Betta Help?

[Ayamae Akahana]

I'm thinking about moving my betta from his 2.5 gallon to a 10 gallon that I have, because I'm getting really tired of having to top this tank off every 3 days. >_>; If the water gets too low, the filter stops working properly, cuz it's rather cheap.

SO, my question is, if I take his gravel and plants from his tank he's in now, and put them in the 10 gallon, would I have to go through the cycling process? I ask this, because I don't have the space to have both of these tanks up and going at the same time. (Cuz if I did, I probably would, and I'd have moved my neons into my extra 10 and try to get them to be Ulmo's roommates. :I But since I"d be moving him in first, I'm not going to attempt that. ^_^; ) The 10 gallon would be taking my 2.5 gallon's place on my bedside table.

If I have to cycle the 10 gallon, I can't go through with my plan, because I will not cycle the tank with him in it, that would be cruel.

[Moth Feathers]

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

[Ayamae Akahana]

Moth Feathers

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

Alrighty! ^_^ I just gotta go purchase a nice 10 gallon filter, a heater, and oh god I'm gonna decorate the s**t out of this thing. mad I'll keep the little filter running in the 10 gallon just to get some bacteria in there for a couple of weeks, then I'll take it out.

And I know to dechlorinate. XDD My dechlorinator is like, my bread and butter.

I just wish I could put someone in there with him. sad So many gallons, only one fishy.

[Moth Feathers]

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

Alrighty! ^_^ I just gotta go purchase a nice 10 gallon filter, a heater, and oh god I'm gonna decorate the s**t out of this thing. mad I'll keep the little filter running in the 10 gallon just to get some bacteria in there for a couple of weeks, then I'll take it out.

And I know to dechlorinate. XDD My dechlorinator is like, my bread and butter.

I just wish I could put someone in there with him. sad So many gallons, only one fishy.

If you keep up on water changes you shouldn't need to buy a filter for a 10 gallon. All filters do is help maintain water quality, if you'd like to maintain it via some extra WCs, that's cool too.

Lol, think about my situation. My fish tank is bigger than the house's water heater yet I can only put in a single fish. It's like, argh, why can't you be more sociable, you.

Anyway, get a mystery snail for him. Those things are fun. In fact, get a couple if you'd like. Snails are the coolest. If you can find pygmy cories or a clown pleco you can get those too.

[Ayamae Akahana]

Moth Feathers

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

Alrighty! ^_^ I just gotta go purchase a nice 10 gallon filter, a heater, and oh god I'm gonna decorate the s**t out of this thing. mad I'll keep the little filter running in the 10 gallon just to get some bacteria in there for a couple of weeks, then I'll take it out.

And I know to dechlorinate. XDD My dechlorinator is like, my bread and butter.

I just wish I could put someone in there with him. sad So many gallons, only one fishy.

If you keep up on water changes you shouldn't need to buy a filter for a 10 gallon. All filters do is help maintain water quality, if you'd like to maintain it via some extra WCs, that's cool too.

Lol, think about my situation. My fish tank is bigger than the house's water heater yet I can only put in a single fish. It's like, argh, why can't you be more sociable, you.

Anyway, get a mystery snail for him. Those things are fun. In fact, get a couple if you'd like. Snails are the coolest. If you can find pygmy cories or a clown pleco you can get those too.

4laugh CORIES!? Omigosh, they'd get along? I just ADORE cories. I had one (yes, one, back when I was really ignorant >_>; ) And he was just the sweetest little thing. ^_^ I had him for almost 6 years.

And though snails are cool, I've heard that if you have multiple snails you can end up with a tank full of snails...which I'd rather not have...is that true?

[Moth Feathers]

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

Alrighty! ^_^ I just gotta go purchase a nice 10 gallon filter, a heater, and oh god I'm gonna decorate the s**t out of this thing. mad I'll keep the little filter running in the 10 gallon just to get some bacteria in there for a couple of weeks, then I'll take it out.

And I know to dechlorinate. XDD My dechlorinator is like, my bread and butter.

I just wish I could put someone in there with him. sad So many gallons, only one fishy.

If you keep up on water changes you shouldn't need to buy a filter for a 10 gallon. All filters do is help maintain water quality, if you'd like to maintain it via some extra WCs, that's cool too.

Lol, think about my situation. My fish tank is bigger than the house's water heater yet I can only put in a single fish. It's like, argh, why can't you be more sociable, you.

Anyway, get a mystery snail for him. Those things are fun. In fact, get a couple if you'd like. Snails are the coolest. If you can find pygmy cories or a clown pleco you can get those too.

