1st time betta Fish owner

HI again guys, I got her a bigger tank, a filter, and proper medication based on what the people at the aquarium place told me. Everyone send some good vibes my way that my sweet little Egg can pull through this. Thank you for all your help.
 

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HI again guys, I got her a bigger tank, a filter, and proper medication based on what the people at the aquarium place told me. Everyone send some good vibes my way that my sweet little Egg can pull through this. Thank you for all your help.
That's good to hear! Make sure you transfer your gravel, decorations, etc, into the new tank until your filter has had time to establish itself. Don't clean them thoroughly, a light rinse in old tank water will do. What medications are you treating her with at the moment?
 

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I clean her tank once a week and put in the appropriate amount of conditioner and aquarium salt.
I have to ask what this means exactly. Are you removing salt (full water change) or just adding (which compounds over time) it in which increases the salt levels in tank?


I only use salt to clean, meaning I rinse it out completely if I use it in tank (100% water change) which means restarting the tank cycle all over again. But only in cases where tank looked bad & wasn't thriving ( I have 14 betta tanks currently) .

Otherwise I just use salt on decor OUTSIDE of the tank & thoroughly rinse it before putting it back in tank during a water change.

If you aren't removing the salt, then the salt levels may be to high.

I may be off base here, but adding salt should be rare to a tank like illness not maintenance.

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/too-much-aquarium-salt-for-bettas.369033/
 
salt isn't like most medications that can be removed with a carbon filter. it stays in the tank until you change the water. aquarium salt or Epsom salt can be helpful to fish when they're ill (and they have different uses depending on the illness), but I would only add salt to a quarantine tank when they're ill - never to the main tank, due to its difficulty to regulate and remove.
 
Hello new to the fish game and this forum. Got a 10 gal tank with a male whitefin beta. Looking for some advice on lights for the tank/plants
 

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welcome to the fourm feel free to ask any question you may have. It says you're not familiar with the Nitrogen Cycle. The Nitrogen cycle is very crucial for all aquariums/fish to help establish Beneficial Bacteria in the filter & tank to ensure fish waste is being removed.

Many plants are low lighting plants. Some i have experienced is water sprite and especially Anbias plants. I have many plants but I find that my betta loves to swim through floating ludwigia repens, amazon swords, & water sprite! I do reccomend Anubis plants as some types have big leaves that bettas love to lay on as they would the betta hammock! Every betta has a different personality but plants do provide oxygen to the water and intake fish waste. I also always recommend Indian Almond Leaves & Roobios Tea to release Tannin & help with bettas slime coats, and provide anti-bacterial properties .
 
Welcome! Lots of plants don't need much lighting at all.

Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle?
No I'm not but heard about it. I just got it originally for my daughter but now it's become my hobby

welcome to the fourm feel free to ask any question you may have. It says you're not familiar with the Nitrogen Cycle. The Nitrogen cycle is very crucial for all aquariums/fish to help establish Beneficial Bacteria in the filter & tank to ensure fish waste is being removed.

Many plants are low lighting plants. Some i have experienced is water sprite and especially Anbias plants. I have many plants but I find that my betta loves to swim through floating ludwigia repens, amazon swords, & water sprite! I do reccomend Anubis plants as some types have big leaves that bettas love to lay on as they would the betta hammock! Every betta has a different personality but plants do provide oxygen to the water and intake fish waste. I also always recommend Indian Almond Leaves & Roobios Tea to release Tannin & help with bettas slime coats, and provide anti-bacterial properties .
Yea I thought I needed some type of supplement for live plants but the LFS said try them out naturally then if they start dying get supplements. My betta seems to like his log and checked out the sword a little bit but he always hangs by the filter and sleeps behind the heater. I do have the tank at 78 tho. Just need a lil inexpensive light tonjeeps the plants and betta boy happy

Also the LFS said that I shouldn't feed him live brine shrimp or bloodworms but the bug bite flake brand. Is this true?
 
