Starting Back Doing Fish For My Daughter. Feel Like A Beginner Again. Help!!!

10 gallon brand new tank - Everything in it, (which isn't much), has been rinsed off with warm/hot water. All that's in the tank is a few artificial plants, a plastic log cave, and black fish tank rocks. It has a filter with great water flow. The tank has finished cycling, (cycled for 2 weeks), and was conditioned.
She's had her BETA in a maybe 2 gallon tank for 3 years now. She LOVES him!! His name is Dagger! She's very proud she has taken such good care of him for so long. She would be heartbroken if anything happened to him. That being said... we got her a new 10 gallon tank for her Birthday. Wanted to upgrade her since she has been consistant with caring for the BETA.
I used to have fish, breed them, etc, but that was years and years ago. Feeling almost like a beginner again. LOL
So, we went to the Pet Smart yesterday, and got 4 neon tetras, and a African Dwarf Frog. We released the BETA, frog, and tetras all at the same time. Within about 4 hours ALL the tetras were dead. Now we're down to just the BETA and the frog. Obviously our BETA is way aggressive. So, what other fish could we get, (and has worked well with other peoples "aggresive" BETA's), that would pair well with the BETA and frog? I've done a little Goggle searching on the subject. Saw a few species listed, but wondered what has worked well for others? Or do you think they just didn't take to their new environment well? I'll be honest, at the pet store, the lady selling us the fish was constantly pulling out floating AND half dead, (still wiggling), fish from their tanks and throwing them in the garbage. I guess it was her end-of-shift duty or something. Because tight after selling us the fish, we saw her clock our and leave. Wondering if maybe their tanks were not well maintained? Maybe the frog and BETA are just better adapters to new environments? Thoughts? And HELP please? Headed to a different pet store right now, in a complete other city. Was thinking of getting an algae eater type fish. Plecostomus, or a Coolie Loach.

 

how about some guppies or a livebearer. they are very prolific and easy to keep

 

Don't get a pleco or algae eater until your tank is much older. I had one after a year and even feeding algae wafers it died. Just my experience. You need a lot of algae.

 

During that 2 week period, how were you cycling the tank? Also, did you acclimate the fish at all or just drop them in?

I would not add any fish to the tank, especially until we figure out if you're fully cycled or not.

I have a betta and frog together. I have to feed the frog with tweezers to ensure she gets fed because they are poor swimmers and the betta will take her food otherwise.

You do not need an algae eater in a tank with no algae. Even if there is algae, you can control it yourself by limiting the lighting duration and how much food goes into the tank. The only algae eaters I'll recommend for a 10 are Amano shrimp and snails.

 

Some Betta's can be very aggressive, and are best kept to them self. Have you tested the water? What are the readings?

 

bettas and AD frogs are a bad mix, imo. The frog will have a very hard time getting enough food and your betta will enjoy harassing him.

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"I have a betta and frog together. I have to feed the frog with tweezers to ensure she gets fed because they are poor swimmers"


Thanks for your feedback. I truly appreciate that. We are definitely concerned for the frog. Pretty sure it hasn't eaten anything in a couple days. I told my daughter what you said about "feeding the frog with tweezers", but she said she's afraid to hurt it. Question: Did your frog take to being tweezer fed like a champ right at first, or did you have to keep trying. Our frog likes to stay in the very top of the tallest plant The plant actually comes a little out of the water as well, but then meets the lid of course. Is he staying there to be away from the beta? Or are frogs just like that? Any information you can give us would be a lot of help! Thank you!

Don't get a pleco or algae eater until your tank is much older. I had one after a year and even feeding algae wafers it died. Just my experience. You need a lot of algae.

Oh no!!! I read your reply too late!!! That's exactly what we ended up getting at the pet store. It's a very small rubber lipped pleco. I feel so bad now. I had no idea. We even bought him the algae wafers too. He hasn't touched them though. I'm so afraid of something bad happening like maybe it might die??? How can we save him? Should we take him back to the pet store? Or would that traumatize him more? Help?

 

"I have a betta and frog together. I have to feed the frog with tweezers to ensure she gets fed because they are poor swimmers"


Thanks for your feedback. I truly appreciate that. We are definitely concerned for the frog. Pretty sure it hasn't eaten anything in a couple days. I told my daughter what you said about "feeding the frog with tweezers", but she said she's afraid to hurt it. Question: Did your frog take to being tweezer fed like a champ right at first, or did you have to keep trying. Our frog likes to stay in the very top of the tallest plant The plant actually comes a little out of the water as well, but then meets the lid of course. Is he staying there to be away from the beta? Or are frogs just like that? Any information you can give us would be a lot of help! Thank you!



