Filtration Question

[Amdonim]

As some of you may know, I've been stuck with a tetra and a beta in the same tank. I've attempted to arrest he current to make the betta happy, but will this affect aeration and be detrimental to the tetra?

 

[Colin_T]

Reducing the surface turbulence will reduce the oxygen levels in the water. However, as long as there is still some surface movement the tetra should be fine.

 

[Amdonim]

So I'm assuming a fish in cycle would be a bad time to try this then.

edit: I guess it's kinda a silly thing to do either way, as the betta isn't gonna get much chance at building a nest with daily water changes.

 

[Mr. Convict]

Well, your cycle has already started.

What kind of tetra is it? You don't really have to worry about the betta, and just 1 tetra shouldn't have much of an oxygen demand, how big is the aquarium?

I say kill the current, and if you see the tetra gasping, then turn the current up a bit and see what happens, keep turning it up until the tetra stops gasping. If you think that the current you stop at is too strong for the betta, consider floating something (a leaf etc, anything flat really), that he will be able to build his bubble nest under.

Goodluck resolving this lol

 

[Amdonim]

Well, your cycle has already started.

What kind of tetra is it? You don't really have to worry about the betta, and just 1 tetra shouldn't have much of an oxygen demand, how big is the aquarium?

I say kill the current, and if you see the tetra gasping, then turn the current up a bit and see what happens, keep turning it up until the tetra stops gasping. If you think that the current you stop at is too strong for the betta, consider floating something (a leaf etc, anything flat really), that he will be able to build his bubble nest under.

Goodluck resolving this lol

It's 10 gallons. I'm not really sure what gasping would look like, but I might. One of the tetras that died seem to always be rapidly opening and shutting his mouth. Is that it?

If I left the cover off the filter (it's a hang-on) would that help with aeration?

 

[Mr. Convict]

Gasping is when the fish is swimming at the surface of the water with his mouth actually touching the surface, looking as though its trying to breathe air from the atmosphere (which is usually the case if there isn't any oxygen in the water)

As for the cover, yes it would, but make sure you have your clip (the thing that keeps it upright) as sometimes they slightly overflow if they hang backward.

It is possible for you to buy a small 2-5g aquarium for the betta? it wouldn't even need a filter, just maybe a silk plant and a little terracotta cave

 

[Amdonim]

Gasping is when the fish is swimming at the surface of the water with his mouth actually touching the surface, looking as though its trying to breathe air from the atmosphere (which is usually the case if there isn't any oxygen in the water)

As for the cover, yes it would, but make sure you have your clip (the thing that keeps it upright) as sometimes they slightly overflow if they hang backward.

It is possible for you to buy a small 2-5g aquarium for the betta? it wouldn't even need a filter, just maybe a silk plant and a little terracotta cave

I've been mulling around the idea of just getting him his own tank. Not sure if I'd filter it or not. I actually have another 10 gallon housing a hermit crab, but I may find somewhere else for him to live and repurpose the tank for the betta. I'd just really like to have more tetras in that tank so the pink guy isn't by his lonesome, but I'm afraid of the betta killing more.

Here's my big question, if I move the betta out, should I leave the tetra alone for cycling, or should I add a few more. I think I read somewhere around here that a fish-in should be done with something like 1/4 capacity. And if I did what sort of fish should I use?

 

[OldMan47]

Unless the current in the tank is totally blowing the betta across the tank, he will be fine. Even though a typical betta has no muscle tone because he has never had any excercise, they are quite capable of getting into shape. The only thing I'd worry about with flow is if he became a total victim of the flow. If he can recover and swim properly in any part of the tank, he will rest when he needs to and will get stronger fairly quickly. When I put a new power head into my 40, I thought my betta would suffer, but a week later he was playing in the water currents along with the platies and the cories.

 

[Amdonim]

Well, after arresting the current with a clean sponge and some tape, 24 hours later the tetra still seems content and Freddy has started building a bubblenest, shame it'll prolly get destroyed when I do a water change tonight. On a side note, I stopped by the LFS today for an API kit and a thermometer. I asked her if it was possibly to get some mature filter media and she replied that some bottled item on the shelf (not refrigerated) was all I needed to cycle. Where do these folks get their information, and how do they not kill all their stock?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Where do these folks get their information, and how do they not kill all their stock?

books written 30 years ago, and have you ever seen the proportion of fish that die in fish shops...... it's certainly a lot hgiher than in our tanks, it's to be expected to some degree though just cos it's a shop so tanks are overcrowded and there's lots of people around. remember though once they've got their system through the first cycle it'll always be stocked so won't need to cycle again.