Flake food dont provide much nutrients for bettas plus its easy to overfeed and cause extra waste from flake food. I would switch to a pellet food & some frozen or live food. Bloodworms and live food are great for bettas as treats only, not everyday food. They are just high in fat so its not reccomend as an everyday diet or it will lead to constipation in the betta. Live food, frozen food, and bloodworms do benefit bettas attitudes , fins and color though so its reccomend to feed them fatty foods once a week. Other than that, basic pellets are good for everyday diet. Make sure you pre soak the pellets because they expand in water, soaking prevent them from expanding in bettas stomach and causing Swim Bladder Disease and Constipation.

No I'm not but heard about it. I just got it originally for my daughter but now it's become my hobby


Yea I thought I needed some type of supplement for live plants but the LFS said try them out naturally then if they start dying get supplements. My betta seems to like his log and checked out the sword a little bit but he always hangs by the filter and sleeps behind the heater. I do have the tank at 78 tho. Just need a lil inexpensive light tonjeeps the plants and betta boy happy

It depends on the type of plants you have, some do fine without high tech lighting or ferts and some plants do need both. I know my Amazon Sword grows very fast and bushy with root tabs liquid ferts , and CO2. Mostly all plants will do better if you provide ferts, CO2 or tabs. Especially if you use gravel, then i highly reccomend some type of root tabs for root feeders and liquids ferts for column feeders
 
It depends on the type of plants you have, some do fine without high tech lighting or ferts and some plants do need both. I know my Amazon Sword grows very fast and bushy with root tabs liquid ferts , and CO2. Mostly all plants will do better if you provide ferts, CO2 or tabs. Especially if you use gravel, then i highly reccomend some type of root tabs for root feeders and liquids ferts for column feeders
I have java moss and amazon sword. Just bought the today. I also acclimated and transferred my betta same day I bought him so I guess I'm late on the nitro cycle. Any suggestions on a good pellet/ treat food. The LFS said I should try the plants naturally before adding anything to them but he was new i think. I have natural substrate rocks now if you can see them in my picture
How do I get this nitro cycle started without spending too much. I've already spent about 200 on what I have now. And i still need light and now this nitro cycle

Also turned my filter off the night. It was throwing the java moss roots around even though I tied most to his artificial log

Welcome! Lots of plants don't need much lighting at all.

Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle?
No please enlighten me
 
I suggest any "San Francisco Bay Brand" frozen food. I use frozen brine shrimp and my betta goes crazy! I feed him frozen food once a week. I found mine from Petco but Petsmart sells some as well. For pellet food, i use "Tetra Bettamin small pellets" and "Omega One Betta Treat Bloodworms" so a good variety throughout the week.
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The Nitrogen cycle is the very important process of building up Beneficial Bacteria that eats away the toxic ammonia waste your fish produce everyday. If your tank is not cycled, then ammonia , nitrite, and nitrate will buildup very quickly and kill all living fish/inverts in the tank. At this point you will have to do a Fish-In cycle , which I have no expericne with, only fishless cycling. I do know with fish-in cycling, youll have to do very frequent water changes every day or other day to keep you parameters stable for fish. Your betta will also be providing the ammonia waste to feed the BB that will then convert to nitrite then to nitrate. Do you know your water parameters? If not , buy the API freshwater testing kit to monitor your parameters weekly, test strips are a waste of money & dont test for ammonia. A fully cycled tank will show 0ppm Ammonia , 0ppm Nitrite and at least 10ppm Nitrate . You can read more about the Nitrogen cycle and the importance of it here ---> Nitrogen Cycle

It may be helpful to make another thread on "fish-in cycling" or use the search bar to look at previous threads about the topic.
 

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I suggest any "San Francisco Bay Brand" frozen food. I use frozen brine shrimp and my betta goes crazy! I feed him frozen food once a week. I found mine from Petco but Petsmart sells some as well. For pellet food, i use "Tetra Bettamin small pellets" and "Omega One Betta Treat Bloodworms" so a good variety throughout the week.

