Betta With 5 Neon Tetras.

[Kowalski]

So, about 4 days ago I acquired a 10 gallon tank with a Bio-wheel filter and so on and a male Betta. He's doing very well, I think. He's a challenge to feed as for some reason, he prefer sinking food, so I think I'll have to buy some of that. Anyway, yesterday I went to PetCo, after doing my research and bought 5 Neon Tetras. The guy told me that I had a 50/50 chance of them suriving, I knew this, but I figured I'd give it a shot. I put them in yesterday and they seemed fine, even with the Betta making occasional darts towards them, but he never bit them or even made contact. I woke up this morning with a Tetra gone, not too surprised, heh. I look in the filter and there he is.

Yet no injuries? And he's alive, just laying there breathing, so I put him in his own little tank very quickly and he passed away fairly shortly. Now here's the confusion:

No injuries, so it doesn't look like the Betta even touched him AND the intake on my filter isn't nearly strong enough to suck one up, hell, the Tetras have been swimming all around it on occasion without even struggling? So, would anyone happen to have any advice as to what could have happened? I'm new to all this and any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your time! I really love this website, it's perfect for a moron like me! Haha.

 

[starrynightxxi]

it may not have been your betta at all. neons are not the hardy fish they used to be because of overbreeding and if your tank is only four days old, than it hasn't had a chance to cycle. If that's the case, there are a number of threads about cycling in the chit chat, emergencies, and beginner questions forums. There's also a pinned one here. They should answer most of your questions.

 

[Kowalski]

Ah, thank you very much. I had actually read about that, just not in depth really. I figured they'd be fine considering it's a lot of space for only 5 small fish. Silly me! But not the question is what to do now? Only tank I have to put them in while it cycles is a TINY thing that you used at a fair or something, you know? So, should I just leave them in there and hope for the best? The Betta is doing just awesome, he's very active, very quick and is eating well, so I'm guessing he's okay, the Tetras are very skiddish, but they're loosening up as time goes on and they eat well. What would be a good step to take from this point? As I post this, I realize this isn't in the correct forum at all... Sorry everyone...

 

[TammyLiz]

You've got your work cut out for you if you want those neons to survive a cycle. Daily water changes, or as many as you can, to keep the ammonia levels down until the filter bacteria catch up. See if you can get some mature filter media from another tank, maybe your pet store can give you something. Make sure they put it in a bad with plenty of moisture for the trip home. I don't know what else to say...its not a good situation. If you can't get something to seed the filter the cycle could take up to two months, one month if you're lucky.

EDIT: The easiest option would be to return the neons to the store, let your betta do the cycle himself (some mature media would speed it up a LOT), and then get some more neons when ammonia and nitrItes are 0.

 

[Kowalski]

Thank you for the response TammyLiz. I figured I didn't research enough or think things through well enough. I currently lack any live plants, will bacteria still form over time or is there a way to "speed it up". Currently, I just used that slime stuff and detoxifier when I first got it, otherwise, the Betta has been in there acting active and energetic. The Tetras are fine, but I realize that may not last at all. What do you mean by "mature media"? Sorry, I'm new to all of this, pardon my stupidity! Thanks for all the help thus far.

 

[TammyLiz]

Oh, well the mature media I was talking about is to speed up the cycle. Something from a mature (old, established) tank is going to have those bacteria you're looking for. There is a little bit in the gravel so if you can get a handful of that it would help, but even better would be if you could borrow a bio ball or get an old piece of some sort of other media (filter material) from a tank, then that would be best. See above for how to transport it to your tank..you have to be careful not to destroy the bacteria in the process.
EDIT: Keep in mind that if the fish in the tank you get the media from are sick, your fish may catch something. So try to get it from a healthy tank.

 

[fawnmodel]

Mature media means media from another, well-established fish tank's filter. At the very least, some used gravel, from a HEALTHY tank.

Neons need cycled water, and Bettas do not. That is the mistake.

The betta will cycle the water, because by eating and wasting he will be feeding the nitrifying bacteria. After a month or so of regular water changes and him living there, you can add more 'regular fish'. Remember, Bettas are the only fish you are not having to cycle for, but he will still need those water chances to cycle the tank for you.

You should check the Newbie board, and look up cycling and nitrogen cycle for reference.

 

[Kowalski]

I don't really know anyone/anywhere to get any "mature media" from... I probably sound so stupid, heh. I've been reading about cycling and stuff, so thank you for all the redirections and links, it's helped greatly. I guess I just need to start thinking about what I can do at this point and figure out a plan... Thanks again for all the help, hopefully this all ends well. BIG rookie mistake on my part, heh.

EDIT:
I just read on some article that there are... hm... I guess "bacteria producers" that come in bottles now that you can add to your tank for speeding up the process. Has anyone heard about this, if so, your overall feeling about using them? Thank you very, very much for putting up with me.

 

[TammyLiz]

Maybe the store you got the neons from could give you some? You could even offere to pay a little bit for it. Tell them they'll be saving lives. Not that they'll really care.

And no, you don't seem stupid. The fact that you're even on a forum looking for answers and paying attention to them shows you're smart. Many many people, including myself, did not know about cycling when they first started. And many people keep fish for years, lose them over and over, and never know why, because they never bother to learn. So you're doing fine.

EDIT: Just read your edit. I've heard the one called "cycle" is useless, as well as many others. The only one I've heard much good about is bio spira, and you have to be sure it was properly refridgerated. It would be a good option for you if you can find some.

 

[starrynightxxi]

well, it's how you learn the right way to do thing, and there are a great many people who have never heard of cycling so don't feel too bad.

 

[Kowalski]

Good idea TammyLiz. In fact, oddly enough, the guy at PetCo seemed to know his stuff and was really nice. So maybe I'll head over there and see what I can do later on. Thanks to all of you for helping, it means a lot... So, say I take the Neons back and that's done with, should I just leave the Betta in there alone for about a month and let it cycle and then see what can be done? Again, Tammy, Starry, Fawn; thank you!

EDIT: Thanks for the input about those bacteria builders or whatever they're called. PetCo actually had quite a large sleection of things, so I'll look for some Bio-Spira and see how that goes. I'm lucky enough to have a PetCo, a family owned fish place, and a PetsSmart right in town here, so hopefully i'll be able to correct this mess.

 

[TammyLiz]

Great! Sounds like you've got an handle on things. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Kowalski]

Thanks, hopefully I'll be making a good post within a few days, haha.

 

[Loko17]

I think everyone else has pretty much answered your neon question but about the betta prefering sinking food, I think it sinking is just easier for them to find. Once he gets used to you he will come up and get food off the surface. And if you have flakes you can lightly tap them and usually they will go down and start sinking, I dont know if that same thing works for pellets but like i said he'll probably get used to you.

 

[Kowalski]

Sadly, the tetras are slowly fading. Another went beserk today and bit it. Another is breathing hard and doesn't seem all together.

In regards to mature media, I did use the same gravel my mom had with the Betta in his old small tank, would that help speed up cycling at all?