# Dive bombing tank floor and hitting corners.



## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Brand new owner, please bear with me. "Buddy" spent first 4 days in a 1/2 gallon vase (I know, I know)....but he seemed happy. I was shocked how much personality he has. Chases toys, come over when I approach, etc. Today he went into new 2.5 bow front tank with (1) Anacharis,(1) Zebra nerite, heater.....He seemed okay, checking everything out. But now he is dive bombing down to the floor and crashing into the corners. 
What's wrong ? (he is eating). Thanks!


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Hi, http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233 you'll need to fill those out. It could be that he can see his reflection and is attacking it, what is your substrate (floor) and has his appearance changed? Where did you get the anarchis and snail


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## Kone Killer (May 10, 2014)

Maybe try turning the lights off for a while. Slick was going kinda crazy when we first got him home. We turned the lights off for a few hours, came back, and he was fine.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Hi Sayla, thanks. 
The substrate is black gravel. His appearance has not changed (just his behavior). I bought the anarcharis at a Pond store (they breed show Koi) and the snail at a local aquarium shop. 
Do I answer those questions : bettafish.com/thread, right here in the reply?


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks Kone Killer......I did turn off the lights, and the filter. He seems a little calmer - but yikes....


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Yes please, you can copy paste it? Just so we know.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

What size is your tank? 2.5 gallon
What temperature is your tank? about 78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? yes (Aqueon Betta bowl 2.5 w/ filter + light)
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated? yes 10 watt
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? Zebra nerite snail

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Bettabites pellets and dehydrated blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2x @ day 1-4 pellets

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? before filter, daily ....now, 1 gallon 2 x a week ?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? < 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? sits 24 hours with API tapwater conditioner


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

#1 aqueon desktop kits have reflection issues, basically he can see himself. You want to keep his light off, keep him in a bright room near a white wall (so there's more light outside the tank than inside)

#2 in a tank that size you need to do 1 50% change AND 1 100% change every week. Do a 100 by putting your betta in the cup he came in (scoop him out using it) then remove all his gravel and rinse it thuroughly and also rinse all his tank ornaments, then refill the tank with new water and put him back in. I say to do this to prevent disease and also because fish act erratically when they have "ammonia poisoning" (too much ammonia in their bodies, ammonia is In the water because of their poo)

Do the 100% ASAP and in 2 weeks and he should be ok.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Adding on to what Bikeridinguckgirl14 said

if you have your filter on then you need to do two 50% water changes every week and during one of them you need to clean the gravel. If you have a filter running, it is not suggested that you do a 100% water change.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks everyone ! did 100% water change, moved tank. He does seem calmer with the filter off...will he get used to it ? Right now he's hanging out in his cup while the tank settles, hoping he's less stressed when he returns.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

With modern conditioners, it's not necessary to "age" the refill water. In fact, it's not recommended. Condition the refill water just before pouring it in.

I would also suggest you switch to Prime water conditioner by Seachem. This product detoxifies ammonia. This is important in a small tank.

As far as I can tell, the API conditioner does nothing about ammonia.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thank you, so much to learn. I just tested the water and the ammonia level is .5. For some reason I thought because the water was just changed 100% that it would be nil. This is city tap water, it's hard and the pH is 7.6. I do have Aqueon BettaBowl plus, hopefully that will work until tomorrow when I can get out.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

The pH of the water doesn't matter, but the ammonia level definitely does. .5 isn't good--in fact, it's really toxic to your fish. You'll want to test your tap water for ammonia, and get an ammonia-detoxifying conditioner like Prime ASAP. I always recommend more plants, too. Do you have root tabs for your anacharis?


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Ooooh, now I'm worried about my little guy. The anacharis came with the roots wrapped in some felt-like material, weighted with a small stone, but it smelled awful so I removed it. Is he going to be okay? He looks good. His color is brilliant. He likes the anacharis and hangs out there. What other plants would you suggest ?


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Water wisteria is an easy plants, moss balls are the easiest but you need to "bathe" them with your water changes


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## meloywafu (Jun 26, 2014)

dude does he bump himself or like what youve said crashing into corners, he might have ich, hes scratching himself..and hes not feeling well if he rushes upward just to get air and dive down fast to the bottom.. just put some salt. i too have experience that. maybe your other fishes causes your betta to have ich, its best to quarantine new fishes before you join them to others.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

thanks again,
He has pretty much stopped crashing into the corners and diving down since I moved the tank. I have no other fish, but there is a snail in with him. He's way more relaxed......but I am worried about the ammonia level. 
I do have another question about flaring.....should that be another thread?


