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5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Hello,
I've been reading through some of the postings at this group and at afew aquarium sites and just joined, any advice even though my new tank is small would be appreciated. Perhaps later on I'll get a larger tank... After having had an aquarium many years ago when we were kids, I bought a small 5 gallon Aquatech Hex with the bio wheel and the blue/white carbon filter. I also got the 5-15gal heater since it is adjustable and since we don't have central air/heating, it can get pretty cool in our house during winter. I also have a small thermometer attached inside and will get the small strip thermometer for the outside. I set up the tank Sunday evening, with a little less than the 5# bag of gravel, a few smooth stones, a plaster driftwood ornament (where fish can hide or swim through underneath), 1 small round coral ornament-about 2 3/4" in diameter, and bought two lilly bulbs in a pack, will see how these grow, supposedly in about 20 days. I did initially put 2 5# bags of gravel but read about how much harder it will be to maintain and clean too much gravel-so took out a little more than half, the bottom is covered well. After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the 1" (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are. I didn't want to start out with a large tank but perhaps I should have bit the bullet and at least got a 20 or 29 gallon tank. I'm leaning toward a male betta and maybe one of the small albino catfish later on to help keep the tank kind of clean. I'll get the vacuum gravel cleaner, will get the test strips that also check for ammonia before I put any fish in. I've had a couple of male bettas before, they are sweet-had them in bowls (medium sized, about half a gallon), realize they do need better living conditions-I know the cool house in the winter did them in, and they need more than betta flake food-brine shrimp, blood worms for their diet. If I get the small catfish, did I read right in that they eat algae tablets and brine shrimp for their diet? Do they have to have the algae tabs every day since don't they eat the stuff at the bottom of the tank? One more question-when I removed the excess gravel from the tank, I noticed a small amount of fine dust from the gravel on some of the larger stones, the driftwood ornament and coral, and a little on the outer lower tube of the pumps intake, Would the gravel vacuum remove this or will I have to take everything out again and re-rinse everything? I realize this is a small tank, not the larger tanks that most people have but any advice would be appreciated, small tank owners chime in also, please- thanks and regards, ko57 |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
ko57 wrote:
Hello, I've been reading through some of the postings at this group and at afew aquarium sites and just joined, any advice even though my new tank is small would be appreciated. Perhaps later on I'll get a larger tank... After having had an aquarium many years ago when we were kids, I bought a small 5 gallon Aquatech Hex with the bio wheel and the blue/white carbon filter. I also got the 5-15gal heater since it is adjustable and since we don't have central air/heating, it can get pretty cool in our house during winter. I also have a small thermometer attached inside and will get the small strip thermometer for the outside. I set up the tank Sunday evening, with a little less than the 5# bag of gravel, a few smooth stones, a plaster driftwood ornament (where fish can hide or swim through underneath), 1 small round coral ornament-about 2 3/4" in diameter, and bought two lilly bulbs in a pack, will see how these grow, supposedly in about 20 days. I did initially put 2 5# bags of gravel but read about how much harder it will be to maintain and clean too much gravel-so took out a little more than half, the bottom is covered well. After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the 1" (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are. I didn't want to start out with a large tank but perhaps I should have bit the bullet and at least got a 20 or 29 gallon tank. I'm leaning toward a male betta and maybe one of the small albino catfish later on to help keep the tank kind of clean. I'll get the vacuum gravel cleaner, will get the test strips that also check for ammonia before I put any fish in. I've had a couple of male bettas before, they are sweet-had them in bowls (medium sized, about half a gallon), realize they do need better living conditions-I know the cool house in the winter did them in, and they need more than betta flake food-brine shrimp, blood worms for their diet. If I get the small catfish, did I read right in that they eat algae tablets and brine shrimp for their diet? Do they have to have the algae tabs every day since don't they eat the stuff at the bottom of the tank? One more question-when I removed the excess gravel from the tank, I noticed a small amount of fine dust from the gravel on some of the larger stones, the driftwood ornament and coral, and a little on the outer lower tube of the pumps intake, Would the gravel vacuum remove this or will I have to take everything out again and re-rinse everything? I realize this is a small tank, not the larger tanks that most people have but any advice would be appreciated, small tank owners chime in also, please- thanks and regards, ko57 I've got two 5 gall heated tanks - I have one male Betta in each of them. I toy with the idea of adding some Cories from time to time but haven't got round to it yet. The Betta's look great in these little tanks and swim around them actively :-). I also have a 7.5 gall heated Hex tank in which I keep Peacock Gobies (difficult to find) and Panda Cories. When looking at catfish what they eat really depends on the species. Otos will eat algae but the otos I have in one of my larger tanks will only eat real live algae - I had them in one of the 5 galls once and there just was not enough food to sustain them hence their move. Corys won't eat the algae but are great fun to watch - mine get catfish pellets along with bloodworm and brine shrimp. They do root around in the bottom taking up some waste food. Both Cories and Otos need to be kept in groups - I have 5 in my 7.5 gall although I have heard that they do well enough with just 3. The main problem that I get with my 5 gall tanks is controlling the temperature as the lights heat such a small volume of water quite quickly so this is something to watch for - that being said I still need the heaters when the temperatures drop overnight. The second most common problem is issues with water quality - a smaller tank is less tolerant to any changes - (less water to dilute it). Rather than a second thermometer I would suggest investing in a Water Test Kit - you will want to monitor ammonia, nitrite, pH and nitrate initially as the tank cycles....You will also need to do more frequent (larger) water changes on a tank of this size along with the gravel vacs to maintain the quality. Personally I would get at least one ready grown plant in addition to your bulbs. As for fish there are any number of fish that you could put in depending on your water type. I'm biased towards the betta idea - but a small school of tetras could also look good....others on this group are also full of ideas on this.... Gill |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Thanks for your input, Gill-
