# Need help with my betta. He is pacing.



## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

About a year ago i was given 2 betta fish as a gift. They were in vases and one died a few months back. I felt so bad.  I googled why my fish died because I didn't want my other guy to die. So after googling i find out these fish need tanks, with heaters! They aren't supposed to live in a bowl. I did not know that. 


So i have one little guy left. So i went to walmart. I got my fish a 10 gallon with a aqua heater and filter. I baffled his filter and got him a blubber dino which doesn't really work. I have his temp at 76. I have had him in his new home now for about 3 weeks. 

So from day one in his tank he paces. He goes back and forth. I asked questions on yahoo answers and people said he needed friends. So what did i do? I go to the pet store and get him some tetras because the chart said they are compatible. So the first day he head butts one and it dies. He leaves the rest alone now. So now i have 3 tetras in a 10 gallon tank with him. They lady at the pet store also said i should get a pleco. (God why am i such an idiot?) So i got one, and when I got home, looked it up and saw how retarded i was for that. 

So back to my question. He is still pacing. He paces the front of the tank. He never rests. I peak into the kitchen and i see him pace. He paces furiously back and forth in the front of his tank only. He rarely ever rests. 

When he was in his little vase on the kitchen table he would get so excited to see me. He would open and close his little mouth and swim over to me and i would talk to him. He ate like a little pig. Now in his new tank i thought he would be happy but he just ignores me and paces. I just want him to be happy. I am totally making huge mistakes with him. So i am in high hopes that somebody here will tell me how to fix all of these mistakes i just made and make my fish happy. I have already found the articles on this site useful. 

So to the person who just read this huge long book i wrote, i apologize for making it so long! To the person who answers my pacing question, thank you in advanced!


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## guardianfyre (Jul 23, 2011)

How well planted is the tank? Are they all at the sides and back or are they randomly placed? Any other odd behaviors? Still eating well? Fins full and healthy looking? Eyes bright and clear?


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

guardianfyre said:


> How well planted is the tank? Are they all at the sides and back or are they randomly placed? Any other odd behaviors? Still eating well? Fins full and healthy looking? Eyes bright and clear?


i did have a bunch of wisteria plants in it but they shed all over the place so i threw them. I was going to get him some live ones to put in there but i need something that doesn't make such a mess. Or is there no such thing? I could get some plastic ones. I have a pic on my album of the tank. It looks very barren. I had one wisteria left in that pic. I thought that if i put too much in it he would have less room to swim. 

He wouldn't eat his pellets only spit them out. I got him flakes. He spits out the flakes too. He is too busy pacing to eat. He looks good basically only paler. When i got him he was a light purple color then a few months later he turned a dark blue with a black face. Now he kind of looks like he is turning pink. I know that sounds weird but he seems to change colors. 

Am i supposed to add salt to his tank? Will the salt kill the tetras and the pleco? I think i found a person who will take my pleco. Its an elderly lady that has a gigantic tank of fancy goldfish. So i may be getting rid of him next week. I heard they grow too huge for my tank.


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## CEC (Sep 3, 2011)

I think he is stressed. He feels exposed and can't relax. Does he have a cave to hide in? If not, maybe get him a cave and some plants. They seem to like floating plants too. Mine loves his betta floating log!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Welcome.. and don't be too hard on yourself, most of us have made mistakes when starting out, and who knew that we couldn't always trust what a pet store employee tells us?

Most likely he is unsure what to do with himself. Born and soon after placed into a jar at the breeders, then into a cup to be shipped and moved around, then into a vase. Being an older betta and living in a vase, and smaller all his life, he is not used to large spaces.
As mentioned before, more plants would benefit him. Whether real or silk (fake), having a fair amount in there, and you already have a cave.. He may feel more secure in knowing there are hiding places in the plants. It also will give him some stimulation mentally- him swimming around and checking each thing, looking for food, etc is stimulating for them, just like when a dog chews a bone. 

