xXInkedPhoenixX

Welcome to the hobby @HelplessNewbie! And yes happy 4th to you as well! 🇺🇸 Yeah I think more often as a literal Newbie we do tend to spend. Now granted even if we knew all the tricks before we started the initial expense of a tank, light, filter, stand, decor and fish can be pricey (you got a fish first aid kit and testing kit going too riiiiiighhhttt????? that is one of the most important things). However nowadays I could easily start a brand new tank for a 150 dollar budget because of some of the things I know now that aren't needed or can wait for if I wanted an upgrade. Of course there are always used options out there too. People in the hobby are constantly getting rid of tanks, equipment, plants, substrate, hardscape, fish etc etc. Once you find a source you have never ending possibilities and you may make some of your money back if you sell or trade items too. Any hobby has a starting cost, and depending on what you want to do you can go cheap AND you can go stupid expensive. There are some basics you don't want to be without, but you really don't have to lose your shirt if you're focused and not in a hurry.

Sad to say but that's very likely Dropsy. When it gets to this point you can try and medicate to bring her symptoms down but by the time these symptoms start she's likely already in organ failure. If you want to try and treat I'd highly recommend looking at the other Bettas with Dropsy thread here on the forum. @Colu has a treatment plan for it. I've never had a Betta recover from it. Symptoms reduced yes, prolonging life just a bit but never a recovery.

I love him. He apparently loves me back....

Hi @mushu, welcome to the forum! Might be a hard one as most auto feeders seem to be for a tank full of fish. HOWEVER I googled it and Zoo Med has a BettaMatic specifically for Betta. I would probably try that first if I were in your shoes, it's battery powered so I'd have some super fresh batteries on hand to test it at least for a week before you leave. I would personally be concerned that an auto feeder for a tank with more than one fish might feed too much, but other's might have experience with them.

Gravel is absolutely fine with Corycats.

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea Happy Birthday Tony!! Love those big mitts of yours!!!! 🥰😍🥳

It wasn't the Cory I expected to end up with. I have a fondness for Albino Cory (had one as a kid). These were an impulse buy since they were the last 3 in a tank with a lone Hillstream. Felt like I was supposed to take them they are super cute. All Cory are, just different patterns. These are my first Corycats since I was a kid!!

Yeah they're quirky little things definitely have their nighttime ops going on. I really do love the little squirts.

Just based on my experience I'm surprised that s. repens was recommended- but what do I know, I'm not an Oto breeder! Mine mostly hang out under things the vast majority of the day. That includes under the sponges on my ACO filters. I bet they don't mind any plant really. As long as it has something to nom on.

@nabokovfan87 it looks like this now, I removed the Bacopa as I don't think the Otos care about small-leaf plants. I put in more Anubias and 2 amazons. They really like broad leaf plants from what I've observed and that's where I find their eggs when I've seen them, on the undersides.

I agree with @mountaintoppufferkeeper on how to treat/observe for now. Though I am not a puffer keeper I had a Black Neon with a severe swim bladder injury. I did treat for possible bacterial infection however I didn't know how he got the injury in the first place and he had signs of the infection. After I treated them though, it took at least another month before its internal injuries were healed enough that they started swimming correctly again.

OTOCINCLUS VITTATUS: The Parent Tank Still holding at 2 babies, MAYBE 3. I see the more developed one pretty often. I tried to get a pic of the younger one but it's more like a picture of Sasquatch under water: Here is what I think is the only older one in several different places the last couple of days:

@Ron Uni, I am an "accidental" breeder. I don't aim to have my fish spawn, they just end up doing it. I run no heater (tank around 74-77, ph between 7.2-7.6 typically, medium buffer, pretty high hardness, Nitrates are usually 25-50. They're in a 20 gallon and I change out 1-2 gallons weekly.

