[Squirmy thing in aquarium]

Hello! I was just topping off the water in my tank and it disturbed some of the substrate, causing some gunk to float into the water. While I was fixing it, I noticed this white squirmy worm (?) type thing in the water. I saw one more small one on the glass, too. I have never seen these before and I'm not sure if this is something I need to be concerned about? It's a 5 gallon housing just one beta, but he is not currently in the tank as he's undergoing a salt treatment in a hospital tank. Is it safe to put him back at the end of his treatment with these wormy things? (Normally the water is much clearer but due to the disturbed substrate it's a little cloudy right now). 
 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

1 hour ago, Lifeisgood said:

Not trying to be nosy—and maybe this is not something you want to do for esthetic reasons, but what does your dresser look like and what is it made of? I believe that a filled 10 gallon weighs approximately 100lbs depending on the amount of rock you have in it.  The weight is spread across the base of the aquarium so it is not like putting a hundred pounds in a small spot which would put more stress on whatever material your dresser top is made of. If the top is made of pressed board you can put an additional piece of wood under the tank that extends over the vertical supports of your dresser.  You can paint that wood black to match the frame of your tank or you can cover it with some kind of vinyl contact paper to make it resist water.  This method can strengthen the structure of your dresser to support a ten gallon tank or even a larger one if it fits.  The main thing is you want the weight of the tank to be transferred to the vertical supports of your dresser.  Most dressers that are not wobbly can handle a filled ten gallon tank this way easily.

Just want to help you get the set up you need without too much money or work so that your fishy friends will be happy and so you will be happy!😊

Thanks! I honestly have no idea what it's made of 😅 but I do think the top is a pressed type of wood, like particle board or something? I got it at a chain furniture store a few years back. I have been tossing the idea back and forth, and I think I'm going to try it, especially now with the reassurance and the advice! 

[Crushed coral for raising pH]

15 minutes ago, lefty o said:

a more neutral ph will be more friendly to a snails shell. as for adding coral, you could bag it and put it in the filter housing, or bag it and hide it under substrate, or mix it in the substrate.

Thanks! Will it raise the pH gradually enough to not harm the fish? 

[Crushed coral for raising pH]

I have ANOTHER pH question! I want to add a snail to my 5 gallon planted betta tank, but from what I understand, low pH can be tough on snails, particularly their shells. My pH is currently 6.4, due to the fluval stratum I have as substrate. I was thinking of using crushed coral to raised the pH as recommended on another thread by a member here, but I have a few questions. 
Can I put the crushed coral in the filter instead of in the actual tank, so it's not visible? I like the way the stratum looks and I'd prefer not to have it on top if possible. 
Second, how quickly will the crushed coral raise the pH, and is there a way to control how high it goes? I don't want to raise it too quickly and hurt my fish, and I don't want it to go too high. 
mans any snail recommendations for a 5 gallon (I would prefer it not be able to reproduce) would be appreciated also! Thank you! 

[Ammonia level]

52 minutes ago, Goosedub said:

Just a thought here. You may not have crashed your cycle. I have heard a lot of people say fluval stratum can leach some ammonia into the water column. You may be fighting ammonia for a while depending on how much you put in. Personally whenI was having a few ammonia problems, I would check parameters daily and change water at 0.5ppm or above.

My main concern is, he has a few scrapes on his head/sides of his body that he's dealing with along with 2 tears in his tail from flaring at his reflection, so I was afraid any ammonia in the tank would basically just cause him to wither away 🥲 The tears seem to be healing well, the scrapes just happened 2-3 days ago so I'm keeping an eye on them. Based on the calculator above, I actually only have .00045 ppm free ammonia, if that is accurate. So do you think it would be safe for him to wait until I get a .5ppm reading to do a water change, given what he has going on? He's very very active, eating very well and building multiple bubble nests, so he seems ok...

[Ammonia level]

13 minutes ago, Colu said:

 You can get ammonia test kits that just test for NH 3 the toxic form of ammonia

Do you have suggestions for the most accurate or any one that you have had a good experience with? 

[Ammonia level]

7 hours ago, Gideyon said:

How low is your pH? 

API measures ammonia and ammonium together. 0.25ppm isn't just ammonia. It's a combination of ammonia and ammonium that have this coexistence.  There are many factors that go into figuring out how much ammonia is in the 0.25. Temperature, pH are the main ones. I've seen some calculations that include salinity as well.  

But the more acidic the water is, the more ammonium versus ammonia. 

