shokanti

I had to remove all the snails along time ago. My betta will get bored and nip at the snails eyes then just play with them until they died. I ended up getting a Pleco, and the betta doesn't bother it. There is no snails in the tank, the tank has been stable until recently, now seems like an Bacteria Bloom, however I am worried about my java fern (if you look at the photo, the roots/rizhomes are ALL strong, but there is a little white slimey and goey covering them.

thank you so much for your time and reviewing this!! i super appreciate! The photo is my java fern, they have this white thick slimy build up. using a testing strip from Bosike Bosike Testing Strips water parameters: Hardness is 0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 Cl2 0 Carbonate 80 Ph 6.8 I change the water once a week, 10% of the water and place new water. Betta and Pleco are the livestock. It has been running for 3 months, no fish in the tank for a month. then with the fishes 2 months. (i went from a 1 gallon fish tank.) On the HOB. Fluval Biomax Media (dont change) Polyfill (to get the junks- replace that once every 2 weeks or once i see it really gross)and a media sponge I rarely clean it. I mostly leave it alone. I take it the sponge out once every 3 weeks a small squeeze in a bucket and place it back in. I only have 3 to 4 hour lights on java fern, on low light. They are not burried, i just have a small rock just holding it down. the rhizomes have a lot space breathing room. (that was my fist mistake when i first started, i burried them and killed them with in a week. lol!) My betta is really aggressive with snails, he attacks them but he won't attack a baby pleco. 😆 I didnt know about FritzZyme 7! Is there anymore recommended products. This whole time i've been thinking its been algae on that photo and using Algae Killer from Api. (didnt make anything go away.) I will be buying the Aquarium Co-Op Fertiziler, using the Leaf Green from Api. (i feel like its not doing much.) I apologize, english is not my main language! I try very hard for sentence structure. 😄

5.5 gallon fish tank. 1 betta. 1 pleco. HOB + Sponge. The water smells earthy and good; smells like a healthy fish tank. I have been doing fish keeping for awhile now (still a beginner- lol), however this has me baffled and I dont know what to do anymore. Every single java fern I get, from anywhere can either be from petco, petsmart AND independent seller. The tank is beautiful nice and clear. then 30 days, once that 30 days comes in. (experimented with leaving it alone for almost 2 months, the water was so thick, i couldn't even see the fish anymore lol[joke but it was bad.]). seems like a bacterial bloom happens, the water becomes so foggy. do water changes weekly 10%, add new water into my tank. (can't use tap water because the water quality is really bad, so spring water with Prime.) All my java fern end up with that fuzzy white stuff and little cotton balls on the tips and they just end up dying. I brush it off, then siphon or the HOB picks it up- place it back in. my java fern are not planted, they are wedged near rocks with lots of breathing room. its not a crowded fish tank. I have taken them out of the tank, hydrogenproxide them (comes back and worst.) I have gone to the extreme, brush them out, then bleach for 5-6 seconds pull out. put into a replacement tank and transfer over a couple days over. My plants only get 3 hours of light from the fixture it has. I just dont know what do anymore. I use testing strips, the carbon is a little high though. (dont know what to lower it.) sigh, what can I do. Stressed enough about this issue.

He had a good 8 months when purchased from Petsmart. 😄 5.5 gallon fish tank, all life plants, many happy bubbles and his little hiding caves. Cycling the new tank and cleaned all accessories.

The betta has past away. 😞

+no new fish. +gave him garlic, didn't eat it. now he is in ICU tank, and he is just laying on his side, but he is alive and alert after awhile he just flops over on his side unactive.

My betta hasn't been eating for nearly a week and a half and going to 2 weeks now. I had some family members overfeed him from 3pellets to 9 and 10. he was constipated. Have yet to see him go to the bathroom! (put him in a clear tank with no substrate.) He won't eat: Hikari Micro Pellets. he spits it out and not interested anymore. (he used to gobble them quickly) Bug bites, he doesn't like it. he spits it out asap. not interest anymore. Flakes, no interest whats so ever. Bloodworms, no interest. Daphhnia, no interest. Mysis, no interest. Small Pea, not even a nibble. (laxative.) I did notice, he gets a pellet and spits it out with the hikari. Before all this, he was getting sick. (his scales turned really dull and red stripe.) he had a Salt Bath & Epson salt bath for 5 days, cured him up. his colors came back and he was his old self. a week later. I did notice he is a bit lazy lately now, he was actively zooming in the tank. (his scales are still dark blue.) Im observing him. I'm using a aquarium strips Bosike. Hardness 75. Nirate 0 Nirite 0 Cl2 0 Carbonate 80 Ph 6.8 And apparently, I just got a bacteria bloom.

