Fish tank accesories questions...

[Jessica2012]

Well I am thinking of getting my fish some new decorations and such and I was wondering your opinions on the following ideas:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/betta-hammock
http://www.thatpetplace.com/floating-betta-log-3in

I am thinking about getting possibly a plastic plant from maybe walmart. Where does one find a live plant for in the tanks?

[waterdog]

The hammock and log are great. Don't do plastic as it can rip a bettas fins, get silk plants if you don't do live.

You can get live plants at Petsmart or Petco, or you can get them online.

[AyalaCookiejar]

Do they still make their hammocks with metal wire? If so, it needs to be removed first.

I would check out Petco's silk plants. I have a lot of them and they are very colorful. Depending on how tall your tank is, they have midground and background plants and also foreground, but IME the foreground plants aren't really tall enough for any tank. They are good for decoration. I have the three pack of midground plants for my five gallons and the three pack of background ones for my ten.

Foreground plants are from 4-6 inches tall, the midgrounds are 8 and the backgrounds are 14 but they kind of vary depending on the plant. Some droop more than others. You should probably get at least one that's tall enough to reach the water surface or close to it.

[Jessica2012]

I will probably end up getting a silk plant. My fish tank isn't very big. It is a round one. I only have one fish and my friend gave me everything for free. I am just buying the accessories.

[AyalaCookiejar]

The only silk plants I know that Walmart sells are the ones that are attached to the wood and rock decorations. Not all plastic plants are that dangerous but silk is the safest way to go. You can decide what size you need by measuring from the bottom of the tank to the water surface (my tank is 10 inches but the water level is nine so I got 8 inch plants.) Petco lists the size of the plants on their website.

[Jessica2012]

Okay thanks for your help. I really appreciate it. How often is the best to clean the fish tank?

[Fishybitty]

The log is a good idea, my little guy loved it. You can get live plants from alot of petstores. If you have a petsmart around you their plants are decently priced!

[cliffordsmom]

Originally Posted by Jessica2012

Okay thanks for your help. I really appreciate it. How often is the best to clean the fish tank?

Depends! What size tank are you keeping him in?

[Jessica2012]

I honestly don't know what size the tank is. Like I said it was given to me for free by my friend.

[cliffordsmom]

Oops, sorry. I must have missed that post!

If it's really small (like a 1.5 gallons or smaller), I'd look into saving up for a 2.5g aquarium kit. They're really manageable and give your fish enough room to move around. Also, it's a good idea to get a heater if you don't have one already. Bettas are tropical and should have 76-82 degree water.

Sorry, I don't mean to lecture!
I'm sure what he's in now is better than the cup he came in at the store. Bettas are pretty durable, but they'll absolutely flourish in warm, roomier conditions. :)

But if he's in one gallon or less, I would change at least 50% daily. When my betta was in a gallon sized bowl, I did 100% every 2-3 days. 100% changes can stress your fish, that's another reason why larger tanks are recommended.