The Nitrogen cycle is the very important process of building up Beneficial Bacteria that eats away the toxic ammonia waste your fish produce everyday. If your tank is not cycled, then ammonia , nitrite, and nitrate will buildup very quickly and kill all living fish/inverts in the tank. At this point you will have to do a Fish-In cycle , which I have no expericne with, only fishless cycling. I do know with fish-in cycling, youll have to do very frequent water changes every day or other day to keep you parameters stable for fish. Your betta will also be providing the ammonia waste to feed the BB that will then convert to nitrite then to nitrate. Do you know your water parameters? If not , buy the API freshwater testing kit to monitor your parameters weekly, test strips are a waste of money & dont test for ammonia. A fully cycled tank will show 0ppm Ammonia , 0ppm Nitrite and at least 10ppm Nitrate . You can read more about the Nitrogen cycle and the importance of it here ---> Nitrogen Cycle

It may be helpful to make another thread on "fish-in cycling" or use the search bar to look at previous threads about the topic.
The LFS ingot it from said there water was alkaline it was cleanof everything so it didn't need any additives. They never mentioned the cycle tho. I have a filter. Does that not suffice. Also I keep reading of vaccuming rocks during water changes?m and how much do indeed my betta of the frozen bloodworms. Doni defrost them first or just toss them in?
 
never listen to pet store employees as they know nothing and just need a job half the time. Youre supposed to always cycle a tank a month or 2 before adding fish , if not , waste will build up and eat away at your betta or any fish. This is call "fin rot" and its very commom in bettas and caused from poor water quality. Do you know your water parameters? You need to know them so you know your water isn't toxic & going to kill your fish in a week
( very common in beginners)

During water changes, you should vacuum your substrate often, you dont have to everytime but bacteria from dead leaves, poop, and food waste does build up pretty fast so its good to vacuum the substrate or excess waste will cause an ammonia spike

Feed your bettas bloodworms once or twice a week, and no more than 3-4 worms. Make sure you pre soak any bloodworms or pellets. Frozen food doesnt need to be thawed or soaked, if soaked it will just fall apart and all the extra nutrients will dissolve away. you can just toss in very tiny pieces of frozen bits in, i use tweezers to pinch a piece and drop it in
 
never listen to pet store employees as they know nothing and just need a job half the time. you're supposed to always cycle a tank a month or 2 before adding fish , if not , waste will build up and eat away at your betta or any fish. This is call "fin rot" and its very commom in bettas and caused from poor water quality. Do you know your water parameters? You need to know them so you know your water isn't toxic & going to kill your fish in a week
( very common in beginners)

During water changes, you should vacuum your substrate often, you dont have to everytime but bacteria from dead leaves, poop, and food waste does build up pretty fast so its good to vacuum the substrate or excess waste will cause an ammonia spike

Feed your bettas bloodworms once or twice a week, and no more than 3-4 worms. Make sure you pre soak any bloodworms or pellets. Frozen food doesnt need to be thawed or soaked, if soaked it will just fall apart and all the extra nutrients will dissolve away. you can just toss in very tiny pieces of frozen bits in, i use tweezers to pinch a piece and drop it in
I'll try to find out the parameters but I went to a pretty reliable spot and they said they're water is ok to add a betta in right away..I asked if I needed any additives or anything and they said no. They get rid of all the harmful things and then said that's why they charge for it because it's prepared for any freshwater application and no need to wait a couple weeks. They also said the betta will be able to live and build the healthy bacteria my tank needs to add different fish later and switch my betta tona different tank. But I'm gonna check the parameters and get that kit tomorow. Because I agree some people seemed like they knew nothing. Also they said duckweed is illegal to buy where I live.
 
yes its best to always know your water parameters, just about everyone on the forum use the API freshwater test kit as it test for all Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and ph. it also helps to know the parameters of your source water as well. The only additives youll need are a water conditioner for every WC and any medication or fertilizers when needed. If your tank was already cycled, then you wouldnt need any extra bacteria, or Ammonia/Nitrite detoxifiers. Since you didnt pre cycle your tank, it would be best to start using Prime water conditioner since youll have to do daily water changes. not sure about the duckweed being illegal but i know some fish/plants are illegal to buy for some reason in different states. you could always google to double check
 
yes its best to always know your water parameters, just about everyone on the forum use the API freshwater test kit as it test for all Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and ph. it also helps to know the parameters of your source water as well. The only additives youll need are a water conditioner for every WC and any medication or fertilizers when needed. If your tank was already cycled, then you wouldnt need any extra bacteria, or Ammonia/Nitrite detoxifiers. Since you didnt pre cycle your tank, it would be best to start using Prime water conditioner since youll have to do daily water changes. not sure about the duckweed being illegal but i know some fish/plants are illegal to buy for some reason in different states. you could always google to double check
You got me all stressed about the nitro cycle lol. Found a filter barrier video looks pretty simple to apply To my set up. What kinda filter do you use. I also have my heater placed right next to the intake of the filter
 
