prepping for Betta

[Longshot]

I told my stepson that I would build him an aquarium and buy him a Betta , he was very excited. So, I built a 5 1/2 gallon tank and today I bought him a Tetra HT10 50w heater, an Aqueon Quiet Flow 10 filter and some decorations. I just set it up and we are prepping it for his new fish buddy. Sorry that the picture is poor quality but I have lousy lighting and I am a lousy photographer also. The water is full of bubbles, etc because I just filled it up. My stepson is at his aunts right now and doesn't know that I bought this stuff for him yet, I can't wait to see his face when he sees what we did for him. We looked at Bettas today over at the pet store but they didn't have any fish that looked worth buying. He decided yesterday that he wants a crown instead of the run of the mill splendens. The hunt will be on for a quality fish and we will let him choose his fish when the time comes. I am almost as excited for him as he is going to be, can't wait. He is learning all the names of the fish in my aquarium with enthusiasm and it spurred him to want a tank for himself- so , I guess we will get him started early, lol.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d119/longshot1068/DSCN10451.jpg

[madagascariensis]

That is a nice gift you are setting up for him. Who knows, maybe it's going to " pass the torch" and keep this hobby alive...

I Assume you have appropriately cycled or transferred media?

[Longshot]

this is why I said when the time is right, I just set it up and got everything running. It still has to cycle but I have it all running in anticipation. He will just have to wait if he wants to do it all the right way. ;)

[fishmommie]

What a sweet thing to do. I'm sure he'll be excited to pick out his own betta.
I recently bought a crowntail. LOVE him. I went for the smallest one I could find hoping that meant he was among the younger ones.
Good luck and again, very nice gesture.

[Longshot]

Thank you. He just got home and I got a huge hug and a mile wide grin. He sits in front of my 55 and laughs at my fish and he points them out and tells me the common name. He enjoys them almost as much as I do, lol.
:19:

[Cyberra]

^_^ Look around long enough, there'll be some really spectacular bettas to choose from. My fanciest crowntail is a halfbreed... half crown and half double. He's got all the spikiness of a crowntail with the split tail of a double tail.

[Longshot]

sounds like a beautiful animal, I hope Joey chooses wisely, lol.

[Cyberra]

^_^ He is. His name is Rainbow...

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/Primus001/Picture1127.jpg

...and you can see why ^^ See the split tail?

[Longshot]

Joe Joe really likes your betta, he is intrigued, lol.

[Stlouisfish]

this is why I said when the time is right, I just set it up and got everything running. It still has to cycle but I have it all running in anticipation. He will just have to wait if he wants to do it all the right way. ;)

How smart of you to cycle the tank 1st - too many people set up a tank for a child by adding fish right away and then are disappointed when some start getting stressed in an uncycled tank - I assume you are doing it with ammonia?

[Cyberra]

Joe Joe really likes your betta, he is intrigued, lol.

^_^ I've seen crowns in tricolor like Rainbow, in blues and reds and oranges and rare yellows, from almost black to nearly white. Lately there have been some shimmery greens with purple spikes showing up. I'm sure you can find a beauty. Find out when your lfs gets its shipments; if you time it right you can get first crack at the prettiest ones

[Longshot]

How smart of you to cycle the tank 1st - too many people set up a tank for a child by adding fish right away and then are disappointed when some start getting stressed in an uncycled tank - I assume you are doing it with ammonia?
I am taking the cartridge out of my stepdaughters filter and swapping it out with my stepsons cartridge, and adding a couple of drops of ammonia to the tank. She will have a new cartridge then when His tank is finally cycled I will buy a new cartridge for his filter. He is bummed that he has to wait but he will get over it when he sees how well his critter will be doing because of it.

[Longshot]

Tested the water today (5 gallons):
pH: 6.4
ammonia: 0 ppm
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate: 5.0 ppm.

going to do a partial water change (1 gallon) and retest. Try to get the 'Trates down a tad more although it should be fine to introduce this tanks first (and only) inhabitant. I do have a question about the pH, however. I have read that Betta's will tolerate a range from 6.5 to 7.5. Is 6.4 going to be alright? How will I safely raise the pH closer to 7 without dosing with chemicals? Told my stepson that as long as his tank is cycled properly we can pick up his 'Ishy today. Mind you this is the first time I have ever fishless cycled, so please forgive what would seem to be a gimme.