If you feel he is stressing out too much, and you will know since you know him, then I would suggest possibly giving him less... I know, I'm sorry.. you've done great trying to help him and give him a great home, but sometimes some just can't handle a larger tank. One of my boys can't do anything bigger then a 1 gallon without withdrawing, not swimming and not eating. 
I would suggest going to PetCo and picking up one of their kritter keepers, the medium and large are great for them.. you can heat them safely as well. It gives him a smaller space, but still enough room to heat and decorate.

But at this point it's up to you- give him some time and some more plants to see if that helps and that he will eventually settle down- or if he is just way too stressed then move him to something smaller. I personally would wait and see how he does when you get some taller plants in there- the bottom looks fine, but I would try to fill up the middle and top a little with plants.. a lot of times they love to sleep on leaves close to the surface, so that will give you some idea of what to keep an eye out for.

Good luck, you are doing great.. he just needs some more security, and your neons would love it too


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Thank you for all the replies! Great advice!  So my goal before i knew anything was to make a huge space for him to just swim and swim because i was trying to make up for my ignorance before (when i thought he was supposed to live in a puddle). I didn't want to clog up his space with "things". 

So now what im going to do is just decorate it like crazy! I will get him huge rocks, logs, caves, and plants. I'm sorta excited! I think that dino is being donated to a friend. I think it freaks him out when it comes out of its egg. Thanks for the advice again! 

If he starts making bubble nests then i know he is happy. He always loved to make his bubble nests in his vase. If this all doesn't work I will get him a smaller little thing and fill up my 10 gallon with tetras. My boys call them glow in the dark fish. They do look pretty cool! 

Thanks again, and Merry Christmas.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Ok, so we got done opening presents and my dad got me tons of plants for my aquarium. He said he thought it looked pretty naked. So i put them all in. They were all a soft plastic. Plus he got me some kind of plant bulbs that you plant in the rocks and they sprout. I put them in also. 

I went upstairs to help my boys set up their train set and came down a few hours later. I just checked on my betta and he was hiding under a plant. He saw me and came out and he started pacing. His fins are all TORN!! I never noticed this before and its very bad. Did his new plants do this to him? They were very soft but maybe he can only have live plants. Or maybe he did this on the rocks getting under the plants. Now what do i do? Its very bad.


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## CEC (Sep 3, 2011)

Oh sorry this happened to you!

Like Myates said - real or silk plants only for bettas. Plastic is a big no no unless you can run a pair of nylons across it and it doesn't snag them.

My silk plants were putting runs in nylons so I removed them and replaced with all live plants. I love Java ferns and have a lot of them in his tank. I also have marimo balls. Java ferns are not making a mess so they are ideal!

You may need to put your betta in a quarantine tank and treat him for the torn fins. I don't have enough experience to help you but one of the experts such as Myates can help you. Like she said, you might need to change his tank to a smaller one that he feels comfortable in.

Hope someone comes along soon to help you!


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Yea.. my bad. I thought the plastic ones felt really soft so thought it would be safe. His fins look so horrible. I am going to try the nylon stalking trick. I hope the bulbs i planted sprout. Maybe i should just get more of those and try those ferns. The closest store to me that sells fish things is a 2 hour drive. The other store is an hour away and that is wal-mart and they don't have much for plants for sale. I live in the middle of nowhere, literally. lol

My pleco ate one of my tetras last night. What a horrible aquarium experience i am having. I re-homed the pleco this morning to a lady with a huge tank. She was happy to have him. My betta is now roaming all over my tank since the pleco is gone. He is still pacing but he is now pacing all over. I think he was scared of that thing! It must have been being a bully.
I would put wafers in for the pleco but apparently he would rather munch on my fish. Uhg. not happy. Now i need more tetras. The 2 i have left look lonely.

Is there a safe algae eater? Or do they all kill other fish?