I'm waiting to introduce any fish, keeping an eye on the heater-plugged in and unplugged, how it relates to our fluctuating temperatures day & night. So far, inside today, no house heaters-it's moderate at 74 degrees, the tank heater's not plugged in and hood light off the water was 74 also. About half an hour ago I plugged it in, barely nudging the lever, it hadn't come on and if so not right away, so at least it does have an off or close to that setting. About 74.5 degrees now, nudged the lever a bit more. If I put it to the arrow that it suggests my tank the first night got up to 84d, so I unplugged it. I realize the water especially in the smaller tanks might need more careful maintenance. Gill, can you give me an idea of how much and how frequent your water changes are? I'm wondering if you do something like 20% once a week for say 3 weeks then at the fourth week maybe a larger percentage? Any tips on this would be appreciated also. I got my equipment at WalMart; I've seen testing strips that include the ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, ph and perhaps a couple of other things on one strip that I can order off the web if Wal doesn't have that. I wanted to get those little strip thermometers that go on the outside glass-about $1.49-for a quick look, and noticed they have the gravel vacs, so will probably stop in this evening. I notice that gravel dust looks like it's on the surface of the water like a "pool", maybe slime?? Doesn't cover the top totally but it's floating-I'd definitely say from the gravel. I'll check the filter inlet tube, I don't think it would be clogged but... Do you think the vacuum would clear that and the dust that settled on the rocks? If not I guess I'll take everything out & do a final rinse with anti-chlor added to my rinse water. When I got the kit, I noticed the blue filter packs were out of stock. I'll probably order a supply of those to hold me over. I read where tetras might want cooler water-74-76 or so, where as I believe the bettas can have a little warmer water, perhaps not so much an issue in the summer. I think the tank will be fine in the summer, the ac is opposite the wall of the tank, I can turn vents toward or away as needed. I am leaning toward a betta, just need to get the tank water right and take the plunge. Thanks Gill, your comments opened my eyes a bit more, the bettas are cute, they are playful, I just would want to keep it healthy. If you have any more advice, especially about your water changing routine I'd love to hear about it, I'm sure that would be helpful to a few of us newbe's out here. Best regards, ko57 in s.e. Louisiana, where the weather seems to change every 5 minutes |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
John,
Thanks for that tip, I'll probably try the one male betta and see how he does. I thought I read that guppies and swordtails were a bit warmer water fish. Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
ko57 wrote:
Thanks for your input, Gill- I'm waiting to introduce any fish, keeping an eye on the heater-plugged in and unplugged, how it relates to our fluctuating temperatures day & night. So far, inside today, no house heaters-it's moderate at 74 degrees, the tank heater's not plugged in and hood light off the water was 74 also. About half an hour ago I plugged it in, barely nudging the lever, it hadn't come on and if so not right away, so at least it does have an off or close to that setting. About 74.5 degrees now, nudged the lever a bit more. If I put it to the arrow that it suggests my tank the first night got up to 84d, so I unplugged it. I realize the water especially in the smaller tanks might need more careful maintenance. Gill, can you give me an idea of how much and how frequent your water changes are? I'm wondering if you do something like 20% once a week for say 3 weeks then at the fourth week maybe a larger percentage? Any tips on this would be appreciated also. I got my equipment at WalMart; I've seen testing strips that include the ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, ph and perhaps a couple of other things on one strip that I can order off the web if Wal doesn't have that. I wanted to get those little strip thermometers that go on the outside glass-about $1.49-for a quick look, and noticed they have the gravel vacs, so will probably stop in this evening. I notice that gravel dust looks like it's on the surface of the water like a "pool", maybe slime?? Doesn't cover the top totally but it's floating-I'd definitely say from the gravel. I'll check the filter inlet tube, I don't think it would be clogged but... Do you think the vacuum would clear that and the dust that settled on the rocks? If not I guess I'll take everything out & do a final rinse with anti-chlor added to my rinse water. When I got the kit, I noticed the blue filter packs were out of stock. I'll probably order a supply of those to hold me over. I read where tetras might want cooler water-74-76 or so, where as I believe the bettas can have a little warmer water, perhaps not so much an issue in the summer. I think the tank will be fine in the summer, the ac is opposite the wall of the tank, I can turn vents toward or away as needed. I am leaning toward a betta, just need to get the tank water right and take the plunge. Thanks Gill, your comments opened my eyes a bit more, the bettas are cute, they are playful, I just would want to keep it healthy. If you have any more advice, especially about your water changing routine I'd love to hear about it, I'm sure that would be helpful to