New to fishes....

[Where the river goes]

I recently bought a 1 gallon tank (the $10 ones at Wal-Mart) for a Betta of course I haven't bought the Betta yet though. So far I have a couple silk plants in the tank, a thermometer, and I've added some aquarium salt, Start Right (tap water treatment) and some Ammonia to do a fishless cycle (and yes, I did my research on this).

This time last week I knew nothing of how to take care of a fish. I've done a lot of reading on this board and on the internet....I never realized how much is involved in taking care of a fish! I've learned a lot in just 3 days! Can't wait to get the fish in it's tank though

I have test kits, a "fish only" bucket to put the Betta in when I clean the tank, a turkey baster to clean the gravel and a soft net to transfer the Betta in and out of the tank when necessary. I'm going to purchase some Aquarisol (preventive medication stuff,) other than that is there anything else I'm missing (besides the fish and food ) or any recommendations on thngs I should have on hand? Thanks in Advance.

 

[MountGuppy]

you should pry get a small filter or change the water alot

 

[Where the river goes]

the tank comes with an undergravel filter system from what I've read I should be changing 20-25% of the water weekly.

 

[Lipreader]

Betta are pretty easy to care for and they are tough fish. You sound like you are pretty much set to start. After cycling then just go ahead and pick out your very first baby. I would say Bettas are the best fish to start off. That's how I started this whole fish keeping.

Best of luck!

 

[MountGuppy]

yep changing the water is good

 

[wuvmybetta]

I hope that works out for you.....it's hard to cycle a gallon for some reason. I have several of those 1 gallon wal-mart tanks that you mentioned and they just won't cycle for me.I had never had a problem cycling the two gallon tanks that I own. I've set up a few more two gallons AFTER the 1 gallons were up & running and the two's have already cycled completely while the ones.... , just haven't, ammonia is all at zero but the nitrites just won't peak and drop,yipes (was that confusing ?)



Keep us posted on how the "ammonia" cycling approach goes because I'm really curious to hear the results, it's very interesting,I've never tried it that way before

 

[Where the river goes]

I just started the fishless cycle two days ago. No changes yet.....I'll keep my progress posted..

 

[gi4get]

i've never done a fishless cycle either...sounds like there're a few of us curious to your results

just some tips on actually picking your betta (or any fish for that matter)....
i bought my betta from a massive pet chain. while i knew a ton about their daily care, i knew nothing about disease symptoms. i chose my betta based on how active and colorful he was and brought him home only to find he had fin rot. he's been treated and is doing great now, but it was very discouraging in the beginning. of course pick a color you like (duh ), look for an active fishie, and any betta with a bubble nest is a plus. a bubble nest is a pretty good indicator of a healthy finned friend. i hope everything goes well for you. good luck with your cycle

 

[Where the river goes]

Here's what my tests have indicated so far, 9t hasn't changed all that much since last wednesday when I started the cycle, except the alkalinity went up from 80 to 300, from the high ammonia right? When the ammonia levels go down, the alkalinity and ph should go down somewhat as well, correct?

Ammonia: off the charts
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Total Hardness: 75 soft
Alkalinity: 300 ppm
Ph: over 8.4

This past saturday I added some A.C.T (Aquatic Culture Treatment) someone I know has used this in their tank when they first cycled it and claimed to have had fast results...we'll see how it goes with my tank....

and thank you all for your advice/tips, it's well appreciated.