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Thank you, I think I will love this forum. I am really excited about entering the world of fish as a hobbyist rather than simply a pet owner. I will probably move the betta like you suggested, although for a couple more days I'll leave him in the wide open space. I need to figure out how to set up a suitable enviroment in the 5 gal.

And I read about the possibility of disease in LFS only after the fact. There's some contradicting advice out there. You're general pet store doesn't seem to care about fish health too much. I think I'll be buying almost all my stuff independently, after much inspection.

Fish already seem more exciting to me than gerbils! (and I LOVE gerbils!). I'm a full grown man and I'm still find myself playing with all these "kids pets" ;D

Hi and welcome. It sounds like you did what you could. It is so horrible people treat fish that way. But luckly and hopefully the remainder will survive. If not, then it wasn't from not trying.
Re- Betta. I have a male in a 67gal (4 footer) he is loving it. No problems at all and he is in with Tiger Barbs etc. If anything he gives the other tank mates a flare every now and then. He stays down beside the power head filter where the water is more stiller. He has a silk plant that reaches to the top of the water level that he can rest on and hasn't got to swim to far to the surface. At night when the lights go out he sleeps lying across the power head on the filter. (must like it vibrations) At feeding time he is in their fighting for his share with the Mollys.] Nothing is going keep him from his tucker.] Where it worked for my Betta, it does not mean it will work for all Bettas. It all depends on that Betta. Weather it would like a big tank or not. Some do and some don't. I would try it and watch him. If he stresses then put him back into the 5 gal.
Here are a few photos. Some not too good but you get the idea. ***Tiger.


Buddy The Betta in with the feeding Mollys.
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Last edited by TigerAngel at 27-Mar-2005 05:55[/font]

Power head filter in far corner and silk plant in this corner.

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Last edited by TigerAngel at 27-Mar-2005 05:41[/font]

With this tube thing on the end of the outlet on the powerhead, in directs the flow of the water, so its not too harsh on the Betta.

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Last edited by TigerAngel at 27-Mar-2005 05:43[/font]

And lastly the tank, only on one side but it gives you an idea the size etc.

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His corner

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Some bettas do alright with current, however it's generally suggested to make sure that there is somewhere for them to get out of the current. While every betta is different it's better to offer them somewhere calm rather than forcing stress on them.
I had one betta I was treating in a fry net in a 20 gallon with a AC mini on it set on low, very low current...however he still wasn't happy and while he could barely move he did manage to jump the fry net and go back to the furthest corner.

^_^


[hr width='40%']"Put your soul in the water,
And join me for a swim tonight"

I need advice!

About a week ago I purchased a 55 gallon fish tank with a beautiful stand for only 50 dollars. I've always loved fish and have lived in a house with two 10 gallons and a 30 gallon in the past. My parents mostly maintained these, and this was to be my first real leap into the hobby. This tank also came with gravel, filters, nets, decorations, all chemical testers, heaters, and, SURPRISE, two fish and a giant snail infestation.

The tank condition was horrific. The water had evaporated far beyond the suction of the power filters and to just about 4 inches above the gravel. The water was almost opaque with filth, and a very large Pleco and an unkown fish that was about 3.5 inches in length (which I assumed at the time to be some sort of cichlid) had to almost swim on its side to stay under water.

I rushed home and immediatly placed the fishes in an old 5 gallon tank I dug out of the attic. I used their own water and prayed it would be enough to sustain them for a bit. Then, to get rid of the snails I boiled the gravel and every decoration (unfortunatly killing all of those darn biological filters! It had been a long time since I owned a tank, okay? I'm kind of dumb!). I also cleaned out the 55 gal tank and accidently scrubbed a few times with a sponge that had soap on it. After consulting the internet about how bad this was, I re-reinsed the tank about 50 times.

Then I read about the ammonia cycle. I almost fainted. I knew that poor Pleco couldn't survive weeks in that little 5 gal, especially without a filter of any kind. Anyway, I put the gravel back in 55 gal, refilled and decorated it, and then decloronized it. Then I added about a gallon of the tank water from the 5 gal tank and some gravel from there (since it came from the very original water) in the veign hope that their amonia/bacteria might jump the cycle (it may have re-introduced the snails too though =/). I also plugged in the filter that came with the tank (which I thankfully hadn't cleaned and was still very dirty. The bacteria might have been dead, but maybe, just MAYBE there would be some left) and let it go. Laslty, I tested the PH which was a little high, so I modified it.

The next night I tested the PH and it was fine. There was no amonia in the tank (duh, no fish) but I didn't have a way to see if the bacteria were alive and well. I bought some live plants (and got some sample gravel!) in hope that they may help against amonia in case the bacteria weren't present. I also bought a new heater and thrmomoter, since the heater he gave me was only 100 watts and I had no idea how reliable/old it was, or even how it worked.
Then I mediatated a lot and went out at midnight and bought a Betta. The tank had been filled with water for only 3 days, and I knew the dangers of the cycle, but I had to get this tank ready FAST. The poor betta was in one of those pathetic bowls. I figured his life was lived in torture anyway, so if he died in my 55 gal tank, at least he'd have died in his equivelent of fish heaven.
The next day he was still alive, and there was no ammonia in the water, but a little bit of nitrite. I had to build a lid for the tank since it was apparently custom built (ARG) It took me at least 9 hours to rig something up with the lights and a lid.
Then the Pleco died. I figured the mystery fish would come soon after if I didn't do SOMETHING, so I dumped him in the new tank.

