Betta lost tail

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

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Oh my god yeah a 20l for a bristlenose no waayyyy
I had some leaves in there but they all got pretty gross, I'm looking into buying bulk indian almond leaves my tank was originally just for my plecos so the decor is more for them, I'm going out soon to Hollywood fish farm to buy a ton of hides/plants, but I gotta wait for the vaccine mandate to end to do that (
They are pretty funny little guys it would be awesome to have tons

Yeah, the leaves do break down, but they don't do any harm, and they're breaking down because micro critters are nomming on them, and certain fish also nom on the micro critters I love adding almond leaves to my tanks, I bulk order 50 at a time from amazon. Once they've broken down to the point you don't like the look anymore, you can remove them, but even when they're really just a stem and traces of the structure left, it doesn't do your tank any harm

They're also supposed to have some health benefits for fish, can't remember which ones or how right now, but I add them to a tank if there's a sickly fish. Have some healthy bacteria or something, and help to fight off bad bacteria, something like that. Can always look it up.

Hope the vaccine mandate ends for you soon! You should make a journal post or something when you do get your hands on things to add to the tank

 

[AiresCosta]

Yeah, the leaves do break down, but they don't do any harm, and they're breaking down because micro critters are nomming on them, and certain fish also nom on the micro critters I love adding almond leaves to my tanks, I bulk order 50 at a time from amazon. Once they've broken down to the point you don't like the look anymore, you can remove them, but even when they're really just a stem and traces of the structure left, it doesn't do your tank any harm

They're also supposed to have some health benefits for fish, can't remember which ones or how right now, but I add them to a tank if there's a sickly fish. Have some healthy bacteria or something, and help to fight off bad bacteria, something like that. Can always look it up.

Hope the vaccine mandate ends for you soon! You should make a journal post or something when you do get your hands on things to add to the tank

It’s the tannins in the leaves that help the fish . the leaves I used were poplar which is why i got rid of them, they biodegrade and go slimy within days, it was effecting the cleanliness of my tank

 

[itiwhetu]

This made me belly laugh, and sigh in relief at the same time! LOL! People using different measurement systems can be confusing, it happens! You can see now why I was worrying about the bristlenose and guppies, eh? LMAO

A 20 gallon is absolutely fine for the bristlenose to stay in and can probably manage with quite a few kuhli's too. Guppies do really need harder water though - @itiwhetu, isn't water in New Zealand often soft? and also good quality for fish, compared to our rubbish tap water here?

If yours is soft, then that gives you a lot more options for cool fish! I'd avoid hard water fish like guppies/mollies/platies etc, since they need hard water to thrive, especially mollies.


Looking really good! Just needs more plants!


Kuhli loaches are famous for hiding away beneath the sand/in decor and rarely being seen. Sometimes people think theirs must have died, then find it months or even years later when they take the tank down, alive and well! lol. Having a good sized group of them will help, but also adding more cover they can hide in and feel safe, means they're more likely to come out into the open, surprisingly! A tank that's open and clear, with no floating plants, not many plants, wood or leaves on the bottom, and open sides, leaves fish a bit spooked and more inclined to stay hidden away. Open water means being exposed to predators, so fish are always wary of being out in the open like that.

So while it's looking great, I'd still add some more plants, maybe a wood piece or two, and some leaf litter like Indian Almond leaves. You'll likely spot them moving around and under them then, especially when they have a bigger group to feel more secure

We usually have soft water in New Zealand. I would say it is the best water in the world, so we can keep whatever fish we want to.

 

[AiresCosta]

We usually have soft water in New Zealand. I would say it is the best water in the world, so we can keep whatever fish we want to.

Yeah I live on a farm so have tank water rain and don't need to use conditioner since it's been tested and has no heavy metals/chemicals so it's the best. Can just do tank refills straight from the tap

 

[itiwhetu]

Yeah I live on a farm so have tank water rain and don't need to use conditioner since it's been tested and has no heavy metals/chemicals so it's the best. Can just do tank refills straight from the tap

Same here, all rainwater from the tank. It is so easy now. The fish love it as well.

 

[AiresCosta]

Same here, all rainwater from the tank. It is so easy now. The fish love it as well.

What kind of fish do you have? I'm looking at new fish to possibly put in the 320 I'm getting

 

[AiresCosta]

What kind of fish do you have? I'm looking at new fish to possibly put in the 320 I'm getting

And I need ideas lol