# New Betta Owner Here



## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Hello everybody!

Name is Joe. Just recently purchased my first betta (actually picked him up a few hours ago.). I have him swimming around in a 2 gal tank, complete with filter, and a dumb, little fake plant. Stumbled across your site while researching for more information, and figured I would join the forum.

I will try to get some pictures of my setup. I'm not used to little fish (I used to have a 5 foot long tessalada eel, unfortunatley had to give him away because he outgrew his tank). I know I need to pick up a heater and thermometer still, and I need to ditch the fake plant and pick up a few live plants for him. Are there any other tips you guys may have? Thanks in advance!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

P.S. I've decided to name him Seoul, and he's a Veiltail. He's dark blue, except for the set of fins closest to his head on his underside (sorry I don't know the name of them), which have bright red stripes on them. I would try to take some pictures, but he doesn't seem to like the flash on my camera very much, so I will snap a few tomorrow.


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

Hello and welcome to the forum


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

Welcome, Joe! The only tip I would have is what you already know...the heater will be essential (I'm attached to the Marineland 10W for my small aquariums), but you already said you were planning on getting that. Since you kept fish before, I'm sure you know about how great a testing kit is. 

Compared to an eel, bettas are pretty easy. I'd warn you about the possibility of "overfiltering", because bettas don't have nearly as much waste and are very sensitive to too much water movement. Feeding is also a lot different. 

You're going to have a lot of fun with your betta, I'm sure!


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Here's a tip with planting (if you have plant questions, the Aquarium Plant section of this website is _very_ helpful): Crowd the tank. Bettas love a good, well planted tank. Gives them some kind of territory.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Sorry for the crappy pics... aparently the light in the light in the room isn't good unless I open the blinds. I ditched the filter for the moment, it was taking a lot of room, and I think the current was a bit much for him. I need to do a water change for him also, as the water is a bit cloudy. My tap water sucks, so I'm going to pick up a couple gallons of bottled water. Luckily I work at a drug store, and get bottled water for less than a dollar a gallon lol.

Also noticed he's got red streaks throughout his tail. He's already showing some charcter, he follows me around when I'm in my room, and already knows what his food jar looks like and where I keep it lol. Hoping to pick up a bigger tank as money allows (I would like to move up to a 20-ish gallon soon, and will use this tank as part of the filter system, like I used to have for my saltwater setup).

Have any of you considered using crushed coral instead of rocks or sand for the bottom of the tank? Do you think that would be too abrasive for Seoul's fins? Also, if I were to put a small terra cotta pot into the tank for him, is there anything I need to do to prep it besides a good scrubbing (and using no soap of course)?


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

For the pot make sure the hole in the bottom is covered up. We've had a lot of member's bettas get stuck in the hole. That's the only thing I know about the pots. I've never actually used one. Your betta is gorgeous.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> Sorry for the crappy pics... aparently the light in the light in the room isn't good unless I open the blinds. I ditched the filter for the moment, it was taking a lot of room, and I think the current was a bit much for him. I need to do a water change for him also, as the water is a bit cloudy. My tap water sucks, so I'm going to pick up a couple gallons of bottled water. Luckily I work at a drug store, and get bottled water for less than a dollar a gallon lol.
> 
> Also noticed he's got red streaks throughout his tail. He's already showing some charcter, he follows me around when I'm in my room, and already knows what his food jar looks like and where I keep it lol. Hoping to pick up a bigger tank as money allows (I would like to move up to a 20-ish gallon soon, and will use this tank as part of the filter system, like I used to have for my saltwater setup).
> 
> Have any of you considered using crushed coral instead of rocks or sand for the bottom of the tank? Do you think that would be too abrasive for Seoul's fins? Also, if I were to put a small terra cotta pot into the tank for him, is there anything I need to do to prep it besides a good scrubbing (and using no soap of course)?


I tried to fix your pic up for you. Don't know how much better it is...










You might want to try a sponge filter for your boy. Mine absolutely LOVE them! Even a scaled down version of your old marine filters is complete overkill for your guy. 

The water will be cloudy for some time. I recommend 25-50% daily water changes until you get some beneficial bacteria going. Even still, I change 20% every other day, whether it seems to need it or not. But I'm a little OCD about my water. 

I have tried crushed coral before, with mixed results. One guy was fine, while another got all torn up. Had a sorority that did fine for a little while, but I switched for other reasons that don't really matter at all to this conversation. 

