# Did I forget anything in my new tank?



## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

So far it has cost over $300 not including the price of the betta coming from Thailand in a week or two, so I hope I haven't forgot much! :lol:

*Fluval Spec III 2.8 gallon
*Amazonia Aqua Soil base, sand cap
*driftwood decoration (with 3 rocks zip-tied to it to hold it down for now)
*7.5w heater (I will watch temp and get a different one if needed)
*thermometer
*leaf hammock
*did a mod to the flow output to greatly soften it
*ordered a surface skimmer to attach to intake grate in case he likes to rest against it
*API master test kit
*Indian almond leaves
*Archaea LED compact-pro aquatic plant light
*net
*Hikari Betta Bio-Gold food
*Prime water conditioner
*aquarium salt in case it's ever needed
*extra bio-bag for sponge filter to replace the charcoal one in a while

Plants:
*Hygrophila difformis (westeria) x2
*Banana plant
*Alternanthera reineckii purple x2
*Water lettuce
*Something that looks like a palm tree x2 (maybe someone knows what it is)
*Cryptocoryne lutea x2
*bacopa caroliniana

Planning to remove/ad plants as needed as I discover what works best in my tank. (suggestions welcome)

Set it all up from scratch this evening. Water test results after setting up were:
PH 7.5
Ammonia .50 ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

My plan is to keep doing water changes and wait until the ammonia drops then add some shrimp and snails, and eventually when he gets here my betta.

Since I am apparently all in, there is no stopping now. Am I forgetting anything?

And a HUGE thank you to everyone on this forum. I have spent a sleepless few nights staying up until 2 in the morning pouring through information here to make sure I am doing everything to the best of my ability to ensure my new fish will be well cared for.


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

Your ph is a little high so ph neutralizer would be good to add to your list. Your tank is a little small for snails and shrimp, especially when your betta gets here. Ive known people to keep 1 of certain types of snails with bettas in tanks that small.


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

Johnny579 said:


> Your ph is a little high so ph neutralizer would be good to add to your list. Your tank is a little small for snails and shrimp, especially when your betta gets here. Ive known people to keep 1 of certain types of snails with bettas in tanks that small.


Will do. I was wondering about the snails and shrimp. I was originally going to have just the betta. But I read the sticky on this forum about naturally planted tanks and post in post #88 Oldfishlady said in a 1-3 gallon tank 1 betta, 4-6 shrimp, and 20 snails. I was shocked, but then again I never knew you could put dirt in a tank either. :shock:


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Johnny579 said:


> Your ph is a little high so ph neutralizer would be good to add to your list.


I honestly don't think a PH of 7.5 is too high and don't recommend the use of chemicals to bring it down. Indian almond leaves, driftwood & peat filtration are a safer and more stable solution if you feel like your PH is high.


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

I agree on not using ph altering chemicals,a slightly high ph is better than one that is unstable, depending on the betta the shrimp might be snacks or he could just kill them, or he will ignore them, it is hard to say


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

*7.5 pH is perfectly fine for betta.* All my boys, including my direct from Thailand Xerxes (from aquabid) have been living in this pH and hard water for several weeks (Aristocoles) to many months (Xerxes). Its had no adverse effect on them.
Frankly a pH changing chemical is just a dumb idea for such a flexible fish, you're more likely to kill the betta from using the pH adjuster than just properly acclimating it to the current pH when it first arrive and leaving it be.
Iif you insist on lowering pH, natural means are much better as Mike stated. AIL don't lower my pH because of my hardness, but large amounts of driftwood have made my pH go down(depending on driftwood type=ghost wood leeches a [censor] ton of tannins). If you wnat to go this route I'd reccomend adding peat, ail, or wood now and start testing pH, do water changes on the schedual you plan and see ihow much pH drops. Remember if tank pH is lower than tap, you'll need to use the same items (some peat, ail, or wood) and soak new water for one or several days to get to the same pH as the tank. If the item(s) releases too much tannins and drops pH to far, you can simply do a quick boil wood or leaf to remove tannins and reduce how much they leach out-how much pH is lowered.. very long boils will make them no long leech enough to effect pH (unless you go several weeks without a water change).


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

I dropped one of the Indian almond leaves in there this morning so I will test the PH again in a few days and see how it is doing. It already has driftwood in it. 

