Timesdragonfly

for info on betta, check the betta page on the forum... if you put two betta's in the same tank WITH a divider... put plenty of tall plants on each side of the divider to block it from view as much as possible. When I had my 10 gallon divide, I put a filter on both sides.

Another option would be to just have the one betta in the 10 gallon and add three or four otto cats. They would probably do fine in a ten gallon with out a divider.... most bettas do fine with ottos... but some don't. It's good to have a back up plan when putting other fish with bettas. Mine did fine with his otto cats. I've heard of people keeping cory cats or pygmy cories with bettas too.

tricky_tink

Went to the LF store after attempting to checkout online and getting a backorder flag. You'd be proud they offered to replace the gouramis with fancy guppies since they killed them but I said no and the manager told me it was something he could only offer tonight, I still said no thank you

I found prime there so I bought that and will use that from now on at water changes. Looked for any of the items suggested for the bettas fins none there. I did find something called Melafix antibacterial remedy it had listed fin damage and pink sores both of which I'm dealing with so I got that too. It's in the 55 gallon now for the elephant nose, tetras and my last fancy guppy whos fins were also a little nipped. I also bought a nitrate test kit.

Tonights test results are Nitrate at 6-7ppm, ammonia 0, ph 7.4 maybe 7.2, nitrite 0. So that seems good. I did have the original foam filter from the tank when purched as well as the rocks and decor but I cleaned them all but the foam filter (honestly cause I didn't see it) with hot tap so I thought everything died but maybe I was wrong.

I will set up the 10 gallon in the morning and add prime and Melafix get the betta in their with the divider already in place so he won't feel I'm taking from him later on this will be his biggest tank other than the 55 he was in for a day. He has been eating normally 3 pellets of bio-gold alternating with freeze dried bloodworms. Hope he can make a come back.

Just bought freeze dried jumbo shrimp for the african butterfly fish cause they were lacking anything else I thought he might eat. They are hard shelled but I know he eats anything that fits in his mouth.

Thats all folks----Goodnight

Lucy

Hi tricky, Everyone has given you great advice. It sounds like you are getting everything under control.
I can add one thing,
Don't use the Melafix in the betta tank, it can be deadly to them.

List of Betta Meds

Drea

Hope you see this asap....DONT USE THE MELAFIX for your betta it will kill him.

tricky_tink

Yea well that pretty much SUCKS! I stayed up late got the 10 gallon ready put the prime and MELEFIX in placed my poor Beta in the tank! Came right down and before logging off read this!!!!

I had already emptied the other tank so was pretty SOL. Ran to the basement found the little 3 cup hexagon thing I originally got with him put tap in it a drop of prime and rushed it to him! I've got him in there now but ARRRG they should really list this sort of stuff on the bottle!!!


He isn't going to make it is he? he is now in a 3 cup bowl no heat no filter and likely a LOT STRESSED. poor guy must think I'm some kind of FISH TORTURER!

I'm having a bad night. I ALREADY DOUBLE DOSED the 55 gallon with the melefix and noticed 2 hours after the fact while setting up the 10 gallon and did a rush 50% water change on them..

I'M THINKING I SUCK AT THIS WHOLE FISH THING!!! MAYBE I SHOULD GET ONE OF THOSE AQUARIUMS YOU PLUG INTO THE WALL WITH MECHANICAL FISH!!

seedy

Take a deep breath...
remember you saved them from certain death.

COBettaCouple

Don't be too hard on yourself. A LOT of Betta owners have used Melafix, not knowing that it's harmful to air-labyrinth fish. (So is Pimafix and even Bettafix). So you're not alone there - even our most knowledgeable Betta owners here have run into the Melafix problem.

By getting him out so quickly, I'm sure the melafix didn't do him any harm. You can empty the 10g, refill it and acclimate your Betta back into it. You can get him into warm, filtered, clean water.. Maybe a few thawed frozen bloodworms and some time talking to him will make both of you feel better about the whole thing. I find it relaxing to sit & talk to them. They really do like it and they don't mind what you talk about so it's a great way to unwind.

Don't worry - you're learning. We all make mistakes - we almost killed every fish we had with algae-remover in the first few weeks - but you're learning.

