patrick99e99

Hi,

I have a beautiful betta fish, named Mr. Tickles. He is currently in a 1 gallon bowl, and he is a very happy fish. If you don't believe me, check out this exciting video of him having a delicious fruit fly dinner:
http://collinatorstudios.com/video/fruit_fly2.mov

Anyway, I was reading online about Bettas, and I saw something posted that they are meant to live 7 years, but if they are in spaces less than 2 gallons they usually die within 2 years. Mr. Tickles means a great deal to me, and so I want him to live forever--- So this has made me question if I need to get an aquarium for him. So I wanted to ask everyone's opinion, if he would be better off in a larger space?

If it is true that I should get him a larger space, I was looking at this small aquarium (5 gallon) and I was wondering what everyone's opinion on it was:
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h102mini5gal.htm

Then, related to topic of aquariums-- Currently, when I change the water in Mr. Tickles' bowl, I do a 100% water change... I like this because it gives me the opportunity to really clean everything. But I read that when you have an aquarium, you only do a 20% water change... I understand that when you have certain types of fish, they become dependent on the bacteria in the water, and when you change all the water, they can't cope with the lack of bacteria and they die.. But, I read that Bettas are different in this regard (especially since I have changed his water 100% many times over the 5-6 months I have had him). So, my question is, do I want to do a 20% water change if it's just him in the aquarium ?

-patrick

agabr123

that 5 gallon would be a great home for him. bettas really need to be in a cycled tank with a heater, they are tropical fish and will live longer, healthier lives if kept at 78F.

the problem with a bowl is that it cannot ever cycle, the ammonia will continue to build up until it gets to toxic levels which will eventually give him ammonia poisoning.

if you get him into a filtered tank, you'll need to do daily 50% water changes with prime to get you through the cycle and prevent him from being exposed to more ammonia and nitrite, but the end result will be that he will live much longer

the bacteria in the water is really very minimal, the good bacteria that you need is in the substrate and on the filter media in a cycled tank, which is necessary to keep him healthy.

once you're done with the cycle, you can stop doing the daily changes and cut back to the 20% water changes weekly.

here is some more really valuable information about bettas and keeping them
Welcome and Betta Care Guide - Please Read First!!!

bryan87

you can get a complete setup from walmart for like 40 bucks. tank, hood with lights, filter. all you would need to buy then extra would be gravel, air pump, and decor.

patrick99e99

can you explain that to me? How do ammonia levels build up if everything in the bowl is taken out and cleaned well?

.. Also, if I were to get that 5 gallon tank, it doesn't seem to come with a heater, what would you recommend for a heater?

thanks.

-patrick

Lucy

By doing 100% changes, you do avoid the ammonia build up

A good heater is the visi-therm stealth. I use 50W in my 5g's.
They're pricey but reliable, fully submersible, unbreakable and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

I'm really glad you're considering a proper tank for your Betta. When I saw your vid I was a bit concerned about his coloring. He'll color up nicely in a warm roomy home.

Edit: Petmountain.com has great prics for the visi-therm. Even with shipping they're less expensive than the big box chains. (Thanks Alex for that tip. )

CHoffman

Glad to see your going to be getting your guy a nice big home. He'll thank you for it and you'll be surprised at how it changes him....You've gotten some great advice from Lucy and Alex. The bowl, can't cycle because a lack of a filter. Here is a link about the nitrogen cycle. http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm...THis ought to help you understand what's going on in the bowl between water changes and what will happen once you get him in the bigger tank with a heater and filter.

agabr123

basically since there is no filter, the proper bacteria can't develop in order to convert ammonia into nitrite and then again into nitrate, so the ammonia just builds up. you remove it when you clean it, but unfortunately then it just starts all over again. even a small amount of ammonia is toxic to fish, which is why a filter is so important.

the hydor theo heater is a pretty good one, its what i have in most of my tanks

patrick99e99

Ok... Now I am totally confused, and have multiple directions I can go.

So, I went to the store, and was totally not into that mini-bow aquarium that I thought was what I wanted for my betta.. Instead, I got the Aqua Culture Home Aquarium Starter Kit 5, which has a filter system... So, I read that info on cycling and was curious about using another tank's filter to get the good bacteria in the water... I stopped off at Petco and talked to someone that worked there who said that she keeps a ton of Betta fish at home, and I told her about my plan to put Mr. Tickles in the tank kit I bought. She told me that it would be bad to put him in there because of the current from the filter system... She explained that Bettas want to build bubble nests, and the currents will disrupt that and it will be upsetting to the fish. I told her about all the information I had been learning from this site, and she recommended that I just get a plain 5 gallon aquarium tank with no filter, and put a heater in it and do 100% water changes. She said also since there's 5 gallons, I would need to change the water less frequently-- and I brought up "what about the beneficial bacteria?" .. and she said that it doesn't really matter for Bettas because they breathe surface air... I asked "what about ammonia levels"-- and she said it's really not going to be a problem if I just do 100% water changes once a month or so..........

So... I bought a 5 gallon tank from there with nothing else (though I plan getting a visi-therm stealth heater)... Anyway, so I have two tanks. two possibilities.. I can return either of these.. So I wanted to see what people say here regarding this before I do anything. I don't know how strong the current is in the Aqua Culture kit---

But, I was also thinking, since I have this Molly fish in a bowl, I could use the Aqua Culture kit with the filter and make that my Molly tank, and then have Mr. Tickles in this regular 5gal aquarium and do what she said, and just do 100% water changes.....

Advice please... ?


-patrick

Shawnie

well IMO, I wouldnt get advice from her again !! LOL

although bettas in pet stores dont have filters, could you imagine never flushing your toilet? which is what a filterless tank would be like...go with the 5 gal with the filter and if the current is too much, just put some sponge over it

haedra

Well about the only thing accurate I could find in what she said, was that some bettas truly are more bothered by the current than others. But you can get around that.

