# tank, filter, heater etc.



## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Hi,

when I made my first posts here I said, I would think about switching to tanks, if I had the feeling, that the girls were not doing well. I would say, that is the case now. Dali's fins are not looking good and it's getting too cold. I'm heating the whole house now to keep the fish warm, while we are sitting here in T-shirts... 

So, after reading the threads (the older and newer ones), I looked up the following equipment and I would like to ask you, if these things would go well together and if there is anything else, I forgot. I would love to not have to exchange a lot of things, because I did that with 50% of the things for the bowls already, that's why I'm asking..... So, here it comes:

Tank:

I found 2. Do you know, if I can reach in the tank or if the cover is easy removable? Are the light bulbs ok or are they too close to the water and are they getting too hot?

Aquarium Starter Kits: MiniBow 2.5 Starter Aquarium Kit

all-glass, bright colors, with whisper filter 3 stage filtration, light bulb 15 watt $27,19 

or

All-Glass Aquarium Mini-Bow 2.5 Gallon Acrylic Aquarium Kit at PETCO

all-glass, black, air pump, undergravel filter, 15 watt lamp $15.99

Filter:

If the undergravel filter is not too great, I could buy this filter instead:

Tetra Whisper 3i In-Tank Filter - Filtration & Circulation - Fish - PetSmart

$11.99 
Would that be a good filter? Is that maybe the same one that comes with the first tank?
They also sell the filter cartridge.

Heater:

I found 2, because I read in some threads, that 10 watt heater would be ok, others said 25 watt would be good. Would they fit in the tank, do they have a thermostat (I'm not sure, if I understood the description well), any other ideas?

Aquarium Heaters: Hydor Theo Heater

25 watt 14,39

or would this one be better:

Aquarium Heaters & Temperature Control: Marineland Shatterproof Heater

10 watt $19.99

Thermometer:

Hagen Thermometers
$2.39

Test kit:

Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit
API $21.99

Cleaning:

What would be a good way to clean a 2,5 gal tank and what would I need for that?

I use the top fin betta water conditioner and spring water.

decoration:

I would get more stones and plants. I actually find it difficult to find good silk plants in the stores.

cycle:

I'll read the aquarium cycle info, when I have everything, but I guess, I'll still have to get back to you for that..........

Anything else I need to do?
Thanks for your help, it's a long post again, I know....!


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi 
I just bought and set up the 2nd 2.5gal tank on your list, all glass mini bow Betta aquarium. All glass is a joke. 
I found the air pump flow to be way too strong for the size of the tank and my one male Betta was fighting to stay in one place. It also swirled his food away so fast he did not even see it on the water. 
There is really not a water filter with any changeable filter. Just the air pump circulating air bubbles into the water and pulling the junk through the gravel into the bottom of the tank under the grid.
If I had a choice I would go for the first aquarium you have on your list.
Also I just looked up that Shatter Proof mini heater by marineland also. It looks good to me but I have asked on another thread about it. Try google search for it as I found better prices. One place online for it is Pet Mountain $14.49 but shipping to me is almost $9.00.

Looks like we have been looking for the same things. I would like to hear your review of any of them you decide to buy and use.
Arlie8)


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

I almost thought, that the second one was the tank you were talking about in your thread, but wasn't 100% sure. Since this one is on sale now, I could get it plus the good filter for about the same price as the first one, if that filter wasn't as good as the single one. 
Thanks for the tip with the heater. I'm still not sure though, if 10 or 25 watt are better.
Yes, I'll let you know and maybe you can keep me posted as well?
Antje

all-glass really is a misleading name in this case....


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## daisycutter (Jan 4, 2007)

i would go witth the all glass just on the basis of it being glass im my experence plastic tanks scratch way to easy and you end up with a "frosted" tank


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

For your heater 3-5 watts per gallon is the norm. The 10 watt heater should do fine.