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

In my experience Amazon swords (Not "Brazilian Swords-- those are peace lilies and not proper aquatic plants), and Anachris are also dandy Betta plants that are hardy and tolerate everything. Be sure to give them some light (even just ambient light from your house may suffice) I always throw a small amazon sword in my betta tanks if I can-- the Betta will enjoy resting on its big leaves. Real plants are just as easy as fake ones, if you ask me. Also try adding a little tiny dash of Stress coat to his tank while he heals from his damage. And remember, Bettas aren't really "lazy"... he may just be swimming around because he's curious and feels lively due to all the space. I have had many Bettas do that in larger enclosures (especially pet store and Wally rescues that came in tiny cups) and eventually settled down. However, I agree, if you are really worried about him, try moving him someone smaller or even fashioning a tank div. for his ten.


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

Edit: I don't think you need bother with the Tetras. Your betta may just eat them anyway (If they were little bitty neon tetras, the Betta may have eaten one rather than the plecostumus. I commonly feed male bettas small livebearer fry as a treat or even regular chow, and some Neon Tetras are so tiny that they make become Betta lunch) Also, you don't really need any kind of "Algae eater" if you ask me...


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Thanks for the plant list! I am totally going to do real plants! My sister lives an hour away and came to visit me today. I asked her to pick up more tetras for me since i read they need groups of 3 or more. So now i have 5. She also got me a albino cory catfish. I asked her why and she said, "because its cute." Its flipping out in my tank. 

If any of these fish die I am not replenishing. My betta can be alone in his tank. He is so much happier now that the pleco is gone tho. He is going all over his tank now. I saw the pleco chase him a few times so maybe he was scared of it. He fallows the cory around. He has really chilled out on the pacing since the cory was put into his tank. The cory is the one freaking out now. 

I never knew when i was picking out his tank that this would turn into such an event. wow!! I have fish supplies coming out of my ears and doing all the wrong things. 

I ordered a new tank filter because this walmart one is not keeping the water clear. I ordered an aquaclear off amazon. Is that a good one? It had good reviews but i don't know. I have been changing out 2 gallons every 3 days and the water looks so cloudy. I do have that stress-water conditioner. It removes ammonia. I also have this bacteria stress stuff too. Maybe i am putting too much in. I took out some of the offending plastic plants and they were slimy after being in there for two-ish days!

This weird thing my betta started doing, he won't eat his food but he eats the pleco food I have. I dropped one in for the cory today and he and the cory ate it together. Uhm? is that ok?


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

The food: Probably won't hurt him. 
The Cory: Also won't hurt him... but cories prefer trios to be happy (Don't get more corries though! Wait until you're sure your betta isn't going to harm it.) And he may decide that the cory is a threat after a while and then promptly try to murder him/nip his fins. But he may not. I have always kept Bettas completely alone for this reason-- they are unpredictable little fish. Though the "chasing" behavior you describe may be the forerunner of more aggressive behavior, you can never be sure. 

Also, stop using those extra products. Just use your water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine on your water that you use for water changes. Keep up with the water changes... you may need to do a bit more, since you have added so many fish at once, and your tank may be trying to cycle, depending on its age. Also, your walmart filter is probably not the problem. Filter aren't magick cleaning devices, they work by providing a place for bacterias to grow and taking out large chunks of stuff. The cloudiness i probably from all of the various things you've been putting in there combined with a lot of fish poo. You should probably do a nice big water change (Five gallons or so) to help dissipate it, ONLY using your water conditioner. (don't use any fancy bacteria whatever or whatnot. Just plain old water conditioner. I use Stress Coat+ by API personally.)