For a pot, I prefer the ones that are "glazed". Don't know if it makes a difference, to be honest, because I've never tried the others.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

I'm not entirely sure about how your betta's fins will like that plant >.< They get ripped very easily, which is why it's recommended to get silk or live plants for a betta 

He's very pretty ^^ Welcome to the hobby!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the positive feedback! The water has seemed to mostly clear up since I've taken the filter out. Weird. As far as the plant goes, he seems to dig it, and hovers inside it all day, but I have every intention to ditch it Sunday or Monday as time allows (I work 6 days a week, kinda bites, but it pays the bills =) ). I'll be doing some research as to what kind of plants I would like of course.

Oh, so, I've also discovered he's got a black head lol. Here's a few photos I snapped when I came home tonight. Pardon the quality, the tank I have is curved on all sides, and reflects the light from my flash weirdly.





























He's got a black head, dark blue body, and red fins (I have still yet to find out the name for the set of small fins on his underside closest to his head lol). Also, I don't know if u can see it in any of the pics, not only are they red, but the leading edge of those fins have a bright turquoise stripe. Very interesting indeed.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> He's got a black head, dark blue body, and red fins (I have still yet to find out the name for the set of small fins on his underside closest to his head lol). Also, I don't know if u can see it in any of the pics, not only are they red, but the leading edge of those fins have a bright turquoise stripe. Very interesting indeed.


The girls like 'em that way! ;-)


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

I do believe those are the pelvic, or ventral, fins. Very nice colors he has, too. Also, no surprise that he hangs by that plant all day; bettas love their shelter and territory, so the more fully your tank is planted or decorated, the better. Do update us with pictures when you get your live (I'm assuming?) plants in!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Yes yes live plants indeed ^.^

Also going to look into getting a sponge filter system. I, for some reason, don't feel comfortable with no filtration what-so-ever. Maybe it's the saltwater enthusiast in me =P. I would like to get him a shelter of some sort, still tossing around the idea of the little pot, but I don't wanna crowd the little guy out lol. Maybe I'll find a small shelter at petsmart.

I guess I can look at it as modivation to get him into a 20gal like I want to. Then I'll have plenty of room to spoil him.

Maybe I can get my 55gal back from the guy I gave it to..... hmmm.... lol.

Sparkles, think i could find a sponge setup at petsmart? I think I read in someone elses thread that they'll cost about 7 bucks? Is that for the whole setup? Or just the sponge apparatus? Ohh yeah I need a light for the tank methinks. A little led light might work.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

Ooh very nice  Seoul is beautiful! Can't wait to see more updates!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Someone mentioned a sticky about live plants, but I can't find it anywhere. Can ayone help me out?


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

It must be on Tropical Fish Keeping. It's essentially our parent forum, and you can sign in with the username and password you use for this site. Warning: your mind will be blown. 

Also, if you have live plants, you might need to invest in some sort of fluorescent bulb. I don't think an LED will support them.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

gorgeous!


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Go straight to tropicalfishkeeping.com and scroll down to Aquarium Plants. All your plant questions should be answered over there.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Ok. I went and read up on plants. I think I need to reread everything. The jist of what I got out of it is, if I plant enough, the plants themselves should keep the water realtively clean right? I also read up on something called a hamburger mattenfilter. If I plant live plants, should I also look into making a mattenfilter for the tank? It is only a 2 gal tank, so would it be overkill to have that? I understand regular water changes will still be necessary, and I stocked up on bottled water today, but I just wanna make sure Seoul doesn't keel over anytime soon.

Also, what do I need to get if I decide to go with a sponge filter setup (I think the mattenfilter and sponge filter are essentally the same thing, right? Which would be more effective for a fully planted 2 gal tank?)

Sorry for all the noobish questions. I appreciate all the help and ecouragement ^.^


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

I have no idea what that hamburger thing is. I think what stays in Plants, stays in Plants. Hahaha. Although many things are already overkill for a 2 gallon. For a sponge filter, everything should come together if you buy it. 

Sponge. Air pump. Airline tubing. Pipe(?). ... I made mine, so I'm not even sure. 

For man-made one, mine consists of Sponge, PVC Tube, Airline tubing and air pump. That's about it.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Ok cool. I'm gonna make a run up to the pet store tomorrow before I have to work and see if I can't pull together the parts and/or a plant or two. I suppose I could take apart the filter system I have now and use the pump in it for the sponge setup. I might just try to block the flow with some duct tape for now.

Good thing is, the water isn't cloudy still. I still want to get him out of this nasty tap water I have tho. Then again, a few plants may help clear the water too. I dunno, 79 cents a gallon for pure water isn't bad either lol.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

He is very Handsome.You know my avatar is my Betta Alien.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Your fish is awesome looking.

Got some live plants into the tank today. I think I screwed some of them up. I think I need to switch out the gravel for sand... the plants don't sit very well in the gravel. I'm gonna pick up at least a 10 gal tank this weekend, if not a 20. Oh I got him a little cave too. I didn't snap any pics, as I had to take off for work.

