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I got the plant fertilizer from Aquarium Co op which has been great. You just put in one squirt of the bottle per week per 10 gallons and it works great. You might want to consider some root tabs for the dwarf sagittaria or anything that is a root feeder. That will really help your plants...

Try java fern, maybe some frogbit, dwarf sagittaria to start.

You need the ammonia to be at zero. If it's consistently above that your tank is either not cycled or there is a water quality problem that needs to be addressed. Ammonia will cause fin rot and kill your betta.

I find shrimp much easier than fish personally, except for the overpopulation aspect.

I think one shrimp would be fine. It could be a good way to start.

I think people here in America would take it more seriously if there weren't so many obvious double standards. For example, here in DC, my church is still not allowed to meet even outside, even with masks and social distancing with more than 100 people. However, the Mayor marches with 50,000...

I think it works better in a 5 gallon, but you can keep shrimp in a 2.5 gallon. The only problem is that they will quickly overpopulate it and you will have to have a plan for that. Even in my 5 gallon, I give at least 10-20 shrimp to the LFS probably every month to keep numbers manageable...

Beautiful fish.

I keep red cherry shrimp in a five gallon and it works well. What I do is that once a month I take out most of them and sell them to the LFS for store credit. That keeps the numbers manageable. Then before I vacuum I swish around the gravel to stir up the dirt and most of the shrimp hide...

Algae is basically caused by an imbalance between light and nutrients as I understand, so just experiment with increasing and decreasing those variables until the situation improves. That being said, every tank will have some algae and that's good and normal as long as it isn't taking over. If...

Try testing your water to see what the water quality is if you haven't already. Maybe reduce your lighting time or put some fast-growing plants like frogbit to help with the algae.

Welcome aboard. One early lesson I learned is that understocking better than overstocking; much more margin for error.

Sometimes bettas just develop fin rot despite our best efforts. Especially if they have long flowy fins, they are more susceptible to it. Good luck!

I assume you are controlling for temperature and dechlorinating for water changes? Try to make the water change involve as little stress as possible for the betta. (low flow in adding new water.) Sometimes fin rot can be exacerbated by stress, and water changes can be stressful. Not sure...

It can work. I've kept bettas with CPDs and with Harlequin rasbora successfully. It depends on the temperament of the betta really. The reason I separated my betta is because it became impossible to navigate feeding properly. Either the betta would pig out or the other fish would eat...

I really like the Fluval 5 Gallon Spec V for my betta. You can get it on Amazon for under $100

I had a similar problem where my tap water was high in ammonia and nitrates. I ended up buying the RO buddy off amazon and it has been working great for me so far. Much cheaper and less hassle in the long run than picking it up from the LFS every week.

No, it's probably accurate. I think using a liquid test is more reliable than the test strips. Not sure what you're using. I like the API Test kit personally.

Ammonia of 1ppm is really high. That could be the problem.

Try java ferns and maybe some dwarf sagittaria or anubias. Aquarium Co op has a great bottle of fertilizer to use for plants. I would also get some root tabs to help.

I would be surprised if it was the Harlequin Rasbora. I kept them with shrimp for a long time and never had the slightest problem. It must be something else.

What does ammonia untraceable mean? I would verify that your ammonia is at zero, because that's often the source of the problem in my experience. I also wonder if he has developed popeye.

You should get some kuhli loaches. In a 20G you could add 4-6 and they get along great with bettas and are great bottom feeders.

I've been feeding fruit flies to my betta and he seems to love them. I haven't noticed the digestive issue.

The picture I shared earlier in this thread is the only one I have at the moment. I'm not much of a photographer. :(

Test for ammonia levels in your water. That's the most common problem stressing bettas in my experience.

Yes, I agree the best thing to do is to keep your tank clean and don't overfeed. You could also get an assassin snail who eats other snails. That would help keep the numbers down a bit.

I have CPDs, Kuhli Loaches, 1 Nerite, and some yellow shrimp. It's my favorite tank. CPDs are so beautiful and fun to watch.

I don't mix species of shrimp, because they interbreed and then you lose the look in future generations. Not sure if those two kinds mix, but worth thinking about.

Blue Velvet or Red Cherry are the best to start with I think. There are some pretty cool yellow or orange ones as well.

Shrimp tanks are great. A great way to start into the hobby. I've got three tanks with shrimp in them. Blue Velvet shrimp are my favorite.

You could try maybe 5 or 6 at the most, but it might get a little tight. It also increases the bioload which means you have less margin for error on things like ammonia creeping up. You'll have to really stay on top of water quality. My favorite snail is the Nerite snail. The only downside is...

I think an aquarium is so relaxing (when things are going well.) At the end of the day after work and when the kids are down, I always sit in front of my aquariums for a while to unwind. So much more relaxing than tv. The plants will take a few weeks to grow in. If they are root feeders you...

I recommend keeping the betta by himself in the 10 gallon. That would be perfect.

I think around 25 or 25.5 is ideal for a betta.

One thing to think about is how high is your tank? Bettas often come to the surface to breathe, and they aren't great swimmers due to their long fins, so I think deep tanks aren't ideal for them. If it's a long tank, that's probably ok. But I agree that it's better not to add companions to...

I did a full salt treatment on my tank and the shrimp didn't seem to be affected at all. I don't think it's a problem as long as the salt level doesn't get too high.

I think a 5G is perfect if you don't add any other fish. A 50watt heater would work, though even a 25watt heater is probably enough. Any filter will work as long as the flow is not too strong. My bettas love Jave ferns. Anything with big broad leaves that they can rest on or hide in. The...

Kuhli loaches also do well with bettas, but again, they probably need more space than a 10 gallon.