Need advice TONIGHT.

[BettaMomma]

I went and picked up a 10G tank tonight with the works - filter, hood, gravel, etc. got 2 dividers, too.

I needed to do something different with poor Archie and Harvey to regulate their temps. So, as you may or may not know, Harvey is currently dealing with some sort of ailment, I'm thinking it's septicemia along with an internal infection. I'm treating him with Maracyn Two.

Archie is also getting M2 for his finrot.

The problem then being that I can only put one of them into the 10G tank right off the bat - because I don't wanna pass what Harvey has on to Archie, etc. etc.

Sooooo... because I think Harvey would benefit most from getting into a tank where he's at a steady temp, do I put him in and then add Archie later?

And obviously, since this thing is a brand new tank it will need to be cycled.
Can I take some gravel from my half-cycled girly tank and dump it in here? Will that help the cycling process a lot?

Need advice here folks.
I'm about to lose my mind.
Thx.

 

[Kiarra]

I'd say don't even start cycling yet. Not until those fish are healthy, then cycle with them when they're healthy.

As for which fish to add first....

You know these two fish better than anybody, BM. They're your babies. If you think Harvey needs the steadier temp more than Archie does right now, then you're probably right.

Hope that helps any....

 

[BettaMomma]

So skip the filter at first?

 

[Dart]

I've never had problems with cycling tanks for bettas, they be tough fish. I'd rinse the gravel in hot water to kill anything on it and put it into the tank with water. Add some dechlorinator to the water and if you have it cycle, it speeds up the cycling process, it's wonderful stuff because you can't over dose it.

it makes the water safe fast

 

[Kiarra]

I'd say that, yes, at this point, you should skip the filter. Get them healthy, and THEN add that kind of thing. Don't want to stress them (and yourself!) out with that right now.

Just do water changes on it right now. Don't even need to do full water changes. Partials will do. Just concentrate on getting Harvey and Archie healthy, and then you can concentrate on getting this new tank in order, and that including setting up the filter and cycling it.

 

[BettaMomma]

Okay.
Off to fill it up.

I hope this works.
I am SO very tired of problems.
UUUUgh.
Thx.

 

[BettaMomma]

Well, he's in it now.
All salted and medicated.
It's got a new arch and loads of plants for him.
He seems to like it so far.
He's strutting around flaring at the plants.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[ManyFISH4Me]

You could lower the water in the 10, then put the other betta & smaller tank inside the 10. That way they both get the benefit of the heater.

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmm.....
That is actually a really good idea.
Hmm...
I do already have the plants, rocks, arches, and dividers all situated in it, but if worst comes to worst... I can always redo... Harvey has been tooling around the place whenever I have looked in on him - and he seems to love the extra new plants. (I added a really tall one - almost goes up to the top of the water - and put in 3 monywort plants too.

The dividers I got are REALLY REALLY slick.
they ARE, afterall, seethru. I didn't think they were.
they will be able to see each other, but I have the tank divided like this:

For right now, I have the heater stuck in where the filter will go.
i'm going filterless until Harvey gets better. Once the filter goes in, I'll put the heater on one of the boys' sides - not sure who yet.
The black dots are beach pebbles and rocks and it has natural gravel on the bottom.

I got the 2 dividers and am putting the filter in between the two (I got a whisper adjustable filter) - I need to ask opinions on undergravel filters to see if I should go down that path instead, but for now this is my plan. I figured the dividers will help in slowing down the flow of the filter, AND it will keep the boys separated by 2 degrees of separation rather than just one. (meaning that if someone jumps ONE fence, he's gonna have to jump ANOTHER one to get in contact with the other fish. And I've kept the water low enough so that if he does decide to jump, he'd have to go a good 3 inches. Which I know is entirely possible because Lucky jumped WAY more than that, but I figure that if that much space and the filter is between them (and I might get some bushy plants to put in the middle to block their view, too) they'll be less likely to jump.

 

[Allix]

Could you show us some pictures of the tank? I love bettas and have been looking for tanks that i can have more than one in but all of the ones i am finding have clear dividors

 

[eudielynn]

I have an UGF in my 20 gal but don't think most bettas would like them. Mine has a pretty strong current. Jericho is very mellow and tolerates it pushing him around most of the time, but my other betta has a 2gal with an UGF and I had to cut the current down to just a few bubbles a second to get him comfortable. He must be happy now though. I had a little bubble nest in one corner when I got home last night. It's our first one.

 

[BettaMomma]

Certainly I can take pics!
I only have Harvey in it for now, but I have it all set up and ready for Archie, too when the time is right.

The one thing I really hate about these dividers is that the rubber thingies that go along the edges to hold htem in place are turquoise blue. why wouldn't they make them black?! UUgh.
Oh well.

I'll post pics tomorrow!

 

[BettaMomma]

eudie - I was under the wrong impression with the undergravel filters, then I guess. Glad I asked and found someone that has them. I thought that maybe they would be less flow than a regular filter, but it sounds like not.

I think with the filter being in a section away from both boys it will be fine!

 

[eudielynn]

You're welcome. Just didn't think your guys would like being pushed around.

 

[Allix]

Drawing looks

I wish more places in england sold dividors