On a much brighter note, I picked up my plants from petsmart. When I walked in, they were changing all the water in all the beta cups. Last week when I was in there, they were changing the water too. The 3 girls I've seen working the fish section are very knowledgable, and seem very passionate about fish in general. It's nice to know if I have questions, they can answer me. I'll snap some pics when I get home.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

Do you know what kind of plants you got?


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

I just changed my 12 gall from gravel to sand and the plants just sit perfect =) I've heard that to plant plants in gravel it should be pea sized to prevent the water from going through or something :s and your betta is very pretty =)


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

Most aquarium gravel is pretty small, no? Typically? I've got a few different kinds of plants in my gravel and it sits well. Takes a bit of burying, but I've never had one randomly dislodge.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Don't know the types of plants I picked up, but they're way too long for my tank, I need to trim them lol. R u supposed to take the bands and cotton that's wrapped around the bottom of them? I left them on, figured they were like that at the store, won't hurt if they're n my tank.

Looked at the parts for a sponge filter.... do I need an air pump? Or power head? Air pumps don't look like they can suck up water... powerheads do, but are a bit on the pricey side for me right now.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Yes, you need to take the sponge and cotton off. The roots will end up rotting which will be toxic to your tank. What I did was tie fishing line just before the roots so they wouldnt end up floating astray =)


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> Air pumps don't look like they can suck up water... powerheads do, but are a bit on the pricey side for me right now.


:lol: No, they definitely do NOT suck up water! You want it push the water into the base of the sponge, and the air bubbles create the suction moving up the snorkel. It draws water through the sponge at a rate you'd actually be pretty surprised at!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Never would have thought about the fishing line, ill give that a try when I get home. Did u attach a weight to it at all?


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Lemme see if I've got this right... air pump pushes air into sponge.... bubbles exiting sponge creates suction and filters water through it? So it's going to aerate the water anyway? Lol maybe if someone can take a pic of their whole setup I will understand.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> Your fish is awesome looking.
> 
> Got some live plants into the tank today. I think I screwed some of them up. I think I need to switch out the gravel for sand... the plants don't sit very well in the gravel. I'm gonna pick up at least a 10 gal tank this weekend, if not a 20. Oh I got him a little cave too. I didn't snap any pics, as I had to take off for work.
> 
> On a much brighter note, I picked up my plants from petsmart. When I walked in, they were changing all the water in all the beta cups. Last week when I was in there, they were changing the water too. The 3 girls I've seen working the fish section are very knowledgable, and seem very passionate about fish in general. It's nice to know if I have questions, they can answer me. I'll snap some pics when I get home.


Thanks for calling him beautiful.


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> Lemme see if I've got this right... air pump pushes air into sponge.... bubbles exiting sponge creates suction and filters water through it? So it's going to aerate the water anyway? Lol maybe if someone can take a pic of their whole setup I will understand.


I think that's how it works. I don't have one myself, but from what I understand: the air is pumped into the central tube which, when bubbling out, creates a vacuum which draws water in through the sponges and out of the central tube as well. I made a diagram of how I visualize it working. Accurate? Maybe.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Ohhhhh ok. I wasn't visualizing the 2nd tube! Lol.


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

I only saw it in another of Mister Sparkle's posts elsewhere, and that's when it hit me.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Ummmm... i hate to burst your bubble but I think you might want to research some more on the bottled water. It's devoid of minerals that your plants and fish need. Please don't take my word for it but I'm pretty sure I've read that more than once here and elsewhere. 

Your tap water should be fine with a really good water conditioner like Seachem Prime. Have you brought it to your LFS to have it tested? 

And crushed coral would probably wreak havoc on your PH levels in a tank that small. 

Other than that - your fish is a beauty. 

Good luck.


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Romad, bottled water does have some minerals and whatnot, although not as much as tap water. Distilled is completely devoid of minerals.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

Kittles said:


> I think that's how it works. I don't have one myself, but from what I understand: the air is pumped into the central tube which, when bubbling out, creates a vacuum which draws water in through the sponges and out of the central tube as well. I made a diagram of how I visualize it working. Accurate? Maybe.


That is actually a really good representation of what it does! Well done!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up. Seachem prime? How much does that usually run?


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

It's a conditioner. Very, very simply instructions to follow. Get the smallest bottle, it's simpler than the larger ones and will last you a very long time for a $4 bottle.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Plants are in! After a little trimming, I think I got them layed out in a way that Seoul likes. No filter still. I even taped over the inlet and reduced the flow by half, but still it was tossing the little guy around. Sponge filter system is to come tomorrow, if not Friday. Anyway, onto the photos!





























