# Upgraded to Fluval Chi Tank...



## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

So I started out with a bowl at work like this and noticed Waldo was very lazy and napping most of the time:










So I brought him home and upgraded him to this:










This is the 5 gallon Fluval Chi Tank. Waldo seems much happier and lively but I have questions.

I know Bettas are pretty strong fish most of the time. I'm using distilled water (the tap in my area is very hard). I'm using a Betta conditioner and also one that came with the tank -- can't remember type at the moment. 

I have the filter/light system on a 12 hour timer because there is not a light cycle or light switch on this tank to give him day and night cycles. Are there any negatives to doing this?

I've had the tank for about month and the water has stayed pretty crystal clear without changing. Any suggestions on how often filter cartridge changes should be done?

I feed him approx 4-5 pellets of food twice a day and there usually is never any left over but my boyfriend thinks I'm overfeeding.:question:

I'm just curious what's best to keep Waldo healthy without performing the amount of care needed to something like a saltwater tank. 

I had a betta long ago that lived about 4 years with just weekly water changes and no chemicals or filters so I know that they are pretty easy to keep happy & healthy but have never done so with a filtered tank.

Thanks!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

I've read that its bad to give them distilled water. I would double check that. Besides that I think he will be happy with his new home.

4-5 pellets a day might be ok. I do 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening and fasting on friday.

Don't know about your other questions though.
Welcome to the forums.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I do have to say with a filtered tank of 5gal or larger, you should be doing a 25% water change a week.

Filters, I usually let mine go a month since my tanks are not over stocked. I put the new filter behind the old one, as changing a filter 100% can make you do a mini cycle (boost the ammonia, nitrites for about a week).


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

Ok so I've looked up issues with the distilled and I'm going to gradually change him out of that. I had no idea since the aquarium box suggested it :frustrated:

And for the food -- he's eating 8-10 pellets a day- all of them - not just 4. :shock:


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Oooops I missed the twice a day thing... you might be over feeding him. I read that the stomach is about the size of their eye. Also the pellets expand slightly. Overfeeding can also lead to disease. I'll let a more experienced owner answer that one though.


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

Shimizoki said:


> Oooops I missed the twice a day thing... you might be over feeding him. I read that the stomach is about the size of their eye. Also the pellets expand slightly. Overfeeding can also lead to disease. I'll let a more experienced owner answer that one though.


I have noticed that he's not eating the pellets until they actually soften up so he's not consuming the "just put in the tank" unexpanded pellets if that helps anyone answer. It seems like he makes them stretch throughout the day.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Distilled water is pretty horrible for them because it is unstable. If your water is "just hard" then it is totally okay to put them in it (Unless of course your water is considered to be "liquid rock").

How hard is your water? I've got a waterchem guide in my sig. My water hardness is 150GH in my tanks and they're okay... I've heard water softeners in homes actually are not good for fish because it adds salt into the water to cleanse it of heavy ions.


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## FiShFiShFiShFiSh (Jun 21, 2011)

Goreous tank, and even prettier betta  Yes, feeding 4-5 pellets twice a day is overfeeding, you should cut him down to 3 or 4 a DAY, not twice a day. Slowly though, so you don't stress him out by cutting down his food supply so fast...I stretch out the 3-4 pellets over the day, so that it is not one huge meal. It's like having a small breakfast, lunch, and dinner, versus just a hige dinner. I feed him 1 when I wake up, one in the afternoon, and 2 before bed  Hope this helped!


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

FiShFiShFiShFiSh said:


> Goreous tank, and even prettier betta  Yes, feeding 4-5 pellets twice a day is overfeeding, you should cut him down to 3 or 4 a DAY, not twice a day. Slowly though, so you don't stress him out by cutting down his food supply so fast...I stretch out the 3-4 pellets over the day, so that it is not one huge meal. It's like having a small breakfast, lunch, and dinner, versus just a hige dinner. I feed him 1 when I wake up, one in the afternoon, and 2 before bed  Hope this helped!


 I think that should also depend on the betta and their food type. I feed NLS Small Fish Formula and because their so small my betta's get six to eight pellets twice a day. (They're barly two mm.)


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

In that tank, you need to do 25-50% weekly water changes, using tap water with dechlorinator, and feed him no more than 3-4 pellets each day.


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

bahamut285 said:


> Distilled water is pretty horrible for them because it is unstable. If your water is "just hard" then it is totally okay to put them in it (Unless of course your water is considered to be "liquid rock").
> 
> How hard is your water? I've got a waterchem guide in my sig. My water hardness is 150GH in my tanks and they're okay... I've heard water softeners in homes actually are not good for fish because it adds salt into the water to cleanse it of heavy ions.


As far as putting an actual hardness number on the water, I don't know at the moment but I will check it out. I know that the water contains a lot of calcium because it leaves deposits on everything...what else it contains in high amounts, I'm not sure. I don't have a softener hooked up bc being so used to hard water, I hate soft water. 

I think I'm going to try to gradually switch him to spring water testing the water first to see where I stand with that - my bf has quite a few test kits to see where I stand with my tap water and spring. Why products recommend the worst thing for a fish, I will never know...