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## meloywafu (Jun 26, 2014)

EBT said:


> thanks again,
> He has pretty much stopped crashing into the corners and diving down since I moved the tank. I have no other fish, but there is a snail in with him. He's way more relaxed......but I am worried about the ammonia level.
> I do have another question about flaring.....should that be another thread?


what about flaring?maybe, just maybe i can help..heheh


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

yes, .5 is too high. You should do a water change and test the water every day to keep the ammonia down. Also check the ammonia of your tap water (just test some unconditioned water right from the tap) because some water has ammonia to begin with. 

You can ask the flaring question here or make a new thread. your choice.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

Could his dive bombing be because of the current?
The filters in those Aqueons are notorius for being too strong. If you can see him fighting to swim in the current, you will need to baffle it so that the flow is weaker.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

I was thinking about the current, it did seem too strong - so I turned off the filter. But now it's on and he seems okay with it. But I think I will baffle it. Right now there is a ping pong ball he pushes around and it's in front of it.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

meloywafu, what a beautiful baby photo!
So I put a ring in the tank and he swims through it in figure 8"s. Then I noticed that because the ring is shiny as he goes through he flares. I only let him do it for about ten minutes. Is this stressing him out? He seems to like it.


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

No that's fine, some betta display OCD like tendencies, the more intelligent they are the worse it can be. He's probably just having fun, just don't leave the ring in 24/7


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks again everyone !


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

There are three ways to keep ammonia levels safe in a tank.

One way to keep the water safe is plants. Java ferns and anubias nana are good ones to start with--both will reproduce easily for you and give you plenty more than your money's worth, and they don't need special treatment. Although if you make plants your primary source of ammonia removal, you should look into dirt based tanks or root tabs and a bottle of liquid fertilizer--that'll open up a much wider variety of plants for you to experiment and decorate with.

Floating plants are EXCELLENT for this because they take their nutrients (which happen to be stuff that's toxic to fish) from the water column instead of from soil or root tabs. If you go this route, make sure you pick up some water lettuce or frogbit or water sprite or duckweed. It doesn't really matter which; just go with what you think is pretty.

Actually, you might just want to buy one of Umar's easier packages. He's got pretty much everything. Just tell him about your situation and you two should be able to work something out. His prices are way better than you'll find in any pet store. Most people on here will sell you plants for a really reasonable price, and shipping isn't bad. Peachii, lilnaugrim, and givemethatfish are other good sellers. MameJenny sometimes has a few rarer plants for sale, so keep an eye out for her in the Classifieds section. You may not be able to post in the threads in the Classifieds because you're newer, but you can probably PM them to work out a deal.

Research whatever plants you plan on getting BEFORE you buy them. Don't fall into the trap of buying semiaquatic-only plants, or plants that need CO2 when you don't have any.

Oh, and you don't need a filter if you do it this way. In fact, it's not really recommended to use the Aqueon type filters because you'll need your floating plants, and the filter current pushes them around. You may get a thin, sort of slimy protein layer on the water's surface (or you may not), but this won't hurt anything and it's natural--it's just dust and protein and other stuff accumulating on the water surface.

The second way to keep ammonia safe is cycling. That's harder to do in littler tanks, but it can be done. You do need a filter for this.

Cycling is a process where you grow good bacteria in your filter, and it eats up several different substances that are toxic to your fish. You still need water conditioner (with any of these methods!), but you don't have to worry quite as much about ammonia. Cycling won't take out heavy metals, chlorine, or chloramine, which is why you need water conditioner.

It is absolutely recommended to change 25% of the water every day while the tank is being cycled. It will not slow down your cycle--the good bacteria eat a certain amount and no more, and anything else you leave in will be toxic to your fish. Use water conditioner during this process.

The third way is frequent water changes. It's time-consuming, but if you're willing to keep up with it, you can just do them. You will have to use this method until you can order some plants or get the tank cycled, either way. If your tap water has ammonia in it--and I'm guessing it does--then this isn't really the method I'd recommend.



Whichever way you use, you still need a bottle of Prime. This will detoxify ammonia for 48 hours (I think is how long), although I think with the way it works, the ammonia will still be available for plants. (If not, your fish will produce enough ammonia on his own to keep them going.) And you still have to do occasional water changes, because the bacteria or plants won't remove everything.

Personally, I recommend using plants in a 2.5 gallon. It won't cost too much to plant such a small tank heavily--and you need to plant it heavily, so that you see at most only half of the substrate when you look at it from the top--but it's difficult to cycle and you may not always be available to keep up with water changes. By using plants, you could have peace of mind if you have to go away for a few days, knowing your fish isn't swimming in ammonia water.

That's a basic guide to pretty much all you need to know. The links are mine--they aren't ads, I put them in, so do click on each and check things out. The plant store I linked multiple times will be cheaper than your pet store and carry a much wider selection of plants, although it's closed at the moment so you may want to order from forum members in the Classifieds.

Hope that helps!