the nitrogen cycle is very important id say! i didnt know about it at all myself about 4 years ago ,but the more you read into it , the easier it is to understand and once your tank is fully cycled then youll have nothing else to worry about! The Nitrogen cycle is basically the process of growing tiny, tiny healthy bacteria that will eat away toxic waste any fish produce. Without any BB , the waste just sits in the tank and builds up becoming highly toxic to any living fish or invert. Brand new filters come clean and perfectly white, we dont want that, that shows there's no bacteria on it. Filters need to be brown and dirty, the dirt is the healthy Beneficial Bacteria. That why we cycle tanks for a good month beforehand, just tossing in a new filter with a fish won't help, there won't be any living bacterial present on the media to eat the fish waste before the water flows back in. Bettas are hardy though so you should be fine with doing a Fish-in cycle. I suggest making another thread yourself to get help from other who have done a fish-in cycle. Both fishless and fish-in involve different steps and i did fishless myself.
 
Hello! Welcome to the forum and especially to the world of bettas! I am biased but bettas are the best!! The nitrogen cycle doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. That said, I agree that you’ll need the API master liquid test kit. If you look on this great forum and search “nitrogen cycle” you can learn a lot!

It’s really good that you have your betta in a 10-gallon tank - a great start! A larger tank with the one fish should help ease the stress the nitrogen cycle will inevitably cause your fish. But he can survive it, and so can you!

Basically at this point I’d suggest daily small (20%, or 25% max) water changes until you get your API kit. If you can get ahold of some bottled beneficial bacteria (Tetra Safe Start and Nite Out are both great), add some after every water change to help build up your beneficial bacteria. It’s a waiting game and a testing game. Test your water daily and do water changes accordingly. Add at least a little bit of beneficial bacteria daily until your tank has cycled - a little too much won’t hurt as much as too little.

Try to stress your betta as little as possible til the tank cycles - I’d even recommend waiting on the lights until you’re all cycled.

Congrats on joining the fish world? What’s betta’s name?

Cheers,
Stacia
 
He's a big red whiteveil male. I was thinking of Paul bunion, flash or my daughter calls him "fishy" and I bought him for her
 
Floating plants. You can pick up an amazon sword and let it float... they'll thank you!
 

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I just got a 10 gallon tank with a veiltail male beta. Got a HOB filter and also a preset heater. Picked up some java moss and Amazon's sword yesterday with an artificial log. Got some aqueon bacteria balls for the stripped water ingot from my LFS store. Bought some frozen brine shrimp and have been feeding him big bite flakes......don't have a light yet. except the natural light from the nearby window

Looking for any tips
 

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I just got a 10 gallon tank with a veiltail male betta. Got a HOB filter and also a preset heater. Picked up some java moss and Amazon's sword yesterday with an artificial log. Got some aqueon bacteria balls for the stripped water ingot from my LFS store. Bought some frozen brine shrimp and have been feeding him big bite flakes......don't have a light yet. except the natural light from the nearby window

Looking for any tips
Great 10Gallon tank I'm sure he'll love it!

Here's a tip: Is your tank cycled? If I remember correctly, it's not.

This is crucial or your betta will end up dying from ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Don't stress though. Seeing as your fish is already in your tank, you'll be doing a fish-in cycle, which just means this:

1. You need to get yourself a test kit. API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a great choice, though a little pricey. Test your water everyday and aim to keep your ammonia and nitrite as close to 0 as you can as these will kill your fish. Your nitrates, once your tank is cycled, should be around 5-10ppm.
2. You need to be doing large water changes (50-75%) daily as this is the only way you'll keep you ammonia and nitrites at 0. It may be a lot of work, but your betta will thank you. Picking up some Prime (plus it doubles as a water conditioner!) will help, as it detoxifies (doesn't get rid of, but makes ammonia harmless for a certain amount of time) ammonia and nitrites and will reduce the amount of stress on the little guy.

