please recommend me your favorite betta food and 5gal heater

[flyingxchanges]

Using tap water is fine, as long as you condition it. You don't need to spend a lot of money on spring water. I use Prime by Seachem. It lasts forever, and works awesome (:

You should ideally be doing 1- 50% change and 1- 100% change a week.

I do 50% on Monday and 100% on Thursday for my tanks.

[Itsonme]

Originally Posted by flyingxchanges

Using tap water is fine, as long as you condition it. You don't need to spend a lot of money on spring water. I use Prime by Seachem. It lasts forever, and works awesome (:

You should ideally be doing 1- 50% change and 1- 100% change a week.

I do 50% on Monday and 100% on Thursday for my tanks.

don't want to do 100% changes with a cycled tank :( thankyou for the advice though!

the spring water is very cheap .88$ per gallon and 2 gallons is 40% change weekly + the extra water to top off the evaporation. the reason i dont use my tap water is because large visible chunks of calcium float around in it. (believe it or not i know its calcium because my roommate works at a lab that tests water.)

I will try your conditioner, everyone on this board is always so helpful.

one last thing i want to inquire about is maybe getting a UV bulb for a small clip on lamp and simulating sunlight for a few minutes a day at his tank. has anyone does this? is it a good idea?

[Micho]

Originally Posted by Itsonme

don't want to do 100% changes with a cycled tank :( thankyou for the advice though!

the spring water is very cheap .88$ per gallon and 2 gallons is 40% change weekly + the extra water to top off the evaporation. the reason i dont use my tap water is because large visible chunks of calcium float around in it. (believe it or not i know its calcium because my roommate works at a lab that tests water.)

I will try your conditioner, everyone on this board is always so helpful.

one last thing i want to inquire about is maybe getting a UV bulb for a small clip on lamp and simulating sunlight for a few minutes a day at his tank. has anyone does this? is it a good idea?

I've never experienced UV bulbs but, 6500k Fluorescent light bulbs mimic sunlight, and it's actually the best bulb for live plants (I believe). And 6500k bulbs are much cheaper than UV light bulbs I expect.

[flyingxchanges]

Whoops, missed the cycled tank part

[Itsonme]

Originally Posted by Micho

I've never experienced UV bulbs but, 6500k Fluorescent light bulbs mimic sunlight, and it's actually the best bulb for live plants (I believe). And 6500k bulbs are much cheaper than UV light bulbs I expect.

maybe UV light bulbs were not what i was thinking.

I want to simulate actual sunlight for a few minutes a day so he can soak it up and be more colorful i hear its good for there fins and scales.

and i am looking for a bulb that will do just that

[Micho]

Originally Posted by Itsonme

maybe UV light bulbs were not what i was thinking.

I want to simulate actual sunlight for a few minutes a day so he can soak it up and be more colorful i hear its good for there fins and scales.

and i am looking for a bulb that will do just that

Yeah, I think the 6500k would do, apparently 6500k bulbs reproduce a color temperature similar to daylight.

[Itsonme]

ok thankyou very much

[kfryman]

PRIME!!! Only like 2 drops a gallon, in other words it lasts a while. It is one of the most recommended brand on here.

What you ordered is good, the Aqueon is a good heater, I have one in my sorority and it keeps a constant 78.

[Itsonme]

Originally Posted by kfryman

PRIME!!! Only like 2 drops a gallon, in other words it lasts a while. It is one of the most recommended brand on here.

What you ordered is good, the Aqueon is a good heater, I have one in my sorority and it keeps a constant 78.

when i read the instructions that prime as online it says that 1 drop .05ML treats 5 gallons

that means 2 drops per gallon is like treating 50 gallons (according to them)

I could be off or maybe their recommended dose is to low?

[flyingxchanges]

Different size bottles have different dosing instructions. I have a tiny bottle that is 2 drops per gallon. The bigger the bottles, and less drops per gallon. Makes it easier for people with big tanks so they don't have to use a ton of drops, or little tanks using like 1/4 of a drop