Oh no!!! I read your reply too late!!! That's exactly what we ended up getting at the pet store. It's a very small rubber lipped pleco. I feel so bad now. I had no idea. We even bought him the algae wafers too. He hasn't touched them though. I'm so afraid of something bad happening like maybe it might die??? How can we save him? Should we take him back to the pet store? Or would that traumatize him more? Help?

Just feed him the wafers and blanched veggies and hope for the best!

 

Danyelle ADFs have poor eyesight and aren't strong swimmers. However they have a strong sense of smell and can detect movement. While it took a few days all the ADFs I have owned quickly learn that tweezers = food. I just get a
single bloodworm or a few brine shrimp (thawed frozen foods) and hold it in front of their mouth. They often miss when they snap at the food but it's entertaining feeding them.

Coincidentally, my bettas also learned to feed from tweezers this way. Eventually they overcome their shyness and get excited when they see you getting the tweezers.

 

how about some guppies or a livebearer. they are very prolific and easy to keep

Betas HATE male guppies!

 

10 gallon brand new tank - Everything in it, (which isn't much), has been rinsed off with warm/hot water. All that's in the tank is a few artificial plants, a plastic log cave, and black fish tank rocks. It has a filter with great water flow. The tank has finished cycling, (cycled for 2 weeks), and was conditioned.
She's had her BETA in a maybe 2 gallon tank for 3 years now. She LOVES him!! His name is Dagger! She's very proud she has taken such good care of him for so long. She would be heartbroken if anything happened to him. That being said... we got her a new 10 gallon tank for her Birthday. Wanted to upgrade her since she has been consistant with caring for the BETA.
I used to have fish, breed them, etc, but that was years and years ago. Feeling almost like a beginner again. LOL
So, we went to the Pet Smart yesterday, and got 4 neon tetras, and a African Dwarf Frog. We released the BETA, frog, and tetras all at the same time. Within about 4 hours ALL the tetras were dead. Now we're down to just the BETA and the frog. Obviously our BETA is way aggressive. So, what other fish could we get, (and has worked well with other peoples "aggresive" BETA's), that would pair well with the BETA and frog? I've done a little Goggle searching on the subject. Saw a few species listed, but wondered what has worked well for others? Or do you think they just didn't take to their new environment well? I'll be honest, at the pet store, the lady selling us the fish was constantly pulling out floating AND half dead, (still wiggling), fish from their tanks and throwing them in the garbage. I guess it was her end-of-shift duty or something. Because tight after selling us the fish, we saw her clock our and leave. Wondering if maybe their tanks were not well maintained? Maybe the frog and BETA are just better adapters to new environments? Thoughts? And HELP please? Headed to a different pet store right now, in a complete other city. Was thinking of getting an algae eater type fish. Plecostomus, or a Coolie Loach.

My daughter’s tank has a beta, 6 danios, 6 tetras, and 3 kuhlis. No issues with anyone.

My guess is you have an angry betta or bad water.

 

You should google whatever fish you plan on getting before buying it, it really helps. Any pleco (and nearly all algae eaters) will grow too large for a 10 gallon. You might want to return it before its being cramped ends up in a fight with the frog or the betta. In fact, a 10 is also too small for a school of neons, especially with other fish already in there. This might be part of the reason why your betta is so aggressive, especially if you have no or few plants in your tank to provide cover or that breaks the line of sight across the tank. Kuhli/Coolie loaches also grow kind of long and should be kept in groups and thus are also unsuitable for a 10 gallon (especially with the frog already occupying the tank floor). There are fish and bottom dwellers suitable for a 10G but with the frog and the betta already in there, I'm not so sure you can add anything else. You could get a second or third frog? They like company.
Aside from the tweezers you can also condition the frogs by tapping on the glass 3 times before you toss the food in. Within a few days they will understand that tapping = expect food and they will get up and about scouring the tank. Then simply spread the food around as much you can, and the frogs will get to some of it before the fish eat all. That is how I feed mine (I also have some plants that spread out at the top but only have stems at the bottom, providing a covered place where the frogs like to look for food and which the fish can't see well).

 

Don't get a pleco or algae eater until your tank is much older. I had one after a year and even feeding algae wafers it died. Just my experience. You need a lot of algae.

Thanks, good to know.