HELP!!! New fish tank questions...

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I am completely confused:confused:
I went to Walmart tonight, and purchased my betta fish a new tank. The name brand is Hawkeye International 1 gallon aquarium. Now the saleslady told me that I could put a betta fish with a bubble eyed fish, and an algie eater. Is that true? I always thought that Bettas were high aggressive levels, and I was worried to get another fish to share a tank with my male betta.

My most important question, however, is can I use regular tap water for my fish tank, or use spring water like I have been using for about 8 months? The parts it came with were, tank body, filter plate, air diffuser, light hood, air line tubing, air pump, and riser tube and a drip loop. Do I need to buy anything else to go with it, or is that it?
I have never owned an aquarium like this. Any advice???
How about an algie eater? What do they eat other than algie? Do they get like, pellets or something?
PLEASE HELP WALK ME THROUGH THIS!! I am so lost, lol. Thank you all ahead of time:);)

[flamepony12]

Sounds like a one-gallon is too small for those three fish! Are you talking about a moor, (as a "bubble-eyed fish"), or a telescope, etc.? They can get rather big.

I would not reccomend getting algae eaters-- we have lost 2 fish to them! Sometimes, (not to make this into a horror story, hehe), while the fish are asleep, they will accidentally suck the fish's slime coat off. The fish needs their slime coat to survive, and without it they will die. However, plecos are nice! Don't just get normal plecostomous that you find at petstores!! Those get quite large. If you are looking for plecos, try & get "Dwarf albino bristlenose *or bushynose* plecos". If you can't find these at pet stores, I would probably be able to ship a pair to you, Since I am raising clutches of eggs & babies as I type!

And no, do not use tap water.... chlorine will kill fish on the spot! I would reccomend either using bottled water, or using tap water with a bit of dechlorinator/stress coat in it. (You can also find this at a pet store!)

Hope I was of some help! :)

>>>Devon<<<

[Slinky_Disney_KG]

DO NOT PUT AN ALGAE EATER IN WITH THE BETTA. The betta like to have their own territory. If you put another fish in the tank with it, the betta will fight it. Sorry but I don't know much more. My bro just got a betta a couple weeks ago and they don't need alot of space and a good thing to have in there is a plant. Not the fake ones.

(Let me know if my advice helps :D )

--Katie
Owned by dog :.Disney.: Guinea :.Slinky.: and 3 fish!

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Thank you for the advice.
No I was talking about getting another Betta and bubble eyed fish (moor) in a 2 gallon tank. I would not trust my betta with another fish, since he has not been with one in over 8 months.
Is Bottled spring water ok to use? since that is what he has been getting for 8 months now.
What is a pleco? Do they help clean the tank out? would they be ok to keep with my male betta?
I am so sorry I am clueless about fish. I would love to know more about them, and I would be willing to buy some and have them shipped, if I can learn more about them;)

[carrie]

Beta fish are a huge range of species - I'm guessing you mean a Siamese fighting fish male - you can see why their name has been changed!

He will be fine with other fish that do resemble him in colour or finnage - plecs will rapidly outgrow your tank and all algae eaters can do very well with algae wafers - get online, visit dedicated fish sites and ask advice from other fish stores.

Plecs are out of your range with the size of tank you have, very small fish are likely to be bullied by your Siamese and larger fish will tend to nip his fins in such a small tank.

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by Slinky_Disney_KG
If you put another fish in the tank with it, the betta will fight it

sorry, but that's not necessarily true..... Bettas are actually compatible with a number of fish. It is, most of the time, only other male bettas that they fight with.

Katie- check your pms! :)

[LuvGold00]

I highly suggest you get a Snail... I have 1 in each of my Betta tanks, they keep it nice and clean and they are actually pretty.

I have teardrop snails, they do not eat live plants and do not reproduce in fresh water...

[luckies4me]

My betta is in a 55 gallon with a number of other fish and they all get along just fine. ;)

[micki76]

Originally posted by carrie
He will be fine with other fish that do resemble him in colour or finnage

Not true at all. The worst tank mate for a Betta is a fish that looks similar in finnage. He will fight with anything that remotely resembles another betta.

Here's a site about betta care, tank mates, good tank info, etc.:

http://www.nazarenenexus.com/betta_ed/index.htm

Some good tank mates are:
African Dwarf Frog
Bala Shark
Cherry Barb
Clown Loach
Cory Cats (Corydoras)
Cardinal/Neon Tetra
Guppy (females only, not large finned males)
Ghost Shrimp
Mollies (not fancy ones with large fins)
Platies
Plecostomus
Snails (one per tank)
Swordtails
White Cloud Minnow
Zebra Danio

Plecos will get HUGE eventually, so unless you want a BIG aquarium for it later, don't go that route. I prefer to vacuum my gravel once a week and replace the water that process removes with fresh, treated tap water. I also use a magnetized algae scraper once a week and then change my filters at that time. I do all this every Saturday and spend about 20 minutes total on all three tanks.

Also, try to remember the rule of one inch of fish per gallon of water. Any more than that and their waste will create too much amonia and pollute the water quickly.

Spring water or tap water treated with a water conditioner/chlorine remover is fine. Never use distilled water. It's free of minerals that fish (and people) need.

I prefer live plants, but silk plants are ok too. Plastic plants are not good - they will tear a bettas delicate fins. The like to have plants to hide in. :)

[Uabassoon]

Originally posted by luckies4me
My betta is in a 55 gallon with a number of other fish and they all get along just fine. ;)

Yes, but that's a 55 gallon! There is plenty of room for the betta to swim around and have it's own area.

