A Complete Noob

[ibbledibble]

yep put him into a bag with water from the vase in it. float it in the new tank for half an hour (approx) then add some tank water to the bag and leave for another fifteen minutes then add some more water. repeat this adding and waiting process several times, and then empty him out into the tank.

might be worth setting the heater fairly low to begin with, and turning it up slowly over several days, so its not too big a change from cold to hot

 

[ReMz]

I've never had problems with putting a betta in an un-cycled tank, but you might want to do a bit of reading on cycling tanks. It's up to you if you want the tank to cycle while your betta is in it.

And props for getting such a sweet setup and actually doing some research! That's going to be heaven for your betta. Let's see some pics already

 

[Owen_R6]

Nevermind! Sorry for the bump!

But anywho...Quick little update, he is in the new setup so hopefully all goes well! Only thing im going to change is i'm going to pick up somethin more as a hiding place instead of just the couple small silk plants...

And also i need a vote from you guys! The current heater i have is just the simple tetra whisper auto one, a 50w. So far it has kept the water around 76 or 78. Do you think i should take that one back and get an adjustable one instead to keep the water around 80 or would this be just fine for what i've got??? Also is the tetra whisper power filter too strong of a current in the 10G tank?

Thank you so much for all the help guys, i know how it is hearin the same stuff over and over and i do apologize but this is like a foreign language to me haha.

Thanks again!

 

[ReMz]

Nevermind! Sorry for the bump!

But anywho...Quick little update, he is in the new setup so hopefully all goes well! Only thing im going to change is i'm going to pick up somethin more as a hiding place instead of just the couple small silk plants...

And also i need a vote from you guys! The current heater i have is just the simple tetra whisper auto one, a 50w. So far it has kept the water around 76 or 78. Do you think i should take that one back and get an adjustable one instead to keep the water around 80 or would this be just fine for what i've got??? Also is the tetra whisper power filter too strong of a current in the 10G tank?

Thank you so much for all the help guys, i know how it is hearin the same stuff over and over and i do apologize but this is like a foreign language to me haha.

Thanks again!

no worries man. i sure don't mind answering questions when the person has the well-being of their fish in mind. i'm sure a lot of other people here would agree as well. plus you are being proactive and getting the info yourself... so its obvious you don't just want he info spoon-fed to you and you are really doing your job at researching.

is the whisper filter a 10i? what kind is it? i've noticed the flow on one of my whispers that i bought to be a bit much for my 5 gallon tank. some pantyhose over the intake vents helps lower the current. also, you can make a current killer from a plastic bottle if you feel there is too much current. I can try to link you later if you are interested.... i dont have the link handy atm. it does work wonders tho.

basically you are looking to make sure that plants and such are not being blown around. if this is the case, the filter is too high. a nice trickle into the tank is ideal. although some bettas dont really mind a current. Just watch for a while and see how ur guy is acting and if he is getting blown about.

As for the heater, if you can return it and get your money back, or store credit, do it. If not, no big deal, that temp is ok. The adjustable ones are certainly better as i'm sure you have already read.

pics


edti: btw, having a 10gal will allow you to do some pretty sweet decorating. check out the members tanks section (i think that is what it is called) for some fun ideas. tank mates could be an option as well in that tank depending on your betta's temperament. not to throw too much at you all at once . i actually recommend keeping bettas solitary, but you do have options.

 

[Rugby]

hey man, ive got to give you major props for actually doing your research man, thats amazing, not many people would do that nowadays. i know i havent really helped in this case, but i still have to give you a man. sweet cars to btw,
picture of the tank? haha,
good job,
Rugby

 

[Owen_R6]

Hey whats up guys! Thanks for the help for everything and definitely thanks for the props...I just got home from work so i'm gonna eat quick and go over to pick up a little cave or somethin that i can put in there so he has somewhere to just chill haha. Anyway, i also snapped a few pics of him and the setup! I know it isnt anything spectacular but it isnt too bad! The water is cloudy at the moment but i searched through the old threads and read that because its a brand new tank with everything new it usually happens and it will go away by itself...hopefully thats right anyway so i wont let it bother me now! Anyway...without further ado!

I havnt named him yet either so thats next on the list after his new cave/something! lol

Any and all comments welcome, nothin hurts my feelings! Also anymore advice is always welcome haha

Also, ive noticed his fins being clamped and there also looks like a small amount of rot but i dont know a lot haha...Anyone confirm or have an opinion for that? If so, i'll search around for a good med to make him good to go!

 

[Netty]

It all looks great so far......and he's a gorgeous colour

Just a tip.....but be carefull with plastic plants as some of them can shred betta fins. Silk ones are much better and with caves or pots, check that there are no rough edges. We have little coconut caves for ours and all of them have been sanded down as they are quite rough. Generaly if you can run your stockings (or someone elses) over them without snagging then it's safe

 

[Owen_R6]

definitely...the ones in there now are slik, with the exception of the grass, but that stuff is so thin that it moves around just like the silk does. Never thought about the stockings though! I'm definitley lookin for somethin smooth for him to chill, thanks!

 

[Netty]

You're gonna have great fun with all the room to decorate for him. Also floating plants like frogbit, are good as they like to hang around the roots

 

[ReMz]

Nice! He's gotta be one happy fish. That's a baller suite for a betta

How is his behavior? Is he acting lethargic and moving slow or is he zooming around a bit and wiggling? Doesnt look like he has any fin rot or clamped fins for that matter, but pics don't show everything. He's probably just getting settled... that can take a few days. Keep an eye on him though, cuz store bought fish can go downhill really fast if they have a bit of a bacterial infection. If you see any rips in the fins or damage start treating immediately. Maracyn 1 in conjunction with Maracyn 2 is a great treatment for all types of bacterial and fungal infections. Mellafix is a good med to have around for regrowing fins and more of a preventative measure when putting a new betta in a tank. Also, aquarium salt keeps them healthier and aids a lot of medications.