Cycling your tank basically means building up nitrifying bacteria in your tank/filter that will 'eat' harmful things like ammonia and nitrite. This is important for your fish's health!

Once you've cycled your tank, you could even get him a couple of small, non nipping tank mates... (though this does all depend on his personality, it's hit and miss) I like Nerite snails, as they're cool and come in lots of different colours and patterns Another suggestion, not a must but my betta loves his hammock. These are pretty cheap of Amazon so this is just a suggestion

Good luck with your tank. Bettas, if taken care of properly, make an amazing companion.
 
I got these bacteria balls from aqueon for the cycle process. And I was thinking of a hammock or something for him to rest. Seems like he likes to sleep behind the HOB filter
 
I got these bacteria balls from aqueon for the cycle process. And I was thinking of a hammock or something for him to rest. Seems like he likes to sleep behind the HOB filter
Supplements are always hit and miss. You need to put in the effort to cycle your tank, as there is no proof that supplements do any good. Here's a good video:

Hammocks are awesome little resting places, especially for fish with labyrinth organs.
 
Supplements are always hit and miss. You need to put in the effort to cycle your tank, as there is no proof that supplements do any good. Here's a good video:

Hammocks are awesome little resting places, especially for fish with labyrinth organs.
Also found out the water I bought from the LFS was stripped everything so they suggested the living bacteria to add but said betta should be tough it out. I'm gonna bring Inna sample of my water prob today or tomorrow
 
Also found out the water I bought from the LFS was stripped everything so they suggested the living bacteria to add but said betta should be tough it out. I'm gonna bring Inna sample of my water prob today or tomorrow
As suggested earlier it's going to be way easier to test yourself with a good test kit like the API freshwater master liquid kit. Let's not forget the state of the world right now you'll want to be able to test your water yourself in case your LFS has to close temporarily. The idea of him just toughing it out isn't a great option and also not very nice. How would you feel if you were swimming around in your own feces and the toxic buildup got more and more each day? Daily 50% water changes will be able to keep your fish happy and speed up the cycle process (if you have too much ammonia in the water 1. it can kill your betta and 2. it's overwhelming for the bacteria and slows the cycle). And really with your own test kit you might not even have to do 50% daily, just test daily and do a 50% water change when your ammonia and nitrite hit .5ppm. I wouldn't rely on the living bacteria stuff either. I've used some but have no clue if it made any difference really tank took the same amount of time to cycle as normal.

The advice you got from SeaMonkey06 is very good. You follow that and your betta is going to be very happy.
 
So just swap it out with to water over and over. The tap water in Arizona is pretty hard

I also got a java moss and sword plant. lFS guy said to try to have them grow by themselves without adding any additives.
 
So just swap it out with to water over and over. The tap water in Arizona is pretty hard
More or less yes. Remove 50% of the water and then refill the rest of the tank with fresh tap water. And add your water conditioner so you don't kill your fish from chlorine. Prime is great and also helps detoxify ammonia for a short period of time as well. This doesn't replace water changes but helps in the fish in cycle to keep your betta happy.
Don't worry about hardness. You only really need to worry about that with sensitive fish and wild caught. Bettas have been tank bred so much they can go in just about any water hardness that's coming out of your tap. I have off the charts hard water and my betta and other fish are just fine.
 
So just swap it out with to water over and over. The tap water in Arizona is pretty hard
Yes. To reduce stress on your betta temperature match it to the water in the aquarium and, of course, use water conditioner. As Rev said, Betta's can tolerate a large range of water parameters, my source water has a pretty high pH but I'd rather a stable pH than one that fluctuates. My bettas have all been fine.

I don't like the sound of letting your betta 'tough it out'. Ammonia is deadly, and can cause gill burns and burns on the body of your betta. Nitrite, long story short, will suffocate your fish. If you can't get your hands on a test kit, please just do 50% water changes (at least) daily as your betta will thank you for it.

As for your plants: Don't worry about them at the moment. You will need a moderately strong light for your Sword (Amazon?) and ferts will be helpful to promote fast and healthy growth. Java Moss is almost impossible to kill, just tie it around some driftwood and you've got yourself a nice carpeting type plant. A good thing to do would be to research about the plants you get (preferably before getting them) so that you can care for them properly. Here's a good information sheet: amazon sword

How's your little guy doing?
 