For example, my pH is around 7.4. Temp was 75. I kept getting this mysterious 0.25ppm.   But it so happened that the ammonia was actually only 0.003ppm. The rest of the 0.25 was ammonium.   So I wasn't worried. 

My pH is low. It was 7.4 before I changed to stratum. Now it's at 6.4, but I was reassured that as long as it stays steady at 6.4 the fish will handle it just fine. Temperature is about 78-79, depending on how warm the room is. How did you find out how much was actual ammonia versus ammonium? 

[Ammonia level]

32 minutes ago, Schwack said:

I wouldn't be changing water at .25ppm ammonia. Ammonia toxicity is relative. pH and temperature both influence how harmful it is to fish, but at .25ppm you'd need to have some wild parameters to see much reaction from your fish, especially a betta.

Keep an eye on things, but I wouldn't go crazy and test more than once every other day or so. Bettas are tough fish. People keep them for years in tiny vases without heaters or even water conditioner. It's not right, but it does demonstrate their adaptability to sub-optimal conditions. If you start to see ammonia creep over the .50ppm mark, maybe consider a 25-30% change without a gravel vac or cleaning. You could also skip the water changes and dose the tank with something like Prime in order to temporarily neutralize the ammonia's toxicity.

Ok very helpful, thank you! I've been a bit worried about him since changing the substrate as it lowered the pH substantially, and then he tore his tail from over flaring, and THEN he scraped his head and the sides of his body up 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'll keep an eye on it and wait on a water change for now. I don't know anything about Prime, if I use that how long does it work for? Should I use that in conjunction with the API quick start I have?  

[Ammonia level]

26 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

Ah ha! When you changed your substrate that can cause a mini crash in your nitrogen cycle, as your old gravel substrate is prime real estate for beneficial bacteria. Your bacterial colony was likely still fledgling since your tank has only been setup for 5 weeks, then you removed half that colony with half your substrate. You can get live bacteria cultures like Fritz Zyme 7 that Aquarium Co-op sells, there are other similar products out there that can boost your bacteria colony back up. Under normal circumstances your colony will rebuild itself, but it will take some time to catch back up. Using bacteria starter will speed up that process. API also sells a product called Ammo Lock that binds the ammonia and makes it temporarily safe until you can reign in the problem. As always follow directions on the bottle what ever product you use. You should be fine once your colony builds back up to your bioload. On a side note, this situation is an example of why i like reusable filter media like sponges over disposable filter media like cartridges where you end up throwing away some of your bacterial colony there too. 

Ok thanks!! That's kinda what I assumed had happened! How long should I wait to switch out the carbon filter for a sponge after the tank recycles? I was planning on doing that anyways, but after changing the substrate I didn't want to also remove the filter cartridge and completely decimate whatever beneficial bacteria was in there. I have API quick start I can add in there, too. 

[Ammonia level]

27 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

Question 1: How long have you had the tank running for?

Question 2: do you use liquid fertilizer for your plants?

Question 3: what type of filtration do you use?

At first glance it would appear your tank is fully cycled, however if you dose liquid fertilizer it will give a reading of Nitrates in your tank. If your tank isnt fully cycled that could be one cause of the ammonia source. Second cause could be your source water. Have you tested your water out the tap? It could be contaminated with trace amounts of ammonia, meaning your are introducing it into your tank with each water change. Lastly dont worry about your plants. Plants do consume nitrate but they prefer nitrite better and ammonia the best. If there is ammonia in your tank they will consume it first before making do with the less desirable nitrate. Until i can get more clues to accurately diagnose the problem my gut instinct is telling me your tank isnt fully cycled or contaminated water source. 

Tank has been running only about 5 weeks. It was an impulse purchase, I will admit, but I'm trying to do right by the fish. I have liquid fertilizer but I haven't used it yet (easy green), I'm nervous to use it and I don't know why. The tank is a 5 gallon kit with a built in filter, I have a carbon cartridge in it right now, but was planning on switching to a coarse sponge in its place in a few weeks. I have not tested the water out of the tap, but I can do that. I think the tank WAS cycled, I was consistently getting 0 ammonia and nitrite, with 5-10 ppm nitrate; but last week on Sunday I drained the tank, took half of the gravel out and put fluval stratum on top, and that's when i added the Monte Carlo. I soaked all of the plants and decor and filter media in the tank water in a bucket to prevent some of the bacteria on any of it from dying off. so I am thinking I'll have to start the cycle over? If I find 0.25 ppm ammonia should I water change or not? I had thought that ammonia was so toxic that even that amount would kill the fish if left in there. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed I must admit, but I love the little dude so I appreciate all your input!