The plants don't stick in the gravel very well. I think this weekend I will also pick up a 10gal or 20gal depending on funds (I have a 350 dollar bill due Friday also, let's see how much cash I have left over lol). I'm surely going to go with sand instead of gravel, but for now I think it'll do. Oh, I picked up a little japaneese style pagoda thing, he LOVES it. He was hanging out in it when I came home, and hung out in it while I replanted his plants. Matter of fact, he came out a few times and "inspected" my work lol.

Anyway, what do you all think?


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Holy cow so many posts that I didn't see.

@xxabc: I will pick some up tomorrow. Thanks! Also, the bottled water I use isn't distlled, its just bottled.

@sparkles: sorry for more stupid questions but as far as the sponge filter goes, do they sell them prebuilt? Or is it something you have to make yourself? I was at petsmart today, and didn't see anything resembling the sponge I saw in one of your pics. There is a fish shop within a 2 min walking distance from me, but i'd hate to buy anything from the asshole that runs it. I could go check there.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

xxabc said:


> Romad, bottled water does have some minerals and whatnot, although not as much as tap water. Distilled is completely devoid of minerals.


I stand corrected. Must have been the distilled I read about.
Thx


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Distilled water lacks the essential minerals and trace elements that fish need.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

cmndrJOE said:


> @sparkles: sorry for more stupid questions but as far as the sponge filter goes, do they sell them prebuilt? Or is it something you have to make yourself? I was at petsmart today, and didn't see anything resembling the sponge I saw in one of your pics. There is a fish shop within a 2 min walking distance from me, but i'd hate to buy anything from the asshole that runs it. I could go check there.


OK....first off, I LOVE what you did with the anacharis! That looks terrific. ;-) Over time, it'll sprout roots from the stalk which will help it stay in place, and little "buds" will start to grow off the parent stalks. No need to change your substrate just for them...it's a temporary inconvenience. They do appreciate a moderate amount of light, though.

Yes, there are LOTS of sponge filters that are pre-fabbed. Petsmart and PetCo don't sell them because they are very inexpensive and would cut into the huge amount of money that they make on filter cartridges. Offering a filter that costs 1/3 of what a power filter costs and doesn't need any replacement media just doesn't fit into their business model, unfortunately. 

Here's the one I use in my smaller aquariums. Lee's makes some pretty good sponge filters, in my opinion. http://www.lnt.com/show_product/45705/?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_term=45705

If your local fish store doesn't carry them, or you don't feel like padding a "sphincter's" pockets, it's still a major bargain over other types of filters to order one online (even with the shipping).


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Is that purple leaf plant thing real? lol


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Love what you did with the plants! Looks great. I've never seen that purple-leaved plant before.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Yes


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

It looks realllly pretty, I want one now :smile:


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

I'm not sure the name of it, but I will find out this weekend.

@sparkles: thanks for the link. Will check it out.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

The plants look great!


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

:-D thanks! Hopefully will get a bigger tank this weekend and will plant more of a variety for him.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

Just ordered my sponge filter. Will have it up and running as soon as it comes in.

I still haven't found out the name of that "purple thing" but I caught my fish sleeping on it lol. Ill catch the name of it on Friday for y'all. He won't leave the damn thing alone lol.


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## cmndrJOE (May 8, 2010)

**UPDATE**

So, I went from planning on spending some money on a 10 gal tank tomorrow, to getting one for free tonight! :-D

Not only did I get the tank, but I got a lighted hood and filter system too. I don't know if they are going to work, but if they do, then great. I don't think I'm going to use the filter system even if it does work, as I think it's going to make too much current. I should be getting my sponge filter sometime in the next couple days.

The tank itself has a few stains where the waterline used to be. What's the best way to get rid of them? Would steel wool and a little bit of elbow grease be ok? I also want to get a cycle going in the tank before I introduce Seoul into it. What's the best way to cycle a fishless tank? I think I read somewhere about putting some fish food into the tank and letting it dissolve? Should I put the live plants into the tank before or after the cycle?

Any tips would be great and much appreciated. Thanks ahead of time guys!


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

I wouldn't reccommend using the steel wool because this will scratch your glass. What most people use on this forum is vinegar and water solution to clean their tanks but make sure that you do a thorough rinse when you have finished just so the vinegar wont effect your water levels or your fish. Theres a thread somewhere, I can't remember who did it but they cleaned the tank up so well that it looked like a brand new tank, it was incredible. I'll try looking for it for you now. 

For a fishless cycle you can add a little bit of fish food everyday or every other day, lastly yes you can add your plants to your tank when your cycling =)


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