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

Oh, and Aquaclear is a fine brand... but what KIND of filter is it? Hang on the back, undergravel, corner, canister? I like Penguin filters myself as hang on the backs, but I have a walmart tetra hang on back on my 20l community tank that is fine and dandy and does everything i need... so don't assume your filter is the issue.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

I think i have had the tank for about 3 weeks? So cloudiness is just cycling? If so then maybe i won't use the aquaclear cuz i can imagine if i put in a new filter it will have to cycle again. This is so confusing to me. That poor cory fish is now pacing the front of the tank and now the betta is pacing the back. Omgosh. I seriously give up. My husband walked into the kitchen and told me the fish have gone crazy.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

I know how you feel fallingleaf. I am going bannas too with my new girl. She's the only one I got though. I justmoved her to her new 5 gallon tank, with filter and a 10w heater. The thing is she won't stop pacing looking at her reflaction and flaring up. She used to come to me also and be so happy to see me or my mom. But the one gallon I had it was a bowl and she did not have enough space to have a heater in to keep her in a good temp. Right now the Temo keeps being in a 76.23 it won't go much more up but at leats the heater and the filter is in. I don't know what else to do. I think she will settle to her new place soon though I hope.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Her water is clean though. I only used Tetra WaterConditiner that's it. I think I will stick by it. Plus cleaning the tank and stuff when I must. Is just her pacing and her not responding to me that gets my nerves. I don't want her to stress.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

NewFishyOwner said:


> I know how you feel fallingleaf. I am going bannas too with my new girl. She's the only one I got though. I justmoved her to her new 5 gallon tank, with filter and a 10w heater. The thing is she won't stop pacing looking at her reflaction and flaring up. She used to come to me also and be so happy to see me or my mom. But the one gallon I had it was a bowl and she did not have enough space to have a heater in to keep her in a good temp. Right now the Temo keeps being in a 76.23 it won't go much more up but at leats the heater and the filter is in. I don't know what else to do. I think she will settle to her new place soon though I hope.


Isn't it horrible! Its odd because my mom got her betta the same time that I was given mine. She had hers in a bowl for about a year with no heater or anything. She moved him to a 5 gallon and he just swims all over and hides in his little houses. He is acting so normal. 

I put mine in a 10 gallon and he goes totally nutso. Its like he forgot how to be a fish. Then I tried all of these things to try and make it better and i have just been making it worst.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

i will have to just stick with the water conditioner. Of course when i did visit the pet store i left with my arms full of things to put in my water. He assured me that i needed to use them all and he told me how. I have 3 different bottles of things for my water.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Aww hang in there. I mean I;m letting it go and see what happens. I did not feed her today for many reasons. One being she has had a lot of changes for a week actually much less than a wekk I got her Thursday. Number too she needs her feeding skip day and really I have done all I can to make sure she is fine. If worse comes to worse I will just move her back to her old 1 gallon bowl and see what happens. I think my girls problem is her reflection. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know I'm doing all I can and so are you so don't feel so bad. Now one thing. Use only the water conditioner and if you have more fishes in the tank you will need to change the water a lot more frquently. Because of derbis,food and fishy waste. Thta's why I only want one fish no more. Pics of my girl Lily and her tank are in the aquarium and accesories if you want to see.
But I know it's all so over welming and you'd think a fish is esier to take care of then a dog or a cat.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Hope I sorta help you knwoing there are many like in your same type of position right now.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

aww, she is pretty! She maybe does miss her cozy bowl. Arn't betta fish sweet! My little boy would always come and see me. He would even jump up and eat food off my finger. Now he will look at me for 2 seconds and continue the pacing. His tattered fins. Its just redic!!


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

I am glad i am not alone, not that i would wish this on anyone. I think bettas are super smart. our betta's name is Train. He recognizes everyone in my family. He would hide when he saw my boys and come out for my husband and I. Smart fish. I just wish I would have put more thought into this before just going all out and getting him a huge tank and then thinking he was lonely and adding "friends". I think he is better off alone in his big tank. Or if he keeps up the pacing, a heated 1 gallon or something.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

I know but if anything you can always just put him back in his One gallon and keep the others in the big tank. Is a solution I think. In my one gallon bowl the heater would not fit. I just hope she gets used to it. She is a darling as I'm sure Train is. I 've seen that Betta's are preatty nice lovelble fish.