Also, you may want to think about switching out the incandescent light bulb for a fluorescent one. The incandescent put out a lot of heat and may make the tank too hot. Fluorescents runs much cooler.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi Antje
Sorry not to be clear about which tank I have it is this one:All-Glass Aquarium Mini-Bow 2.5 Gallon Acrylic Aquarium Kit at PETCO

The second link you posted, the All Glass make.
I found an Auqarium store near me that carries the 
Shatter Proof mini heater by marineland for apx.$22.00 which is what it would cost online when the S/H was added. So I'm going to go check it out tomorrow and see if it is the one I have been looking at online. I rather buy from a store here than online incase there is a problem and it has to be returned.
I also hope to get an air flow regulator so I dont have to use a clothes pin on the plastic air hose, a tempory fix. 
As for the All Glass , yes misleading. I went to buy that tank thinking it was ALL glass then found that was just the Brand name. 
My Betta seems happy and the the light is keeping the water about 72' during the day but I turn that off at night and it will, someday I hope,cool off here in So.California and a heater will be needed. Right now I'm wrapping a thick towel around the tank at bedtime to keep the heat in the water. Good thing this fish is so cute as he is a lot
of work and it has only been 2 weeks haha,
Thank you jeaninel for the hint on the light bulb change, sounds like a good idea once I have a heater in the tank.
Arlie


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

hi Arlie,

so you'll leave the undergravel filter in and just try to find something to control the bubbles, did I understand that right? Do you think one could just exchange this filter with the whisper filter? I hope I have enough time tomorrow to go to the store so I can actually look at the things and get a better idea of everything. Although I rather buy in the store, too, I didn't get very far, when I went there with my first list about 2 months ago, when I just got the girls. Half of the stuff they didn't have or gave me wrong information etc.. That's why I'm glad I found this website.
Let me know, if you like the heater.

What's your betta's name?

Ok, just added the light bulb to the list. Thanks!


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Do you have more than one betta? If so, I would definitely think about getting a single larger tank with a divider. It will save you a lot of money as well as provide a more stable environment for your fish. You could get a 5.5 or even 10 gallon tank for about the same money as you're spending on each of those 2.5g setups.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi Antje
Take a look at this tank kit and it was reccommened on this board.
Eclipse System 3 Aquarium by Marineland - Aquariums - Fish - PetSmart
I saw one of these at Petco and it looks like Pet Smart carries it too. Sounds like a good filter built in but dont know if the flow is adjustable. You would still need a heater.
It is hard to find the items, seems each store has one and you have to check all over town to get it all together. I wish I had taken more time and done more research, like this website, before buying anything.
As for tank size I only had a space big enough for now for a 2 1/2 to 3 gal. aquarium. I only plan on having one Betta but I bet everyone says that. 
Arlie


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

The Eclipse 3 is a nice tank, but like I said, you can get a much larger one for about the same price. Petsmart sells a 10g tank for about $11. All you'd need to get the same stuff that the Eclipse tank has is a glass canopy like this one (the 20" version fits on a standard 10g tank):
Aquarium Hoods & Canopies: All-Glass Versa-Tops

And a filter like this one (the 10I):
Aquarium Filters: Whisper In-Tank Filters

Plus a cheapo strip light from Home Depot for under $10. 

It comes to about the same price but is more than three times the size. More water volume means a more stable tank and a happier fish.


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Yes, I have two, but one of them has something going on with her fins and I don't want to take the risk of contaminating the other one, in case it is fin rot. Their fins just had grown back so nicely, after they were damaged, because I had them together in 1 bowl for 20 Min..... When I do water changes and the bowls are standing not even close to each other, both fish get really nervous and I always have to put something in between.
And I actually still looked for a bigger glass tank in the beginning, but the dividers were only for +10 gal, And they didn't seem to be very sturdy. The store just ran out of lids and all of the sudden there were so many extra things, I needed to buy. And all in all the people there weren't very helpful and I was overwhelmed and left with nothing. If I go there again, I have to know exactly, what I want, otherwise I'll go and exchange 3 times or more.... From what I was reading, I feel quite comfi with these two starter kits, because they come with a lot of things and I know, what I still need to get and what I need to change (at least I think I know...). Although it's more expensive, that's true. I have to take a look in the store.

Oh, I still don't really know how and how often I would clean 2,5 or bigger tanks.

One more question: wouldn't the side with the heater be warmer, than the other, if I had a divider in the tank or would that be just a minimal difference?

Antje


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Would the heater be the same marineland one?

If I have the filter, the heater and the lamp in or at or right above the tank, can I still close the lid?


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Arlie said:


> hi Antje
> It is hard to find the items, seems each store has one and you have to check all over town to get it all together.
> 
> Yes, that's what I fear is going to happen....
> ...


Exactly. But we'll find a way. In my case the only question is "when"?....