[Ammonia level]

Just now, KBOzzie59 said:

What is your water source?  Does it contain chloramine?  If yes what are you using to treat the water?

I'm not sure if it contains chlorine or chloramine (or both? Like i said, i am very very new to this...) but I use tap water. I treat it with stress coat +, just because that was available to me and my fish had some fin issues when I bought him so I thought the aloe Vera would help him heal up. I treat the new water before putting it in the tank, so I just dose for the amount I'm replacing, not the whole 5 gallons. 

[Ammonia level]

Hello! I posted a few days ago about my new betta tank, and everyone was very helpful, so thanks again! 
Today I have a question about ammonia levels (I am a super newbie). Is it possible to have a false ammonia reading? Here is the context behind the question: I have a 5 gallon filtered tank with one betta. I tested my water yesterday, and ended up with 0.25 ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and 10-20 ppm nitrate. I did a 25% water change and vacuumed the waste out of the substrate.  Today, about 24 hours after the water change, I tested again. Results were ammonia 0.25 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm and nitrate 10 ppm. Should I do another 25% water change? I thought the nitrates fed the plants, in simple terms, so if i do and the nitrates end up at 0, will that have a negative effect on my plants? I have dwarf hair grass, Monte Carlo, salvinia minima and an Amazon sword. The day before the last water change, my readings were 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite and 20 ppm nitrate. I am using the API master test kit, and I do know the nitrate test is extremely finicky so I also have some test strips, but I have not used them recently because I tend to set them down and then walk away and forget to read them 😅 Any input would be much appreciated, thanks! 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

3 hours ago, SWilson said:

lol welcome to multiple tank syndrome...it happens so fast! 😝

Even with the pygmy corydoras I personally would prefer to do it in the 10 gallon or bigger tank, becuase they like to be in even bigger groups than the panda or other bigger size cories.  And even four fish is a decent amount of waste to manage in a 5 gallon, b/c of you have to feed enough to ensure the cories get enough food "down there".  In the five gallon, you could also try shrimp or snail tankmates if you're interested in keeping those.  

I don't know if this is helpful at all for your space issue, but this video shows you how to make a cheap and sturdy aquarium stand with 2x4s and cinderblocks. 

I swear I am not "handy" and I managed to do this.  I did cut the 2x4's down to the right size for my aquarium because I wasnt making a fishroom rack. Most hardware stores will do the cutting for you, but you'll have to be careful handling the wood unless you have a sander.  I tried to make mine pretty by spraypainting the cinderblocks. (this is my 16 gal) 

There are also other threads on this forum where ppl have shared creative and low-cost alternatives for fish tank stands.  

Anyway, sorry for blowing up your thread so much!  and absolutely not trying to tell you what to do. you seem to be already really knowledgeable and know what you want to do. 

That looks really nice! If I can find the space maybe I can try something like that 🧐 For now, I think I'm just going to try and be patient, wait for the plants to really grow in. I still have no idea what I'm doing, so one tank is probably the best idea...Maybe I'll add a snail if I start to get algae (which I kinda hope I do 😅). I had assumed the 5 gallon was too small for more fish tank mates, too so I'm glad you reinforced that for me. You've been really helpful, can't thank you enough. I'll hopefully have a good update on a few weeks and I fish with a tail that hasn't been ripped to shreds from his anger issues 🤞

[New betta owner, advice needed]

29 minutes ago, Lifeisgood said:

Right and often busy bottom dwellers give the betta other things to think about and look at than his reflection.  My betta inspects and tries to boss my panda Garras around but they pay him no mind.  Having four or more corydoras might help him stop obsessing.

I do have 2 empty ten gallons that i bought on sale, but I don't have anywhere to put them. (Small house and cheap furniture 😆) I have my 5 gallon on my bedroom dresser, but it wouldn't support 10 gallons. I do love panda corydoras and corydoras sterbai but I'm assuming the 5 gallon is far too small for them. What about 3-4 Pygmy corys? Although, the betta is already in the tank so I couldn't introduce him after as recommended above, so that would be an issue too...

[New betta owner, advice needed]

56 minutes ago, skipper said:

@Bailey I think our bettas are twins! Below is mine. His name is Charles, after Baudelaire, because salty poet/dandyism movement (my nerdishness is multidisciplinary 😂).  