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

I wouldn't move the fish any more for a few days. Netting and catching him is going to be an unnessecary stress on him, especially injured. Just leave him alone, feed him sparingly, and keep changing your water. He will probably eventually stop pacing around on his own. Besides, bettas are just active sometimes, especially in larger bodies of water.


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

fallingleaf said:


> If so then maybe i won't use the aquaclear cuz i can imagine if i put in a new filter it will have to cycle again.


 It won't have to cycle again if you place the old filter media in the new filter. Usually you can just cram it in the filter box behind the new filter. I will show you what I mean with a picture. One second.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Just wanted to toss out there that your Pleco didn't kill your tetra, it's just cleaning up the body  Plecos are not aggressive fish, but they will eat other dead fish. Your tetra probably passed because this is a new tank thats not cycled, and tetras can be sensitive to uncycled tanks. 

If it were me, I would put lots of Betta safe plants in there, or I would just move him back to a smaller tank. When I do a large upgrade with my fish, I give them a little more room at a time until they are at the largest size. Like my 1g Bettas, they go to a 1.5g, then to a 2.65g and then they go to my divided 3.3g. From there I would move to a 5g and then a 10g if I wanted to house a fish in a tank that big lol You could always divide the 10g in two, and give him half


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## Virux (Dec 27, 2011)

[pitluvs]


> You could always divide the 10g in two, and give him half


 excellent idea.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Virux, i love your profile picture. haha! the "no pictures please"

I got up this morning and my fish was just hanging out, actually swimming slow. He was going around the tank looking at everything in it. Maybe he will chill out on the pacing now. He is still actually pacing but at least he is taking breaks. He seems happier and when i fed them all he actually ate flakes. He may be like a dog, he was going to eat it before anyone else could. He didn't spit any out like usual either. 

Pitluvs-I think he was scared of the pleco for some reason. I saw it chasing him around a few times but maybe it was just going the same direction he was. It probably was cleaning up the body cuz i noticed one of the tetras was twitching a lot. Maybe he just died. I have another one acting wierd. I am starting to be able to tell when they are going to die. They leave their little group.

The lady i gave the pleco to had a very large tank. She had lots of algae too. I think he will be much happier. When i found out how big he was going to grow i had a small panic attack. Now i just feel bad for this albino corydora my sister got me. He isn't a happy camper. 

Thanks for the filter tip. I was reading this filter i ordered was supposed to be a better one because the water goes through more stages. Plus i can adjust the water flow so its not so hard on the betta. I made a baffle for him out of a water bottle but I think its still a little strong.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Wow nice tips. My girl Lily also seems to be more tranquile in her 5 gallon today. She still paces but she also takes some breaks and goes hiding in her trunk. She ate today some BettaMin Pellets I got her. So she can also eat some Pellets. They are not as good as her flakes though because Fish Meal is the second ingridient but it's there, I have yet to see how she likes the Freeze-Dried Bloodworms. A little scared and I'm upping her feeding to twice a day with Monday still being her skip day. Will see how that goes. Is feeding her ounce a day really bad or should I trully switch to twice a day? She seems fine with ounce a day.


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## fishies93 (Dec 24, 2011)

the same thing happened to my betta with plastic plants. so on that note does anyone know any tricks for helpings betta's fins heal fast? 

i also replaced my plastic plants with live plants and my betta likes the live ones waayyy better, he's in the all the time now.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

fishies93 said:


> the same thing happened to my betta with plastic plants. so on that note does anyone know any tricks for helpings betta's fins heal fast?
> 
> i also replaced my plastic plants with live plants and my betta likes the live ones waayyy better, he's in the all the time now.


i would like to know the same thing. i removed the plants. Also my water smells moldy. I have been doing water changes. Is it normal for the water to smell like that?

