It’s been due for a water change for about three months. He’s in a 10 gallon tank with a small speckled catfish and the plants look like they’re dying and there’s lots of algae on the floor.
I didn’t yet take the test strips for the water but I’m going to put him in a temporary tank for now along with the other fish in a different tank.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1pl73ct
Posted by Cool_Dudeu_wu
5 Comments
I’ve never personally tried this but my theory is if you want to keep an aquarium at home without changing water for 3 months you fill it to the brim with duck weed, water sprite or hornwort or both, and Java Moss. If you can get a handle on that, then add other plants.
Pull all the other plants out, they’re not coming back without a lot more care than you have time for.
Do a Heavy water change so you have less than 10 nitrates.
Someone at home feeding the fish? Maybe they’re over feeding.
Maybe the lights are on too bright and too long.
It looks bad but not as bad as you think (I think?) to start, get some shrimp to eat the algae, manually remove it with a toothbrush or something also. do a water change (not full, partial) and leave him in there unless he seems sick. Get the catfish a few friends.
but most importantly, this is the wrong type of tank for a betta to start with. You need a long one, not a tall one. It’s aesthetic but not in the catfish or betta’s best interest.
Betta fish surface for air, so having to swim up high isn’t functional, they aren’t strong swimmers and prefer length over height. And since catfish are bottom feeders, they need length too.
I’m confused on the timeline here. You set up the tank and then immediately left for college for 3mo? Who’s feeding the fish?
Just do a water change and throw some more plants in there. Fill it up nice and full.
Take it to “college” and take care of it?