Betta water changes and heater

[anchovious]

Hi y'all!
To start out - I have had my Betta (named Anchovy) for over a year now. I had him in a 10 gallon tank the entire time until recently. I just can’t lift 10 gallons by myself. And it’s hard on my down days when I know I need to clean the aquarium but I physically can’t, you know?
So the other day I had some time off and went and purchased a new smaller tank (also who thought to sell 5.5 gallons? Do you know how hard it was to find a lid for this thing?). Anyway, here comes my troubles.
1) I noticed my Betta has deteriorating fins which I am assuming is fin rot. I have purchased medicine for him but he hasn’t been eating the last couple days and it says I read that I shouldn’t feed him for like 5 days after putting the medicine in and I’m conflicted about it. I purchased some almond leaves online because I read that those could help with fin rot, but I’m just... so worried.
2) I know this will get me heat but I always do a 100% water change. Every time I have changed his tank that’s what I’ve done. I know, I know. The more I read about it the more I understand, but my OCD says clean everything. I will refrain from it in the future for the safety of my fish - but I had to preface my next troubles with that because all the advice I’ve seen online for what I’m going to say has been for older tanks and again, this one is literally a few days old.
I set it up normal, rinsed all the decorations from the old tank, added the rocks, added water, added the water conditioner. I bought a heater and an air rock because I hadn’t had a heater beforehand and bettas are tropical so I figured he would like that. I read that air stones would be less of a bother to the lil guy but it bubbles a whole lot. ANYWAY - I waited about 2 days before putting him in there (I didn’t just toss him in either, I acclimated the water he was in with the warmer water). The ph balance is a little high but I read bettas could live between 6.8-7.5 which my ph is at 7.5. I was told that my guy should be okay and that once adding the almond leaves and stuff in there the ph balance should go down.
3) So now I’m paranoid. I’ve been staring at him and his tank for hours now, going on Google and googling all the things I see. I noticed some white fuzz on the bottom of the fake floating log and I took it out and scrubbed it off. Some things tell me it’s harmless algae that will go away, others say it’s more sinister. I wish I could’ve taken a photo. But it’s just soft cottony looking fuzz on the bottom of the fake log.
4) So I’ve had this problem before when I didn’t clean the tank for a hot minute. There’s these little black specks that seem to come out of nowhere. I had hundreds of them the last I saw and I immediately cleaned the tank 100% (sorry) and scrubbed all the decorations. It has not been a problem since. Well in this brand new spanking tank, they’re back. There aren’t a lot right now, but they are dark and on my fake plants. Are they harmful to my fish?

thanks to anyone who reads this whole thing and to who answers my questions! I love my fish and I just want him to be okay

 

[AIvinn]

Hello there, and welcome to Fishlore! = )

I'm new to this hobby as well, and I'm still learning like you are. So, my answers may not be as experienced as others, but there are a few things I noticed and would like to point out. I'm also not entirely sure why you downgraded your Betta, but I'm sure you have your reasons.

1) Daily water changes can help with fin rot treatment. Read this article for more info. ---> Fish Fin Rot - Fish Disease

2) Yes, it's advised not to do 100% WCs in this hobby. I'm not sure if you use chlorinated water or dechlorinated water when you rinse your décor, but I would only rinse with aquarium water. It is also advised to have a stable Ph than trying to go for an exact one. 7.5 should be fine for your betta. The Ph scale is logarithmic, meaning the slightest level change can affect your fish.

3) It may or may not be white fungus which is usually harmless to fish, but I'm not completely sure. A picture would greatly help.

4) Those black stuff may or may not be seed shrimp, which are tiny bugs that eat decaying matter in the tank. They are also harmless to your fish. Personally, I wouldn't clean my tank as excessively as you do but it's your call.

I hope my input helps, and best of luck.

 

[Idkitsathrowaway]

1. if the medicine is not helping try a ebson salt bath.
2. NEVER and I mean NEVER do 100% watch change, it is likely the reason your fish is sick and all your decorations get like that! Ill admit at fist I too did 100% water changes Ive fixed that after the death of my last betta before my last one. You are restarting the cycle all over every time, that is letting ammonia build up with nothing to really eat it. It is also stressful on your betta, the water may of been at a comfortable sweet spot with things like ph, and nitrogen cycle, and that is weakening his immune system.
3. Dont rinse your decor with tap water, it can have chlorine or other water disinfectants still on it when you put it in the tank.
4. idk if you are actually doing this but your wording suggest it so i may as well say it. DONT use SOAP on decor!!!! Unless its safe for aquarium( I know of none!)
5. that fake plant looks sharp(Ive had one that looks just like it, ripped my betta to SHREDS) Real plants are better because it will give the betta O2, and help clean the water! If you insist on the fake take a lighter and swiftly run it by the edges of the plants, not too long to burn it, but long enough to melt it! this will give it a rounded tip and not a sharp one.
6. idk what that white or black stuff it, but it is likely an algae. try getting a snail.
7. Down grading your betta to a 5.5 may not of been a good idea. if he's use to the 10 and then you half it it may stress him. I know the 10g is heave but you could try moving it around when you do a heavy (75%) water change!