a few of us newbe's out here. Best regards, ko57 in s.e. Louisiana, where the weather seems to change every 5 minutes Basically I have a weekly maintenance routine on all the tanks....the betta tanks get around a 15-20% change once a week. The water is treated for chlorine/chloramine and heavy metals....this is no different to the way I treat all of my tanks unless there is a specific problem. A 15-20% change on a small tank though is a lot quicker to do than on one of the 47.5UK gall tanks :-) On the dust problem, I would say almost certainly it is coming out of the gravel. As you have no fish as yet it might be worth taking it out and doing a few more rinses....I'm a little bit fanatical on rinsing my gravel before putting it into a new tank mainly as I see a little bit more effort at the start gives better results....I do know others that are not so fanatical that still get very good results as the dust settles....very much how you feel about it and how important it is... The temp control in these small tanks is forever worrying me but then I look at the fish and see that they are happy and content and wonder if I worry too much. In the summer when it gets really warm I vent the tanks by leaving part of the hood open - you get a bit more evaporation but I compensate by doing an extra water change if nec (I don't top up as this just concentrates minerals etc....). In terms of heating, I just checked my two betta tanks that are in the same room within a couple of feet of eachother...the heater was on briefly in Boris's tank next to the back door but off in Bob's tank which is further into the room. In the summer, unless we get a chill evening, I don't expect either heater to come on...they are just there to stop any wild temp fluctuations especially as the house cools considerably at night at this time of year when the heating goes off at night - this is more to keep a constant minimum rather than heat the water up to a max. The best bet is to set the thermostat to the optimum temperature required by the fish that you chose and just watch for any over heating and address as necessary. That way you ensure that they do not get chilled.... Gill In UK where the temp has suddenly dipped from 15C to around 2C max in a few days...sneezing like anything - got my winter cold :-( |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Thanks, Gill,
That sounds good to me. I guess while I'm on my 2nd day off I'll re-rinse and cover the gravel and ornaments in a pan with anti-chlor water before replacing. I'm glad to take the time before introducing fish to find out all that goes into this fish and tank keeping. I'll keep you guys posted...thanks for all the tips... Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
ko57 wrote: Hello, I've been reading through some of the postings at this group and at afew aquarium sites and just joined, any advice even though my new tank is small would be appreciated. Perhaps later on I'll get a larger tank... After having had an aquarium many years ago when we were kids, I bought a small 5 gallon Aquatech Hex with the bio wheel and the blue/white carbon filter. I also got the 5-15gal heater since it is adjustable and since we don't have central air/heating, it can get pretty cool in our house during winter. I also have a small thermometer attached inside and will get the small strip thermometer for the outside. I set up the tank Sunday evening, with a little less than the 5# bag of gravel, a few smooth stones, a plaster driftwood ornament (where fish can hide or swim through underneath), 1 small round coral ornament-about 2 3/4" in diameter, and bought two lilly bulbs in a pack, will see how these grow, supposedly in about 20 days. I did initially put 2 5# bags of gravel but read about how much harder it will be to maintain and clean too much gravel-so took out a little more than half, the bottom is covered well. After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the 1" (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are. I didn't want to start out with a large tank but perhaps I should have bit the bullet and at least got a 20 or 29 gallon tank. I'm leaning toward a male betta and maybe one of the small albino catfish later on to help keep the tank kind of clean. I'll get the vacuum gravel cleaner, will get the test strips that also check for ammonia before I put any fish in. I've had a couple of male bettas before, they are sweet-had them in bowls (medium sized, about half a gallon), realize they do need better living conditions-I know the cool house in the winter did them in, and they need more than betta flake food-brine shrimp, blood worms for their diet. If I get the small catfish, did I read right in that they eat algae tablets and brine shrimp for their diet? Do they have to have the algae tabs every day since don't they eat the stuff at the bottom of the tank? One more question-when I removed the excess gravel from the tank, I noticed a small amount of fine dust from the gravel on some of the larger stones, the driftwood ornament and coral, and a little on the outer lower tube of the pumps intake, Would the gravel vacuum remove this or will I have to take everything out again and re-rinse everything? I realize this is a small tank, not the larger tanks that most people have but any advice would be appreciated, small tank owners chime in also, please- thanks and regards, ko57 Ko57... Welcome back to the hobby. = ) You wrote: After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the 1" (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are.. This isn't really valid in the hobby anymore. Hasn't been for many, many years. The length of a fish is not the only thing that needs to be considered when choosing or housing fish. If that rule were correct, you could keep a 10" Oscar in a 10g tank. You couldn't keep a 10" Oscar in a 20g tank. Things like territorial issues, body mass, waste production (some fish put out tons more than others...ei Goldfish, African Dwarf Frogs, etc), etc all need to be considered. So forget that old myth. It's pretty useless. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
"ko57" wrote in message ups.com... John, Thanks for that tip, I'll probably try the one male betta and see how he does. I thought I read that guppies and swordtails were a bit warmer water fish. =================== Swordtails can reach a nice size. Even the females can reach 3+ inches. I wouldn't keep them in anything smaller than a 20L. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords.