He's seems happy and active always swims up when I walk by the or come up to the tank. Gave him a little frozen brine shrimp. He liked it. Thinking if I should give him a little more
 

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He's seems happy and active always swims up when I walk by the or come up to the tank. Gave him a little frozen brine shrimp. He liked it. Thinking if I should give him a little more
Don't over feed him. Their stomachs are roughly the size of their eyes, so one brine shrimp per feeding works for me.

Have you done anything Re: Cycling? You won't be able to tell if there's toxic amounts of stuff in the water until it's too late. Like I said from my previous post:

Ammonia is deadly, and can cause gill burns and burns on the body of your betta. Nitrite, long story short, will suffocate your fish. If you can't get your hands on a test kit, please just do 50% water changes (at least) daily as your betta will thank you for it.
 
I got some water left in the 5 gallon from the LFS I was thi ki. If doin a little water change tonight but only have the sticky themometrr on side of tank furthest from HOB filter. This was suppose to be a nice little let for my 2 year old now I like the little guy. I haven't changed the water in 4 days. Was completely stripped of everythingt when I bought it from the LFS and added a couple bacteria balls
 
Since you are doing a fish in cycle- here is a great resource:
Emergency: Performing a Fish-in Cycle The RIGHT Way
Also, I know you were told bettas can “ tough out” an uncycled tank- but not all of them can- it depends on their pre- existing health status. It’s also really hard on your new friend and even if he is healthy, he may suffer condiderably and be more susceptible to disease if you don't take precautions. Water conditioner is key! Badically you want to grow beneficial bacteria ( these live on surfaces not in water) that break down ammonia in fish waste that can burn the skin and gills and even kill fish in high concentrations. You need two kinds of bacteria for this- one that breaks ammonia down to nitrites (a less toxic but still dangerous breakdown product) and another that breaks down nitrites to nitrates. Nitrates are only slightly toxic, but you do have to keep those from getting too high too. Since no bacteria “eats” nitrates, you have to reduce them with periodic water changes. The bottom line is that you want to keep your levels of ammonia and nitrite at zero when there are fish in the tank to keep them healthy, but you also need ammonia and nitrite to feed and develop your colony of beneficial bacteria. This is where water conditioners come in. Some, like Seachem prime, can bind ammonia and nitrite for 24 to 48 hours, making it safe for fish but also keeping it available to feed your good bacteria. The link I sent goes through howto do this step by step. Good luck!
 
And just to add on one last thing. Ammonia builds up VERY quickly in an uncycled tank. You can't always see how high ammonia levels are affecting your fish. The fact that you have RODI water from your LFS really doesn't mean anything here, and quite honestly waste of money. Your standard tap water shouldn't have any ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate in it. But if you get a test kit you can check that. I do know some members have had nitrates in well water. Do not skimp out on water changes in a fish in cycle. It may be less effort now but can easily be more effort in the future (cough cough dead fish or very sick fish). Once it is cycled you can water change once every week. You can also go back to your LFS and see if you can buy some seeded filter media if you really don't want to bother dealing with the whole cycle process, that will help speed things up substantially. But anyways with 4 days of no water changes you probably have quite high levels of ammonia at this moment. You need to do 50% daily water changes to get that down. Just because you can't see the effect it's having doesn't mean it's not happening.
 
qldmick do u agree with me that an air controlled valve would help
Don't over feed him. Their stomachs are roughly the size of their eyes, so one brine shrimp per feeding works for me.

Have you done anything Re: Cycling? You won't be able to tell if there's toxic amounts of stuff in the water until it's too late. Like I said from my previous post:

Ammonia is deadly, and can cause gill burns and burns on the body of your betta. Nitrite, long story short, will suffocate your fish. If you can't get your hands on a test kit, please just do 50% water changes (at least) daily as your betta will thank you for it.
definitely a myth. have you ever caught a fish? they are eating something several times the size of an eye ball and its only taking one bite. i hate misinformation.
 
