# Given aquarium w/accessories & gift certificate for betta



## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm hoping to find help here. My family knew I'd wanted a betta for years. Last weekend they surprised me with an aquarium kit from fish.com & a gift certificate to a local pet store for a betta. (Thank goodness they didn't actually get the fish!) I've never had a fish before & know I've a lot to learn.

I know the tank should be bigger, but until I get things stabilized this is what I have for now. (I got some extra things to prep the tank, Nutrafin stuff recommended by pet store staffperson):

*1 gallon tank with lid & light, plastic grate (filter?) under gravel
*Blue gravel is supposed to absorb ammonia, says to change it every 30 days
*submergible Heater; "electronic thermostat automatically adjusts to 78ºF"
*Nutrafin Cycle ("reduces fish loss, more nitrifiers, keeps aquariums healthy, rapidly matures new aquariums, for fresh or salt water, cannot overdose")
*Nutrafin Aqua-plus tap water conditioner for fresh or saltwater use
*Hikari Betta Bio-Gold baby pellets (mfg Kyorin)
*2 thermometers - one on either side of the tank until I see what the heater does
*2 fake plants. 1 silk, the other soft plastic, both tested on pantyhose

Will this setup work for a small betta for now? Should I be using anything different, or something else? I'd love to go looking for my new friend this weekend so I'll have time to slowly acclimate him to the water. Set up tank last night so water would have time to condition & temperature to settle.

Any advice would be welcome.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

That will be a great tank for now.. but I would nix the Cycle stuff... 1 gallon tanks won't cycle properly and trying to cycle them will be really harmful to your fish. For now I would do water changes every other day. These need to be AT LEAST 50% of the water and 1-2 times a week you need to do 100% change and clean the gravel. I've never heard of that "ammonia reducing" gravel to work so its best to stick with water changes.

Besides that it looks like you've got everything you need.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

+1 agreed to the above. Though if I may add....

1 gallon is too small to cycle, 2.5 gallons is the smallest you can cycle with. I've never heard of any 'ammonia removing' product that actually works, its mostly all just a marketing tool to get money out of the unsuspecting....in fact, I'd be worried that gravel might leech something into the water that could potentially be harmful to your new friend....may want to exchange it for regular gravel, or marbles(my personal fav in smaller tanks, far easier to clean....but its your choice, whatever you like better)

Your going to want to do a full clean(100% water change)every other day in a 1 gallon to prevent the buildup of ammonia and do a thorough cleaning of the gravel a couple times per week at least.

Watch the temp carefully, its difficult to heat such a small volume of water without cooking your fish....keep an eye on it for a few days to make sure it remains stable before getting your new buddy.

Though your going to want upgrade in the future, you seem to have a nice setup and everything you need for now  Welcome to the addiction!


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I agree with the advice. It seems like a nice tank for now, though.


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

Thank you all!

Heater: I was worried about it, which is why I got 2 thermometers to monitor both sides until I see how it behaves. Last thing I want is to overheat the little guy, but my home does run cool. I've seen a 7.5watt submersible by Hydor advertised, but it is unregulated. Would that be safer for such a small tank?

_Love_ the idea of marbles - never would have thought of that. Makes sense about the ammoni-absorbing gravel, was worried about the rough edges anyway. Will get marbles, dump gravel, put in marbles & fresh water, then add just the water conditioner & let tank stabilize before bringing my new friend home.

I'd rather take my time & get it right than lose my new fish - whoever he is!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

That sounds like a good way to go. I've used hydor 7.5 watt mini's in my 1 gallon tanks and they've worked pretty well but tend to stay on the hot side (82-86*) which isn't bad but you have to be careful if you let your room get warmer.. but since you say your house is on the cool side I think you'll be ok with a 7.5 w.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Sure, no prob 

Its better if the heater is adjustable, those will sense the water temp and turn on and off at the appropriate times....or they should at least. Thats far safer in a smaller tank and allows for more of a steady temp while the Hydor Mini(the 7.5 watt)won't do that. It gives off heat constantly and theres no way to regulate or adjust it, not to mention it'll fluctuate with your room temp...and if your house is cold, it only keeps the water a few degrees above the room temp.....you'll probably have issues with the water being too cold.
So stick with the one you have now(assuming its adjustable)and just watch the thermometers to make sure it stays a stable 78-80 degrees 

Haha, I personally love the look of marbles myself, not to mention I'm far too lazy to mess with cleaning gravel in an uncycled tank....takes far less time and effort to rinse the marbles and you can be totally sure to get any waste out  Not to mention they're shiny <3 :lol:

Its wonderful that your doing your research first! There are so many people who don't bother to even consider before buying a betta, thinking they're easy pets who need water changes once every two months and can live in time bowls or vases.....So cookies for you for doing your research and caring about the wellbeing of your new soon-to-be fishy friend


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

I greatly appreciate the encouragement and advice from you all. I really want this to work. Now all I need to do is make sure the tank is ready, the temperature stable, & that I have a solid chunk of time to spend introducing my fish to his new home. Wish me luck! I'll be back with pictures one of these days.

P.S. DragonFish, I'll take the cookies home to my dog! ;-)


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum. We love pictures, especially of new bettas. lolYour tank looks very nice!


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

cute tank! great job researching before you get your betta!


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

Today is The Day - I hope!

I dumped the water Thurs, replaced the gravel (including the 'ammonia-absorbing stuff') with glass marbles, & put in fresh tap water at the right temp with just the conditioner - not the 'Cycle', as recommended by folks here.