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

The glass canopy has a rubberized hinge so that you can open the front to access the tank for feeding and water changes. The glass part of the canopy only covers the front 3/4ths or so of the tank. A plastic strip runs along the back to cover the back 1/4th or so, and you can cut parts of this plastic away to allow room for your filters, cords, air hoses, etc etc. You can also lay the strip light right on top of the glass part behind the hinge. Provided you got a divider with plenty of holes in it so that water could move through, the temperature throughout the tank should be pretty even.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

iamntbatman said:


> The glass canopy has a rubberized hinge so that you can open the front to access the tank for feeding and water changes. The glass part of the canopy only covers the front 3/4ths or so of the tank. A plastic strip runs along the back to cover the back 1/4th or so, and you can cut parts of this plastic away to allow room for your filters, cords, air hoses, etc etc. You can also lay the strip light right on top of the glass part behind the hinge. Provided you got a divider with plenty of holes in it so that water could move through, the temperature throughout the tank should be pretty even.


Hi
Well i went to a different Aquarium store and the man there, the owner, seemed to know what he was talking about and agreed with most of what I read here on the boards. 
He said that for 2gals of water and one Betta the air pump/air stone ,under-gravel filter should be fine and that I should vacuum the gravel once a month, after letting it set for 2 months to develop the bio system. I bought that Marineland mini submersible shatterproof heater and an air controller valve to cut down the current in the tank (it works great and for 90c.
I'll let you know about the heater after I install and see how it does for a couple of days. Also he told me to change about 1/3 of the water every
couple of weeks, im not too sure about that one from what I have seen on here. 
This store had some really nice looking female Bettas. I cant do another tank right now, no space, but if my male Betta don't make it I may just switch to the females and can have 3 or so in the tank.
Is that a good idea?
Arlie


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Ok, I went to petco today and it seemed to me, that it would become about the same price, if I bought everything extra (and they didn't have everything I need). I wasn't too convinced about the 2.5g thing, BUT I saw a quite nice 10g aquarium kit for $60:

Petsr4u - All-Glass 10 Gallon Freshwater Deluxe Kit, Aquarium Kits

It comes with:
- fluorescent light hood and 15w bulb
- whisper 10 power filter and cartridge
- 50w UL listed aquarium heater
- external aquarium thermometer (the sales lady said, she uses them and they were accurate. I think you tape it on the outside?)
- lid
- the tank is from all-glass, but it really is glass this time...
- nylon fish net
- water cond. etc.

I just would need the test kit and a divider.

Does that sound good? The tank isn't even that big, I can't believe that 10g water should fit in there.

The only problem now is Dali's fin situation. The sales lady offered to take a look at her tomorrow and gave me a cup to bring her in, but I don't think that's a good idea, but I will show her the pictures I made. I will post them here in the other thread, as soon as I can download them.


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Hi Arlie,
in your tank, how did you install your heater? I looked at the other tank from my list that doesn't have the undergravel filter and I thought, there was no space left in/under the lid for a heater. The tank wasn't fully assembled, but I looked at the picture and the pieces and I couldn't even tell where I could put the pellets in. Do you have more space under the lid in your tank?
How happy are you with the plastic?


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Antje-
That 10 gallon kit sounds pretty good to me. All of that stuff would total up to about $60 if you bought it separately. So long as the Whisper filter has an adjustable flow rate and the heater has a fully adjustable thermostat, I say go for it. Also, a standard 10g tank is 20" long by 10" deep by 12" tall, just so you know you aren't being tricked into buying a smaller tank. 

Arlie:
I would do water changes at least weekly. A 2.5g tank will build up nitrates fairly quickly so water changes must be done pretty often to keep water quality high. I would also never vacuum all of the gravel at once; it's better to vacuum part of your gravel during every water change. This keeps the gravel pretty clean but also prevents you from removing all of your beneficial bacteria from your gravel bed during one big, thorough cleaning and thus causing a mini-cycle.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

*water heater for tank*



Antje said:


> hi Arlie,
> 
> so you'll leave the under gravel filter in and just try to find something to control the bubbles, did I understand that right? Do you think one could just exchange this filter with the whisper filter? I hope I have enough time tomorrow to go to the store so I can actually look at the things and get a better idea of everything. Although I rather buy in the store, too, I didn't get very far, when I went there with my first list about 2 months ago, when I just got the girls. Half of the stuff they didn't have or gave me wrong information etc.. That's why I'm glad I found this website.
> Let me know, if you like the heater.
> ...


Hi Antje
My Betta's name is Bow for rainbow but I am thinking of changing it to Curious George as he has to be right in the middle of anything I'm doing in his tank, checking it out. 