They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Tynk wrote:
I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords. They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. I hate the difference in measurements between the UK and US ( :-) ) Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Gill |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Gill Passman wrote: Tynk wrote: I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords. They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. I hate the difference in measurements between the UK and US ( :-) ) Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Gill Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Hmm...it's possible Gill that when somebody that doesn't use metric and says "20L" that they mean a 20 gallon "long", instead of a 20 gallon H (high). I like to write it like this, 20gL or 20gH...the g standing for gallons. If I didn't write it like that before...my mistake. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Tynk wrote: I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords. They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. I hate the difference in measurements between the UK and US ( :-) ) Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... $ A 20L would be a long 20g long tank. That size can comfortably house 3 or 4 swordtails (with good filtration) and a few other smaller fish. I don't see these 20Ls around anymore. Since they love to jump their tanks must be well covered. Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Gill -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Tynk wrote: Gill Passman wrote: Tynk wrote: I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords. They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. I hate the difference in measurements between the UK and US ( :-) ) Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Gill Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Hmm...it's possible Gill that when somebody that doesn't use metric and says "20L" that they mean a 20 gallon "long", instead of a 20 gallon H (high). I like to write it like this, 20gL or 20gH...the g standing for gallons. If I didn't write it like that before...my mistake. *This is what I originally replied, but only the "I like to write it like this" part was posted. How odd. Sorry if that didn't make any sense at first....only part of what I wrote showed up the first time....yet when I hit reply to my post...it showed up in the quoted text. Very odd for sure. Hmm...it's possible Gill that when somebody that doesn't use metric and says "20L" that they mean a 20 gallon "long", instead of a 20 gallon H (high). I like to write it like this, 20gL or 20gH...the g standing for gallons. If I didn't write it like that before...my mistake. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Koi-lo wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Tynk wrote: I have to agree with Koi-Lo about Swords. They get pretty large, and that's not even including the "sword" at the end of the tail which ends up being about as long as their body is. A 5g just isn't going to be able to house Swords....especially a Hex. Just by having that shape of a tank limits your choices even more. I hate the difference in measurements between the UK and US ( :-) ) Just checked the box of one of my 20L tanks - 20L = 5.3 US galls....although looking at the tanks I still think they would be too small for swords... $ A 20L would be a long 20g long tank. That size can comfortably house 3 or 4 swordtails (with good filtration) and a few other smaller fish. I don't see these 20Ls around anymore. Since they love to jump their tanks must be well covered. Sorry to be pedantic on the size maybe it should have read "bigger than 20L" :-) Gill let's clear up the confusion :-)....20L is the standard abreviation for 20 litres over here in the UK/Europe - which is 5.3 US gallons... 20 gallons is an entirely different thing and IMO more than acceptable to house Swords.... Oh, the joy of two nations separated by a common language - grin Gill |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Gill Passman wrote:
let's clear up the confusion :-)....20L is the standard abreviation for 20 litres over here in the UK/Europe - which is 5.3 US gallons... To be pedantic: the correct abbreviation according to ISO for liter is a lower-case l not an upper-case L. Of course this can lead to confusion if l and 1 are very similar in certain fonts. jue |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
"John D. Goulden" wrote in message ... I'm leaning toward a male betta and maybe one of the small albino catfish later on to help keep the tank kind of clean. Due to differing environmental requirements, bettas and cats are not a good mix. Bettas need a heater (at least 78F - 80F) and a touch of aquarium salt in the water; cats do better in cooler water (70F or cooler) with no added salt. Corydoras catfish, with a few exceptions that are not albino, need the same temperature range as Bettas. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
Due to differing environmental requirements, bettas and cats are not a good mix. Bettas need a heater (at least 78F - 80F) and a touch of aquarium salt in the water; cats do better in cooler water (70F or cooler) with no added salt. I don't know that I agree John. Bettas and Corys can do great together. I keep both (not in the same tank) but the parameters and additives are the same for both tanks. Aquarium salt is an option and personally I think it's just one more thing to keep track of. Others will argue that the salt can do more harm then good. "Overslimification" (word I made up to mean stimulating the slime coat to be too, um, slimy) |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
Welcome back to the hobby. = )