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Wow, lots of info - thanks! My tap water is treated with ammonia, so I have been adding it almost every day...who knew. Tomorrow I will buy some Prime. I like the idea of plants.....but in such a small tank will it crowd him too much? and what about breathing at the surface ? Ironically I went into a Aquarium store to buy gravel for my marimo moss ball (vase) - and came out with the Betta ! (he looked sad in his little plastic cup). I hope I can keep him healthy and happy.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

EBT said:


> Wow, lots of info - thanks! My tap water is treated with ammonia, so I have been adding it almost every day...who knew. Tomorrow I will buy some Prime. I like the idea of plants.....but in such a small tank will it crowd him too much? and what about breathing at the surface ? Ironically I went into a Aquarium store to buy gravel for my marimo moss ball (vase) - and came out with the Betta ! (he looked sad in his little plastic cup). I hope I can keep him healthy and happy.


Bettas love plants. You'll see them exploring and hiding all the time. As for crowding, just make sure you get some short and some tall and maybe leave a bit of room at the top.

Sometimes you will need to trim them or take out some of your floaters once they've grown to be too much for your tank. You can give them away to other forum members through RAOK* threads in the Classifieds, to your local fish store, or just toss them.

Of course, if you end up with a LOT of extra plants, or have a spare tank (or that vase) to hold them while more grows, you can also sell them in the Classifieds and earn a little cash! It's up to you.

*RAOK stands for Random Act Of Kindness. Someone on the forum will pay for the plants to be shipped to them; all you have to do is box them up and send them on their merry way. You will definitely earn friends and goodwill by doing this sort of thing.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Oh, and by the way: while you're waiting for plants, keep your filter running. Under those conditions, with Prime, two 50% water changes in a week are enough. Clean the substrate and any decor once a week, during one of those water changes. Don't bother replacing the filter cartridge, but if it starts looking grungy, swirl it in some old tank water until it looks a bit cleaner. I know Aqueon cartridges don't really clean that well, but if you're planning on plants, you won't be using it too long anyway.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks again !


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Let us know how it goes. Would love to see pics when you're done!


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

That's a lot of really good info packed into that post, Rebekah. Feel free to insert that into any beginner thread where it would be appropriate.

Aqueon Bettbowl Plus is a fine conditioner which detoxifies ammonia. You can use that til it's finished. Prime is more often recommended because, being concentrated, it's a good value. Buy the small "dropper" bottle for now. You can refill it later.

While you're at the petstore, pick-up a small jar of New Life Spectrum Betta pellets or Omega One Betta Buffet. That's as good as you can get. Lay off the freeze-dried food. Frozen bloodworms are fine for a weekly treat.

Flaring is fun and good exercise for a few minutes a day. A large dollar-store makeup mirror works best for mine.

Oh ... and welcome to the forum.


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## meloywafu (Jun 26, 2014)

EBT said:


> meloywafu, what a beautiful baby photo!
> So I put a ring in the tank and he swims through it in figure 8"s. Then I noticed that because the ring is shiny as he goes through he flares. I only let him do it for about ten minutes. Is this stressing him out? He seems to like it.


thanks ebt! thats my boy tristan kenn.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Hey everyone ! thanks for all the info (and kind words ) I am enjoying this site. Today I got the Seachem Prime and some plants. I stuffed some dwarf hairgrass under a rock because it kept floating up and he's yanked it out twice now. Is this not a good plant for him? he keeps tugging at it. 
p.s. (not to be a crybaby) -going thru chemo right now so sometimes I can't reply.
Thanks again to y'all


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

I have the same tank for my VT Jasper. My old VT Ignus had the same thing, he saw his reflection and flared like nuts whenever the light is on. I put notebook paper on the back and sides of the tank and it helped. When I got Jasper after Ignus died he flared a lot when the light was on, I left it on for short periods of time and now it's on pretty much all day and off at night with no issues. Buddy will settle down once he marks his territory, just keep the light off and turn it on for short periods when you can watch him.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks!, he does seem better since I moved the tank in front of a white wall. I love watching him...right now he's checking out new plants.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

You're a star Rebekah, here's a question.....we're having a severe thunderstorm...should I unplug everything leading to the tank? The filter is off to give him a rest, but the other stuff is still plugged in.


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

It'd be wise, I have my boys on a surge protector


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

EBT said:


> You're a star Rebekah, here's a question.....we're having a severe thunderstorm...should I unplug everything leading to the tank? The filter is off to give him a rest, but the other stuff is still plugged in.


Go ahead. The thunderstorm will last a shorter time than it takes for your water to cool down (your main concern). Avoid going to sleep with his heater off if you can--8 hours _will_ be enough for the temp to fluctuate--but it's safer to leave it off if the storm is still going and you need to sleep.

Surge protectors: a good idea. 

And I'm sorry you're having problems with cancer--that really sucks. My mom had breast cancer--twice--so I have an idea what you're going through. Not. Fun.  I'll keep you in my prayers.

