A few questions. Help? :D

[Owlets]

Hey all~ Just a few questions.

1. I just bought a heater for my 3.5 gallon tank, 50w was the only one available, i read somewhere this guy said "anything lower than 5 gallons is too dangerous to house a heater, and the heater in the 5 gallon must be only 25w", is this true? i don't want to fry my fish or something, ha. My thermometer is reading the temp his tank is supposed to be at, but i'm not sure.

2. I also recently bought a new filter, it was a bit strong so i modified it a little so its a burst of bubbles, which i'm still unsure if it is too strong. My amazing fishy likes to eat the bubbles and play around in the bubbles - is this safe? i don't want the current to be too strong on him and hurt him. I guess if it hurt him, he would stop swimming through the bubbles and getting pushed around, right? The filter is right in the corner and hidden by plants, but he still seeks it out to play in it! I don't want to hurt him.

3. Frank, my amazing fishy, had a small case of fin rot. His fins are a bit tattered now, and i was wondering if they will grow back? if so, what are some things to help the regrowth?

Thanks so much in advance, sorry for rambling on like an idiot haha. I'm a semi-new betta owner, and i want to do everything right~

[ChristinaRoss]

welcome to the forum. ok so1. just keep an eye on the temperature and make sure it stay 78-80 not higher. its usually watts watts per gallon, yours is a little more than needed so just keep a faithful eye on it so u dont overheat him. 2.he must like the filter, if his fins seem more raggedy than usuall in a week or two it might be too strong of a current for him even if he does like it. 3.melafix is good for promoting fin healing

[Calmwaters]

I second what Christina said. Good luck with your betta and welcome to the addiction. LOL

[Jupiter]

Yep, Melafix or Bettafix. I used bettafix because that's what i saw. And a bit of aquarium salt doesn't hurt either. ;)

[kelly528]

Hey there!

-It depends on the heater. My 50w fried my 5g tank, but if the temperature looks fine, consider yourself in the clear. Some heaters can go lower than others.

-Good call on modd-ing the filter. The bubbles should be fine.

-Honestly, I would refrain from Melafix or Bettafix unless you really have to. They both have the same active ingredient (Tea Tree Oil), which is not great for fish that breather air, like bettas and gouramis. Furthermore, fin rot is a common occurrence in store-bought bettas and often clears up with clean water, extra heat (only a degree or two) and some aquarium salt. You are pretty much already treating him just by taking him out of that dingy cup!

Good luck,
Kelly

[HopeInHeart]

For everyone that own cats ( the kitty kind, not the fish kind out there, be careful when giving your fish meds, especially ones that contain tea tree oil. Tea Tree Oil is very bad for cats and I bet the other meds are too. Please make sure to cover your tanks so your fishy friends can't jump out and your kitty friends won't get sick.

[dramaqueen]

Good advice! People shouldn't be letting their cats drink out of fish bowls/tanks anyway.

[HopeInHeart]

Thanks! I didn't mean to go off-topic in the thread but since Tea Tree Oil was mentioned I felt I should say something.

[JaspersANGEL]

I got my fish a heater its a 25W Theo Hydro and it adjusts, but since my tank is only a 2.5 gallon I guess the water heats up quick so I can't set the heater to 80 but I found the perfect setting on it that heats my water to 80F exactly.
Jasper seems to be liking the heat, he's making bubble nests and his color looks brighter but im still asking myself if im doing good for him.

[ChristinaRoss]

sounds like hes doing very well