I installed the Marineland mini heater listed in the other posts. It held the water temp. at 78' yesterday, this AM it was at 74'-76'. I put the tank lamp on but it is so hot here in LA today, 79' just in the house, that the water temp. was climbing due to the hood lamp, so shut off the light.

I emailed Marineland customer help with some ?? about the heater and they said the heater does have an internal thermostat so when the water gets too hot it will shut off.
Bow seems very happy now in his warm bath water. hehe He is very young and small I think after looking at other Bettas in the aquarium shops. 
The owner of the Aquarium store said the filter that came with the tank should do fine for only one fish. I put an air flow valve in the air line between the pump and the air stone in the water and now the flow is just fine.
Arlie


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

iamntbatman said:


> Antje-
> That 10 gallon kit sounds pretty good to me. All of that stuff would total up to about $60 if you bought it separately. So long as the Whisper filter has an adjustable flow rate and the heater has a fully adjustable thermostat, I say go for it. Also, a standard 10g tank is 20" long by 10" deep by 12" tall, just so you know you aren't being tricked into buying a smaller tank.
> 
> Arlie:
> I would do water changes at least weekly. A 2.5g tank will build up nitrates fairly quickly so water changes must be done pretty often to keep water quality high. I would also never vacuum all of the gravel at once; it's better to vacuum part of your gravel during every water change. This keeps the gravel pretty clean but also prevents you from removing all of your beneficial bacteria from your gravel bed during one big, thorough cleaning and thus causing a mini-cycle.


Hi 
Yeah I agree on the weekly water change for my small tank. I think the aquarium store owner was thinking of a larger one. I see that I will still need a vacuum for the gravel ,and a test kit which I forgot to buy, and try your way of partial gravel cleaning after it sits for a while. Two months does sound too long to let the gravel sit.

I placed the heater inside the tank on the glass with suction cups right behind the tube with the air hose and stone. This tank only has one opening in the hood in the back corner so had to put it there and the stick on thermometer is on the outside of the glass on that corner as well.

It is so hard to know what is right to do but I am going to trust the Senior members of this board's expierence and stick with your kind help.

Believe me I would go with a 10gal tank in a flash but I just dont have space for one right now.
Forgot to say: as for the plastic, I noticed scratches just from my installing the parts and gravel, glass is heavier but probably better in the long run.
Arlie


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Ok, I got the tank yesterday. Before I bought it I asked about the thermostat for the heater and the adjustable flow rate for the filter. Yes, it should all be there.

I'm not sure about the heater. It just has a + and - and guess I have to try to find the right temp. by checking the sticky thermometer?

The filter can not be adjusted... (I almost thought so...)
So, I'll go back to the store and see, if they exchange it without taking the whole kit back.

Man, until the whole thing is set up and running the fish are either frozen or we are broke because of the high heating bill.......:roll: 
What is the lowest temp. that the bettas could live with for a while?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'd say about 74 degrees. Keep them in the warmest room of the house. If you have an upstairs, keep them up there.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi all
I tried to take a photo of my Bow the Betta but turns out he is camera shy and hid behind his plant every time I got close to the tank with the camera, so I took a bit of video from a distance. The video is all blurred in the middle but you can see Bow well at the start and the end. 
It is up on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtjXJmqaDaI

The black thing with red printing in the tank behind the bubble tube is the new Marineland mini heater.
Arlie


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Very pretty fish, Arlie!


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## Antje (Aug 10, 2008)

Yes, he is pretty and active! 

The heater fits quite well in the back. Is the temperature holding?


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi
Thank you
I am uploading a new video, not so fuzzy. So please check it out too. 
The heater seems to keep the temp. of the water between 76' and 78' without the hood light on. Mostly on 78' so I guess it is doing the job.
Better Video at:
YouTube - Bow the Betta 2

I asked elsewhere but no reply as yet so asking here again. Do I have to pre soak those tiny Betta food pellets before feeding them to my Bow?
I read that on another Betta website.

