[ArrowheadShark]

Hey guys! :'D Been a while since I've been on here, been so busy @[email protected] Did hay making for the first time. *Flops over*

Anyways... Shark. I got the chance to stop at a store specializing in just fish. I was a little disappointed because I was looking specifically for silk plants, and they didn't have any; lots of overly priced plastic ones, though. I picked up some of the stuff that's been on my to-get list for shark, but I really wanted to get him plants or something so he had a place to hide in and so his cage would be more interesting. I can tell he's starting to get bored now.
(On another note, I think he started tail-biting - I'm gonna do some research into this. Doesn't look like fin-rot, from what I've heard of it.)

And here's my big question:
The gal at the place showed me some live plants I could get, but they were already in their aquariums that had other fish in them. I did buy some moss and a leafy plant (@[email protected] yes. I'm horrible. I already completely forgot the names of them), and I was wondering about quarantining and anything else I need to do with them? Looks like I also got what I think is some duckweed in with the two plants.

I've read something about acclimating them like you would a fish - floating the bag and adding water slowly over time.

I've tried looking this up online and on here, and didn't get an answer I was comfortable with, so I'm posting here. I hope it's not already been asked >.<'' sorry if it has been.

The other employee at the store, when I asked about if there was anything I needed to do, just told me to put them right into the tank. ._.'' I'm not so sure. So I'll hold off on putting them in and wait for an answer.

Thanks! :'D

Edit: I believe the moss is Java Moss.

 

[lilnaugrim]

You can put it right into the tank if you want to, however if you feel that maybe some fish had disease or something you can place the plant in a container with a light over it of just tap water, no conditioner. This won't kill the plant, don't worry I've done it loads of time. But the chlorine in tap will basically kill any sorts of insects or buggers that might be hitchhiking. You can do that for a week and then you can just throw them in.

But other than that I usually just plop them right in after I give their roots a little trim (it stimulates new growth, like cutting hair)

If you show me a picture of the plant I can ID it for you and tell you it's requirements as well. Some plants absolutely need high lights which most aquariums don't have so you just don't buy those and get the low lights like Java Moss, it's a great plat :-D

 

[ArrowheadShark]

Well, if the plants survive in his tank they survive XD'' I just moved him out of my room and into the living room, because I think I figured out why he was tail biting, especially with a past-memory of it.

I think he misses me, or at least misses the entertainment; at my dorm he was right at eye-level with me on my desk, since my computer was under it. (I like caves xD) So I was always talking to him and looking up and watching him show-off.

And then when I got to Linda's - poof! I'm always outside with the horses or off doing something else, and he was alone in the room aside from the hamster Mouse. I think moving him into the living room will help - his cage lid should keep out the cats, and he's at a spot where he should be safe. Right next to Bingo's cage, too, so he can stalk the leopard gecko xD

I think the activity he'll see will help keep him interested, as well as I'll continue changing up his aquarium.

Thank-you for the answer! :'D Unfortunately for the tap idea, Linda's got well water, so no chlorine.

 

[lilnaugrim]

Yeah, Betta's love human interaction and I can see the huge difference when I go off to my mom's and come back to my dad's, they're all so excited and happy to see me! It's an awesome feeling I got to say!

As far as well water, it will still have heavy metals in it, you can't really escape those so just use the well water for a week to QT it if you want to, it will still work since most things can't live with metals. But in any case, you can just throw it into the tank ;-) sometimes when plants are introduced to new water chemistry they will "melt" or lose leaves but it's just them getting used to the water and they'll grow them back so no worries if your plant looks like it's "dying", unless it's turning brown then just keep it going :-D

 

[ArrowheadShark]

I put the new plants in - he just had a water change, a new location, and a new sponge filter put in, and of course plants, so I think it'll be a bit before he's totally comfortable. I can see him swimming around from over here, not sure what he thinks of his new plants yet.

 

[lilnaugrim]

I'm sure he's going to love them! :-D glad you're taking such great care of him ^_^

 

[ArrowheadShark]

I'm certainly trying @[email protected] He has his heater, filter, and now some plants.

Some of his fins are starting to curl, though? I tried looking it up before - I'll go try again. Not sure if it's bothering him or not - perhaps that could also be why he's tail-biting...? He's a double-tail male, not sure if that makes any difference.

 

[lilnaugrim]

It's probably the water. if you have a high pH (but with well it shouldn't be) or hard water then that causes fins to curl, also poor water maintenance as well. Like if you don't keep up with your weekly changes or more if it's a smaller tank. CT's are the most prone to it though. But no it doesn't bother them, just doesn't look nice is all.