You will probably want to keep all of these things on hand in case of an emergency, cuz treating problems fast is crucial.

So just a recap:
1) Maracyn 1 & 2 For bacterial infections (such as fin rot)
2) Mellafix (fin regrowth and preventative)
3) Aquarium salt (just good to add to the tank)

All that being said, he's awesome! His colors should only start getting better once he settles. Love the tank so far. I think a large piece of slate propped up at an angle (and really secure of course) would look cool in the middle/left of that tank.

Generic betta bulbs are a really easy plant to grow if you want some live folliage in the corners as well. I picked some up at Petsmart and most of them take off and start growing (Topfin brand i think)

btw, how is the current in the tank? it looks like it's just fine from the pic.

 

[Owen_R6]

Thanks a lot man! Yeah, he zooms around...It could definitely be that hes just settlin in cause he seems healthy. I was pickin apart one of the sites that was linked in an earlier post and went through all the signs of a sick fish and he seems good to go! And the current actually seems pretty good, he doesnt seem bothered from it so i'll just watch him and make sure everythings good with him! Glad i rescued him from walmart!

I also just got back from tryin to find a cave or nice little pot but i couldnt find anything for him! I dont have anything huge around here so the only places i could go were walmart, target, earl may, and a local pet store! Maybe i can find one next week when i go home and visit my parents though!

Glad you like him and i cant wait for those colors to pop even more!

 

[ReMz]

a landscaping place may have some cool rock slabs or something if you wanted to go that route and glue/build your own cave setup. just have to make sure you use an adhesive that is ok for aquariums and fish.

i just saw something last night that gave me some cool ideas for a larger Cichlid tank down the line.... let me see if i can find the link for ya.

edit:
here is the pic i was talking about. this is a MUCH larger tank but they picked up some slate from a landscaping place and glued together these sort of caves. could be really creative with it:

another one i liked that probably was much easier to make:

just some ideas for ya

 

[newfishy]

you can use different types of rock you find local too, just test it before you put it in the tank, get some cheap vinager and pour it over all the rocks, anything that fizz's or makes any sort of reaction is not good for your tank.

I use cheap plain old terra cotta plant pots for caves-99 cents at walmart in the plant section, I just buy then wash them with water good, after being in the tank a while they mellow to a rich orange brown and can look quite nice in a tank.

you have the same kinds of silk plants I do, they are fine. A east way to tell if anything will snag betta fins is to run a nylon stocking over the item, if it snags it could rip fins.


you have quite the cute fish, I am sure he is just dieing of shock and happyness at his new big home.

 

[Amunet]

It's always so awesome to see someone fall totally head over heels for our fishy friends heh.

He looks great though. Beautiful color

The next thing I would buy would be a liquid test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and whatever else.
Since you have a filter, you're going to have to worry about the cycling process now so you'll have to keep an eye on water stats and do water changes accordingly.
Once ammonia, and eventually nitrites start to show up in tests, you'll have to be on top of those water changes not allowing those 2 readings to get above 0.25.

Anywho... It looks like your tank might have some natural light hitting it? (aka it's near a window?).... I would totally go for live plants.
Ones you could let grow out and over the tank's sides would be gorgeous.... at least the images in my mind are pretty lol.
Or some kind of plant that will flower at the top.. like maybe a water lily?
Just really, endless possibilities.

You're either going to find fishkeeping not the right fit for you, or you'll be like the rest of us, and by the end of the month, have 2-3 more tanks lol

 

[ReMz]

It's always so awesome to see someone fall totally head over heels for our fishy friends heh.

He looks great though. Beautiful color

The next thing I would buy would be a liquid test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and whatever else.
Since you have a filter, you're going to have to worry about the cycling process now so you'll have to keep an eye on water stats and do water changes accordingly.
Once ammonia, and eventually nitrites start to show up in tests, you'll have to be on top of those water changes not allowing those 2 readings to get above 0.25.

Anywho... It looks like your tank might have some natural light hitting it? (aka it's near a window?).... I would totally go for live plants.
Ones you could let grow out and over the tank's sides would be gorgeous.... at least the images in my mind are pretty lol.
Or some kind of plant that will flower at the top.. like maybe a water lily?
Just really, endless possibilities.

You're either going to find fishkeeping not the right fit for you, or you'll be like the rest of us, and by the end of the month, have 2-3 more tanks lol

So true i got a bit caught up in this fun, new setup..... I forgot to mention more $$ that needs to be spent on monitoring. also a bucket with a siphon for a tank that size . You're already in too deep R6. But it all comes down to if you want to take all the advice and really do things right. I was a bit skeptical about the advice I got when i joined this forum and chose to regard it slightly.... luckily my first betta thrived (and that was with a lot of luck). I bought a 5gal tank immediately for the guy, but never regarded water testing and emergency treatment. It is important.

Ur guy is going to be happy for a while i'm sure. it wasn't until 6 months after having my first betta that i let rational thought go out the window and i entirely disregarded roommates opinions to not put another tank in my room. then that tank got divided..... would have had a tank or two around the house but drunken college kids can't be trusted . then my gf ended up with tanks at her apt and she got into the hobby

right now just have fun with the new experience and how much fun interacting with your betta can be. (im more of a gfx guy and spend a lot of time designing websites...... i lose a lot of time messing with my bettas next to the comp... its a good thing)