I have always had crystal clear water for nearly months. Added a terracotta into the tank, First did this: boiled it for 2hrs. then left it in a bucket of cold water for 3 days. placed it in the tank, its changing the water to a brown color. any advice? I'm close to just get rid of it. (it was only 1.75$) lol

I have a testing strip: hardness is 0; nitrate and nitrite is 0; CL 0; Carbonate is 40; PH 6.4 (all parameters seem okay so far.) I'm doing the 3rd salt bath so far, they are perking up and started swimming normally. He isn't lethargic anymore, the belly looks normal. nothing out of the ordinary. When I get by the fish tank, he starts to move around and notice me and everyone around the house. I have him in an ICU tank, no substrate. Just an airstone. small heater. (every time I place him in the salt bath, i replace that water.) Its about to hit the 2 week marker and he is not eating and not pooping.

as an update. Noticed, their gills were a little red and seems like his fins were clamped and color went dull. Started a aqua salt bath [1/5] (15min a day.), today is the 2nd day but he's super active now back to normal. the color is a lot better and no racing strips on the side. however, its been a week and half he's not eating. starting different foods: hikari foods, bugbites. [hes still not interested in it. swallows it and spits it out. now]

bump

fish tank: 5 Gallons. hiding spots, heater, filter hob (nice and slow current.) no tank mates, solo. nice calming dim lights. I have had him for a year- water balance= nothing out of the ordinary. been testing it with strips (and taken the water to petsmart for testing.) nearly every other day. ph is good, N&N are decent. the Betta male, would greet me every day, chase me from one side to another. hyper activity just doing crazy little betta stuff. in the beginning, the fish started to act little bit strange. paid no mind, (thought it was a fluke, checked the temperature 79.1, water parameters just fine) but the next couple of days. noticed, he wasn't swimming just hanging at the bottom of the tank, then erratic swim patterns. (bolt speed, then stop. rest.) then sometimes he would do a lap in the tank then get a gasp of air and back to the bottom. the gills look normal, the color was fine. (he WAS eating.) A week ago, I just noticed he was being a bit lifeless, took him out. Placed him in an ICU tank, observed him. the next day. he didnt eat, rolled around on the floor. Gave him Epson salt baths, he was starting to perk up after the 5th day of the Epson salt bath. the 6th day, he went back to the way he was. his color was starting to fade from the beginning of all this. he is hiding any opportunity he gets and at some point, i got scared if he is dead and start pestering him little bit just to make sure at some point he was just stale as a dead fish. suddenly zoomed around the tank, got a gasp of air and back to hiding. (also using stress guard) Its been 2 weeks he hasn't pooped and aten. (I can see his poop in the ICU Tank.) he would eat his favorite small pellets, but no attention (no appitite.) at this rate, I'm thinking its "his" time. His personality did a 100% change all of a sudden.

I have to change the sponge completely. The tank has been clear water for nearly a month and half. (nothing new hasn't changed in yet) I pull out some water from the fish tank, squeeze the sponges in there, and place the sponge back. As soon as I do that, a bacteria bloom or the fish tank becomes so cloudy [I scrub the fish tank walls.] It takes 3 weeks with no development of clear water. I will do also do water changes, the water would not get any better. :(! My betta is too aggressive for the snails :(!! he nips at their eyeballs. Thank you for the replies!!