Also, doesn't the tank sorta cycle on its own? I just keep doing the water changes and the good bacteria grows in the filter right? Yuck it smells bad.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

hmmm don't know what to say to that.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

Hm. I've never heard of the water smelling moldy. I noticed in one of your earlier posts that you had some of those plant bulbs that you just drop into the tank and they're supposed to grow. Have you looked those over lately? I've heard of them molding in the tank instead of growing like they're supposed to. 

Other than that, even though you were advised not to disturb him again, I'd do a 100% water change. Moldy-smelling water is not normal in a tank, and I'd be worried something else was going on. Maybe someone else will come along and have a better idea, but if it were my tank, I'd be hunting down the source of that smell.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

Also, do you have a test kit to check ammonia, pH, and other water parameters?


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

im taking those bulbs out pronto. I can do a water change tomorrow. Im out of the water conditioner and i need to borrow from my mom. Unless i can use distilled water. I should have tried to grow the bulbs in a cup first. I took my filter apart 2 days ago when i noticed my water was so cloudy and it looked like mold growing in my filter. I thought maybe it was normal for that so i rinsed it out and put it back. I hope my new filter gets here in the mail fast. I don't know what i did.. maybe that live plant from walmart started something too? yucky..

I don't have a test kit. The closest fish store (walmart) is an hour away in the town i go to college in. So i can't get one until the end of the week.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Wow seems hard for you hun. You really are doing the very best you can though.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

The gunk on the filter was likely the bacteria culture starting to grow. That's normal, but does tend to look a little like the filter is molding. However, it shouldn't _smell _like mold.

Hold off on the full water change until one of the experts comes along and gives a second opinion. They might have a better idea what's causing the smell. 

Hang in there -- once your tank cycles and settles down, it will get easier.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

i hope so! i took out the bulbs. I think the rest of my tetras will die. They have bright red bottoms and 2 of them have turned really pail. I think my betta will just have to be king of the tank. He isn't pacing as much anymore. He really likes the corydora. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

How often have you been doing your partial water changes? Without a test kit, it's hard to tell, but the ammonia tends to build up fast in new tanks, at least for the first couple of weeks.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

Well every day for the last few days i have been taking out 3 gallons. I usually would do 2 gallons every other day or everyday but then i switched to 3 gallons for three days in a row i think? I don't really keep track. I have 3 gallon jugs of water filled and with conditioner that i keep under my sink and before i add them i let warm water run on the sides of them to warm them up so they arn't so cold when i dump them in. Now yesterday i found my bottle of water conditioner sitting on the counter and it was EMPTY! Thanks to my 3 year old. I guess he thought it was fun to squirt it into the sink. That little squirt! So now i will have to borrow from my mom. 

My massage appointments canceled for tomorrow so I wont have to work. So maybe i can get that water all changed out. I just have a basic walmart filter that came with the 30 dollar 10 gallon kit. I ordered an aquaclear for 20 gallon tanks from amazon. (i think that is what its called) it had good reviews and said i could adjust the water so it wouldn't create such a current. I think this is just a big headache. I had no idea what i was getting myself into when i decided i didn't want my fish in a bowl anymore!

I do love my tank heater tho, that is the only thing that seems to ever work perfectly. Altho its only a 50 watt. I should have gotten a 100. I wish there was such thing as an aquarium geek squad that could just come to my house and fix my tank. lol


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

just me rambling. ^_^


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Wow I have not made any watre changes to my new Tank. I just put in the watre conditioner, let the heater heat and the water filter run and then I put Lily in. She seems to be doing fine up to now. So you have to start water changes so quick? My water does not smell bad at all. Hmm. Gosh this is too much I never new keeping a fish would be so much stuff to do even more than I ever thought possible.I'm too stressed with this I'm logging off.


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

NewFishyOwner said:


> Wow I have not made any watre changes to my new Tank. I just put in the watre conditioner, let the heater heat and the water filter run and then I put Lily in. She seems to be doing fine up to now. So you have to start water changes so quick? My water does not smell bad at all. Hmm. Gosh this is too much I never new keeping a fish would be so much stuff to do even more than I ever thought possible.I'm too stressed with this I'm logging off.


