Thinking Of Doing A New Betta Set Up

[finalfantay85]

Ok so my LFS has some beautiful combtails in at the moment, sadly by the time i get a tank set up they are probably gonna be all gone lol but i can hope right?

Anyway i'm thinking of getting one of those cheap 5 Gal kids tanks from P@H and setting it up. So basically I know i'm gonna need a filter and heater, but am I forgetting anything here? I'm having a stupid day lol

Thanks guys

 

[Loops]

When i set my Betta tank up, I took some filter media out of my other tank and put in the filter.

Just need a heater and some nice plants for your new friend, oh and don't forget his food, some yummy pellets

A couple of water changes a week to keep him nice and healthy, I do 50%.

Hope I have helped a little

 

[finalfantay85]

When i set my Betta tank up, I took some filter media out of my other tank and put in the filter.

Just need a heater and some nice plants for your new friend, oh and don't forget his food, some yummy pellets

A couple of water changes a week to keep him nice and healthy, I do 50%.

Hope I have helped a little

Yeah I don't wanna use media out of my current filter cos there is some mystery disease in there that is slowly wiping out all my tetra despite my (Wilder's ) best efforts to treat it. I think it's NTD but it could be TB so using the media isn't a good idea.

 

[Loops]

Don't think you have to have a filter? or at least you don't need it cycled?


From Betta Basics
Water Changes
Water changes in small tanks should be very frequent, at least once a week, twice a week is even better. You can do it two ways, 100% weekly changes or 50% cycled tank changes using a gravel vac. Bettas don't necessarily need filters, that's up to you. They do make water changes a lot easier,but your betta may prefer his tank water calm. You can purchase small box filters that connect to air pumps, these seem to work well.I prefer cycled tanks, they work the best. This helps to keep your water quality constant rather than building up ammonia each week before a water change

 

[finalfantay85]

I'd rather go with a cycled filter because i'm not gonna be able to do multiple water changes a day cos of work. Just gonna have to hope that nobody buys the metalic silver one i saw there before i can get a tank sorted. And I know the ammonia built up very quickly with my last guy when i put him in a 60L with a new filter

 

[Loops]

Its 100% weekly for non cycled is how I read it, not daily

I know what you are saying though, I prefer cycled. Its a shame you don't know anyone with some media to spare

 

[finalfantay85]

Hmmmmm well we'll see if i can find space for the tank during my semi-annual bedroom clean lol and if so i might just end up buying

 

[llamalord305]

Its 100% weekly for non cycled is how I read it, not daily

I know what you are saying though, I prefer cycled. Its a shame you don't know anyone with some media to spare

Thats dependent on a lot of variables. Full stocking on a tank with no filter usually means 100% daily.

 

[finalfantay85]

My friend has a tank but he's currently upgrading to an external so he has no media to spare cos he's seeding a the new filter with it.
I wanna make sure i do it right this time round so it is probably best to wait

 

[Loops]

Its 100% weekly for non cycled is how I read it, not daily

I know what you are saying though, I prefer cycled. Its a shame you don't know anyone with some media to spare

Thats dependent on a lot of variables. Full stocking on a tank with no filter usually means 100% daily.

I was talking about one Betta.

 

[Assaye]

I've had a single betta in a 5 gallon tank that wasn't cycled and I had ammonia showing up after 24 hours.

Cycle the tank, for his sake.

As for what you need -

+ betta pellets (I use Hikari Betta Bio Gold)
+ sand/gravel
+ lots of live or silk plants
+ a cave/pot
+ no decor that will snag his fins
+ filter
+ heater

 

[finalfantay85]

Yeah I was thinking originally of cycling it, just saw the most stunning silvery combtail and I know he'll be gone by the time the tank is done and i was getting carried away....oh well my loss lol.

I'll go with live plants, just prefer them, big broad leaved ones, maybe somee moss on a log, or will that snag his fins up? I would like to keep it quite natural with some rock and maybe lose a finger or 2 making a coconut cave. Does that sound ok?

Oh with the rocks i've got some polished rocks from Ikea, do you think if i washed them off well they'd be ok to put in?

 

[ellena]

Rocks sound ideal. Just check with a drop of vinegar. If it fizzes, they'll make the water hard so best avoided.
You should look on ebay for a tank, you'll get one with heater and filter cheaper than just the tank at P@H. Go to the tanks and bowls category, click 'used' and choose within 10 or 25 miles of your postcode and all the local ones come up