Blub

tricky_tink

Wow thank you. All that made me feel much better. My hubby is really the one who got me down on myself he told "just stop messing with them and maybe they'll live" I guess he's fed up with the water tests/changes and store visits. I don't think he gets that they can feel pain and would likely die without attentive care while the tank cycles. I guess I haven't done that bad I lost 3 fancy guppies to the gouramis but nothing due to water quality.

Good news!
Nemo (Bettas name--Don't ask I let a 3 year old name him) is still alive this morning!
I'm going to empty and refill today the 10 gallon and get him back in there.

COBettaCouple

Yea.. sometimes our family and/or friends don't get how we feel about our fish. Just look forward to when the hard work pays off and you have happy fish in peaceful tanks and only routine maintenance to do.

Nemo - lol.. I love it!

Blub

darkwolf29a

Don't let ANYONE get on you about not knowing everything about fish before having a fish tank. Honestly, how else do you learn these things? We have all been through a rough time with our tanks. The key is...learn from it. Take the information with you as you go down the journey of being an aquarist. Honestly, I have yet to find one aspect of this hobby that isn't learning intensive, and fun once you begin to realize... "Hey!!! I do know what I'm doing." You'll get there, and you've come to right place too. Lot of good people here, with lots of good information, and always willing to help.

Ntruder1400

WOW, and I thought I was going nuts just trying to get my one 10g set up and cycled. Good luck with your MTS and getting everybody healthy and living with compatible tank mates. There are so many knowledgeable folks here that are a great help.

angelfish220

hey, dont worry about it! a couple of years ago, when I was starting, my mom said fish were a waste of time and money. Yet only a few weeks ago she spent about 30$ on fish and put them in the tank and everything! now she is really into it! wait a little, it might just grow on your hubby.

≈ D ≈

tricky_tink

Up date:
Everyone is doing good. My tests tell me the tank has cycled, likely due to me keeping the gravel, 20 gallons and the foam filter un-rinsed from the original set-up! nitrite 0, nitrate 5-6, ammonia 0, ph 7.2-7.4.


Nemo is still ok from the melefix issue however he has tank mate now!
My last fancy guppy HAD to be put in with him.
nipped last night by my carnivor (elephant nose and african butterfly) I grabbed a decoration and some of the larger rocks from the 55 to help the 10 gallon cycle. Has been up only a few days but I did not change the filter or rinse substrate. I figured the tiny amount of melefix left wouldn't kill him after all the reading I've done on that. I guess the butterfly just likes fancy guppy tails at least I think it must be him the elephant nose maybe! I just don't get why they dont eat the feeder guppies? maybe now that the slow fish are out they will have no choice.


My next project is to put pool filter sand in both tanks. I'm going to do this on my next water change reason being is all the reading I've been doing have told me the elephant nose and the cories would appreciate a sandy bottom. Mostly the elephant nose cause he may have gotten the pink sore from digging up gravel looking for the bloodworms that fell in the cracks. I will mix the gravel with the sand to avoid capping it cause I've been told that is bad. Pool store has it for $8/50lb. My plan is to rise well. Empty the tank into 5 gallon buckets. I only have 4 but will also use my 3 largest stew pots that should give me at least another 9 gallons. So it wont be a total water loss, less than my 33% water changes. Place fish in seperate buckets! I will remove all the decor. Only plan on putting Elephant noses tunnel and one cave for the cories back in and floating ivy plant for Butterfly. Add and mix the sand with some of the gravel, I plan to remove some gravel that is sharp or larger then 5mm. It will be a pain but I think the end product will make them happy.

I am going to make the 55 gallon a meat eater tank, stocked with small feeder fish for them. I must say watching them hunt is pretty nifty. Since they both eat a lot of the same things the poor feeders won't be able to go up or down

in the end I will have a fully stocked 10 gallon with ]1 betta=2",1 fancy=1" likely more guppies and a loach!

55 gallon will have
1 elephant nose=up to 9"
1 butterfly=4" max adult size and his current size
4 feeder guppies=5"
2 cories=6"
and a few more just havent done all the research yet! likely larger fast moving peaceful fish!

angelfish220

The cories will school So I would get at least 6 so you can watch their social behaviors and it would give the other 2 cories buddies!

Blub