NewFishyOwner.. i think your only supposed to do 20 percent water changes. So in a five gallon you would only change out a gallon i believe. You only have to do that until your tank cycles.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

Fallingleaf: That water change schedule seems okay for a tank still cycling (I have a 5 gallon cycling, and am doing water changes about every other day too). I just don't know what to tell you on the moldy water, unless it was something to do with those bulbs. Maybe wait and do your regular partial change and see if that helps. I'd hate for you to stress your fish with a full change unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

That Aquaclear filter is a pretty good one - that's what I have, and it's working well so far. 

NewFishyOwner: How big is your tank? Yep, you have to start a regular water change schedule - at least weekly, depending on your tank size and filtration. Even though your water doesn't smell, ammonia will build up from fish waste and uneaten food, and will eventually become toxic for your fish. Regular water changes will keep that ammonia level down to safe levels. If you'll give us the size of your tank and whether or not it's filtered, we can help you come up with a water change schedule. It's really not so bad once you get in the habit.


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

HAHAHA reminds me of when I got Drax last year as a college dorm gift. 

Meh... Didn't bother reading reply posts so sorry if it's been resolved. 

1. Get a cave

2. Get a java fern and an Anubias plant.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Here is an easy guide to cycling tanks- Beginner's guild to cycling.

I'm not exactly sure what the problem is at this point, I'm sorry.. 

And I'm not sure what size tank you have NewFishyOwner to help you in how much of a water change you are needing to do.

Fallingleaf- for a 10 gallon filtered you would want to do 30-40% weekly water change with regular vacuuming/siphoning of the gravel. If you have live plants then it will change depending on how many plants you have.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

angiessa said:


> Fallingleaf: That water change schedule seems okay for a tank still cycling (I have a 5 gallon cycling, and am doing water changes about every other day too). I just don't know what to tell you on the moldy water, unless it was something to do with those bulbs. Maybe wait and do your regular partial change and see if that helps. I'd hate for you to stress your fish with a full change unless it becomes absolutely necessary.
> 
> That Aquaclear filter is a pretty good one - that's what I have, and it's working well so far.
> 
> NewFishyOwner: How big is your tank? Yep, you have to start a regular water change schedule - at least weekly, depending on your tank size and filtration. Even though your water doesn't smell, ammonia will build up from fish waste and uneaten food, and will eventually become toxic for your fish. Regular water changes will keep that ammonia level down to safe levels. If you'll give us the size of your tank and whether or not it's filtered, we can help you come up with a water change schedule. It's really not so bad once you get in the habit.


I have a 5 gallon tank. It does have filtration a slow one but it has gotten faster.


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## NewFishyOwner (Dec 24, 2011)

Guys here is the link to my 5 gallon Tank Picture so you can see it. It has a Heater, A Filter, A Thermometer and Everything I can possibly think off.
Everything here seems like so much to take in. So far my water does not smell, she is swimming and eating just fine. 

Take a look.\ http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=88859


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## fallingleaf (Dec 24, 2011)

I got a gravel vacuume today. What an adventure that was. The lady at the petstore told me to suck on it to get it started and i kept trying to do that and it wouldn't work. Then i sucked really hard and .. yuck!! Then i figured out if you shake it really fast back and forth it starts to work. So i got rid of HALF or more of my water in my tank and it still smells like mold. Idk what in the heck! 

The thing that worries me is always changing the water and that fluctuates the water temp. I try to warm up the water before i put it in, but its always off by a lot. 

I also got my corydora a friend. I figured it was such a long drive i may as well do it now or never. It was friendship at first sight. They have been playing together ever since. They are so fun to watch! I guess the tetras are the canary in the coal mine. They will probly die if my water doesn't stop smelling like mold. I forgot all about the test strips for the water! Totally spaced out. :/ I am faithfully doing my water changes until school starts so hopefully next time i go to wal-mart i'll remember.


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