4laugh CORIES!? Omigosh, they'd get along? I just ADORE cories. I had one (yes, one, back when I was really ignorant >_>; ) And he was just the sweetest little thing. ^_^ I had him for almost 6 years.

And though snails are cool, I've heard that if you have multiple snails you can end up with a tank full of snails...which I'd rather not have...is that true?

Pond snails, sure. Not mystery snails. Mystery snails are the big snails, they need to have specific conditions to breed, you can't breed them accidentally. (you have to have a low water level, they crawl up and lay their eggs, and then you have to keep the eggs moist for a couple of weeks. aka, something you're not going to do accidentally).

Cories can get along but make sure to get pygmy cories. Other species grow bigger and may overstock the tank.

[Ayamae Akahana]

Moth Feathers

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Ayamae Akahana

Moth Feathers

Sure, that'll cycle it. Make sure to carry the filter media over as well, that's the most important part, filter media is much more rich in bacteria than the substrate.

Make sure to dechlorinate the 10 gallon's water before you go adding stuff. He'll be very happy for the extra space, I'm sure.

I hate when filters stop working because of water level. I have 3 filters on my 75 gallon- one made for 60-75 gallons, one made for a 20 gallon, and one made for like a 5-15 gallon. They all need drastically different water levels and so when I'm doing a water change I have to be careful to not take out too much water or else the 5-15 filter stops working and I have to revive it.
I also hate my stupid duckweed, that makes the water look so pretty but likes to stick on the filter intake, one time so badly it blocked off the water completely and made my filter angry. =(

Alrighty! ^_^ I just gotta go purchase a nice 10 gallon filter, a heater, and oh god I'm gonna decorate the s**t out of this thing. mad I'll keep the little filter running in the 10 gallon just to get some bacteria in there for a couple of weeks, then I'll take it out.

And I know to dechlorinate. XDD My dechlorinator is like, my bread and butter.

I just wish I could put someone in there with him. sad So many gallons, only one fishy.

If you keep up on water changes you shouldn't need to buy a filter for a 10 gallon. All filters do is help maintain water quality, if you'd like to maintain it via some extra WCs, that's cool too.

Lol, think about my situation. My fish tank is bigger than the house's water heater yet I can only put in a single fish. It's like, argh, why can't you be more sociable, you.

Anyway, get a mystery snail for him. Those things are fun. In fact, get a couple if you'd like. Snails are the coolest. If you can find pygmy cories or a clown pleco you can get those too.

4laugh CORIES!? Omigosh, they'd get along? I just ADORE cories. I had one (yes, one, back when I was really ignorant >_>; ) And he was just the sweetest little thing. ^_^ I had him for almost 6 years.

And though snails are cool, I've heard that if you have multiple snails you can end up with a tank full of snails...which I'd rather not have...is that true?

Pond snails, sure. Not mystery snails. Mystery snails are the big snails, they need to have specific conditions to breed, you can't breed them accidentally. (you have to have a low water level, they crawl up and lay their eggs, and then you have to keep the eggs moist for a couple of weeks. aka, something you're not going to do accidentally).

Cories can get along but make sure to get pygmy cories. Other species grow bigger and may overstock the tank.

biggrin Alright. XD I just didn't really know the difference between a mystery snail and your common pond snail. I just thought snails were snails. lmfao

I'm gonna have to start lookin' around for pygmy cories. x3

[AlaskaStreet]

Mystery snails are also known as apple snails. I just got a black one and some ghost shrimp for my betta (also in a 2.5 gallon, but he seems content enough.) The sad thing is, he's already killed three of my five shrimp...so I may try an oto instead.

By the by, allow me to commandeer your thread to ask a question myself. My water temperature is at a steady 74F without a heater....think I should get one anyways or will he be happy enough?

[Ayamae Akahana]

AlaskaStreet

Mystery snails are also known as apple snails. I just got a black one and some ghost shrimp for my betta (also in a 2.5 gallon, but he seems content enough.) The sad thing is, he's already killed three of my five shrimp...so I may try an oto instead.

By the by, allow me to commandeer your thread to ask a question myself. My water temperature is at a steady 74F without a heater....think I should get one anyways or will he be happy enough?

I'd get a heater, and I wouldn't get otocinclus, because I'm pretty sure you'd need a school of them. Not to mention that a 2.5 is really too small for any more fish besides just the one betta. I think even the shrimp and snail are probably too much for that tank.

[Moth Feathers]

AlaskaStreet

Mystery snails are also known as apple snails. I just got a black one and some ghost shrimp for my betta (also in a 2.5 gallon, but he seems content enough.) The sad thing is, he's already killed three of my five shrimp...so I may try an oto instead.

By the by, allow me to commandeer your thread to ask a question myself. My water temperature is at a steady 74F without a heater....think I should get one anyways or will he be happy enough?