Yours wouldn’t per chance be a big box store “black mustard” betta would he? Mine is. He turned more pink and less mustard after inhabiting his warm and planted 20L. Pink would not have been my first choice... but live and let live, I rolled with it and got pink snails 😂. 
 

I was hoping to do a community tank but after “testing the waters” with the ramshorn snails, I think I’m going to pass and keep him solo. He loves flaring at the snails and does peck at them very briefly from time to time, the snails seem unphased. Like yours, mine seems too aggressive for finned tank mates.  Also like yours, mine used to flare at his reflection. Until I cultivated a lush layer of algae/biofilm on the sides of the tank. Snails keep it mowed down to a somewhat respectable level and it’s an excuse for me to be lazy. Perhaps that’s another strategy? 

HE IS LOVELY 😍Salty poet made me chuckle big time. 
He is a petsmart "blue mustard" and I have noticed his..."mustard"? Parts turning a slight pinkish color, this is super interesting. I love his color now but I would not be sad if he decides he wants to change clothes. I had Intended a snail or two in the 5 gallon, and then had hoped to upgrade to a ten gallon with some chili rasboras, but that will NOT be happening...I am hoping for algae growth on the walls (is that weird?!) because I thought that would be helpful, and your moody boy just reinforced the idea. Thank you so much for sharing him, I love it! 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

1 hour ago, Schwack said:

In my experience, driftwood and catappa leaves won't have a dramatic impact on your pH without adding a large amount of botanicals. I've seen some betta keepers cover the entire floor of their tank with various leaves. It results in a very nice dark water look, and likely drops pH, but it's not my style.

The same goes for driftwood. I've added giant chunks of wood to small volume tanks and not seen any consistent drop. The water gets nice and brown, but my pH would be rock solid. After a few months of adding leaves/wood/etc I gave up on hitting any "ideal" pH.

If you're looking to get your plants to blow up, it's probably worthwhile to pick up some fertilizers. Aquarium Coop has a great trio, although I might skip on the Easy Carbon. Easy Iron, Easy Green and root tabs have been a great combo for me. 

I did actually pick up some easy green, but I'm a little nervous to use it (I'm not sure why). I currently have a carbon cartridge in my filter, my understanding is that it would be pointless to fertilize with carbon in the filter, is that correct? Because I just changed substrate I wanted to wait a few weeks before changing the filter cartridge to a coarse sponge, because I thought it would be better to give the beneficial bacteria a chance to cover the new substrate. I think I'm going to go ahead and get some catappa leaves and get those going too! Thank you so much for your input, this has been so so helpful. 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

1 hour ago, SWilson said:

I do think they would lower the pH, so I think you could add them but do so slowly and build them up over time.  You could also get a KH test for your aquarium if you dont have one, the higher the KH, the better the water can stabilize against pH swings (that is grossly oversimplified for the level of knowledge/nermdom on this forum 🙃). 

Glad you're going for the blackwater look! I think that looks amazing with bettas, can't wait to see more pictures as it develops. 

I don't think so, but if you're worried about messing up your substrate, what I have done is bought the biomedia bag from aquarium coop, filled it with crushed coral, and put that in my hang on back filter or just stuck the bag in the tank.  

hmm...lots of light probably but that's counterproductive to the flashing problem! lol.  I only have experience with duckweed and frogbit and those are really prolific -- would suggest going with the frogbit over the duckweed b/c duckweed is very small and will stick to your arms and seems impossible to get rid of if you change your mind.  You can find frogbit online if your local store doesn't sell them.  

This is SO helpful! My LFS does have frogbit, I may pick some up. Super great info, thanks so much! I have no idea what KH testing is 😅 but I will research it and get a test kit. I don't have a hang on back filter, honestly the tank is a kit tank with a built in filter. I am kind of regretting not getting a larger tank, at this point! I would prefer a sponge filter but I have no space for it. 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

2 minutes ago, SWilson said:

This is interesting because I also experienced a pH crash early on in one of my tanks, and another beginner mentioned the same thing.  Though people always say that the pH will lower in your tank over time.  Some crushed coral substrate can help keep it stable as well.  you can do water changes in the meantime to keep up the pH b/c - while bettas naturally come from very low pH waters -- I agree with @James Black that stability is more important. 