FiShFiShFiShFiSh said:


> Goreous tank, and even prettier betta  Yes, feeding 4-5 pellets twice a day is overfeeding, you should cut him down to 3 or 4 a DAY, not twice a day. Slowly though, so you don't stress him out by cutting down his food supply so fast...I stretch out the 3-4 pellets over the day, so that it is not one huge meal. It's like having a small breakfast, lunch, and dinner, versus just a hige dinner. I feed him 1 when I wake up, one in the afternoon, and 2 before bed  Hope this helped!





Arashi Takamine said:


> I think that should also depend on the betta and their food type. I feed NLS Small Fish Formula and because their so small my betta's get six to eight pellets twice a day. (They're barly two mm.)


The food I use is Tetra Betta Mini Pellets and the container advises 3-4 twice a day per fish so that's why he's getting so much. I don't want him to starve either. All these products with incorrect instructions make me crazy! :crazy:


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

lol thats why I come and join these places... the manufacturers instructions often times suck. the distilled water probably isn't for the fish... but that way you wont gunk up the filter as quickly or something like that.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Don't turn on and off the filter! Turning it off kills the bacteria that actually clean your tank, meaning that you not only have dead bacteria, but when it starts again, all of that dead bacteria are dumped into the tank. Ick! Manually turning on and off the light would be your better bet. As long as you don't have live plants, I doubt he will care how long you have it on. 

And don't worry about starving him. They can go quite a while without food, and many members actually fast their fish at least 1 day a week to help prevent bloat. Of course the manufacturer wants you to feed 8+ pellets a day. When you run out you have to go buy more!


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

Kytkattin said:


> Don't turn on and off the filter! Turning it off kills the bacteria that actually clean your tank, meaning that you not only have dead bacteria, but when it starts again, all of that dead bacteria are dumped into the tank. Ick! Manually turning on and off the light would be your better bet. As long as you don't have live plants, I doubt he will care how long you have it on.
> 
> And don't worry about starving him. They can go quite a while without food, and many members actually fast their fish at least 1 day a week to help prevent bloat. Of course the manufacturer wants you to feed 8+ pellets a day. When you run out you have to go buy more!


Turning off just the light isn't an option on this tank and yes, I do have live plants. So it's either 24/7 light and filter combo or the timer or nothing at all. As bright as the light is, I assumed not having a day/night cycle would stress him out...


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

wait... there isnt a light switch? are you sure? that would be a serious design flaw. I wouldnt imagine they would do that.


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

Shimizoki said:


> wait... there isnt a light switch? are you sure? that would be a serious design flaw. I wouldnt imagine they would do that.


No light switch. The larger 6.6 gal tank comes with one but not mine...we checked 5 times before actually looking at the instruction pages to see it didn't come with one.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

There is a light switch, I did a search, and one review said:

"As for turning the light on and off and getting your fingers wet? Yes, you do somewhat, but really people, a little water never killed anyone."

Perhaps the switch is underwater?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

uhhh, thats pretty stupid on thier part... I know they need a dark period since bettas don't have eyelids. However you can't keep turning off the filter like that. I would partially unscrew the bulb, or find some way to cover it up so its dark in the tank.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Oh I'd totally be taking that back. For the price you pay for it, you are owed a light switch! lol Can you unscrew the bulb?


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

The bulbs are LED's, so I dont know if you can simply unscrew them like with regular tanks. *Are you sure there arent two cords with the tank, one for the light and one for the filter? You cant just unplug the light to turn it off?*


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Now for the cons. The light is not very bright at all. But the
main reason why I am returning this aquarium is for the fact that there is a major design flaw which is the manual light switch that is located on the side of the the filter cube. In order to turn on or off this difficult on/off lever is that you must hold one hand on the box while your fingers are getting wet in fish tank water and with your other hand slide the lever with other fingers getting wet as well. I find you must use both hands since the lever is manual and takes a strong tug to turn on/off. 

I pulled that from someones review.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Nevermind, beat me to it Shimizoki! I posted the same.thing. LOL


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Buah ha ha ha ha...

I would have never looked it up had I of not read someone had to get their fingers wet


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

bettafish15 said:


> There is a light switch, I did a search, and one review said:
> 
> "As for turning the light on and off and getting your fingers wet? Yes, you do somewhat, but really people, a little water never killed anyone."
> 
> Perhaps the switch is underwater?



Hmmm I will check again...definitely going to feel brainless if there is one


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## JeanLuc2 (Feb 25, 2011)

When it comes to Bettas lasting for a while without food. I accidently locked the person who was going to be taking care of my little Betta and my parakeet out of my house. I think he didn't get fed for at least a few days to a week. My little one is perfectly fine and being his spunky crazy self for my mom who is taking care of him until I get back home.


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

JeanLuc2 said:


> When it comes to Bettas lasting for a while without food. I accidently locked the person who was going to be taking care of my little Betta and my parakeet out of my house. I think he didn't get fed for at least a few days to a week. My little one is perfectly fine and being his spunky crazy self for my mom who is taking care of him until I get back home.


This I know because my friend left hers (unintentionally) for 3 weeks due to Katrina and it lived. I would never do this but, of course, we all thought we were coming back in 3 days, not 3 weeks...:roll:


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## Nolacrazygrl (Jul 11, 2011)

OK...I'll admit it - I had a clouded brain I guess-- there is a switch and it's really not that hard to turn on and off. I'm not THAT dumb (usually), I promise. LOL


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Lol its all good... apparently the manufacturers put it in a stupid place. I woulda been super confused as well.


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