos, 4 ghost shrimp, and 2 japanese algae shrimp. All is well so far Avalon (betta) really doesnt seem to interested in any of his tankmates. I did take him out of the tank and acclamated his buddies first so they could get comfortable and find their own zones to kick it in. Avalon seems to only want to know what his buddies are, he is a very mellow betta ive only seen him flare like 3 times and that was because i put a mirror right in his face. So far so good with the tankmates.
The aquarium has an output flow valve thing that shoots water and even on the lowest level it was still pushing avalon clear across the tank so i took some sponge stuff that the roots of the plants came in and wrapped it around the valve with a rubber band and it works great now!
So all together i have 1 betta, 3 ottos, 4 ghost shrimp, and 2 japanese algae shrimp. With 1 anubia, 1 wisteria, 2 of the long wispy stuff (picture below), and 2 of the shortgrass looking stuff.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Wow, great update  He's looking good!


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Nice to see the new tank...

BUT.

You are overstocked. Otos are group fish and happiest with 5 or more of their own kind. You don't have the capacity to cope with a) their bioload or b) their space demands. They are frequently wild-caught with cyanide, and it can be hard to wean them onto aquarium foods, so be careful with that, too. Their bioload, combined with that of the snail, means you need to be doing plenty of extra water changes. 

This next is a very minor point, but I would suggest moving the betta hammock closer to the top of the tank so that Avalon (love that name!) can rest near the surface.  

Also, I don't know if the Fluval has a lid, but make sure you get one if not, to prevent jumping escapees, either of the shrimp or betta variety. 

Good luck!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

shrimp jump?!? what.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Shrimp jump like you wouldn't believe. It's a pain.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

oh my god. I wonder if any of mine jumped out. Since I moved them into the bathroom I kept the lid off the KK to allow the bathroom lights access into the dark miserable tank (until I can get a battery operated light).... Oh no. I hope I don't find any shrivelled shrimp!


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## White Mage (Jan 31, 2013)

Bombalurina said:


> Nice to see the new tank...
> 
> BUT.
> 
> ...


She does have live plants though, along with a filter. I would just get a few extra fast growing plants and you should be ok. I love the rock!


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## Freyja (Jun 22, 2012)

I was going to comment on the otos as well. They do need to be in groups of 5 at least because they are schoaling fish. They are also hard to feed or at least harder than corys for example, which by the way also need a minimum of 5 in a group. I'd rehome the otos and stick to the shrimp.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

WhiteMage, otos have a higher bioload than her plants will be able to make up for.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

hey thanks for the tips! All fish seem to be doing great the otos are eating the algae and veggie rounds, same with the shrimp. I do not have a place to relocate the otos so they are staying but i dont mind doing water changes more than id have to. I put the hammock more towards the top for avalon. So far ive noticed the two amano shrimp like to kick it together near the grassy plant and moss ball, while the otos kinda stay seperated but at night they are swimming together. I am looking into redoing the tank within a month or two, I'd rather have driftwood in there instead of the fake rock. When i do this i will also most likely get some substrate underneath the rock, and some other types of plants. Any suggestions on type of substrate and plants that would be beneficial for my setup?

Good Vibes!
p.s. i noticed some of you were saying her, I am a guy if you were referring to me. hahah


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## bettacrazygirl86 (Jan 21, 2013)

Shrimp definitely do jump, so be super careful! My first ghost shrimp suicide leapt out of the Petsmart employee's net and hit the floor, and died from the impact. It was tragic. The most recent ghost shrimp I had, a really tiny one, was really jumpy! My female betta would play "hide and seek tag" (or more properly known as "get back here, I'm hungry"), and he would run and jump all over the place. I'd hear splashing in my tank and tap on the glass to make her stop chasing him.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

*Another Update*

Alright so I found some driftwood walking up from the beach after a surf session cured it all that good stuff. I got some API CO2 Booster, API Leaf Zone, API Accu-Clear, and API Quick Start. I also went out before i put the driftwood in and grabbed an anubias nana, java fern, and some cryp wendtii (to see if i could grow it). There all planted in my tank and my betta (Avalon), shrimp, and my ottos seem to be doing great! Its only been 2 days since I put the new plants in and all is well, some of the cryps have melted a little but thats about it.


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## Crowntails (Feb 12, 2013)

Looks great! I think the 3 otos will be fine for now.


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## MisterKO (Jan 3, 2013)

*Tank Update and Quick Question*

Alright so i put the driftwood in last week after i cured it and everything. I started noticing this mucus looking clearish stuff growing on it. Does anyone have any experience/know what this is and how to get rid of it? I took my turkey baster and blew it off the top of the wood and did a 50% water change yesterday and noticed the mystery stuff was dwindling on the tops but the bottom was unaffected. I was planning on taking the wood out and scrubbing it but i have javas and anubias still trying to attach to the wood. Could/Should i do this and just try to work around the plants. Also i dont want to scrub the mystery stuff off and it just come back 2 days from now. This also grows on the algae and veggie tabs as well. Any suggestions would be great.

The plants seem to be doing great! I have new growths on all the plants. You might notice if you've seen the other pictures i took the anacharis that was in the back left and replaced it with water wisteria that was in the front right. That anacharis was super ugly and I hated it.

Good Vibes!


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