Some filters have an adjustable flow, and you can also do things to minimize it further; even as simple as decoration placement.

I actually do have a minibow 2.5 gallon, and it has the same such filter; so I have it adjusted rather low, and there's plenty of space in there where my betta can rest without being disturbed by a current.

Lucy

Agreeing with above posters.
IMO 100% water changes can be very stressful.
Whisper filters are adjustable so you can decrease the flow if it's too much for your betta.
I have my Betta in a 10g she she loves to surf in the flow.

Shawnie

cascade has adjustable flows also..I just got one for a new tank LOL *looks up and whistles!! *

patrick99e99

ok, so should I return this 5 gallon tank, or is there a particular filter top that I can buy that will fit on the top of this tank?

-patrick

agabr123

i would keep the five. it came with a filter, correct? just use the filter it came with, if the current is too strong you can always tie or rubberband a piece of filter media to the output (i cut a biobag in half, i have a lot of extras from my whisper filters) and that should slow the flow down some.

patrick99e99

Well I have the aqua culture 5 gallon kit, but then this woman talked me into buying their plain 5 gallon kit without a filter... So, I was thinking I could use the aqua culture kit for my molly, and then put the betta in the other 5 gal.. but now after reading everyone's info, I am not sure what to do.. If it's recommended, I could get a filter with an adjustable current for this 5 gal (but don't know which to get, and how to know if it will work with this tank)-- or I could put the betta in the aqua culture kit, and put my molly up for adoption which I was originally planning to do, since I am not sure I really want to have two aquariums at this early stage of my fish keeping life.

-p

agabr123

ah okay i understand, yeah i'd just go ahead and buy a filter. Whisper makes a filter for a 5 gallon that is adjustable to a high or low flow rate which works fairly well and is relatively inexpensive. i've had a couple die on me but the company is pretty good about replacing them if that happens.

patrick99e99

ok.. so... shopping list:

Tetra Whisper In-tank Filter 10i
visi-therm stealth 25w heater

.. and then the topic of water comes up again.. So this woman was wrong about the whole beneficial bacteria thing? I do need to nitrogen cycle?

If so, I have read there are products that put beneficial bacteria in the water, and get rid of nitrates and nitrites, without having to do lots of water changes over long periods of time.. Is this not the way to go?

I mean, should I keep the betta in his bowl while I go through this cycling process and then add him in it whenever it's done?

Are there water testing kits that I should add to my shopping list? Stuff to reveal the pH and the levels of everything in the water?

And lastly, since I am going to have a filter and will be doing % water changes from then on, what should I buy as far as cleaning tools to clean the inside of the aquarium? vacuum of some sort? I am not using gravel currently, so most of the floor of his bowl consists of pieces of rock that vary around 1-2 inches in thickness... So if a vacuum is the way to go, I would need something that can handle picking up that size of stuff...

agabr123

yes, you do need to do the nitrogen cycle

as far as i know, the only product that works to add beneficial bacteria to the water is tetra safe start (NOT aqua safe). the products cycle and stress zyme do NOT work.

as far as the products that lower the nitrates, IMO you still need to do regular water changes in order to add minerals to the tank and all the other good things that come with fresh water. i wouldnt recommend going any longer than three weeks without a water change, and personally i'd do weekly or bi-weekly water changes regardless.

i would go ahead and add your betta to the 5 gallon, it will be better for him to have the heater and the filter. if you buy the TSS then that's even better, just follow the directions on the bottle. if not, do 50% daily water changes with prime which should get you through the cycle.

you should buy an API freshwater master test kit, that has everything that you need in terms of testing.

for cleaning, i'd buy an algae scrubber and gravel vacuum definitely.

patrick99e99

Ok cool.. I went shopping and got all the stuff, so Mr. Tickles should be moving into his new luxurious apartment soon.

So, I have been thinking-- what to do about the molly. That woman at petco was telling me that if I setup a tank for the molly, I should add two female mollies to go with the one male that I already have-- and that its important for them to be with their own kind. Is this accurate? and is it important to have 1 male and 2 females or does it not matter? Is 3 mollies a good number for a 5 gallon aquarium? Or can I do 3 molly fish and a few neon tetras or fancy tail guppies? I guess my real question is how many fish can happily coexist in 5 gal?


-p

agabr123

no i would only keep one mollie in a five gallon, and more than that and you're definitely overstocked. one mollie is about 3-3.5 inches for a 5 which is getting close to full, and another would put you over. they do prefer to be with others of their own kind, but unfortunately you don't have room in that tank.

patrick99e99

Well so far so good....

http://collinatorstudios.com/mr_tickles

I have not been able to find any place locally that has tetra safe start.. So I guess I just will be monitoring the levels of everything and doing those frequent 50% water changes.

haedra

I'm not sure where Tetra is selling its Safe Start, but it's nowhere I live either.

I ended up ordering it online; if you are still interested in the product, you might have to order it.

patrick99e99

Ok so I was just reading over the nitrogen cycle information page, and it said over and over that doing this cycle with fish in the tank is bad, it's stressful, and they can die! I don't want to lose Mr. Tickles!!!

So, I feel like we've been over this already in this thread, but... I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing for him. He's in this 5 gal tank with pure reversed osmosis water, no chlorine, fluoride or anything else... It's got a ph of around 6.8.

Daily 50% water changes... for sure, this is the way to go?

Should i put an extra amount of live plants in the aquarium to help with the nitrates? Right now there are two plants in there.. One is rather small though.

He seems happy though.. In his bowl, he always was very stationary.. but in this tank, he loves to do laps back and forth between the east to west sides.

-p