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Old 08-09-2015, 12:52 PM   #21
Enh98
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Thanks! I wonder what is causing the fish to be ill then? Stress from the water change?
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Old 08-09-2015, 01:50 PM   #22
candice clews
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Enh98 View Post
Awww, I'm sorry about your fish!
Thank you! Just reading over your thread and its come to me that we have done exactky the same thing! We cleaned the whole tank out and replaced the filters a few days ago we have another 2 fish in the same tank so were just hoping they will oull through! Hope your fish is okay and recovers. Love thosr fish there beautiful!
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Old 08-09-2015, 02:43 PM   #23
nickoh
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Pretty much owned betta fish my whole life, and I can tell you every time one of them did that they died within the next few days. I think it's just from old age and they cant handle water changes anymore cause it puts too much stress on them. Especially 100% water changes. I'm really sorry about your fish and I really hope it gets better (: (sorry if I'm mistaken, I didn't read the whole thread.)
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Old 08-09-2015, 02:50 PM   #24
Enh98
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nickoh View Post
Pretty much owned betta fish my whole life, and I can tell you every time one of them did that they died within the next few days. I think it's just from old age and they cant handle water changes anymore cause it puts too much stress on them. Especially 100% water changes. I'm really sorry about your fish and I really hope it gets better (: (sorry if I'm mistaken, I didn't read the whole thread.)
Thanks! I don't have high hopes that he'll get better. I feel bad that he's suffering though. I've read that fish can be euthanized using clove oil.
I might just put the poor thing out of his misery! Now I know about water changes I can be better prepared the next time around!
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Old 08-09-2015, 04:08 PM   #25
BrainGirl
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Your tank isn't cycled and hasn't even started. What you need to do is keep testing your water until you see ammonia readings. That's when you want to start doing small water changes to keep it at around 1.0 ppm. But use Prime or a similar product for neutralizing the ammonia! That way it won't harm your fish to live in it. When you start to get nitrite readings you'll know your cycle is just starting up. Your ammonia won't go up as fast because the bacteria are converting it into nitrites. Keep doing the water changes until you start to see nitrates. Then your tank will be cycled and you can start doing maintenance water changes

Don't mess with your pH if it's stable at 6.0 because it's much less stressful to your fish. My pH was stable at 8.0 at my last place so I left it as is. Have to figure out what my "natural" pH is here and get used to a whole new set of readings!

Last edited by BrainGirl; 08-09-2015 at 04:41 PM.
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Old 08-09-2015, 04:29 PM   #26
Enh98
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Fish maintenance is so much more complicated than I thought!
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Old 08-09-2015, 04:40 PM   #27
BrainGirl
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Totally I had a heck of a time figuring out the whole nitrogen cycle thing but once it was explained to me in simple terms and I got it then I suddenly developed Multiple Tank Syndrome
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Old 08-09-2015, 05:36 PM   #28
Enh98
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Part of me just wants to sell the tank and all of the accessories and have one less thing on my plate!
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Old 08-09-2015, 06:08 PM   #29
BrainGirl
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

I felt the same way when I first started to realize that there was more to it than I thought. Something a fishkeeper said that really resonated with me was to the effect that we keep water, not fish

Just keep testing the water regularly. I know the first time I did a cycle the "right" way and I started getting nitrite readings I got a strange thrill out of it and I was hooked!
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Old 08-11-2015, 12:59 AM   #30
Reduce Reuse Hamcycle
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Default Re: Help with betta fish!

Hey! =]

I tried to type up a long reply but the short of it is if you use fast-growing plants, and you use enough of them then you don't have to cycle your tank because the plants absorb the ammonia and use it to grow. As a rule if you want plants that help with filtration get fast growers. The reason Watersprite is my all time fave is it's fast growing, low to mid light but stands up will in high light, and it propogates like noone's business. Any small bit of leaf will grow babies if it;s ripped off. Which is great if you're a perpetual dead thumb or a plant destoryer by nature. if you get rid of all the roots though and don't allow new ones to grow then you will lose it.

Here's a few helpful threads on Planted Tanks:

How to: Natural Planted tank

LONG Water Sprites!

--- A Hand-drawn Plant Guide ---

Also check out "Ripariums" A Riparium is where the bulk of the filtration for a tank is made up of emersed roots or half emersed plants. I like Ripariums a lot. I had one set up for a year, although I never put any fauna in it. (I was told I'd be kicked out of my family home if anyone so much as saw a fish! :'D I was a tad bit fish crazy in college... just a bit)

The plants I recommend are Zebrina (Wandering Jew) both the fuzzy kind and the not fuzzy kind (though the not fuzzy kind seemed to do better), pothos (almost everyone has access to purchasing this plant or knows someone or somewhere that they can take cuttings from), peace lily, and any other low-mid light and mid-high water requirement.

Really all you need are the plants, the patience, and the light/lights and you're good to go.

Here's the end of a small tank thread (1-3 gallons) where you can see an example of a riparium. from this page to page 117 you can watch his riparium evolve.

1-2 gallon tanks/bowls - Page 114

How's the little guy doing? Is he still alive?

There is something to be said for the thrill of getting a result that you're looking for when cycling and being able to change tanks relatively easily with less start-up cost. Cycling gives you that quick stability (well quick if you already have cycled media). I'd have loved to have gotten it right at somepoint but it just never did work out for me. I was happier underwater gardening anyway though. :P

Gosh darnit you've gotten me hooked again! XD It took years to break my fish addiction now I'm plotting another riparium that I'm not allowed to have! XD
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