Help With New Betta

[JustFrozen]

i've read all the sticky faqs and skimmed through all 15 pages of posts. i'm worried about the cycle process. help my new little friend have the life she deserves!

Okay here's the setup:

5 gal w/filter, stones, and fake plants. no heater but i have the temp monitored and its a constant 75 F. the room is constant temp too

1 female betta, put in last night after making sure levels were good in the new water especially no chlorine, and after a 2 hour process of floating the bag and slowly doing tiny 5%-10% water changes in the bag

today she is acting happy and eating well.

i've decided to do daily testing of the water to make sure ammonia and nitrite levels dont get too high (not to mention chlorine from the water changes).

although i had a betta that lived past 3 years, cycling is new to me and i'm worried. i've got some initial questions. apologies in advance for the newbish questions. oh and a bunch of these are actually about water changes seeing how i've always left the water out in the past to remove chlorine instead of using conditioner

- is there such thing as putting too much conditioner (to remove the chlorine)? the measure cup that came with it has like 20 gallons for the smallest line so i have to estimate even will filling the entire tank for the first time. even worse with water changes where i'm only doing 25% at the most. is it better to error on the side of caution and put a little extra in?

- do you test for chlorine each time you're going to put the new tap water in (After conditioning) or do u do it once then keep measuring the same amount each time? or?

- should i be doing water changes constantly for awhile so ammonia and nitrite levels dont spike (until cycled, then maybe weekly since its filtered)?

- i currently only have strips to test with (planning on switching that up soon) and thats probably why, but i didnt notice a difference in levels after a 25% change. is that understandable? or should i be worried they arent dropping? they arent in danger zone or anything but should i be worried about the levels getting too high with just 1 betta?

- how careful do you have to be about temperature with water changes? it's bad for it to be TOO different than the tank water right?

i'm confident about feeding and temperature, the rest of it is freaking me out! even tho i successfully raised a betta into old age before

 

[lilacamy931]

Hello JustFrozen and welcome, here are my answers to your questions

- too much conditioner - I generalize as well, no real exact measurements, do read the bottle carefully but I have put a bit much in before with no problems. I roughly do the same amount for water changes each time so you do get used to and more comfortable with the quantities as the routine becomes establsihed.

- testing - I tested for chlorine once during initial setup of my first tank to see if the conditioner works and since then don't really once was used to adding the conditioner

- water changes - do what you are doing and test daily (probably twice would be good at least) the results will tell you where abouts you are in the cycle, do do frequent water changes until it becomes established, I really would use the results as a guidance unless you are finding phenomenal amounts and need to do more often changes. I would really suggest seeing if someone in your area is able to supply some mature media for your filter to kick start the cycle or if you are lucky clone one (this means almost instant cycle, you would need to monitor for a while to ensure it takes and establishes), are you UK or US as we have a pinned link in the forums of locals who can supply these.

- test strips - these are not the most reliable, I had both these and liquid test kit (API) and did them at the same time out of interest, the strips tended to be pretty inaccurate (but for the moment until a liquid kit, they are better than nothing!!) They may not be as sensitive when you do water changes as they have a broader range, I would worry about levels too high but really suggest getting the water tested at a local store that have the liquid test or getting yourself a kit asap x

- Temperature - again you will get used to this. My method is with a thermometer though know expereienced veterans use hand test of what feels about right. Fish can go through small fluctuations (depending on the breeds), as in their own environment it happens, one degree off either way will not make much difference but pass this and you may see some effects on the fish.

You seem to know your stuff (more than you think you know) but it is good to ask questions if you are not entirely 100% sure. Considering you owned a betta before please dont worry too much, I think just be aware of how things work and always read the instructions xx

Hope that has helped a little, best of luck I am sure youwill be fine!

 

[loraxchick]