 

[Cinabar]

Hi! Welcome to fishlore.

Yeah, 100% water changes are generally not recommended. Rinsing stuff off isn’t great either. The key to keeping a healthy aquarium is to have a stable environment, sort of like a mini ecosystem, and you need some dirt and grime for that.

I think keeping him in the 10g will be easier for everyone. A larger volume of water will keep things more stable, and that means less work for you. The standard here is a 20% or so water change every week but that might be different for you depending on your parameters.

A single betta in a 10g wont produce that much waste. You could probably get away with partial water changes (50%) every 2 or more weeks. The little black specs probably aren’t harmful. If it’s stuck to the glass is algae. If it’s swimming around it’s natural microorganisms.

 

[AIvinn]

If it’s stuck to the glass is algae. If it’s swimming around it’s natural microorganisms.

Really? I always thought that microorganisms weren't visible to the eye.

Also anchovious, I forgot to ask, were your tanks cycled? What are your water parameters?

 

[Cinabar]

Really? I always thought that microorganisms weren't visible to the eye.

Also anchovious, I forgot to ask, were your tanks cycled? What are your water parameters?

Ah, sorry. I wasn’t referring to singular bacteria or anything like that. I was talking about the general things you would find in a tank- seed shrimp, copepods, rotifers... various things that live in and feed on detritus. My mistake, I should have been clearer. Thanks for pointing that out

 

[Broggy]

welcome to fishlore!

there are definitely days where doing tank maintenance feels hard wether its physically exhausting or mentally. big water changes can really drain you in that way, I always look forward to only having to do a small water change.

the plants look fine, but its possible they can rip your bettas fins. I recomend live aquarium plants, like hornwort, guppy grass, etc. they look amazing and filter the water. taking care of live plants takes a little work, but they will save you so much time, and reduce anxiety about water quality.

 

[StarGirl]

Welcome to Fishlore!

Read up on the Aquarium Nitrogen cycle. I bet it is not what you think it is.

Yeah you really do need to stop cleaning so much. Change 50% water a few times a week at the most. Do you have a gravel vac? Syphoning it into a bucket out is way easier than carrying the whole tank.

I would find a small sponge filter for the airline instead of a stone. They are super cheap. Do you have a filter at all?

The black dots are harmless.
The pH at 7.5 is near perfect dont worry about that.
The fuzz may have been a piece of food. When you see something like that just remove it with a turkey baster or something. You dont need to clean the whole tank. It is going to get dirty. It has to be a little dirty to work right.

 

[flopperfrog]

Hi y'all!
To start out - I have had my Betta (named Anchovy) for over a year now. I had him in a 10 gallon tank the entire time until recently. I just can’t lift 10 gallons by myself. And it’s hard on my down days when I know I need to clean the aquarium but I physically can’t, you know?
So the other day I had some time off and went and purchased a new smaller tank (also who thought to sell 5.5 gallons? Do you know how hard it was to find a lid for this thing?). Anyway, here comes my troubles.
1) I noticed my Betta has deteriorating fins which I am assuming is fin rot. I have purchased medicine for him but he hasn’t been eating the last couple days and it says I read that I shouldn’t feed him for like 5 days after putting the medicine in and I’m conflicted about it. I purchased some almond leaves online because I read that those could help with fin rot, but I’m just... so worried.
2) I know this will get me heat but I always do a 100% water change. Every time I have changed his tank that’s what I’ve done. I know, I know. The more I read about it the more I understand, but my OCD says clean everything. I will refrain from it in the future for the safety of my fish - but I had to preface my next troubles with that because all the advice I’ve seen online for what I’m going to say has been for older tanks and again, this one is literally a few days old.
I set it up normal, rinsed all the decorations from the old tank, added the rocks, added water, added the water conditioner. I bought a heater and an air rock because I hadn’t had a heater beforehand and bettas are tropical so I figured he would like that. I read that air stones would be less of a bother to the lil guy but it bubbles a whole lot. ANYWAY - I waited about 2 days before putting him in there (I didn’t just toss him in either, I acclimated the water he was in with the warmer water). The ph balance is a little high but I read bettas could live between 6.8-7.5 which my ph is at 7.5. I was told that my guy should be okay and that once adding the almond leaves and stuff in there the ph balance should go down.
3) So now I’m paranoid. I’ve been staring at him and his tank for hours now, going on Google and googling all the things I see. I noticed some white fuzz on the bottom of the fake floating log and I took it out and scrubbed it off. Some things tell me it’s harmless algae that will go away, others say it’s more sinister. I wish I could’ve taken a photo. But it’s just soft cottony looking fuzz on the bottom of the fake log.
4) So I’ve had this problem before when I didn’t clean the tank for a hot minute. There’s these little black specks that seem to come out of nowhere. I had hundreds of them the last I saw and I immediately cleaned the tank 100% (sorry) and scrubbed all the decorations. It has not been a problem since. Well in this brand new spanking tank, they’re back. There aren’t a lot right now, but they are dark and on my fake plants. Are they harmful to my fish?