A late thanks to you and your comments, Tynk. Here's an update since my last posts: I did get a male betta the evening of that post, he's red with some blue-violet and I do enjoy having him. Here's some shots I have posted: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...a=31996266&f=0 The first 3 photos are a couple of days after I first got him, the last four were taken earlier today. I try not to overfeed, he has a good appetite. I use Hakari's betta bio-gold bits; baby brine shrimp-for added roughage, Wardley's tropical flakes-came with the tank, and bloodworms-so variety is there. I don't feed him all these things at the same time, and feed about twice a day, and about 1-2 days in the week I feed him once. I think he's part pig, would eat every few hours if allowed. He swims around well, love to watch him. When I bought him his fins seemed just a little bit ragged, seems they still are, maybe more-so. Should I do more frequent/smaller water changes? Say 10-15% every few days, and touch up with aquarium salt? The gravel washer I have works but siphons out the water so fast; next time I use it I'll keep a better eye on it, remove Rudolf (doesn't like the net ;O ) and maybe stir it up more to get a good vacuum. I wound up cutting the vacuum tube with a Dremel, it was too long-so I cut it down to about 4 inches. I've seen a smaller diameter vacuum tube online, might try to get that (or just make one) so I don't loose so much water so fast. I did the first water change-half the amount, on 12/8, and today I did a 3 gallon out of about 4.8gals water change. 3 days ago I did add some Fungus clear (Jungle, 1/2 tab), not the eliminator, I did not take the carbon out of my filter (probably got wasted). I used and measured (for the 3 gallons replaced) AquaSafe, stress coat, stress zyme, ace, 1 tsp aquarium salt, and about 1/2 hour after the change, 5 drops of quick clear. Enough chemicals... I left the filter in-should I change it out (it's been in only a week) or should I wait until next week after a small water change and then replace it? I guess that Fungus eliminator got neutralized in the carbon I might try again. When I first put him in the tank, he seemed glad for all the room to swim in. He'd make and have his bubble nests. After I did the first water change, and I "disturbed/destroyed" his nest, he hasn't made one since. I did get an air stone with a small pump and gang-valve adjustment set up, after reading you need to add oxygen when adding certain water treatments like a.c.e. He will play with the bubbles-not set high, just a stream, but I don't leave it on. I'm hoping those 2 Lily bulbs will sprout soon-due 12/17-so he can have a leaf to rest on. I have some Java Moss ordered, so he can rest or hide on that too. I tested our tap water, it seems to have no ammonia, but it looked like the tank water I tested before the water change had a little: I had a "safe" on nitrates, "caution" on nitrites, 150 hardness, 120 alkalinity, 7-7.2ph . I tested 2.5 hours after the water change, seems no ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrates,150 on hardness, 120-150 alkalinity, 6.8-7ph.. I know I have a bit to learn, I think I get caught up in the technical side, but I'm keeping an eye on his fins. I think I can add a tad more salt for theraputic benefits for his fins, not just a maintenance dose. If that doesn't seem to work I might order some Kanaplex or Maracyn. The manager in pets at WalMart (he has tanks, birds, dogs...) said he's never used testing kits, he claims let nature take it's course. It does seem that his fins are growing, and the two long/thin fins in the front behind his gills have white/light blue tips. I read this indicates new growth. (Does't look like anything bad). Hope i'm not worrying too much... |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
ko57 wrote: Welcome back to the hobby. = ) A late thanks to you and your comments, Tynk. Here's an update since my last posts: I did get a male betta the evening of that post, he's red with some blue-violet and I do enjoy having him. Here's some shots I have posted: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...a=31996266&f=0 The first 3 photos are a couple of days after I first got him, the last four were taken earlier today. I try not to overfeed, he has a good appetite. I use Hakari's betta bio-gold bits; baby brine shrimp-for added roughage, Wardley's tropical flakes-came with the tank, and bloodworms-so variety is there. I don't feed him all these things at the same time, and feed about twice a day, and about 1-2 days in the week I feed him once. I think he's part pig, would eat every few hours if allowed. He swims around well, love to watch him. When I bought him his fins seemed just a little bit ragged, seems they still are, maybe more-so. Should I do more frequent/smaller water changes? Say 10-15% every few days, and touch up with aquarium salt? The gravel washer I have works but siphons out the water so fast; next time I use it I'll keep a better eye on it, remove Rudolf (doesn't like the net ;O ) and maybe stir it up more to get a good vacuum. I wound up cutting the vacuum tube with a Dremel, it was too long-so I cut it down to about 4 inches. I've seen a smaller diameter vacuum tube online, might try to get that (or just make one) so I don't loose so much water so fast. I did the first water change-half the amount, on 12/8, and today I did a 3 gallon out of about 4.8gals water change. 