The ammonia at set-up last night was .50ppm and this morning about 8-9 hours later it has jumped to 2.0ppm. Hopefully with all of the plants it won't take too long to come back down.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I hope you'll be taking those zip-ties out before the betta comes, they are not fin friendly (you will get ripped fins). If you are using it to weigh down the wood, boiling also helps wood absorb water and sink faster (though you'll loose some tannins, but honestly it won't hurt your fish to have 7.5 pH).


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

Aqua Aurora said:


> I hope you'll be taking those zip-ties out before the betta comes, they are not fin friendly (you will get ripped fins). If you are using it to weigh down the wood, boiling also helps wood absorb water and sink faster (though you'll loose some tannins, but honestly it won't hurt your fish to have 7.5 pH).


Thank you for that advice, I wouldn't have thought of that. My fish won't be here for 2 weeks or so, and I did boil the driftwood, but it is stubbornly buoyant. It still needed three rocks attached to persuade it to stay down. Hopefully it will be waterlogged enough by the time my fish arrives.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

shooter said:


> Thank you for that advice, I wouldn't have thought of that. My fish won't be here for 2 weeks or so, and I did boil the driftwood, but it is stubbornly buoyant. It still needed three rocks attached to persuade it to stay down. Hopefully it will be waterlogged enough by the time my fish arrives.


How long did you boil it? I have done multi hour boils to get wood down.. only one that never would go down was some very old aged (sap free) red cedar.. that [censor] was still buoyant after more than a year under water (had to screw it to a large river rock). But the tank it was in has been redone do not it just sits out dry waiting for some other project.


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

Aqua Aurora said:


> How long did you boil it? I have done multi hour boils to get wood down.. only one that never would go down was some very old aged (sap free) red cedar.. that [censor] was still buoyant after more than a year under water (had to screw it to a large river rock). But the tank it was in has been redone do not it just sits out dry waiting for some other project.


Well then obviously my ~20 minute boil did little to sink this ship.


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

just a quick note from me on the ph issue- your almond leaves will lower the oh, if it is an issue.... I got 10 nano almond leaves and they lowered my ph from 7.6 to 7.2! Although they did leak tannins into the water... my nice, crystal clear water is now gone...


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

Kieranfish said:


> just a quick note from me on the ph issue- your almond leaves will lower the oh, if it is an issue.... I got 10 nano almond leaves and they lowered my ph from 7.6 to 7.2! Although they did leak tannins into the water... my nice, crystal clear water is now gone...


Thank you! I did put an almond leaf in this morning. I only put in one, as the leaf is as tall as the water column in my 3 gallon. I slid it down between the plants and the back wall. I didn't want to float it and cut the light to all of the plants growing below.


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## tommy d (Dec 23, 2014)

I've been purchasing Manzanita driftwood and pour boiling water on it and let sit for a day in a bucket. I do that for 3 days and in that time it will sink. Then just use water out of the tap with conditioner each day until the water is clear. Then add to tank.


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

Do you mind tannins in your tank??? Because the wood AND the leaves both leak tannins. My lfs worker said to put the wood in the toilet cistern or something because there is constant clean water coming in! I think it was the cistern.


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## LisArtist (Mar 2, 2014)

Something I have found that works well to keep the zip ties from tearing fins is to trim the end close to the tie with rounded nail clippers, then sand if necessary.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Kieranfish said:


> Do you mind tannins in your tank??? Because the wood AND the leaves both leak tannins. My lfs worker said to put the wood in the toilet cistern or something because there is constant clean water coming in! I think it was the cistern.


Does the person in your LFS think tannins are a bad thing when it comes to the health of bettafish?? So bad that they belong in a toilet? I'm not sure I would take any advice from that dude or dudette.


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

I don't have a problem with tannins in a natural tank. It looks, well, natural.


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

MikeG14 said:


> Does the person in your LFS think tannins are a bad thing when it comes to the health of bettafish?? So bad that they belong in a toilet? I'm not sure I would take any advice from that dude or dudette.


LOL i think he meant to put it in the clean bit of the toilet because the tannins will come out quicker or something? argh these lfs workers are hopeless! i only said that because i thought the op might not want tannins, as some people dont. i think. ive confused myself


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2014)

I did have to up the heater size. The 7.5w was keeping it at a steady 75. I bought a 10w heater today so I will see how it does. The 7.5w might work well in the summer though.


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