 

[ArrowheadShark]

I also got an ammonia testing kit today, and the first thing I did before changing his water was test it. It was at .25ppm before the change, which was about 75 % this time, though I usually do a 50%

I wonder if it wasn't from my dorm water or the water at my moms, or even from the pet store. He had one little curl starting in his fin I noticed not long after I got him, and I don't know if he had it when I got him or afterwards. I've heard some people speculate it could be after-effects from the pet store water.

I don't know what his PH is, and I don't have a kit for it right now >.< it could be from ammonia, since I've lost track of my water-change schedual with my own crazy schedual, though now that hay-making is over and I'm more of a sane mind, I'm hoping back on track to twice a week 50% changes. Before it was about once a week.

Plants are supposed to help with ammonia levels, right? Or is that only if your tank is cycled? I was unsure on that.

Thank-you so much for your help! I've learned so much from the people on this forum, I think it's really rather amazing. Linda doesn't like looking to 'online chats' or people's discussions on things, and I don't blame her - because they're usually Yahoo answer or something. I feel like I'm talking right with fish experts on here!
(...which I am, at least you've all fooled me well enough to think so! xD)

 

[ArrowheadShark]

Do you know if their fins ever un-curl? I heard someone saying their Betta's did, but I don't think it was very far along.

 

[lilnaugrim]

Lol well we're not all experts per se, but it helps that we have experience in the field ;-)

as far as fin curling, they can straighten out depending on which type make them curl. If they are curled because of hard water, they will always stay curled, no matter what. But if they were curled from the ammonia build up in cups, or in tanks then they can uncurl a bit or all the way depending on how bad, when they are given new fresh water frequently. So it's not the store water, but it's the ammonia build up in the cups and I have one boy who had that very same thing happen to his ventral fins but it hasn't uncurled all the way, I've had him for about 5 months now. It's certainly straightened a bit but it will never be fully straight again.

Yeah if you test and see your ammonia get above .25ppm then go right ahead and do a small change, 25-50% should be just fine if you've got a siphon to use.

And as far as plants, it depends on how many you have. It will help some if you do have a few in there but it depends on the size of the tank, the fish and how many plants. It's not just fish waste that goes into ammonia, it's also dissolve organic compounds which can come from plants/water/fish. So the more plants you have the better, yes. And actually with plants they do act as a buffer against harmful levels of the three; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, if you have enough.

If you have a filter they will actually help with the Nitrogen cycle and getting it going, usually if you get plants from another tank they will already have Beneficial Bacteria on it BB (that's what your growing during the cycle), and so it helps give the cycle a "kick-start" and then of course protects the fish during the actual cycling process where the BB are being grown :-D Does that answer your question?

 

[ArrowheadShark]

Lol well we're not all experts per se, but it helps that we have experience in the field ;-)

as far as fin curling, they can straighten out depending on which type make them curl. If they are curled because of hard water, they will always stay curled, no matter what. But if they were curled from the ammonia build up in cups, or in tanks then they can uncurl a bit or all the way depending on how bad, when they are given new fresh water frequently. So it's not the store water, but it's the ammonia build up in the cups and I have one boy who had that very same thing happen to his ventral fins but it hasn't uncurled all the way, I've had him for about 5 months now. It's certainly straightened a bit but it will never be fully straight again.

Yeah if you test and see your ammonia get above .25ppm then go right ahead and do a small change, 25-50% should be just fine if you've got a siphon to use.

And as far as plants, it depends on how many you have. It will help some if you do have a few in there but it depends on the size of the tank, the fish and how many plants. It's not just fish waste that goes into ammonia, it's also dissolve organic compounds which can come from plants/water/fish. So the more plants you have the better, yes. And actually with plants they do act as a buffer against harmful levels of the three; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, if you have enough.

If you have a filter they will actually help with the Nitrogen cycle and getting it going, usually if you get plants from another tank they will already have Beneficial Bacteria on it BB (that's what your growing during the cycle), and so it helps give the cycle a "kick-start" and then of course protects the fish during the actual cycling process where the BB are being grown :-D Does that answer your question?

Yes, that definitely answers many of my questions :'D Thank-you! I have two small plants right now in a three gallon. I eventually want to get more, but right now he's finally got some plants so I can stop fretting over that.

Thanks again! >w<

 

[lilnaugrim]

Very welcome! Feel free to PM me anytime with questions if you got them ^_^

 

[ArrowheadShark]

Very welcome! Feel free to PM me anytime with questions if you got them ^_^

Awesome! I will, thank-you so much! :'D

Update on Shark's tail-biting: His fins are healing up, and he hasn't been biting them anymore since I moved him into the living room. I also hold up a little mirror for him that I found, too, so he gets his ego-boost ;D

 

[lilnaugrim]

Sweet!! I'm glad he's doing better!!