3 days ago I did add some Fungus clear (Jungle, 1/2 tab), not the eliminator, I did not take the carbon out of my filter (probably got wasted). I used and measured (for the 3 gallons replaced) AquaSafe, stress coat, stress zyme, ace, 1 tsp aquarium salt, and about 1/2 hour after the change, 5 drops of quick clear. Enough chemicals... I left the filter in-should I change it out (it's been in only a week) or should I wait until next week after a small water change and then replace it? I guess that Fungus eliminator got neutralized in the carbon I might try again. When I first put him in the tank, he seemed glad for all the room to swim in. He'd make and have his bubble nests. After I did the first water change, and I "disturbed/destroyed" his nest, he hasn't made one since. I did get an air stone with a small pump and gang-valve adjustment set up, after reading you need to add oxygen when adding certain water treatments like a.c.e. He will play with the bubbles-not set high, just a stream, but I don't leave it on. I'm hoping those 2 Lily bulbs will sprout soon-due 12/17-so he can have a leaf to rest on. I have some Java Moss ordered, so he can rest or hide on that too. I tested our tap water, it seems to have no ammonia, but it looked like the tank water I tested before the water change had a little: I had a "safe" on nitrates, "caution" on nitrites, 150 hardness, 120 alkalinity, 7-7.2ph . I tested 2.5 hours after the water change, seems no ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrates,150 on hardness, 120-150 alkalinity, 6.8-7ph.. I know I have a bit to learn, I think I get caught up in the technical side, but I'm keeping an eye on his fins. I think I can add a tad more salt for theraputic benefits for his fins, not just a maintenance dose. If that doesn't seem to work I might order some Kanaplex or Maracyn. The manager in pets at WalMart (he has tanks, birds, dogs...) said he's never used testing kits, he claims let nature take it's course. It does seem that his fins are growing, and the two long/thin fins in the front behind his gills have white/light blue tips. I read this indicates new growth. (Does't look like anything bad). Hope i'm not worrying too much... First let me say, congrats on the new boy. He's a pretty one and will soon be spoiled. = ) I guess I'll be the first to mention that you need to slow down, back away and maybe even walk far away from adding so many chemicals and medications in the tank. The less chemicals the better. I don't remember what A.C.E. is, but you had at least 3 other dechlorinators doing the same exact purpose, cycling product that doesn't work, something to clear cloudy water and a fungus medication, and then salt. Woah! That's a alot of chemicals. Why are you treating him for fungus? You didn't mention any fungus, just so fins being a little raggedy when you bought him. Bettas fins regenerate very easily, very quickly, and usually without any need for medications. Nature made them heal up so easily and fast because of their fighting nature. You need to be able to heal up fast in the wild to keep on surviving. You only need one dechlorinater. StresCoat is great. I use it myself. However, it doesn't remove chloramine. I know it says it detoxifies chloramines on the bottle, but I called the company. Chloramine is chlorine and ammonia bonded together. A regular chlorine remover will take care of the chlorine, but leave the ammonia behind. Stress Coat breaks the bond, detoxifies the chlorine, and leaves the ammonia. It even tells you to use another product to remove the ammonia! Anywa, call your local water dept and ask if they use chloramine in the water and tell them you have a fish tank and need to know which water conditioner to use. If they do use Chloramine, then get Amquel. Ity'll take care of both the chlorine and ammonia. As for the cycling product...it a waste of money. Wrong bacteria. The salt is ok, but don't go to up to a medication type amount of it. Just a little is fine, but when you add anythig else, they would have to be compatible with salt in their water. Keep up on weekly water changes with only one water conditioner! lol Now if the Betta isn't sick and just had some minor fin damage from shipping, etc..then stop medicating him. Get back to me on the "is he sick or not" thing. I hope he's not and that he's just a bit of a raggedy man. |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
Tynk,
I hear you loud and clear. Not to be over-concerned about his fins, but I've noticed from one day to the next another small piece has torn off. I had noticed after adding a little salt to the tank, then the next day testing, found the ammonia, nitrates & nitrites a little higher than usual. That evening did another partial water change, 1 gallon, and did change the filter. ACE is made by Jungle Labs, I guess it is something like AmQuel, it removes ammonia and chloramine from tap water. I tested the water today, seems the nitrates were at almost 10, nitrites were at .5, lower than the 20, and 1 after the change. Water seems softer-75-than usual, kh at 120, ph at 6.8. That is usually at 7 or 7.2 from the faucet. Ammonia was not exactly 0, but not at .25 (the next indicator) either, I'd say somewhere in between. Last night I didn't feed him, this morning fed just a little. I think I need to back off on that also, even though his appetite is very good-don't want to see him on Slim Fast. I'll keep doing smaller, more frequent water changes and watch the feeding-not too much. But that ACE seems to work okay. I guess the tank/biowheel are cycling? Hopefully... Thanks, Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
Anyone want to comment or advise about this please feel free-you can
