Hello! My first post here, glad I can be a part of this community. I hope I can get some tips on my Betta so he can thrive and live longer than my cat (jokes, )
This is my first fish ever-- I've done a lot of research (to the best of my capability) on what i need to get my tank started, etc.
I didnt want anything fake-- No fake rocks, plants, etc. I wanted a nice little environment for my first fish and I hope I'm doing good!
- All the equipment bought (even ones discarded) I will post here. I'd like some criticism on the items used, looking for the best environment for this guy! Everything in the tank was bought at Petco EXCEPT for the rocks, which was bought at a local area.
Currently my Betta stands in a 5.5Gallon tank with three plants - A Java Fern and two Assorted Anubias (I don't remember the names... Hopefully the pictures posted later will help). There are three little snails around that move frequently, and no harm is done to the fish and vice versa. I am using very little White sand on the bottom of the tank for height, since I needed more height for the roots. Originally, this was going to be the soil/substrate(?) used, but I was told against it as bettas have a tendency of mistaking it for food, and I have gravel on top as the cap. The water sits at about a constant 77*F (23*C) which I hope is ideal.
Heres a picture of my Betta (Male Double Tail):
http://i.imgur.com/jdRSqrW.jpg
Here is a picture of the tank:
http://i.imgur.com/LXjvXNk.jpg
Here are pictures of the plants:
The Java Fern:
http://i.imgur.com/o6zOeaJ.jpg
The two Anubias:
http://i.imgur.com/KJRj6dY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Xb0vY6j.jpg
I have a couple questions concerning the tank and the fish:
1. What do I need in order for the plants to thrive? Is there anything besides the gravel and sufficient light in order for these plants to grow?
2. What other plants would be viable for a Betta? (I looked at the thread thats stickied, i'll look further into them!)
3. Would the sand I picked out be fine? I like the look of the sand more than the gravel and I'd be happy to get more, but I want to make sure my betta is safe before I add them.
4. What filter would be ideal for a 5.5gallon? I had a Whisper 10i that was doing great, but I noticed there was so much water movement that my fish would blow away when he was near it. The food would get stuck behind the filter and my fish wouldn't even be able to eat. I switched to an Aqueon Quietflow AT10 (Internal), and that seems to be helping a lot. Wondering if I can do better?
5. Would Ghost/Cherry Shrimp be more ideal than Snails? I was thinking about having a lot of shrimps running around but they were on sale at the time...
6. Food- Whats the best option for food? I currently give him Omega One Freeze Dried Blood Worms. Is that too overkill or are these guys fine?
An important question I'd also like to bring up is: Is my fish in a healthy condition? Are there any signs of fish rot, or any potential illness that will lower this guys lifespan? I have pictures of his body and fins here:
http://i.imgur.com/pwIBPUn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3cf4qYf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UiGRylS.jpg
Equipment in the tank:
Tank/Cover - Aqueon 5.5 Gallon Small
Filter:
Old: Tetra Whisper 10i
New (currently in tank): Aqueon QuietFlow Model AT10
Heater: Aqueon Aquatic Flat Heater
Thermostat (might as well...): Aqueon Glass Thermostat
Substrate:
For height underneath, Imagitarium Aquatic Substrate (White)
For the cap: Estes' Spectrastone Premium Aquarium Gravel
Thanks for reading this large post, and if I posted in the wrong section, I am sorry! I had a lot of questions and didn't know where to start. I am open to any criticism for future tanks.
Thanks again!
edit1: Pictures weren't loading... Sorry about that! I posted links to them instead.
This is my first fish ever-- I've done a lot of research (to the best of my capability) on what i need to get my tank started, etc.
I didnt want anything fake-- No fake rocks, plants, etc. I wanted a nice little environment for my first fish and I hope I'm doing good!
- All the equipment bought (even ones discarded) I will post here. I'd like some criticism on the items used, looking for the best environment for this guy! Everything in the tank was bought at Petco EXCEPT for the rocks, which was bought at a local area.
Currently my Betta stands in a 5.5Gallon tank with three plants - A Java Fern and two Assorted Anubias (I don't remember the names... Hopefully the pictures posted later will help). There are three little snails around that move frequently, and no harm is done to the fish and vice versa. I am using very little White sand on the bottom of the tank for height, since I needed more height for the roots. Originally, this was going to be the soil/substrate(?) used, but I was told against it as bettas have a tendency of mistaking it for food, and I have gravel on top as the cap. The water sits at about a constant 77*F (23*C) which I hope is ideal.
Heres a picture of my Betta (Male Double Tail):
http://i.imgur.com/jdRSqrW.jpg
Here is a picture of the tank:
http://i.imgur.com/LXjvXNk.jpg
Here are pictures of the plants:
The Java Fern:
http://i.imgur.com/o6zOeaJ.jpg
The two Anubias:
http://i.imgur.com/KJRj6dY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Xb0vY6j.jpg
I have a couple questions concerning the tank and the fish:
1. What do I need in order for the plants to thrive? Is there anything besides the gravel and sufficient light in order for these plants to grow?
2. What other plants would be viable for a Betta? (I looked at the thread thats stickied, i'll look further into them!)
3. Would the sand I picked out be fine? I like the look of the sand more than the gravel and I'd be happy to get more, but I want to make sure my betta is safe before I add them.
4. What filter would be ideal for a 5.5gallon? I had a Whisper 10i that was doing great, but I noticed there was so much water movement that my fish would blow away when he was near it. The food would get stuck behind the filter and my fish wouldn't even be able to eat. I switched to an Aqueon Quietflow AT10 (Internal), and that seems to be helping a lot. Wondering if I can do better?
5. Would Ghost/Cherry Shrimp be more ideal than Snails? I was thinking about having a lot of shrimps running around but they were on sale at the time...
6. Food- Whats the best option for food? I currently give him Omega One Freeze Dried Blood Worms. Is that too overkill or are these guys fine?
An important question I'd also like to bring up is: Is my fish in a healthy condition? Are there any signs of fish rot, or any potential illness that will lower this guys lifespan? I have pictures of his body and fins here:
http://i.imgur.com/pwIBPUn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3cf4qYf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UiGRylS.jpg
Equipment in the tank:
Tank/Cover - Aqueon 5.5 Gallon Small
Filter:
Old: Tetra Whisper 10i
New (currently in tank): Aqueon QuietFlow Model AT10
Heater: Aqueon Aquatic Flat Heater
Thermostat (might as well...): Aqueon Glass Thermostat
Substrate:
For height underneath, Imagitarium Aquatic Substrate (White)
For the cap: Estes' Spectrastone Premium Aquarium Gravel
Thanks for reading this large post, and if I posted in the wrong section, I am sorry! I had a lot of questions and didn't know where to start. I am open to any criticism for future tanks.
Thanks again!
edit1: Pictures weren't loading... Sorry about that! I posted links to them instead.