Hi Everyone! 5 Gallon fish tank- only 1 fish (betta) some live plants all look healthy. I have thinking the last thing is to change the substrate in my tank. Its white Sand from Petco. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-black-aquarium-sand-20-lbs-2558278 I have to change the water of my tank every month, then change the filter sponges as well. the tank just becomes cloudy with bateria bloom OR white algaea, Im constantly cleaning the tank. I had shrimp cleaning up any type of film(but overall they die with in a couple of days.) My parameters in the fish tank is good. At some point, the last thing I can think of is changing the substrate from Sand to River Stone Peebles. (sometimes there is a smell but does not smell earthy nor amnonia, just a weird smell.) I pick up the fish waste (fish only eats 2 pelletes a day.) It just becomes a hassle every month to change the water completely and re-tank the betta and then place it back in. Another question: How do you dry this fine gravel sand substrate and store it away for a future fish tank.

an update on this. did a complete water change, trimmed every plant in my aquascape. I had a feeling this was not normal for bacteria bloom to settle with in 2 weeks and heavy milky water conditions. the water is back to normal, crystal clear.

at this point, i was thinking the old sponges were probably clogged with the old bacteria/dirt and needed a new one?

with closer inspection, I did notice a few things about my fish tank. -I saw the sponge was extremely heavy, had a bad odor AND just was ugly overall. Nano sponge filter from Amazon, a pack of 3- -I ended up changing the sponge filter in the hanging filter, Fluval AquaClear 30. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aquaclear-20-filter-insert-foam I noticed in the corner where the sponge is. (its a little clearer than it was) I also saw some bubbles on the sponge, where its clearer. the previous one wasn't doing it. As well, i cleaned the complete tank, wipe everything down... and just put the old materials in and didn't think about changing it. i'll keep you posted, any other ideas?

1/3 of the 5.5 gallon fish tank.

I love this forum, everyone post so fast and has been super helpful for this first newbie beginner!! Gallon 5.5, 1 fish. Betta. Friday - I got some new plants in my tank decided to change the water, clean the gravel. moved around the gravel in clean water. use the chemicals for clear water from tetra along with aqua safe for tap water. with in a couple of hours got milky water of bacteria bloom. tested the water, everything looks fine. "used those tetra strips" everything seemed very fine. One of my anubis bulb started melting, the bottom leaves not the top lily ones. Today- I poured out some water 1/3 of the fish tank and just letting it run. (it looks some clearer than it was.) but still worried. I love my little betta fish.

Thank you so much for responding, those are new one.. so how would I plant them? Do I burry them, tie them up with a string (like the way i purchased them in the store?) first time with this and I was thinking the worst.

I have had these plants for nearly near 8 months? 1 Betta and 4 Glass shrimp in the tank. All the plants in my tank are all lush and green, just these plants are just a bit worry-some. I have noticed these Windelov are looking like this for the past 2 weeks. Would I have to remove them or just take them out, re-aquascape and re-plant?

Thank you all for the feedback! super appreciate it!! Yes, I noticed the 4 glass shrimp don't eat too much but, I kind of feel bad that they have food, but yet the betta eats it and takes it away from them. I believe the Betta is saying "Finders keepers!" I'm probably going to try first the boiled cucumber and see if he doesn't fight the shrimp for it. remove the seeds, boil it, then cool it off, then freeze a bunch of slices. (remove the slices in the tank after I see no shrimp have no interest in it.)

It's been almost 2 months, I have had my betta fish! I really enjoy him. I also really like my 4 glass shrimp I have in the tank. They have been co-existing ever so happily in my tank, I have even watch the shrimp swim along with the Betta or just crawl around the bottom of the tank while the betta just stares at them. now, here is my dilemma and i have read so many forums about this. (Feeding Time Advice.) I have done so many strategies. 1. I have tried feeding at the same time, observing them (and taking away the food(they eat bottom feeder pellets)). The betta nips on the food and runs away with it and hides in the coconut hut or in the glass jar. where I can't reach him. 2. I have tried to keep the food on the clippers while keeping him busy eating his food, but nope. tries to go straight to their food. 3. I have tried hiding the food in a corner of the tank, and he still tries to eat it. 4. I have also tried to rip the food in smaller little bites and toss them in different sectors of the tank (he finds them and eats the food.) At this rate, 5. Tried feeding the shrimp at night, while all the lights are out. (pitch black.) wake up the next day, the betta has his belly full. I chuckle of all this to the fish. Is there any other advice or a shrimp feeder I can use to feed them with the betta not interfering on their meal time.

Thank you so much for those words of encouragement! 😃! I surely will.