If all you have is a 2 gallon don't put in any other fish! Usually (depending on the fish) you want about 1 inch of fish for gallon of water, a betta and a bubble eye and an algea eater is way too much fish!

Tap water is fine to use, you just need to treat it. If your Betta has currently been getting spring water you will need to gradually change the water, or it could kill him. If these are new fish then treated tap water will be fine.

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by micki76
Plecos will get HUGE eventually, so unless you want a BIG aquarium for it later, don't go that route.

Normal plecostomous, aka plecos, get very big, ie. Kay's Earle. But, the plecos that I am reccomending and raising, ("dwarf albino bristlenose plecos") only get about 3 inches long, maybe less, when they are full-sized! :)

[carrie]

my post was meant to say "that do not resemble him . . ."

typo - sorry

[LauraT7]

I used to have a betta one of those little 1 1/2 gallon tanks - if theres any way to tell if a fish 'likes' his 'home' - then Azure did - I had him for 5 or 6 yrs before he got Dropsy and died. he was very active in his little tank, and he had two companions over that time.

some of them even come with a light and undergravel filters, which will keep the water fresher a little longer - however, remember that a betta's fins are fragile, and they prefer 'still' water, not 'turbulent' so if it HAS an undergravel filter, like some do - make sure you get an air pump that has adjustable pressure, or get a 'divider' ( makes two air lines out of one) to bleed off some of the air pressure.

Actually, I preferred to use a 'sponge filter' as it would clean the water and provide beneficial bacteria without churning up the water at all.

I'd agree about the chinese algae eaters - they might be OK when they are very small - I had one in my big tank for about 3-4 yrs - he started out the size of my little finger and grew to be about 6 - 7" long. the bigger he got, the more agressive he got.

If you want an 'algae eating' fish that will be compatable with almost any small tank fish - or a betta - try an "Oto" - they are a tiny ( about 1 - 11/2") glass and bottom sucking fish that never get much bigger than that. they will eat leftover bottom food and the algae off the rocks and walls.

Snails CAN be good - but - you can't always find a good one. the ones that often show up in your tank(they come on plants from the store by accident) they are asexual and will multiply like crazy and make a nusance of themselves. if you buy a 'big' specialty snail - like those 'gold mystery snails' they often are really 'apple snails'. Most of those won't reproduce unless you have a pair. They eat anything EXCEPT algae and they POOP alot - they foul the water in a small tank fast. we had one (in a 20 gal tank) it was cool to watch him eat - veggies, dead fish, fruit, anything organic. we had him about a year, and he grew from quarter size to the size of a small crabapple - But we actually named him 'Sir Poop-a-lot' because of the mess he made.

A male Betta will fight with any fish that it sees as remotely like itself - size and flowing fins ( Male Guppies, long finned danios, long skirt Tetras, many types of goldfish, etc.)

there's actually a misconception about Bettas - because they CAN survive in mucky, small, stagnant puddles with larger temperature variations in their natural habitat, and because they DO fight with each other and have to be kept separate in stores to keep from losing stock (stores loose $) many stores like the pet chains will tell you that a vase, small glass cube, 1 gal tank, etc is a great home for them. Sure, they can survive in those for awhile -

But hey - you COULD live in a box year round and use a port-a-potty for a toilet, too - but would you be Healthy & HAPPY?

I love camping - but I wouldn't want to LIVE in my own mess 24/365, would you?

that's why, if you can, give your Betta his OWN space - (esp if it's small, less waste in the water)

use conditioned water (I have a big water jug - holds 2 1/2 gallons - that I make up with tank conditioner when I clean the big community tank- that way it keeps and I don't have to 'mix' it every time I change a bit of the small tanks water.)

Change 1/4 to 1/3 of the water weekly, or use a filter (then change about 1/2 of the tank, once a month or so)

keep the tank/bowl in a spot with a stable temp, or use a small heater ( there are 25 watt heaters available pretty cheap)

Keep a (non-airtite) lid on the tank (Bettas have been known to jump out of bowls)

Live plants add oxygen to the tank - but you don't need them if you filter the water, and live plants are hard to keep going unless you have adequate lighting to make them grow.

Bettas are fun - they actually have personalities and will come loking for you when you come into the room, or when you feed them. sometimes you can train them to come eat out of your hand. Enjoy your Betta - they make a great pet!

laura

[IRescue452]

My bettas did fine in tanks with other fish. They generally only fight males of their own kind, unless they are unusually aggressive. The problem you may have is that other fish will eat the fins of your betta. Your tank is too small though and I don't recommend putting a betta with any type of goldfish (bubble eyes included) because they make a lot of ammonia waste.

[chrissycat21]

I wouldn't keep your betta with any other fish in a such a small tank. Even with a snail he might get aggresive and kill it.

Plecos are a huge help in keeping the tank clean. I had a common pleco (found at most petstores) but it got huge, 11". Now he lives in a 75 gallon tank which is just his size.

Good luck with your fish!

AquaSafe is a good brand of dechlorinator (sp?). You can find it at almost every petstore, and some pet departments at Walmart and Target even have it.

[NoahsMommy]

Our old tank setup included a Beta with a bunch of other fish and he was fine.

( http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22756&highlight=fish )

The Siamese Algea eater left the beta alone and did a great job keeping the tank clean. They're kind of pretty too.

Our tank is a 15 gallon. They say to keep your fish to tank ratio at 1 gallon for each inch of fish you have. (Keeping in mind growth)