The water temp has been stable for 36 hours, the nitrate, nitrite, ph, ammonia & hardness are in the right range. So wish me luck! I'm going betta-hunting this afternoon. It's freezing in this part of the country, so I've got an insulated lunchbag with a clean plastic insert plenty big enough to hold one of those little cups the bettas are sold in. I figure that should keep my new friend protected from the cold to & from the car.

I planned to dump 50% of the water in the cup & replace it with water from the tank, let him sit that way for an hour, repeat, then put him in the tank. Will that be enough time to acclimate him? Should I do it differently?

As you see, I _really_ want this to work!


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. Kudos to you for wanting to care for your fish properly. So many people buy bettas and have no idea how to really care for them until they have problems and illness. No fault of their own, they usually get bad advice from the pet stores.

What I usually do is just float the cup on top of the tank water for 1/2 hr or so. That way the cup water will be the same temp. as the tank. I never ever add the cup water to the tank water (personal choice) just in case there's poop or bacteria in the store water. Then I net the fish and put it into the tank.

But if you can get the petstore to change the water in the cup after you purchase him and you don't have a bunch of poop in it when you get home, I would put it right into the tank after the temp. comes up.

Good luck with your new betta buddy. Post a picture when you can.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Can't wait to see your new buddy!!

Here's what I do:

Float the cup for a while, turn off all the lights to keep the little guy calm, and then get a cup or syringe and replace a little bit of his cup water with the tank water. Keep doing this 'til his cup is almost full of his tank water. This way, there is absolutely no chance of shock.


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

doggyhog said:


> Can't wait to see your new buddy!!
> 
> Here's what I do:
> 
> Float the cup for a while, turn off all the lights to keep the little guy calm, and then get a cup or syringe and replace a little bit of his cup water with the tank water. Keep doing this 'til his cup is almost full of his tank water. This way, there is absolutely no chance of shock.


thats what i do!


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

Sounds like good advice - thank you! Heading out in about 1/2 hour to see if I can find the right little guy!


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## Tragedy (Jan 26, 2010)

Good luck! Can't wait to see your new buddy


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

yaaaay!


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

*Meet my new friend!!*

It took me about half an hour looking at all the fish to find this one, but when I saw him it was "love at first sight"! I'm attaching 2 pictures so you can see how his color seems to change depending on lighting. I'm ridiculously excited (can you tell? LOL) - just as much as when we brought our little rescue dog home on New Year's Day 2 years ago. 

He's gorgeous, and VERY lively at the moment. He clearly wants to get out of the cup and explore his new home. But I'm not going to rush it. I want to be sure the water is the right temp & nearly all aquarium water before I release him.

:thankyou: to all of you for your encouragement. Now I just need to find the right name!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

He's very pretty! The second pic makes him look more green than blue.


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

He was in that blue water they use in so many pet stores for bettas and now I have the lights down so as to keep him calm during the transfer, so I won't really know his true color until tomorrow. But I DO know he's beautiful - and still clearly demanding that I release him into his new home! LOL


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

lol, very pretty!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Gorgeous! he looks blue to me.. I think you used the flash in the second pic? He looks very healthy and seems to have no tail damage. Great choice!


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

He sounds pretty feisty - those are fun 

Good luck with him. He's gorgeous.


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## Tragedy (Jan 26, 2010)

Beautiful!!


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## bettamama (Dec 17, 2009)

I am REALLY glad to see someone who put the time and effort into doing things the correct way by researching! Good for you! 

Your new boy is beautiful. I'm excited to hear how he likes his new home.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

He's so pretty! Congrats on your new betta!


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

*He seems happy!*

My new friend seems to like his new home, especially . By daylight it's clear he's blue with red highlights here & there (see the new photo from the proud new betta parent!:lol. 

I was a bit worried when he stayed in hiding this morning, but when we returned from church he happily snapped up the three pellets I gave him. (Didn't feed him yesterday) As the day wore on he became more active. He seems to prefer late afternoon/evening to morning/early afternoon. 

He's still flitting about his home as I watch him now - and it's nearly 8pm. He's even blown a few bubbles. Will do 50% water change tomorrow after work.

I know it's early yet, but I think he might make it!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

He's very pretty! I'm glad he likes his new home.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Congrats. He's beautfiul. One thing I noticed is the one orangish plant in his tank. Just be careful it's not too sharp at the ends. Betta's snag their tails pretty easily because they are long and delicate. Just something you might want to watch for.


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## SoulSong (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks for the warning. I ran both plants over pantyhose before using them, but will double-check tonight when I do my first 50% water change.

He is clearly enjoying his new surroundings. He was still swimming all over the tank when I turn out the light late last night. I thought he'd be sleeping on the bottom when I got up the way he was yesterday morning, but he was up near the top & was active from the moment I came downstairs, obviously watching every motion near his tank. I can see it won't be long before I'll be looking to upgrade to a larger tank, but it's still better than that tiny cup they had him in at the store.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

If you did the pantyhose test, you should be perfectly fine. Just someting that caught my eye when I looked atyour tank pictures. Absolutely. Anything is better than the tiny cup. Mine is in a 5g planted tank (posted pictures yesterday under the pics section). My betta is always active too. I don't think he sleeps...haha. Many times when I wake up there's a huge bubblenest in the corner of the tank. It looks like it took him all night to build. He makes mommy proud ;-)


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