And just to add on one last thing. Ammonia builds up VERY quickly in an uncycled tank. You can't always see how high ammonia levels are affecting your fish. The fact that you have RODI water from your LFS really doesn't mean anything here, and quite honestly waste of money. Your standard tap water shouldn't have any ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate in it. But if you get a test kit you can check that. I do know some members have had nitrates in well water. Do not skimp out on water changes in a fish in cycle. It may be less effort now but can easily be more effort in the future (cough cough dead fish or very sick fish). Once it is cycled you can water change once every week. You can also go back to your LFS and see if you can buy some seeded filter media if you really don't want to bother dealing with the whole cycle process, that will help speed things up substantially. But anyways with 4 days of no water changes you probably have quite high levels of ammonia at this moment. You need to do 50% daily water changes to get that down. Just because you can't see the effect it's having doesn't mean it's not happening.
Agree with Rev-don’t skimp on prime or a test kit. You can get the API freshwater master kit on Amazon fairly inexpensively and it will last at least a year. Even after you get through the cycling ( and you will ) you will need to continue to test regularly. I have four thriving tanks and test weekly. I believe that my success with fish and shrimp is due in large part to taking time to understand the nitrogen cycle, water parameters and testing my water frequently. Its not as much effort as it seems, and is very much worth it!
 
definitely a myth. have you ever caught a fish? they are eating something several times the size of an eye ball and its only taking one bite. i hate misinformation.
I said roughly, as it's a good rule of thumb to follow so as to not overfeed your fish, as many beginners do. And Betta Splendens, the 'type' of betta that this person owns is bred in captivity, it's not a wild caught fish. And plus, the fish that you catch are probably not the size of a tiny betta fish. There are so many differences between wild-caught and captive-bred fish that I'm just not going to get into, as it's an entirely different conversation. Bettas kept in the aquarium hobby have been known to guage themselves to death if given the chance and it can be real dangerous for them. I'm speaking from experience, bettas are real pigs.

I'm not saying it's a scientific fact, but it's a good thing to follow, as many people overfeed their fish which then results in a pretty uncomfortable death.

Anyway, this thread isn't about feeding fish, it's about Jaykay1stBetta and their fish.
 
definitely a myth. have you ever caught a fish? they are eating something several times the size of an eye ball and its only taking one bite. i hate misinformation.
I think there's some differences with that though. Different fish have different sized stomachs and can eat more or less than others. Also depending on what they eat and how much they eat. I fish a ton. The amount of fish I catch that are severely bloated is few and far between. Also have you ever filleted a fish? A lot of them have exponentially larger stomach to eye ratios than a betta. Plus they're travelling large distances in lakes, oceans or rivers. They eat once a day, might even miss a few days here and there they need the energy. The betta? 5-10g tank eating pellets and some frozen and maybe live food every now and then. Even in the wild they occupy a small amount of space and they're suited for that. They've evolved into very different fish. I think the betta would appreciate not being bloated 24/7. And you can overfeed them and kill them. Fish will tend to eat as much as they can because instinctually they have to. They don't know when their next meal will be. There's no reason to go feeding your betta until he's bloated every time.
 
definitely a myth. have you ever caught a fish? they are eating something several times the size of an eye ball and its only taking one bite. i hate misinformation.

Just because fish in the wild have an all they can eat buffet doesnt mean they should... i agree with SeaMonkey06 . Be cautious when feeding a Betta, especially with frozen or freeze dried bloodworms. Its very easy to overfeed a fish and cause constpiation. We , fish owners, are able to help control that for our fish unlike the ones in the wild. Its a fact that fish have no limit & short attention spans when it comes to food.
 
definitely a myth. have you ever caught a fish? they are eating something several times the size of an eye ball and its only taking one bite. i hate misinformation.
I agree with qldmick fish eat more than one bite they eat continuley when its feeding time
 

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I have had bettas that bloated with 3 hikari biogold pellets a day, and some that needed 8 a day. It depends on size, activity, metabolism, etc. I approach it like this- bettas are prone to bloat, so always feed cautiously, try to feed smaller meals twice daily instead of one big one, feed crustaceans for roughage as well as pellets, and consider fasting one day a week if they are healthy and at a normal weight. Most importantly, start with very small meals, and as you get to know your betta, cautiously adjust if needed, watching them carefully after you adjust your feedings.
 