email to my address if you want, hopefully it is just over concern on my part. Here is a shot of how his fin had torn a bit more (above where it was torn) the next day: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...p=73396242&f=0 I've read about "throwing tail", and I can understand that their fins being so long might tend to tear or split. He's a good swimmer, I don't know if threy caught on the ornaments, I don't necessarily see sharp jagged edges in the tank except for perhaps some of the gravel. I don't see anything on him as far as fungus, or anything, and I didn't add salt when I did the last water change, waited til last night to add a small chunk, as I think I may have added too much at one time (not overall) after the 3 gallon water change, so would rather add gradually. Will keep testing his water. We don't have central air & heating, and it was pretty cool this morning in the house, his tank was at 75 degrees-the room was about 66 degrees, he seems to like it at 80-82 degrees. Last night the temperature got up to 84 so I did lower his heater a bit. Gill mentioned about having to adjust the heat for his tanks, well that is a constant concern of mine because of the cold weather and our heating situation. We use gas and electric heaters throughout the house. The tank mostly stays pretty steady temperature wise unless I have to adjust, but last night's drop was too much I know, I know that will stress the poor guy and hated to see that. It is steadily going back up, at about 78-79 right now, might be a bit fast. One more thing, I've had this tank set up since November 21st. I've changed the filter media 2 times since, should I keep the filter in there as long as the water is able to circulate (not clogged) to help the tank cycle? The biowheel spins fine. I've read and bookmarked several posts & pages on this, from Tynk, Netmax, and Anna Hayward, to name a few. Really appreciate all the comments and help, this forum is great, I did not realize about "cycling" and all there is to it when I decided to buy the tank but knew there was more to it than just setting it up and adding fish. Thanks to you guys for all the help. One thing, he did eat a spot of green bean last week, and he had a taste of pea the other night (didn't have peas cooked but had the green beans...) Any comment on fins and anything else appreciated, thanks... Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
ko57 wrote:
Anyone want to comment or advise about this please feel free-you can email to my address if you want, hopefully it is just over concern on my part. Here is a shot of how his fin had torn a bit more (above where it was torn) the next day: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...p=73396242&f=0 I've read about "throwing tail", and I can understand that their fins being so long might tend to tear or split. He's a good swimmer, I don't know if threy caught on the ornaments, I don't necessarily see sharp jagged edges in the tank except for perhaps some of the gravel. I don't see anything on him as far as fungus, or anything, and I didn't add salt when I did the last water change, waited til last night to add a small chunk, as I think I may have added too much at one time (not overall) after the 3 gallon water change, so would rather add gradually. Will keep testing his water. We don't have central air & heating, and it was pretty cool this morning in the house, his tank was at 75 degrees-the room was about 66 degrees, he seems to like it at 80-82 degrees. Last night the temperature got up to 84 so I did lower his heater a bit. Gill mentioned about having to adjust the heat for his tanks, well that is a constant concern of mine because of the cold weather and our heating situation. We use gas and electric heaters throughout the house. The tank mostly stays pretty steady temperature wise unless I have to adjust, but last night's drop was too much I know, I know that will stress the poor guy and hated to see that. It is steadily going back up, at about 78-79 right now, might be a bit fast. One more thing, I've had this tank set up since November 21st. I've changed the filter media 2 times since, should I keep the filter in there as long as the water is able to circulate (not clogged) to help the tank cycle? The biowheel spins fine. I've read and bookmarked several posts & pages on this, from Tynk, Netmax, and Anna Hayward, to name a few. Really appreciate all the comments and help, this forum is great, I did not realize about "cycling" and all there is to it when I decided to buy the tank but knew there was more to it than just setting it up and adding fish. Thanks to you guys for all the help. One thing, he did eat a spot of green bean last week, and he had a taste of pea the other night (didn't have peas cooked but had the green beans...) Any comment on fins and anything else appreciated, thanks... Kerry I wouldn't go changing the filter medium unless totally necessary...give it a rinse in a bucket of tank water to clear the gunk and put it back in - I've not replaced any filter medium in over 16 months...the problem with replacing it is that you lose the beneficial bacteria and your tank will most likely cycle again... Gill |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
Hey, Gill-
I had read about just that-rinsing it then put it back-in one of the threads here last night. I had ordered a supply of these filters after noticing our store has been out for a while, but that sounds good to me, anything to help the cycling, will do that next partial water change. Meanwhile, seems like he's doing fine-seems happy; now and then stops, looks and flares at himself then seems to swim off in a huff-pretty comical. Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
ko57 wrote:
Hey, Gill- I had read about just that-rinsing it then put it back-in one of the threads here last night. I had ordered a supply of these filters after noticing our store has been out for a while, but that sounds good to me, anything to help the cycling, will do that next partial water change. Meanwhile, seems like he's doing fine-seems happy; now and then stops, looks and flares at himself then seems to swim off in a huff-pretty comical. Kerry I actually forgot to mention in my post that from the photo he looks quite a happy betta...does he come and do the "betta dance" when he spots you???? It's one of the most endearing things I find about bettas.... Gill |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
forgot to mention in my post that from the photo he looks quite a happy betta...
