Thanks so much for the replies everyone! My Mum and I have decided to get a bigger one, and we chose the “Aqua One Betta Trio” from PetBarn (cheaper than it was at City Farmers by about $20):
My brother and sister each have a Betta as well, so we are putting one in each compartment. It is 36 litres, or 9.5 gallons, which is a huge amount better than the 1 gallon one. It has an in-built filter, and comes with a heater and a light.
So far, we have got the gravel, but nothing else. My sister and I spent about 2 hours rinsing the stones, which are now spread out in the divided tank.
However, I am unsure what to do next. We are considering using real plants in the tank, is this a good idea, and what plants do you recommend? I read that Riccia and Java moss were good choices.
Should we wait to get the plants before adding water? Or add them after the tank has cycled?
Also, should I wait until my fish is better before putting him in the big tank, so that whatever he has doesn’t get transferred to my siblings’ fish? (I would put him in the smaller, 1.3 gallon Ikea one)
I am really confused as to what to do next, could someone please advise me on the next few steps?
Thanks so much, I really appreciate the time everyone took to respond
ETA: I just read that we need some water conditioner for setting up the good bacteria. What is the best type available in Perth, WA? Also, there were about a million different bottles of chemicals available in the pet shops; which is the right aquarium salt? This was the one I saw in the shop:
Is it any good, or should I look for others? Are there any other chemicals I need?
The chemicals we currently have are:
Stress Coat (API brand)
Stress Zyme (API brand)
Melafix (API brand)
BettaSafe Water Conditioner (Tetra brand) - “Makes tap water safe for Bettas; Complete formula, works in seconds”. We have been using this to treat our tap water when doing tank cleans.
Please tell me if I have forgotten anything, and thanks again for all the previous replies!