This weekend after having released the Endlers I'd kept the 3 Julii Corycats in QT in the Flex. I was going to keep them in there until I found more Julii then move them. Well, after scouring my area I found some in stock at a big box that was out of my normal circle. I made my way over there and got 4 more (and 4 Platinum Guppies as I seem to have lost yet another in the Medieval tank- boy they must be hard to keep alive since I've already gone through quite a few!!). I brought the new little ones home. Since they might need to be treated and I've determined the 3 corycats I had in QT are good I removed them and started acclimating them for the Parent Tank, floated the bags with the newbies: I hooked up the UV sterilizer to the Flex and let the newbies loose. Unlike the Endlers and Cory I got from the LFS these 8 fish were way less active and more stressed. I made sure the light was off for the day so they could settle in. By the end of the day they were eating the Repashy I left in the tank and moving around just a little more. New Cory acclimated in my trusty catch cup: Once that was done I took a short (very uneventful) video of their release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8XcSRiwznkEi41Jn7 They split up upon the release but it's clear to me Cory do like to stick together and found them back together in the tank later: NOTE: Any red you see is not on the fish, it's terrible glare with this tank. They've been active and seemingly eating since their release into the Parent Tank. Can't wait until I can release their 4 new friends as well!

@Ron Uni hey there. It's hard to say. So right now one of my Black Neons is still fat like this. I had another one recently that was fat and very pale so I removed "her" (my assumption that it was a female) and treated her with salt baths and Kanaplex. That Neon unfortunately passed. So I cannot say for sure if that Neon is the one in this thread or the other one I see now that is fat but full of color. I have had baby Neons before so it's entirely possible she is full of eggs. I never really was able to diagnose.

I have really good luck myself with the paddle type heaters (I think they call them flat heaters and the brand I use is Aqueon typically- I use the smallest one). There is no glass to break and their operation is simple. I've had them fail EVENTUALLY, meaning they stop working (the one I had fail is when my Mum drained the tank and exposed the paddle to air which the packaging expressly tells you NOT to do). They are typically preset to 78. If your tank has a lid I have one that is in my 10 gallon tank with a lid and though the heater is preset to 78, the tank is always at 80-82. It is also in a warmer room. They're also very easy to hide.

Do you think this is true of all albinos? Like Cory, Pleco, Guppy, etc?

I would have to agree with that. I've seen some BEAUTIFUL full set ups for sale on my local club's forum but I don't see them selling, and certainly not as fast as when the seller is piecing them out.

Funny they did exactly that isn't it? It's no shell bandaid like @Guppysnail's Nerite but just as creative. 😄

Well, maybe just a few. Or six. They're really, really cute little buggers. Especially when they reproduce. Here is one of the babies today, I think I have at least 2 so far: I appreciate your kind words. I know you've been in the wringer too, so I know you get what I've gone through. Our tanks though have a way of drawing us back in and remind us to never give up, nature never does.