PS: Sorry if there're typos in this thing. Typed using one hand while dyeing my hair purple.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

+3 ^ about surge protectors. 

It's not a good idea to turn the filter off and on repeatedly. Nothing dangerous, but your bacteria will grow better if you leave it on all the time. He'll get used to the flow. In fact some current is good for exercise.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

+1 to Hallyx

My girl LOVES to swim against the current to get exercise. It doesn't push her around or anything, she just positions herself in front of the output end and lets the current go past her. Its very adorable.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

*Ammonia still high, bottled water okay?*

Thanks everyone for all the info previously.
So the ammonia level (tested with Jungle Ammonia Test Kit) is still over zero, .25 My tap water has added ammonia.....tried Prime, Ammolock, etc. nothing is working. Can I add bottled water, and if so which kind?


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## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

The water will still test positive for ammonia with prime or ammolock, it's just "locked" into a safer form for 24-48 hours.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

So keep adding every 2 days ?


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## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I've been told 1 drop/gallon every day, since it starts releasing ammonia after 24 hours - you should probably wait for confirmation on that, though.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

okay, thanks !


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

EBT said:


> Thanks everyone for all the info previously.
> So the ammonia level (tested with Jungle Ammonia Test Kit) is still over zero, .25 My tap water has added ammonia.....tried Prime, Ammolock, etc. nothing is working. Can I add bottled water, and if so which kind?


I use bottled water at college since I have the same issue up there, go to your local grocery store and they have spring water for around $1 a gallon


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

okay, spring water, thanks Sayla


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## JessiesGill (Feb 17, 2014)

I wouldn't switch to spring water, since changing all water prams at once can stress your fish. I can confirm that 1 drop per gallon of Prime every day is the recommended treatment for your ammonia problem. My tap water has 0.5ppm ammonia, so I did that every day until my tank cycled. Now that it has cycled, I only have ammonia right after a water change. The bacteria take care of that within 24 hours, and then my tank goes back to 0 ammonia.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Bikeridinguckgirl14 said:


> It'd be wise, I have my boys on a surge protector


Surge protectors are good, just remember to put them up high enough so your cords from your equipment can make a drip loop before getting to the surge protector.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Also, Philadelphia treats it's tap water with chloramine which is what you're reading on the tests, nothing much you can do about it except as mentioned, try to keep it locked up with Prime until your tank cycles.

You will also want to look into remineralizing bottled water if you choose to go that route long term.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Hrutan has the goods on Prime and other ammonia-lockers. Your API test kit will still read ammonia even though it's locked up and detoxified. 

Prime "locks" or "binds" ammonia into a different molecule which is harmless to your fish. This protection begins to fade right away, and is gone in 48 hours, as the locked ammonia is released back into your tank and added to the new ammonia produced by your livestock. Seachem recommends dosing Prime @ 2-drops/gal every two days. This seems to me to allow a measurable if not dangerous ammonia buildup. That's why I recommend 1-drop/gal/day as a way of keeping ahead of the buildup. 

The above description applies to an UNcycled tank. As JessiesGill points out, Prime locks the ammonia released during a water change -- it splits chloramine into chlorine and ammonia, it's constituent molecules. When the ammonia is released over the next day, the cycling bacteria oxidizes it and the plants absorb it, so the ammonia reading drops to 0.0ppm.


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## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

okay, thanks everyone......he seems fine, his color is beautiful...he eats (and begs), but he has been hanging out last two days more on the bottom of the tank. Sometimes he's in the dwarf hairgrass, but if I walk by he comes right up. Is this normal?


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

That's fine. Betta sleep just like up, he probably likes to nap in the hair grass since it's soft. As long as he does come greet you and doesn't struggle to get air when he needs it


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## ZentheBetta71614 (Jul 17, 2014)

*Hi! I have been reading this forum and Am New!*

Hi All! I am brand new and have been reading this discussion and have a few questions. I have a 5 gal Fluval Chi tank. What water heater would you recommend for this tank? I am looking for something I could go pick up tonight at an aquarium store. Also how much and how often to you typically feed your fish? Thank you!


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

ZentheBetta71614 said:


> Hi All! I am brand new and have been reading this discussion and have a few questions. I have a 5 gal Fluval Chi tank. What water heater would you recommend for this tank? I am looking for something I could go pick up tonight at an aquarium store. Also how much and how often to you typically feed your fish? Thank you!


Hi and welcome to the forums. I'd suggest you start a new thread with questions pertinent to your setup.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

ZentheBetta71614 said:


> Hi All! I am brand new and have been reading this discussion and have a few questions. I have a 5 gal Fluval Chi tank. What water heater would you recommend for this tank? I am looking for something I could go pick up tonight at an aquarium store. Also how much and how often to you typically feed your fish? Thank you!


Hi. welcome. you need to start a new thread.


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