AndreaW

Same here. When cycling my tank I did a water change when I detected .25ppm ammonia. It was only 10-20% at most. I generally don't do more than 20% at a time unless it's extreme measures (like moving a tank).

I found it at another aquarium supplier... AquaCave? I don't know anything about them and have never ordered from them so I can't vouch for them at all.

@Guppysnail No, there is a freshwater one. I don't know if I can post links or screenshots to a competitor store, but this is what it looks like:

@Guppysnail ~ Salifert makes a freshwater potassium kit.

API has a potassium test (found mine on amazon). Iron is much harder to come by. @Guppysnail I'm sorry, I was thinking of Phosphate (not potassium).

Agree 100%. It's all bout the nitrogen cycle and focusing on water quality. Curious why you would recommend not doing the Prime though? Or are you saying water changes are more important than dosing chemicals?

Prime will NOT affect your nitrogen cycle. In fact, it will help protect your fish from the toxic ammonia and nitrites. When using Prime, the ammonia is still there and you still need to do a water change to keep it low. Prime is a safe way to keep the ammonia there for the beneficial bacteria to develop without hurting your fish. This is from Seachem's website: "Prime® may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. It contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. It will also detoxify any heavy metals found in the tap water at typical concentration levels. Use at start-up and whenever adding or replacing water." It only binds temporarily (24-48 hours) so you still need to be testing frequently. You are correct. You still will want to do water changes in conjunction with Prime for best results. Make sure you are dosing Prime for the full volume of your tank each time.

I would also suggest a 20 gallon, heavily planted, at the least for that amount of fish. I have a Betta in a 10 gallon and added some Pandas but the Betta was territorial and I didn't like seeing them stressed or the Betta, so I moved them to a large community tank with other Cories (It was my backup plan from the beginning). I've added two Nerite snails and since they are slow moving, he is curious and watches them, but he doesn't flare at them so there's no stress. I think he is perplexed why some rocks in his tank move. They do poop a lot, so I don't know that I would keep them together with Cories though. My water flow for my Betta is lower so all the Nerite poop sits at the bottom and I have to do a little surface vacuuming often. Most tetras move fast enough they won't get tagged by the Betta (also depends on if you get a long-finned or Plakat), but Cories can easily be a target. Shrimp are also often bite-sized snacks for Bettas (you would be impressed with how big a shrimp some can fit in their mouths). Ultimately, it depends on your Betta's temperament and there's no way to know in advance if he/she is going to tolerate tank mates. You are better off adding anything else to the tank before the Betta so he doesn't become king of his domain first. Good luck on your setup! I look forward to seeing it come together. Bettas are a fun fish with a lot of personality!

Since stressed fish are more prone to diseases, I would say it could be a factor. I have a cat that think the kuhli loaches are his toys (they don't seem to mind and ignore him). He also thinks the fish food is his and the filter on back is his drinking fountain, constantly pulling my Pothos out of his way.

I don't think you could have missed the smell! It is like rotting garbage. It smelled even after drying out after I took it out and photographed it (I kept it wrapped in a paper towel until I got a response from customer service.)

That's great news, he looks better and hope it continues! I've heard the strips are convenient, but not as accurate as the liquid tests. I'm glad you have better results now. Keep up with testing. I think I mentioned above that if you use Seachem Prime, it binds up the Ammonia and Nitrites and temporarily detoxifies them so it won't harm your fish in the tank while cycling (as well as regular water changes). It's great peace of mind when first starting out as you will get (and ultimately want to see at some point, although in very low numbers) ammonia and nitrites which will stress your fish. It's one of my *Must-have* products when doing a fish-in cycle. I found a chart that's floating around online for cycling a tank using Seachem Prime, that has this basic info: While it can be useful, I don't follow it as law. For instance, I *think* a planted tank can be "cycled" with 0ppm Nitrates. And I don't think it take into account Nitrite/Nitrate levels when you add fertilizers or certain substrates. I use this chart as a general guide. Also, I won't do a 50% water change unless I'm moving a tank or something drastic like that. I'd rather do a couple smaller water changes so I don't overly stress the fish. I usually won't do more than 25% water change. That's just me though. I know others have different opinions. As long as you are adding Prime, the fish *should* be okay with a little Ammonia and Nitrites while you are establishing your beneficial bacterias. I don't think I caught your Betta's name?