[Knightia]

I am taking the cartridge out of my stepdaughters filter and swapping it out with my stepsons cartridge, and adding a couple of drops of ammonia to the tank. She will have a new cartridge then when His tank is finally cycled I will buy a new cartridge for his filter. He is bummed that he has to wait but he will get over it when he sees how well his critter will be doing because of it.

Won't that lose the cycle from her tank though?

I wish you all the best - but I wouldn't keep a fish in a tank that small. I'd only keep a betta in a 10g+ I don't understand why people keep them in such tiny tanks.

[Stlouisfish]

Tested the water today (5 gallons):
pH: 6.4
ammonia: 0 ppm
nitrite: 0 ppm
nitrate: 5.0 ppm.

going to do a partial water change (1 gallon) and retest. Try to get the 'Trates down a tad more although it should be fine to introduce this tanks first (and only) inhabitant. I do have a question about the pH, however. I have read that Betta's will tolerate a range from 6.5 to 7.5. Is 6.4 going to be alright? How will I safely raise the pH closer to 7 without dosing with chemicals? Told my stepson that as long as his tank is cycled properly we can pick up his 'Ishy today. Mind you this is the first time I have ever fishless cycled, so please forgive what would seem to be a gimme.

There is no need to touch the pH - as long as a fish is properly acclimated to your water (there are articles here on how to do that - drip acclimating as well as adding a little tank water at a time to the bag the fish comes in), it should do fine - most people spend too much time worrying about their pH.

If you try and alter the pH, the fish will become stressed by it going up and down.

Remember that when you're ready to add the fish to the tank, you should net the fish out of the bag so as not to put any fish store water into the tank.

[Longshot]

Her tank has gravel in the bottom which holds the nitrification bacteria, I didn't disturb any of that. I let her tank run for 2 weeks with the new cartridge before I did anything other than top off the water, to let the new cartridge catch up a bit. I switched her 5 gallon out for a DYI 12 gallon last week and all is well there. Eventually my stepson will graduate to a larger tank. I am going on the assumption that 1 small Betta Splendens will be fine in a 5 gallon, with regular tank maintenance and water changes. It may not be proper but people keep them in 1 gallon bowls for years, I figured that 5 gallons is 5 times more room to play than those poor fish in a bowl. It is actually 6.19 gallons with dimension of L 14" x W 9.5" x H 10.75", which is wider and taller than a standard 5.

[Longshot]

Thanx Imma. I usually acclimate by floating the bag in the tank, add tank water a little at a time every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes I net the fish over a 5 gallon pail. I don't want any more "unknowns" getting into my tank than is necessary.
Looks like Joe Joe will be happy when he gets home from school and gets to go pick out his new fish. Will post picture of the new guy when he gets here.

[Stlouisfish]

Gravel does harbor bacteria, but most of it is in the filter (as you know) - sounds like you "seeded" a new cartridge with bacteria using an existing cycled cartridge?

Most forum members will recommend no smaller than a 5gal for a betta so you're fine! Unfortunately, fish stores home bettas in very small containers and small tank "kits" often show bettas on the packaging so people think they're appropriate. No matter what a fish is kept in for sale, all need room to swim.

[Longshot]

Both the kids have the same kind of filter, one filter has been running in a cramped 5 gallon for almost a year with the same cartridge. So I used the seasoned cartridge in the new tank for the Betta. I put the new cartridge in the old filter. I purposely stirred a small portion of the gravel to get some of the shmeg to float around and get into the new cartridge and let it run for 2 weeks. Then when I switched to a 12 gallon tank, I used the same gravel, same water and same filter, just added more dechlorinated water to top off the 12 gallon. The 6 gallon that I built for the Betta has the old cartridge in it still. The 12 gallon appears fine according to the water tests. Amm-0, Trate- less than 5.0, Trite- 0. So it seems like the cycle didn't suffer. Maybe just got lucky, but I'm letting her tank season up some more before I go nuts with water changes.

[Gogi]

5 gallon tanks are perfect for a betta.

[Longshot]

Not a great picture, but my stepson finally got his Betta.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d119/longshot1068/my%20vicious%20fishes/91e246c5-427b-4338-bc9b-499714aa94e2.jpg (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/longshot1068/media/my%20vicious%20fishes/91e246c5-427b-4338-bc9b-499714aa94e2.jpg.html)

[Cyberra]

^_^ Pretty!

Give it a few days and some food, and he'll color right up ^_^