Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks so much for replying to my previuos posts. You are of tremendous help.

I now moved my two bettas (large male and tiny female) to a 5.5-gallon tank with a divider. (The male got 2 thirds of it.) They seemed to love it right away. (The female, Minno, is very outgoing anyway, and was looking for food instantly. The male, Edward, had to check it all out first.)

Well, they loved it until I put that filter in. (Thanks, Melissa, I actually had bought that excact one.) It was much too strong for the tank since in the meantime I had decided to get the 5.5-gal one. Now I am looking for an even smaller filter. Does anyone have experience with those Hagan Stingray In Tank Filters? I am eyeballing the 5-gallon one. (https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/14695/product.web)

There is another question: The tank seems to be very cloudy. Funny, the bowls never were. Like I said, I am a beginner. Any suggestion how to deal with the cloudiness? Do I need to deal with it at all? Will it go away as soon as I have a filter?

Thanks again. This forum is great.

Carolin

One more question: what water conditioner is recommended? I used Aqua Plus Tap Water Conditioner and put the maximum dose in. A friend of mine advised to use StressCoat with Aloe vera and an ammonia neutralizer in addition to that. In my bowls, I soley used the Splendid Betta Complete Water Conditioner.

Now I am reading the ammonia could cause the cloudiness. Any recommendations?

Thanks again!
Carolin
Minno and Edward

I'm not sure on the filter question, but I feel bettas don't need filters especially because all of the ones I had didn't like them even on the slowest setting. You just need to keep a regular tank maintenance schedule.

As for your water, yes it is your ammonia that is high. You just set that tank up, am I correct? If so, you have a new tank so you will have to go through cycling all over again. In my experience, bettas are pretty good at living throughout the process. Water changes (about 10%) will help the cloudiness go down.

Water conditioner... well Stress Coat can't hurt. I use the Betta complete as well (and that's all I use with my spring water). I also have stress coat just in case I see some behaviors that concern me. But to answer your question, I used to use Aqua safe, and here's a little blurb on it.

"AquaSafe instantly makes tap water safe for fish by eliminating chlorine and heavy metals present in municipal water supplies. AquaSafe also neutralizes chloramine by breaking down the bond between chlorine and ammonia while reducing both fish-toxic chlorine and ammonia components. In addition, AquaSafe provides slime coating to help wounds heal and protects fish from abrasions. AquaSafe should be used when setting up a new aquarium and with every water change, recommended every two weeks. Add one teaspoon (5 ml) of AquaSafe for every 10 gallons of water. 16.9 oz treats 1,000 gallons. Works in seconds. For freshwater and saltwater aquariums." from Drs. Foster & Smith
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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Thanks, Phishie!

You said: "You just need to keep a regular tank maintenance schedule." and "Water changes (about 10%) will help the cloudiness go down." Would a water change of 10% once a week be sufficient? Is that what you do? You have a betta in a 5-gallon as well, right?

For the conditioner: The Splendid Betta Complete comes in such a tiny bottle with 24 drops per half(!) gallon. Pretty inconvenient for a 5-gallon tank. That's why I was looking for another brand.

Well, thanks again and again for your help. Edward, now Gordon, since my son renamed him, built a nice bubble nest yesterday. He must feel pretty good.

Carolin

10% water changes once a week is good. I did 20% water changes every two weeks in my 10 gallon, and for my 5 gallon. Then, my fish passed away.
Aquasafe would also be a good conditioner.

Yeah, bubble nests are a sign of a happy betta. Congrats.
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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."