I know the rhizome can rot from too much glue and other factors besides "Anubias Rot". Curious if yours smelled? Mine had a horrible smell you could pick up a few feet away. There was nothing left of the rhizome on my Barteri to do anything with. Most of the roots were also gone, with only a few white tips left. The base of the leaves were mush too. It seemed to happen quite quickly; one day it looked fine and two days later it disintegrated when I bumped it, even though the leaves still looks beautiful. I did contact customer service and sent them the photos and they refunded the money. I'm just bummed as Anubias is my favorite. I still have two Anubias Golden in the tank I"m keeping an eye on but so far they have been okay. (fingers crossed)

What a beautiful Betta! Bettas can be picky eaters and they also can play with their food. They can also lose their appetite when they are stressed or their water quality is suboptimal. Mine won't eat pellets and is picky about his frozen foods too. I notice one day he loves his brine shrimp, and the next day he doesn't, but he will go for the blood worms. The rare times I feed him pellets (I soak them) I have noticed he sometimes spits them out and breaks them up and eats the smaller pieces. I think it's because the pellets might be too large for their liking (even though he will slurp a worm down fine and I've seen Bettas eat shrimp whole). The thing that would concern me though is your high nitrates. I would work on bringing those down through a series of water changes. I think shrimp are very sensitive to high nitrates so that could be an indicator so that could explain what happened. Overall, she looks fine and healthy. I would recommend improving the water quality to see if that helps her and her tankmates. And I'm sure you know this already, but be careful with over-medicating fish and always be aware of what medications your tank mates can handle as well.

@Bethany92 ~ I keep thinking about your Betta. In reading back through the thread: I'm curious where you are in your nitrogen cycle if you had nitrites and nitrates, but now have none? Sunday's 1ppm Nitrites would be a big stress to a Betta and could be the problem with his clamped fins and loss of color. However, yesterday you had no Ammonia, Nitrites or Nitrates, which would indicate you had no nitrogen cycle going yet, but would be fine for your Betta. Any idea what made the difference in those numbers? A rapidly shifting pH could also cause stress, so I'm thinking about that as well, but I know very little about altering pH, KH & GH. I wish I knew more so I could help your little guy. I'd love to see him with color and flowing fins.

I say do it! I'm always interested to see how people manage their supplies.

@Beardedbillygoat1975 ~ Thank you! I haven't trimmed any plants yet except for a leaf or two that melted and the two rotted Anubias. I think I'm going to let it sit for a bit before adding anything new. I'm wondering if I should remove some of the lettuce as it is blocking light, but think maybe I should keep it to see if it helps reduce the hair algae growth? @jasper5150 ~ Thank you!

I have an All-glass aquarium and I ordered mine from Amazon and it was called: Backstrip for Aquarium, 3/16-Inch by 6-Feet, Clear

When I moved my 46 gallon downstairs to my son's room, I realized I really missed having a tank nearby. I decided I wanted a Betta as it's been many years since I had one (it was my daughter's). I have always wanted a planted tank but never had luck adding plants to the 46 gallon. It's just not set up for plants. I researched Betta care and looked into Aquascaping and caring for live plants -- and it's overwhelming. So, this will be an adventure! Where I've been: 12/21 - I bought a 10 gallon corner tank kit. It should fit perfect in the corner of my office on my side table. 12/26/21 - 46 gallon tank moving day! It took all day between catching fish, setting them up in their temp home (5 gallon bucket with bubbles and heater) and emptying 95% of the water, trying to keep all the beneficial bacteria alive as well as cleaning the calcium build-up from 20 years and then moving, leveling and setting it up in the new location. No loss of fish and nitrogen cycle stayed intact through the move. Success! Now I can focus on my new tank once my office is painted. 1/21/22 - Walked into Mark's Ark to look at Spider Wood and what live plants they had. Walked out with a Betta that chose me. A beautiful black/ turquoise/pink Koi Plakat. Set up 2.5 gallon temporary tank for him with seeded material from 46 gallon. Also bought a few unlabeled live plants I'm told will grow in low light. Maybe Anubias and Javas? Also some grass, which I'm told won't survive so I won't move it over to 10 gallon. Using Seachem Prime & stability and testing water parameters and keeping a spreadsheet with tank and testing data. Welcome home "Cosmo"! 1/28/22 - Got my live plant delivery from Aquarium Coop! Java Fern, "Windelov" Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias Golden, Anubias Barteri, Anubias nana "petite" 1/30/22 - My office is painted and desk moved in which means it's tank set up day! Glued smaller spider wood to rock, larger spider wood was drilled and tied with fishing line to rock. All Anubias and Java are glued to rocks or spider wood. Seeded with material from 46 gallon as well as temp tank. "Cosmo" seems to enjoy his new space! 2/1/22 - Added a school of Panda Cories. Cosmo doesn't like them so they may be moving to 46 gallon. 2/3/22 - Decided to move Pandas. I think they and Cosmo would all be happier. Ordered two Nerite Snails. Maybe Cosmo won't mind them as much. 2/9/22 - Discovered internal filter isn't circulating enough water so there are cold spots in he bottom corners. 2/12/22 - Added two bubble walls to see if I can even out water flow and temp. Discovered Anubias Barteri rhizome rotted. nana petite might also be rotting. Discovered "Anubias Rot" which might take out all current and future Anubias. I'm very sad because it's my favorite! I was planning on ordering more varieties. Algae is growing - Yay! Currently using Seachem Flourish (.8mL) and api Leaf Zone (5mL) alternating 1x/week each. 2/16/22 - Nerite snails arrived! One looks healthy and active, the other, not so much. Both immediately stuck to the glass. Anubias Nana petite also has rot. I removed it from tank. I lowered the internal filter and took out one of the two bubble walls. So far circulation/temperature is more even. I'll test it out this way for a while before I make any more changes. (I have considered switching to sponge filters.) I got a refund for Anubias. Need to research different plants to try for low light. I may end up doing root tabs after all. Hair Algae is starting is starting to form on Anubias Golden, Java Moss, and some floating plant roots. I can't resist the cliché names of "Hoover" & "Kirby" for my Nerites! 2/22/22 - Current tank parameters: Temp - 79-80°F pH - 7.8 KH - 7° GH - 16° Ammonia - 0ppm Nitrites - 0ppm Nitrates 5ppm Phosphates - .5ppm Lights on 11am-7pm Now I'm trying to find the right balance between nutrients for the plants, proper amount of algae for the Nerites, and a happy tank setup for Cosmo. I would like to reduce the amount of hair algae. I think I would like to try more plants later. Maybe something taller to frame the glass at the back? Maybe a cleaner looking moss, assuming it survives the Hair Algae.