What does it mean to cycle a tank?
Arlie


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't presoak mine but a lot of people presoak theirs to keep the food from expanding inside the betta's stomach.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

I'll just copy and paste my response from another thread asking about cycling a tank:



> "Cycling" a tank is the process of culturing colonies of beneficial bacteria in your tank. Fish waste (urine and feces), decaying plant and animal tissue and decaying fish food all create ammonia in your tank. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish and can kill them even at low concentrations. In order for your fish to survive in a fish tank, they can't be exposed to ammonia. Luckily, there is a type of bacteria that converts the harmful ammonia into another chemical called nitrite. As ammonia is introduced to your tank (either by adding fish or another ammonia source) these bacteria multiply. Eventually, there are enough of them to completely convert any ammonia that is introduced to the tank into nitrite. Unfortunately, nitrite is just as toxic to your fish as ammonia, if not moreso. However, there is a second type of bacteria that converts this nitrite into nitrate, a chemical that is only harmful to fish in very large concentrations. As the first type of bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite, the second type of bacteria begins to grow in number. After more time, there are enough of these bacteria present to convert all of your nitrite into nitrate. After both types of bacteria are established, your tank is "cycled." At this point, you should never have detectable levels of ammonia or nitrite in your tank and you only need to do water changes to keep the nitrate levels in check.
> 
> There are two ways to cycle a tank, fishless and with fish. When cycling with fish, the fish you add act as the ammonia source during the cycle. However, because the ammonia and nitrite that are produced during the cycle are toxic, you need to do water changes frequently when cycling with fish to keep them alive. The second way is to cycle without fish and use some other ammonia source, such as pure ammonia, fish food or even an uncooked shrimp. This is the preferred method as it allows you to stock the tank as you please (instead of with the fish you cycled with) and also doesn't subject any fish to ammonia or nitrite poisoning.
> 
> ...


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi Antje
How you doing with your new Aquarium? This is getting very involved on my part. 
Incase you did not read my other post, I returned that Marineland mini heater and exchanged it for another, same kind, as I did not feel the first one was working well.
Let you know how the new one does. Upgraded to a better thermometer and am adding Aquarium salt to my water changes now. Also exchanged that strip water test kit for the one suggested here, plus got some money back, . Found too much ammonia with the new test so did a 50% water change. Looking good now.

Bow the Betta seems happy and active but still worried about his fins. Sure hope this all helps. 
Arlie


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## kritas (Feb 29, 2008)

I'm sorry if I offend anyone now.......
I don't see the point in reviwing items for such a small tank... The options you have arent wide, and it won't really make a difference which model or brand you get when its for such a small tank.
If I were you, Id go for a 10G, since size and price might be an issue.....


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

kritas said:


> I'm sorry if I offend anyone now.......
> I don't see the point in reviwing items for such a small tank... The options you have arent wide, and it won't really make a difference which model or brand you get when its for such a small tank.
> If I were you, Id go for a 10G, since size and price might be an issue.....


Hi
As I have posted before I would love a 10Gal tank but there is not a space for it at the moment. Not due to the size of the tank but to the weight. I just don't have anything strong enough to place a 10gal set up on for now.
I feel that everything I am learning on here now to take care of my small 2.5Gal tank will always be helpful when I CAN get a larger one. I have found many new Betta lovers , not just on this site, but on many websites focused on keeping Bettas start out with the 2.5/3Gal aquarium. I (and my Bow the Betta ) do appreciate each and every help given to me here.

Arlie8)


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

You don't HAVE to have a larger tank. The size you have will do just fine.Some people just prefer larger tanks. If I were getting a tank, I'd go with the 2.5 gallon.


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## Arlie (Oct 27, 2008)

hi
I did a complete water test today and it was odd. The Nitrite and Nitrate were fine at "0" but the ammonia was .25 or a bit lower and the pH was 7.5. m This after a 50% water change Sat. I dont know how one little Betta can create so much ammonia so fast? There are no live plants in the tank, I watch to make sure he eats the pellets fed, (about 1 pellet 2-3 Maybe I am feeding my Betta too much but he still looks thin. His fins are growing back I think.
Is pH 7.5 too high? I read one place it was ok but another said neutral 7 was good. 
Hope i'm not driving everyone here crazy with these
questions, sorry.
Guess another partial water change is due Tuesdau, maybe just 25% this time

Thanks
Arlie


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I just looked up a post by Kim, where she answered someone else's questions about ph. She said that bettas can be fine in the high 7's and that hers does fine at 7.6.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Arlie said:


> hi
> I did a complete water test today and it was odd. The Nitrite and Nitrate were fine at "0" but the ammonia was .25 or a bit lower and the pH was 7.5. m This after a 50% water change Sat. I dont know how one little Betta can create so much ammonia so fast?


Reason #1 why bettas in little bowls or cubes are a bad idea


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