Otos are schoolers, needing to be kept in multiples. A 2.5 is too small to keep otos in with him. In a 2.5, I wouldn't have any other fish in there except a Betta.

I prefer my tropical fish temps to be much higher than that (right now my tanks are sitting at 79, whoo). They say the minimum should be 76.
74 probably isn't hurting him any, but if he gets sick, he's going to need much higher temps, so I would have a heater on hand anyway. Heaters also help keep water temp from fluctuating too much, which is a particular problem in nano tanks.

[AlaskaStreet]

Well he's actually just killed all the shrimp...so it's just him and the snail.

And I was pretty sure only cories like to school? I know it's best to get at least two of each fish, though. And full grown, otos get about 2" and bettas get 3" so maybe I'll wait until I get a 5 gallon. I really want a Marineland but we have to pay in case of water damages where I live so I'd be pushing it with that much water. I'd also need a stand to support a 50+ pound tank.

[Ayamae Akahana]

AlaskaStreet

Well he's actually just killed all the shrimp...so it's just him and the snail.

And I was pretty sure only cories like to school? I know it's best to get at least two of each fish, though. And full grown, otos get about 2" and bettas get 3" so maybe I'll wait until I get a 5 gallon. I really want a Marineland but we have to pay in case of water damages where I live so I'd be pushing it with that much water. I'd also need a stand to support a 50+ pound tank.

You need more than 2 because their aggression has to fan out between them. It's actually better to get around 5. Even with my tetras, I made the mistake of buying 3 when I was first starting out, and the two bigger ones picked the smaller one to death...

[Moth Feathers]

AlaskaStreet

Well he's actually just killed all the shrimp...so it's just him and the snail.

And I was pretty sure only cories like to school? I know it's best to get at least two of each fish, though. And full grown, otos get about 2" and bettas get 3" so maybe I'll wait until I get a 5 gallon. I really want a Marineland but we have to pay in case of water damages where I live so I'd be pushing it with that much water. I'd also need a stand to support a 50+ pound tank.

Nearly all small fish, whether catfish or livebearers or whatever, are schoolers. There's some small exceptions (like Bettas, gouramis, plecos, dwarf cichlids, etc) but if you go to the store and see some cute tiny fish, you can pretty much guess that they're going to be schoolers and be right almost all the time.

I wouldn't even put otos in a 5 gallon, I'd wait till you get at least a 10 gallon.

You want a Marineland...what? xD Marineland makes all sort of stuff, from filters to fish tanks.
Also, big fish tank stands are easy. Cinderblocks + plywood. That's how I'm holding up my 75 gallon, and its stand is sturdier than a fish store one and cost about 15 dollars. I bet if we had an earthquake my fish tank still wouldn't move.

EDIT: And yeah, like Ayamae said, getting just two of a sociable fish is waiting for disaster. You want 4+, and usually the bigger the school, the better.

[Ayamae Akahana]

Moth Feathers

AlaskaStreet

Mystery snails are also known as apple snails. I just got a black one and some ghost shrimp for my betta (also in a 2.5 gallon, but he seems content enough.) The sad thing is, he's already killed three of my five shrimp...so I may try an oto instead.

By the by, allow me to commandeer your thread to ask a question myself. My water temperature is at a steady 74F without a heater....think I should get one anyways or will he be happy enough?

Otos are schoolers, needing to be kept in multiples. A 2.5 is too small to keep otos in with him. In a 2.5, I wouldn't have any other fish in there except a Betta.

I prefer my tropical fish temps to be much higher than that (right now my tanks are sitting at 79, whoo). They say the minimum should be 76.
74 probably isn't hurting him any, but if he gets sick, he's going to need much higher temps, so I would have a heater on hand anyway. Heaters also help keep water temp from fluctuating too much, which is a particular problem in nano tanks.

I keep Ulmo at a nice balmy 78-79. ^_^ I keep the 10 gallon a bit lower, around 76. Though I'm forever and always checking the thermometer in Ulmo's tank cuz I dont' want it getting too cold or warm in my room and having that mess up the tank or anything...yet another reason to really bump him up to a larger tank size/ ^_^;;;

[Ayamae Akahana]

Moth Feathers

SO, question about pygmy cories. I was reading online that larger species of cories need a certain amount of space on the tank floor? Does that go for them, too? It says that they'd be happiest in a group of 6 or more, even better if you've got like 10 of them. Which, according to aqadvisor is perfectly okay (tank parameters-wise). The biggest question is do I have to add the cories before I add Ulmo? Or can I just add them in whenever? (Assuming I can find someone who carries the little buggers, because I do want some, OH GOD THE CUTE IT BURNS.)