Betta retirement tank

[smm333]

My betta is getting old and tired. He spends a lot of time resting in his tunnel and on the bottom of the tank. 

After watching a couple videos and reading up on caring for older bettas I decided to create a retirement tank for him. 

He is currently in a 10 gallon and it seems like wasted space as well as more work for him to swim up from the bottom. I didn't want to go too small, so I got a 5.5 gallon. 

I just filled the tank with water and seachem stability. I plan to move the sponge filter from his current tank into this one, so it will have a bunch of good stuff. I will keep up with the stability dosing for the 7 day regimen it recommends. Should that be enough? I have seachem equilibrium as well. Should I add that when I move him into the tank or  would that be overkill?

 

[Fish Folk]

Just go light on all chems & additives. 5.5 gal tanks _can_ get unstable fast.

[smm333]

On 3/7/2023 at 5:50 PM, Fish Folk said:

Just go light on all chems & additives. 5.5 gal tanks _can_ get unstable fast.

I have a younger betta in a 3.5 and haven't had any trouble. Hopefully with regular water changes this one will fair as well. Maybe I  will just empty 1/2 the new tanks water & add 50% of his current tank water when I move him in. It will just be like a 50% water change!

[smm333]

Loving the substrate in this tank! I set it up and then got covid, so it's just sitting there empty. I plan on moving Red, 50% of his tank water and his floating log into his beautiful new digs this weekend!

Edited March 10, 2023 by smm333
Misspelling

[smm333]

Hmmm...it appears that the 7.5 watt isn't heating this 5.5 tank enough. New heater (programmable) has been ordered and should arrive Monday. More waiting. 🙄 I was really hoping to get Red set up in here this weekend, but it needs to be just right!