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Stephanie wrote:
I’ve never put a filter in with my betas. I read someplace that they really dislike the turbulent water, since they come to the top to breathe.
So maybe getting rid of the filter would be the best thing.
Well, they can breathe very well with their gills alone.. the problem isn’t with breathing, but the turbulent water tends to ‘push’ them around and drag them because they have been bred to have such long fins, and are not overly strong swimmers. 🙂
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My art: featherdust.comJennifer wrote:Stephanie wrote:I’ve never put a filter in with my betas. I read someplace that they really dislike the turbulent water, since they come to the top to breathe.
So maybe getting rid of the filter would be the best thing.
Well, they can breathe very well with their gills alone.. the problem isn’t with breathing, but the turbulent water tends to ‘push’ them around and drag them because they have been bred to have such long fins, and are not overly strong swimmers. 🙂
Ah! Didn’t know the full story, then. Thanks! 😀
Jennifer wrote:Emerald, foaming water (that is not caused by a happy boy betta, :lol:) can mean a few things.
What brand of water conditioner are you using? Some brands are much better than others. Avoid anything such as “Stress Coat” or the ones where they add aloe to the mix… there is no proof that the aloe helps the slime coat of the fish, and it only tends to foam and gum up the filter over time. I think it is good for sometimes helping an injured fish but in general isn’t a good everyday water conditioner.
How long has it been since you set the tank up? If you’re running a filter it’s best to let the tank cycle, which can take 3-4 weeks depending. I don’t think you have any detergents or soaps in the water for you to have to worry about rinsing them out (your fish would have died right away if this was the case). You may only complicate things if you really clean the tank.
The brand is called Top Fin. I set the tank up last Wednesday, I think. I put Ghost in on Thursday.
Should I just leave it with the filter off? Or take the filter out, perhaps?
I didn’t see anyone mention heaters, but Bettas really do prefer warm water. They can do well in a community tank, as long as they are the only Betta, of course! I have had one in my 10 gallon tropical tank with algae-eating shrimp and tetras and/or any of those little tropical varieties. I also use a filter, but it’s just a small cartridge type, and I can adjust the bubbliness so it’s not too disturbing. :0)
I cannot seem to win with the goldfish. 🙁 I have a constant battle with the nitrate level. All other levels are fine, with the hardness being a little high, though. Very frustrating with goldfish! I think when the ones I have now die, I’ll make that tank (29 gallons) tropical…
I’ve put the water change on hold. I’m still wondering what I should do about the froth/foam/bubbles. I’ve turned the filter off, but am not happy with it just sitting there.
dragonlairqueen wrote:I cannot seem to win with the goldfish. 🙁 I have a constant battle with the nitrate level. All other levels are fine, with the hardness being a little high, though. Very frustrating with goldfish!
Oh, tell me about it! Pet stores are so misleading, advertising goldfish as the easiest beginner fish…goldies are one of the hardest fish to keep! I love them, but they’re so filthy. ^_^;; (mine especially…I’ve got big chubby fantails, and all that body mass is put to use making dirty water!).
Darn it though, y’all are making me want a betta again…and I’ve got a nifty little two gallon somebody tossed to the curb too…
emerald212 wrote:I’ve put the water change on hold. I’m still wondering what I should do about the froth/foam/bubbles. I’ve turned the filter off, but am not happy with it just sitting there.
Anyone? Anyone?
Do the bubbles actually seem to be affecting his behavior? If he doesn’t seem to be exhibiting abnormal activity or acting ill, it might be best just to leave it alone for awhile and watch him closely…just because the bubbles are bothersome to us, doesn’t mean they’re bothersome to *him*. Even with bubbles the filter should be oxygenating the water.
You *can* get away without the filter though; you’ll just have to watch your water chemistry closely so you know exactly when it needs a water change, or partial water changes (many small changes is usually better than one whole-tank change, since you’ll clean the water without ruining your natural biological filter).
Well, with the bubbles filling up the whole upper space, he can’t gulp air, and I have no place to put his food in where he can get it.
I’m not sure how to go about doing a partial change on his water, so I was just going to do a full change. It looks sort of scummy on top.
But Jen said something about 3-4 weeks, so I’m waiting to hear more about that too.
Hmm…I do a full change once a week, if that isn’t right I didn’t know any better 🙁 If I had all those bubbles I guess I would take a large spoon and just scoop them out? I do that every once in a while if I have a bug land in his water 😛
Sweet I just got a tank, a few plants, a bunch of rocks, and possibly a filter/aerator for $20. And I don’t have to pay it right now, and may be able to settle with giving the guy a wallet chain for it. 😀
Turns out it wasn’t his brother’s, who wanted $100 for just the tank. 😕
Like Jen said, you don’t wait to eliminate your natural bacterial community before it can even form. But if you aren’t running the filter, you’ll need to change some water every week–some, but not necessarily all. I’m afraid I’ve never managed a tank that size so I don’t know what would be a good water change regimen for you (plus, I normally keep filthy filthy goldies, lol).
One way to know exactly what the state of your water quality is is to buy test strips. They’re a bit pricy but there should be a ton of strips in the box. They’re available in most pet stores and let you determine nitrate levels, pH, etc…that way you know when things need changing.
It’s just a little 1 gallon tank. I’ve turned the filter off a couple days ago, and now it looks pretty scummy in there, so I’m going to change it tomorrow. I think I need to really clean the gravel again, so I’m going to do the whole tank change. His little plant came uprooted too, so I’ll fix that too.
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