Glad to hear that, and not "looks like a case of...". Yes, he does the "betta dance", and I hope he does for a long time to come. They are endearing, I love him. I notice my very independent cat takes notice that he gets attention, now she is not so aloof. She's a biter and scratcher-likes to play, but not the most affectionate. At 6 years old still arches her back and tip-toes sideways up to me as if to try and scare me-she is hilarious (black & white, reminds me of Dracula when she does this.) I tell you, I bought a ghost shrimp one night-about a week ago or so, He wasn't one of the biggest, but I noticed Rudolf wasn't crazy about him. I sat at the tank for a good while (have a stool-tank's on a chest of drawers thanks to Alexandra the cat..she won't get up that high...). He would go for the shrimp, stopped after a while, well these shrimp can dart very fast but I could tell he might not have a chance once I left & had gone to bed...I wish he did, wanted him to help eat leftovers initially but they really are fun to watch. I should have pulled him out, but I guess I had hoped for the best. Sadly he had "expired" the next day (did not get eaten), I guess "Mr. King" want's no company. I'd love to try again-we have what look like full grown shrimp at the store, the lights were off in the tanks and I just grabbed what I could get once I knocked off when I bought the somewhat small one. I wish one or two full grown ones would have a chance. If/when I get another tank, I'll definitely get a few shrimp, but I'll wait a while after this tank gets established. Can't wait for the java moss to come in, I think he might enjoy having that. Still waiting for the bulbs' sprouts to grow upward-one customer told me after a month I'll wake up one morning and it will have bloomed. I'm thinking rinse the moss or soak it with some treated tap water before adding it to the tank? I ordered it from aquariumgarden.com . I'm thinking if I'd get a plant from WalMart, soak it also in some treated tap water also? Anything else before adding any plant? Kerry |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
ko57 wrote:
forgot to mention in my post that from the photo he looks quite a happy betta... Glad to hear that, and not "looks like a case of...". Yes, he does the "betta dance", and I hope he does for a long time to come. They are endearing, I love him. I notice my very independent cat takes notice that he gets attention, now she is not so aloof. She's a biter and scratcher-likes to play, but not the most affectionate. At 6 years old still arches her back and tip-toes sideways up to me as if to try and scare me-she is hilarious (black & white, reminds me of Dracula when she does this.) I tell you, I bought a ghost shrimp one night-about a week ago or so, He wasn't one of the biggest, but I noticed Rudolf wasn't crazy about him. I sat at the tank for a good while (have a stool-tank's on a chest of drawers thanks to Alexandra the cat..she won't get up that high...). He would go for the shrimp, stopped after a while, well these shrimp can dart very fast but I could tell he might not have a chance once I left & had gone to bed...I wish he did, wanted him to help eat leftovers initially but they really are fun to watch. I should have pulled him out, but I guess I had hoped for the best. Sadly he had "expired" the next day (did not get eaten), I guess "Mr. King" want's no company. I'd love to try again-we have what look like full grown shrimp at the store, the lights were off in the tanks and I just grabbed what I could get once I knocked off when I bought the somewhat small one. I wish one or two full grown ones would have a chance. If/when I get another tank, I'll definitely get a few shrimp, but I'll wait a while after this tank gets established. Can't wait for the java moss to come in, I think he might enjoy having that. Still waiting for the bulbs' sprouts to grow upward-one customer told me after a month I'll wake up one morning and it will have bloomed. I'm thinking rinse the moss or soak it with some treated tap water before adding it to the tank? I ordered it from aquariumgarden.com . I'm thinking if I'd get a plant from WalMart, soak it also in some treated tap water also? Anything else before adding any plant? Kerry From what I've read on the ng some bettas take to companions and others don't - some of mine have been fine and others will attack. Generally if I'm putting a shop bought plant into one of the tanks I will soak it for a couple of minutes in a very mild bleach solution (has to be pure bleach with no additives - I use around 1-2% bleach to water). I then rinse it very thoroughly under running tap water. One thing to watch for with buying plants is the introduction of snails into your tank. I transferred some plants between tanks today and just gave them a very good rinse in tap water... Gill BTW My cat can scale a 6 foot fence with no run up so I'm not sure whether a chest of drawers would actually stop your cat - maybe she just can't be bothered in that endearing cat-like way. Mine has even stopped looking at the tanks... |
5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta follow up
Thought I had read about using mild bleach/water, will do. I think if
she tried to jump up on the chest, she'd slip off, with nothing to grab onto. I just got a shorter bookshelf to put the tank on, will keep an eYe out on her. I agree with the can't be bothered routine, but I have seen her staring just a bit, then she moves on, as in come sit & watch her eat. The bookshelf will make it easier for me to reach his tank, hopefully Alex won't care...funny how pets will get you to jump through a few hoops... Thanks Gill, Happy Hollidays to all Kerry |
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