Buckle up, I think this will be a long one, but lots of pics and short google videos. So I had some time in the morning free to observe more than I have in the last few days, Punk and Industry in the Angry Man Tank. They still seem to be doing OK. Not total pals but not complete enemies. I think Punk is enforcing his territory like he does with the Tetras and Rasboras. She seems unperturbed by it and acts normal. She doesn't hide from him but hangs out mid water often though she has corners she likes to sit too. They are both eating just fine and behavior besides this good. Neither are showing any visible signs of stress to me (my first Cichlids so if you have input let me know, I read something that says if they are dark they are stressed and if they are washed out they are happy, this is counter-intuitive to me). No fin or body damage on either, and though Punk appears like he's nipping at her I'm 99% sure he's not actually getting her. It's a small tank, and the plants definitely make it a little more cramped. I removed 3/4 of the dwarf water lettuce today to get more light and less root in the tank. Anyway, I think they are still looking really beautiful and hope this is just a time thing. Here is a short video of what I am occassionally seeing: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fJm99tkfTA9p8Exf7 Here are some pics I took of them today: Meanwhile today was the day I was going to go ahead and give the green light to the Endlers and the Hillstream I got for the what I've still been calling the Accidental Tank. I finished maintanence on that first. I had put 2 Anubias plants and 1 Java Fern into Reverse Respiration last night because of some hair algae, they got put back and did a small water change. I got my trusty ACO catch cup out and caught the 5 fish (Hillstream Dyson was actually very easy to catch today thank goodness). Started the acclimation process while I did maintenance on the Parent Tank. Here they are getting acclimated and waiting their turn: You can see Kirby the Hillstream in the bottom right corner against the glass, Serket above them and my 2 remaining Endlers, Phoenix and Flare checking out their new friends behind the cup. BFG the snail is also on the sculpture in the middl in plain view. While they were waiting for release the Parent Tank got it's water change, 1x sponge filter cleaning and HOB cleaning (don't worry there's another sponge filter that didn't get cleaned, these things get alternated). I saw one of my Oto babies! I think I have 2, as the one I got the pic of today is probably the one I posted earlier in the week and later in the day I saw a less developed baby along the back glass that was impossible to get a pic of. Here is the older baby on an Anubias leaf today: They are stupid cute. My sole long finned Albino Pleco is doing well despite losing its sibling, getting bigger and looking beautiful! I think the Parent Tank is looking pretty good since the remodel. It's a little more difficult to get in to gravel vac but worth it. The animals seem happy with it. I see the pleco and the Otos on the 2 new wood pieces all the time. The long suffering Apongeton was just thrown in a pot (literally, didn't even bury it just put it there) and it even has responded to the new iteration. Pictures never do my tanks justice. They always look better in person. Anyway. Moved back onto the Accidental Tank. It was time to release the hounds! Here is the video of the release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bNzjHvJGF9rj1KXV8 Here are the Endlers, always the ones to jump into the fray and immediately all 6 were mixing it up. Thankfully not seen anything other than constant movement, nobody in particular is getting picked on and the tank has so many hiding places and things to do it's enough to occupy them but upon initial release of course they only wanted to swarm around together for a while. Short video of their swarming after release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VsNj9ik9cb2XT2D48 I couldn't be more proud of Serket the rescue GloBetta. She is just the coolest fish. She is curious and will assert her authority but NEVER nips, then goes about ignoring them the vast majority of the time. She is the perfect community Betta. I love her: There's even a shot of her checking out Dyson on the glass. She's a little freaked out by the Hillstreams she'll get close then they do their jerky movement thing that sends her away very quickly😄, it's actually pretty cute to watch. She is so pretty. I'm a huge fan of hers: Then there was Dyson and Kirby. I guess I was most concerned about them. Dyson was ALL over the tank today, living it up. Kirby stayed in that corner after the release and I knew it was a matter of time before Dyson found Kirby. Meanwhile Dyson was as I said literally all over that tank. I think Dyson found every wall, every hide, every plant, every sculpture, which was the first thing they landed on upon release: Then of course as I mentioned, freaked out Serket a little, and of course Dyson found BFG the snail as well: THEN the moment happened: https://photos.app.goo.gl/reZQ3Z6ofj7YaMvv8 And then: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zXKLb1q7GyyWw2pg8 Aww. The grumpy old men of the tank world. I so love them. Don't know what sex they are but hope whatever they are they get along. Thankfully there is plenty of space for them to spread out. Valere says hi (not the greatest pic of him but he's getting a little fat due to the amount of food I have to put in the Medieval tank for everyone): At the end of my fish maintenance day today I was filling all my gallon jugs and while the water was going I was admiring my 2 twenty gallon tanks side by side. Thinking how much I love all of my tanks and how much I love this hobby. Despite this taking a good chunk of my day today I would have preferred doing nothing else.

Oh yes, if ammonia is present and there is no Nitrate in a newer tank then yes, you aren't cycled yet. I bet that explains the behavior. Personally when I fish in cycle, I change at least a little water everyday and dose something like Seachem Prime. I don't want my fish to be uncomfortable. Follow whatever instructions about the method that's easiest for you! Water conditioner like Prime is your best friend right now regardless of what method you follow for fish in! 🙃 Good luck!

Jungle Val would make great "hair"

I don't have a 125 gallon but everything I've run across says that you can run sponge filter in this size of tank. I think I would go that direction if I was on a budget. 😁

Hi @ToothlessTheGuppy! Welcome to the forum. I'm thinking since now they seem to have gotten over the initial illness and are, besides the bouncing off plants- ((do get this on video and post if you can this behavior so if there is something wrong we can help))- they may be otherwise healthy you may be over that hump. However, with no Nitrate being detected it's possible the tank is not cycled or was setback by the heat and medication. Just confirming the heat is "off" or at a more tolerable temp like 78 give or take now? Higher heat means more bacteria growth when using meds this comes in handy as it is killed off by the med, but when the med is not present higher heat may encourage bacterial infections. If I were in your shoes I would presume this tank is uncycled and consider I am doing a "fish-in" cycle, carefully monitor the parameters testing every day, if that's not possible at least every other day, doing small water changes when necessary and dosing something like Prime until only Nitrate (even a small amount is an indication things are going well) is showing on the test.