Your packaging looks great and what a thorough and well thought out process! I think the only thing I would suggest (if I may) is to add another label that specifically says "tropical fish inside" When I had snails delivered, my mailman made sure I was home so it wouldn't be sitting out in the cold. I know a label wouldn't guarantee a mindful delivery, but it might make a difference.

I would still treat everything you haven't tossed out with Panacur C since you don't have any stock in the tank yet. It only takes one in your tank for an outbreak.

I recorded a video last night and uploaded it to youtube if the link works here: https://youtu.be/8WCciNPJ0dk My observations of the dark spots on the bottom of their feet: It appears the dark spot of the seemingly healthy one is smoother, and as he moves, it's almost like a liquid under the surface that gets squeezed through his tissue in a pattern. The blotchy-looking one has looked like that the whole time and I've never actually observed him moving to see how the dark spots *move* when he moves. It really is quite fascinating, but as of now, the bottom one looks a little rough. Maybe it was just travel and it will take time to adjust. I'll keep an eye on my water parameters. I just got my KH/GH test kits so I'll do those today (I normally have very hard water and stable pH so I expect both will be in the higher range). Since he hasn't moved much and only across the glass (which is clean) I don't think he's eaten anything. I haven't dared try to lift him off the glass to place him on the driftwood with biofilm and algae. I guess the best I can do is just observe him and let him be. Thanks for you advice and info, I really appreciate your time.

@xXInkedPhoenixX ~ Mind if I ask you another Nerite Snail question? I'm wondering if something is wrong with one of my two Nerites. The bottom one has only moved a foot or two since I got them last Wednesday, while the top one has done laps around the tank. He looks splotchy to me (he came that way). I've been trying to research, but haven't found anything helpful. The top photo was a rare time I actually saw his mouth but it was only out for about 10 seconds before he tucked back up. Any idea what I can do for him? This is what he looks like most of the time.

I don't have an answer but I'm jealous of your testing rack! All my tests are shoved in a plastic Tupperware container!

@Bethany92 ~ Let me see if I have this correct: Ammonia .25ppm, Nitrites 1ppm, nitrates 0ppm (before your water change). I don't know how much you know about the nitrogen cycle, so forgive me if you understand better than I think you do Ammonia (toxic) is converted to Nitrites (kinda toxic) which is then converted to Nitrates (harmless unless very high). Prime will neutralize any Ammonia and Nitrites for 24 hours and keep them from harming your Betta while your nitrifying bacteria are building up. You can dose Prime every 24 house if you need to. You will want to keep checking your Ammonia and Nitrites to make sure they are not getting high and poisoning your fish while you are establishing your cycle. You will want to do smaller water changed to help reduce Ammonia, Nitrites and high Nitrates, but don't change too much water or disturb your tank substrate, filter, etc. too much as you want to keep as much of the beneficial bacteria as you can while keeping the water clean for your Betta while you are establishing your tank. And you don't want to stress your Betta either. I can try my best to answer any questions you have with cycling your tank. As far as raising pH, I don't have much knowledge there. How is your Betta doing now?

Thank you, that makes sense. I never knew they dig! I've never really liked snails, but Cosmo is not a friendly companion so Nerites were my last option. I'll have to admit, they are growing on me. I would like to learn more about them and make sure I take care of them the best I can.