thanks to anyone who reads this whole thing and to who answers my questions! I love my fish and I just want him to be okay

i agree with what the others said- scrubbing down your whole aquarium is not good, and if you do that whole ordeal every single time you clean your tank, that’s gonna stress your fish out
if you need to clean it i recommend using a razor blade to scrap algae away and a gravel vacuum to do water changes/clean gravel. cleaning everything will restart the cycle and trying to make it crystal clean will only hurt your fish as they get stressed out from having to get comfortable again and again each time you do a water change.
also, 2 days is not enough time for a cycle to complete, it usually takes a couple of weeks (mine took 2 months)
10g will be easier to manage since the parameters won’t swing as much
downgrading could also cause stress since they’re used to a 10, 5 is half of what they had previously
also you might wanna either make those plants softer or replace them with plants that won’t tear his fins (silk or real)

 

[anchovious]

Really? I always thought that microorganisms weren't visible to the eye.

Also anchovious, I forgot to ask, were your tanks cycled? What are your water parameters?

well, I thought it was cycled. But from the info I have gathered from other comments, it was not. The ph balance is at 7.5. I don’t know about the other stuff as I didn’t know. I am going up to the fish store tomorrow to get a test kit - I only bought the ph test kit the other day.

 

[StarGirl]

I would get the Master test kit with Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate tests. Then you will have a extra pH test.

 

[anchovious]

Welcome to Fishlore!

Read up on the Aquarium Nitrogen cycle. I bet it is not what you think it is.

Yeah you really do need to stop cleaning so much. Change 50% water a few times a week at the most. Do you have a gravel vac? Syphoning it into a bucket out is way easier than carrying the whole tank.

I would find a small sponge filter for the airline instead of a stone. They are super cheap. Do you have a filter at all?

The black dots are harmless.
The pH at 7.5 is near perfect dont worry about that.
The fuzz may have been a piece of food. When you see something like that just remove it with a turkey baster or something. You dont need to clean the whole tank. It is going to get dirty. It has to be a little dirty to work right.

I don’t have a gravel vac, but I’ll add that to my list of things to get. As well as a sponge filter. I don’t have a filter, I read that bettas don’t necessarily need one. He was definitely doing so much better in the other setup but since he got what I assume is fin rot (but now I’m thinking that perhaps the decorations could be shredding his fins ).
I guess it never occurred to me that not everything has to be clean to be orderly and happy. I just always feel bad if there’s dirt but I will definitely be better about it.
What would you suggest I do about setting up the 10gal again? It’s completely cleaned out now but I will put him back in it if it’s for the better!

 

[StarGirl]

I don’t have a gravel vac, but I’ll add that to my list of things to get. As well as a sponge filter. I don’t have a filter, I read that bettas don’t necessarily need one. He was definitely doing so much better in the other setup but since he got what I assume is fin rot (but now I’m thinking that perhaps the decorations could be shredding his fins ).
I guess it never occurred to me that not everything has to be clean to be orderly and happy. I just always feel bad if there’s dirt but I will definitely be better about it.
What would you suggest I do about setting up the 10gal again? It’s completely cleaned out now but I will put him back in it if it’s for the better!

If you have it I would. At this point it doesnt really matter cycle wise. Yes Bettas need a filter, and sponge filters are best for bettas. There is not as much flow blowing him around. I would say your next few purchases should def be a test kit, a gravel vac and a sponge filter.

 

[AIvinn]

I don’t have a filter, I read that bettas don’t necessarily need one.

Huh? I'm not sure where you read that but I'd run away from that source and quick. Fishlore is your best friend now. =)

 

[anchovious]

Huh? I'm not sure where you read that but I'd run away from that source and quick. Fishlore is your best friend now. =)

I am definitely glad I got on here! I am realizing I am not as informed as I thought I was

If you have it I would. At this point it doesnt really matter cycle wise. Yes Bettas need a filter, and sponge filters are best for bettas. There is not as much flow blowing him around. I would say your next few purchases should def be a test kit, a gravel vac and a sponge filter.

thanks for much! I will definitely purchase those things! I want the best for him

 

[isabeldiwata]

Re: gravel vacuuming and siphoning water out of the tank for water changes vs. dumping it out.. I’m a super visual person and this was a life saver for me when I first started using a gravel vac.

Hope it helps and I’m glad you’re on Fishlore and trying to do right by your sweet lil betta