I held my breath.
I don't even know if these fish are compatible. But now they have both lived for 3 days. The mystery fish is far from perfect, he just sort of drifts around the heater, but he is very pretty. He still may die any time now. I think I've done what I can. I finally found a reliable Nitrate tester, and there are detectable traces (about 20 ppm) so I think the cycle is working. I still won't be buying any new additions for a few weeks though. I've had quite enough stress with it all lately. I'm going to start browsing stores and buy a book and see what goes with who.

After much research I am almost certain the mystery fish is a Dwarf Gourami. In the past I have never owned a fish like this and don't know how to deal with it. He seems sad, that may be due to its life, or its nature.


So, did I do the right thing? Is there anything you folks would have done differently? What is the likelyhood that snails might still be in the system? Could the Pleco's death have been prevented? He was so old he was huge. I love plecos, and it was really sad to see him go.
I've never cared for live plants before, and now I have two groups of Anacheris, two groups of African Sword something, and a little pot of Ozelot Sword. Will they help treat the ammonia while the bacteria form? Will the bacteria even form if the plants take all the ammonia? The plants are very beautiful, and I don't know if I would have bough tthem if not for this situation. I love them now, and don't know if I can ever go back to plastic. I've read extensivly about plant care, and am going to be tending to them and having fun with them in the next weeks to tide me over until I feel ready for more fish.
And one very last question: I have owned Powerhead filters in the past and am very familar with their function. These however create a very large amount of bubbles and disturbence in the water, even when the tank is filled. Obviously, this disturbs the Betta who's fins will "catch sail" and send him drifting to the far reached of the tank. I think the cause may be that since the tank is custom built, the plasic rim is very high, and the waterfall rests too high. Is there any solution to this problem? It also makes the filter quite noisy.

Thank you VERY much for listening to my story. All imput would be extremly welcome. I may post pictures of the tank/mystey fish later if anyone is interested.

Last edited by yooki42 at 27-Mar-2005 22:37

when i had mr.fishy (RIP) he used to love the current, but as he got on in age he couldent take it anymore, so i used the cover of a critter keeper and rigged up his little corner, he found it and loved it and as he rested on in his dying hours () his girls sat right by his head never leaving for too long, my little blue girl never left him, they bonded very much and after he died, the girls kept the other fish from touching him, flaired at them, keeping them away, the blue girl realy hasnt bonded to anyother male as of yet, and i have tryed 2 on her, but i have come to the conclusion that crowntail males are so much more aggressive than viels but thats my expeience with a few of my bettas, and over the year i have owned maybe 50 bettas, and now i am breeding the ones that survived, and getting a new one atleast onece every 2 weeks i own 10 adults and a few fry

Wow, those are amazing Betta stories. I have owned 3 in the past, one in every tank, and I have always loved them. I've never tried to breed, but if I put him in his own tank I just may look into the hobby...

Here are some pictures of the mystery fish if anyone wanted to help identifiy it (sorry they are not that great. I need to practice more in fish photo 101)
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=73b4.jpg&.src=ph
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=ae35.jpg&.src=ph

And here's the Betta. He knew he was getting his picture taken. When I whipped the camera out he came to the front of the tank and ran laps up and down and all across the front of the tank. He was showing off his colors
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=e021.jpg&.src=ph
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=fa2e.jpg&.src=ph

Lstly, here is the full tank as it looks now (with much better new decorations that I just purchased which actually go higher than just the mid level of the tank) along with the stupid custom lid I was forced to build out of pexiglass. What do you think of it?
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=561e.jpg&.src=ph
http://null]http://null[/link][link=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yooki42/detail?.dir=f87e&.dnm=13d1.jpg&.src=ph

Thanks for looking.


Last edited by yooki42 at 27-Mar-2005 22:30

I really can't see the mystery fish in the 2nd picture, but the one in the first looks like an opaline gourami. Opaline gouramis are a color varation of the blue gourami. They are not chichlids, but are actually anabatoids, like bettas. Thye can grow to about 6 inches long and will easily fit in with a pleco.

Mystery Fish 1 and 2 are the same fish
Thanks for the advice. I read a lot about Goroumis and hope that's what he is,a s they seem to be a very nice sort of fish. Thanks for tipping me on the exact species.

Well, if it makes anyone happy or amused, my betta, BadBoy likes to curl up around the heater as though it were a female and they were spawning:%)as for my 2 new ones I'll find out tonight and tomorrow what they like...

Great buy, and great save...I know when we are in a hurry, it's amazing what we can do to a tank, good and bad:%)along as to the fish from the tankAnd no I don't need a lecture about keeping 4 big goldies and 1 pleco in a 20 gallon bucket, it was all I had at the time

Best of luck, and keep us up to date on how they are doing...and welcome to FP

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

That is a nice tank Great find.
That Gourami could be a Pearl Gourami. If it is a Pearl, a group of these would look lovely. Less aggressive than the Opaline Gourami. Also smaller.***Tiger.

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fishyhelper288, That story was so sad.
As I read it, it reminded me of some of my departed Bettas.
And those females, how loyal. ***Tiger.

Last edited by TigerAngel at 28-Mar-2005 01:54

Opaline Gourami.

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