The flaring is a very natural behavior for male bettas, and most betta keepers even keep mirrors and such to have them do it for exercise, but it does sound like he is doing it too much and that is causing stress.  You could also try increasing the tannins in the water by adding cattappa (or indian almond leaves), alder cones, or pieces of driftwood - but that may very likely also lower the pH in your water so might be better to wait until that's more stable before doing so.  You could also add floating plants to provide some cover - that will also reduce the level of light inside the tank.  

I don't have a betta currently but I do see glass surfing in new fish - I also do all the things you're doing (and I learned something here that I think will help me with the outside/inside light!) and they calm down in a few weeks.  Sounds like you're doing great! Good luck with beautiful Big Mad.  

Thanks for your input! Would Indian almond leaves also lower the pH? I was thinking of adding them for tannins as I really like the dark water look, but I knew that driftwood would likely lower it further (hence the artificial driftwood currently in there). do you know if the Crushed coral affect the carpeting ability of the Monte Carlo plants? I have a few floating plants, salvinia minima I think, any advice for getting them to really take off? This is my first Betta in over 10 years, and the first tank I've ever had live plants in, so I'm open to any advice or suggestions! 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

15 minutes ago, RockMongler said:

Hopefully it will help him chill out!  I've not personally kept bettas, but I do know they can have a wide variance in personality.  You might just have a particularly ornery individual who is just cranky at the world for daring to exist in his presence.  Hopefully the change in lighting will help him chill out though.  

I definitely got the ornery one outta the bunch 😁 I had bought a ten gallon to upgrade him down the road and maybe add some tank mates, but I don't think friends are in his future! Thanks again!

[New betta owner, advice needed]

James Black- the curling doesn't seem to bother him or slow him down, but I was concerned since it was getting worse. Here is a picture from a few days ago, you can see the curling in his fin and the holes/tears in his tail fin. They are almost completely healed today, just a few are still visible, bit the curling is the same. 

[New betta owner, advice needed]

Thank you KatieG! I saw him and could not resist! He doesn't have an "official" name, but I call him Big Mad because he's always flaring and spreading his fins 😆

Thanks for your advice RockMongler! I am currently trying that right now. I have all of the room lights on along with the tank light to see if hell chill out a little. Fingers crossed!

[New betta owner, advice needed]

I currently have the room light and tank light on, he is still doing it 🥴 but we will see if he adjusts. I actually have another question now as well. His Finns have some curling around the edges, not his tail fin but his dorsal fin especially has it. I purchased him with the curling issue, but it does seem to be getting worse. Any idea what the cause could be? It does not appear to be fin rot, although it did treat him with aquarium salt for 5 or so day when I first brought him home, just in case it WAS a case of fin rot.I have attached a picture from about two weeks ago, the curling on his dorsal fin has definitely gotten worse since then, and I have added some floating plants since then as well.  I apologize if the picture is huge, I don't know how to resize it...

[New betta owner, advice needed]

Hello! This is my first post here, if I'm not posting in the right place, please let me know! I am in need of advice on two issues. The first is how to cut down on reflection inside the tank on the walls. I have a male betta in a filtered, heated and (lightly) planted 5 gallon by himself. I have only had him about 5 weeks, and I am an absolute beginner in the hobby. He seems very aggressive and is constantly flaring at his reflection on his tank walls, which is causing tears in his tail fin, and possibly his dorsal. The tears developed 3 or so days ago (the flaring has been a problem but it seems to be getting worse), I kept the light off and he stopped, so the holes started closing up and the tears healing. Today I turned the light on to do a small water change and adjust some of the plants, and he started doing it again. I have just started planting the tank, so there is not a lot of cover right now, but I am hoping they will grow quickly and provide enough cover that this wont be a permanent issue. The tank is lit with the LED that was included in the tank kit. He doesn't flare much when the light is off, but without the light I don't think the plants will grow. I have tried a black background, a "natural" looking background, white plastic and white paper. Nothing seems to be helping, and I don't want him to shred his tail and/or develop an infection. Any advice or solutions for me to try would be very very appreciated. 

The second issue I am currently having (maybe it is not an issue, but I am a beginner so I don't know), is that my pH has fallen somewhat drastically. Out of the tap, my water is between 7-7.2, when testing the tank it was around 7.4. I recently replaced the substrate with Fluval Stratum to help with growth of the carpeting plants I just put in, and while I knew it would lower the pH slightly, it dropped off to 6.2-6.4. Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, what is the best way to raise it without harming the fish?

I appreciate any help and advice anyone can offer, thank you!