I've been lurking around these forums for about a month and a half now, trying to figure out how to best take care of a betta. I wanted to do it justice and take care of it like a proper owner :) I was originally only going to have two African Dwarf Frogs (as I rescued them from my current place of employment, as they were being sold in those absolutely tiny "tanks"), but I decided it would be nice to have a betta as a conversation piece for my apartment.
I wanted to reach out and ask other people here on the forums though if I'm forgetting anything for my tank.
Housing
What size is your tank? Five Gallon
What temperature is your tank? A constant 78 degrees F
Does your tank have a filter? It has a waterfall filter with baffle.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No.
Is your tank heated? Yes it is.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? Three ghost shrimp and two African Dwarf frogs
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? I feed it betta pellets, freeze dried blood worms, and some fish flakes on occassion
How often do you feed your betta fish? Twice a day
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 20%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Chlorine neutralizer and fish coating enhancements with aquatic plant nutrients.
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
pH: 7
Hardness: Moderately Soft
Alkalinity: (Can't remember off the top of my head due to running out of test strips, but it's well within the accepted range)
I did cycle the tank using a fishless method (raw shrimp) and that worked wonders. Bacteria colony seem to be using up all the excess ammonia and nitrites. Also planted some aquatic plants (PetCo didn't give these a proper name, so sadly I do not know what they are called) and I have a "moss ball" that is fake and absorbs phospates. There is also a broken pot aquarium decoration to add some enrichment to the tank. I'm using a full spectrum CFL lamp that is designed for aquariums using an Edison Base.
The betta does indeed get along with the ADF and ghost shrimp. Also he's a blue veiltail with hints of red so I've decided to call him "Corundum." Any input would be much appreciated, even if that means I return him to the store so that he can be happy. If I'm going to keep fish I'm going to do it right.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
New Tank Setup
