My son has a new found love for "fishies" and we wanted to get a family fish we could all learn to care for. We selected a betta at petsmart and got lots of advice from the employees there. We got this tank set up during their 50% off sale that came with the filter and thermometer. We kept the fish in its cup while we set up the tank with filter, heater, and conditioned the water. I then came to reddit and learned about the "fish in" cycling. Since joining this sub i have learned SO much and have some major regrets for not spending the extra $$ on a bigger tank.
Picture 1 is our first day in the new tank, second pic is a few days later after adding a plant and some mopani wood and removing the plastic plants, third pic is today after putting in some new plants and doing a 25% water change. I have been taking water samples to persmart for water testing and recently got a strip test. I know the api kit is going to be more accurate so its definitely on the list to purchase asap. So far the water parameters have been pretty good and i've been doing 25% water changes every few days.
The fish seems happy i think? I have caught him glass surfing a few times but he generally is chillen.
Now here is the situation, we are 10 days into cycling and I really want this little guy to make it. My step dad has a 10 gallon tank in the basement we could move this guy into. I know now the gravel is not the best so i would plan to buy a proper substrate and plant the tank fully. That tank does not have a lid so we are brainstorming a diy lid because ik bettas can jump.
Heres my questions:
-Does he look okay?
-Is my 3g tank set up decent for now?
-How would I go about moving him into the 10g?
-Should I cycle the other tank completely before the move or is another fish in cycle ok?
-What do I do with the little filter? Would that need to move into the 10g for the bacteria purposes? Ik now i need a sponge filter but ik the bacteria is important so i'm a bit confused on that part.
If you've read this far thank you!!
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1rq6il6
Posted by twisted_sea
5 Comments
Tank: 3gallon
Heater/Filter: Yes
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Ph: 6.8
Used: 8 in 1 aquarium test kit
Fish and tank: March 1
Water changes: 2-4 days, 25%, siphon
Tank mates: none
Food: Freeze Dried blood worms, freeze dried mysis shrimp, betta pellets. Fasting one day, 2-3 of only one type of food on other days
Decorations: Barrel, mopani wood, rotala vietnam h’ra, windelov java fern, java fern, anubias nana, pothos roots, plastic beta leaf
Forgot to add in main most that i nudged an aquarium sponge in the filter to try and reduce the strong flow, it has helped but now filter will occassionally make clicking sound?
fins unclamped, I assume the water is yellow since it has tannins in it, which is also good for bettas, so he probably is comfortable
it’s allright, I’d take the barrel out since the edges can rip his fins
probably cycle the other tank fully not to stress the fish too much, don’t think of this as a waste of money though since the 3g may serve as a future hospital tank
yeah you can move the current filter into the 10g along with the fish once the new tank is cycled so that the bacteria that are in it proliferate in the new tank, looks like the flow is gentle so having two filters will probably do you more good than harm
I implore you to not use that neon gravel in the new tank, I know it’s a matter of taste but you’re overspending and it really doesn’t do any favors to the live plants you have in the tank, a bottom layer of veggie garden soil with no added fertilizers fully covered with a much thicker layer of aquarium/quartz sand is a way cheaper and more nutritious combo
Real plants, tannins, cycled tank, sponge filter
definitely get some dechlorinator and non colored rocks
Hi! Love the tank updates you’ve done already!
– Yes, I think he looks okay. He seems quite happy and vibrant and ‘fanning’ his fins.
– Tank looks fine for now. I’d suggest changing the barrel for a cave with a smoother opening just in case though. Coconut shells are a favorite if you’re able to get one. I’ve seen some for sale on Etsy with moss already attached as well.
– With tank upgrading, I’d suggest setting up the new tank’s substrate and whatever new items (any additional plants, etc.) and let that settle for a few days. When you’re ready to swap, you can move over the 3G’s decor (plants, hides, etc.) AND any filter media you have to help jumpstart the nitrogen cycle and not lose too much beneficial bacteria. IMO you’d be okay to just ‘continue’ the fish-in cycle and move him to the larger tank rather than doing the process of a fishless cycle. You seem to have a handle of it and a 10G is going to much more forgiving with ammonia spikes than a 3G. However, I know there will be strong opinions against this.
– It also looks like the plants that you have aren’t any that require special care like aqua-soil or CO2, so I honestly think you’d be fine doing another gravel or sand in the new tank. I highly recommend against light colored because it will get ugly real fast with the poops. (Speaking from experience here with my white sand tank that was meant to be a plant tank and not a betta tank. š )