• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Pictures New betta tank

theocnoob

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
739
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Pablo and George
-Filter MUST have a baffle. That's too much current for a betta especially one with long fins.

-Get a floating plant for the tank. Hornwort is cheap, grows with no additional plant food or co2 and minimal light, has beneficial properties for fish health, and is soft and perfect for your fish to hide in. Just let it float in the tank.

-Get a heater and maintain 78F in the tank at all times (I suggest an Eheim Jager heater @50W. I believe they make a 25W now. If that tank is 10 gallons or less get the 25 watt)

-Your tank is not cycled. This is bad. You must cycle this aquarium. You have two options

1) Keep the betta in his bowl with daily water changes while you cycle the tank

2) instant cycle the tank by getting some donor filter material that already has beneficial bacteria. For example, get some well established ceramic filter media from a friend's tank or from a disease free tank at a petshop.

Please read up about partial water changes, the nitrogen cycle, and proper biological filter maintenance. Get some water conditioner (I like seachem prime).

BTW you don't have to add cold water to the tank then let it heat up. Get the water out of your tap at the same temperature as the tank (aiming for 78F) and add the water conditioner @ the correct dose, mix well, then pour into the tank.

You will need an aquarium syphon with gravel washer and a bucket. Never tear down your tank to clean it. It can run for 30 years+++ without a teardown. Just occasionally clean your filter media and vaccuum the gravel for poop and uneaten food when doing water changes. I suggest about 33% water changes every 5-7 days.

Get a timer for the light. They are cheap @ hardware stores. Run the light for 8 to 10 hours per day. If you get an algae outbreak (which you shouldnt with enough hornwort in there) reduce the light period.

As far as the plastic plants you have in there are concerned, this is a bad idea with a betta as they try to jam themselves into plants to feel comfortable and their fins will tear on plastic plants. The plastic plants are also places for poo, uneaten food, etc to get lodged and it is very difficult to clean them and clean around them. The hornwort is all you need.

edit: just noticed you already have a heater. No thermometer though. Get a digital thermometer and put the probe stuck to the glass right behind the filter intake where it will get the most current over it.
 
Last edited:
Top