You should have a heater for a betta set at 78 or 79 degrees Fahrenheit, and have a tank thermometer. When you change the water, try to match it by feel and verify with your aquarium thermometer- adding cooler or warmer water if the temperatures are more than 2 or 3 degrees off.
 
some people use an extra heater to heat up a bucket of water on the side before doing water changes or you can take a tank thermometer under the faucet and wait for it to raise to the same set temperature in your tank
 
Inonky have the sticky themometrr in the side of the tank I'll try to get another themometrr today or tomorrow to do a water change

I have had bettas that bloated with 3 hikari biogold pellets a day, and some that needed 8 a day. It depends on size, activity, metabolism, etc. I approach it like this- bettas are prone to bloat, so always feed cautiously, try to feed smaller meals twice daily instead of one big one, feed crustaceans for roughage as well as pellets, and consider fasting one day a week if they are healthy and at a normal weight. Most importantly, start with very small meals, and as you get to know your betta, cautiously adjust if needed, watching them carefully after you adjust your feedings.
I have the bug bite flakes and i give him a little pinch twice a day and a little frozen sanfransisco brine shrimp once or twice a week as a treat.

You should have a heater for a betta set at 78 or 79 degrees Fahrenheit, and have a tank thermometer. When you change the water, try to match it by feel and verify with your aquarium thermometer- adding cooler or warmer water if the temperatures are more than 2 or 3 degrees off.
U think it'd be safe to just do water changes without the prime/conditioner until I get some this weekend. I was thinking of doing a 25% change today

Great 10Gallon tank I'm sure he'll love it!

Here's a tip: Is your tank cycled? If I remember correctly, it's not.

This is crucial or your betta will end up dying from ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Don't stress though. Seeing as your fish is already in your tank, you'll be doing a fish-in cycle, which just means this:

1. You need to get yourself a test kit. API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a great choice, though a little pricey. Test your water everyday and aim to keep your ammonia and nitrite as close to 0 as you can as these will kill your fish. Your nitrates, once your tank is cycled, should be around 5-10ppm.
2. You need to be doing large water changes (50-75%) daily as this is the only way you'll keep you ammonia and nitrites at 0. It may be a lot of work, but your betta will thank you. Picking up some Prime (plus it doubles as a water conditioner!) will help, as it detoxifies (doesn't get rid of, but makes ammonia harmless for a certain amount of time) ammonia and nitrites and will reduce the amount of stress on the little guy.

Cycling your tank basically means building up nitrifying bacteria in your tank/filter that will 'eat' harmful things like ammonia and nitrite. This is important for your fish's health!

Once you've cycled your tank, you could even get him a couple of small, non nipping tank mates... (though this does all depend on his personality, it's hit and miss) I like Nerite snails, as they're cool and come in lots of different colours and patterns Another suggestion, not a must but my betta loves his hammock. These are pretty cheap of Amazon so this is just a suggestion

Good luck with your tank. Bettas, if taken care of properly, make an amazing companion.
[/QUOT do you think I'd be safe to do water changes without the prime until I get some this weekend. And also the kit
 
That sounds reasonable to me- I prefer pellets soaked in tank water ( soaking supposedly minimizes chances of bloat by preventing expansion in the stomach). The pellets let me know exactly how much they eat and mimimize mess, but if your fish prefers flakes go with that, just be extra vigilant about cleaning since flakes are messy! I pipet feed the soaked pellets to bettas, and there is a cool consequence of this- they get trained to associate the pipet with feeding and follow it around- even my endlers do this now! Fun for kids, too!

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U think it'd be safe to just do water changes without the prime/conditioner until I get some this weekend. I was thinking of doing a 25% change today

Any un-conditioned water will instantly kill a fish, especially since your tank isn't cycled. I would wait for the Prime
 
U think it'd be safe to just do water changes without the prime/conditioner until I get some this weekend. I was thinking of doing a 25% change today
Although not all conditioners bind ammonia and nitrites like prime, you MUST use some kind of conditioner if you do water changes with tap water- chlorine and chloramines kill fish and chloramines cannot be off- gassed by letting the water sit.
 

Random Great Topic!

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