Hi there
some more info and my advice (although above advice is grat...just want to add some thngs)
no you dont have to test for chlorine if using conditioner. if you can smell chlorine from the tap, double the dose of conditioner prior to waterchange (it will not hurt the fish).
glad you at least have SOME sort of test kit, even if they are strips. use those until you get a new kit, better than nothing. make a chart and write down the levels each time you test. each test, get values for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte. pH is less of a concern, but might be worth testing while youre at it. also test your tap water to get the baseline. some folks have nitrAte in the tap, so those results could be misleading if you arent aware that your tap has nirtAtes.
feed the fish every other day until the filter cycles. food in=waste out(namely ammonia and that is the thing we are trying to keep low). she will do just fine with this feding. fish can go a long time without food. in fact, if i go on vacation for a week, i feed them as normal before i go, and they are hungry but fine when i return). for instance, if you feed her say, 3 pellets a day, switch to 3 pellets every other day until the filter cycles. make certain you are cleaning up any uneaten food as this will only add to more ammonia. also with each waterchange, do a substrate vacuum to pick up any solid waste.
as far as waterchanges go, i would be doing a 20% change every other day testing before for levels. pain in the rump, but necessary. make sure to clean the substrate when you do this (via syphon or gravel vac). for temp., you could use a thermometer but roughtly matching it with your hand is easier and more than sufficient.
all this being said, keep in mind that with a lower temp like you have, it will most likely take longer to cycle. also, when in doubt, DO A WATERCHANGE! cant do too many.
cheers! oh, and we want pictures of the new girlie

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Hi,
My female is in a 10-gallon tank with three other fish and I check the ammonia daily and do water changes as needed (usually daily). I have three Bettas, total. . .One is in a 2-gallon bowl with room temp. water. Every night I fill five solo - 8 oz+ plastic cups with water and leave them out so they match the water temp of the bowl water and switch out the water. I usually add two additional cups of water from the tap.

 

[JustFrozen]

thanks all for the help and answers, it really makes me happy! i really appreciate it

just a couple more things:

i'm a little confused still using the conditioner (the directions on the one i got are nearly non-existant) - i've been putting it in the new tap water and swirling the water around for a few minutes before mixing it with the tank (assuming temp is ok). thats good right?

and now i'm freaking out about my filter. i realize now that its really old and needs to be changed. is this a bad time to do that? it will reset some progress with cycling wont it? but then again i'm only a couple days in... should i get it replaced?

and here's a pic as requested, not good quality, she's a bit more blue usually, especially towards the back. i know males are typically a lot more pretty than this but she was the most active in the store and seems to respond to me well, and is still very active in her new home

 

[GuppyGoddess]

I love female bettas. . .the one I have has tons of personality. I wanted to fill my 10-gallon with 4-6, but when I held a cup containing a second female betta up to the tank, my first female flared and I realized she may not want to share the tank with another betta. She is a quirky one. Eats from my fingers. . .bites my arms when I adjust decor in the tank. (She does have three Rasbora tank mates and they're totally scared of her. lol)

Oh Re: conditioner, I fill my tank using plastic cups (disposable ones) and put the drops in one of those cups, fill it up and dump it in the tank, along with all the other cups of water. I would think when the filter starts, the conditioner mixes in with the water.

 

[JustFrozen]

i've noticed a white dot on her belly, right before her anal fin. i've been getting worried but after some more searching it looks like it just may be a sign that she's ready to breed? i dunno i've never had a female betta before... it would be good to know that's she's perfectly okay

only gave her a couple bits of food yesterday (its hard to take days off when it seems so much like she's hungry), and today did a normal feeding - she ate from my fingers for the first time, it was cute.

i noticed after the feeding she was searching the gravel for little bits - that worries me i'm not feeding her enough. i never saw my previous betta do that

 

[loraxchick]

the dot is normal. all girls and some juvie males have them. it is actually helpful to breeders to sex them sometimes. so dont worry about that.
add the water conditioner to the bucket/container prior to filling from the tap. will mix when you fill it and is ready to go. you dont have to wait any length of time to add to the tank.
if you want to change your filter just use the media in your existing filter inside the new one. if it is cartridge style and the cartriges dont fit, cut off all the foam/floss and just cram it in the new filter (or tie it over the intake). that way you dont lose any bacteria and it will help seed the new media.
and dont let her fool you. bettas will ALWAYS act hungry. every other day will not be detrimental to her health for a month or so while the filter cycles. then you can feed her as normal. otherwise, more water changes will take care of everyday feeding until it cycles...so it really is up to you. just easier to every other day feed while fish-in cycling.
and she is very pretty! i like her color a lot. looks very healthy!
cheers

 

[JustFrozen]

something odd has happened with my water, it could just be because i'm using strips for testing, but i'm at day 7 and the hardness/alkalinity of my water dropped by more than half a couple days ago. the pH has dropped a bit too. was steady at 8 the whole time for the first 5 days then has stayed at 7.5 since

i've noticed the light makes the water considerably warmer. should i keep it on or off, or is it ok to turn it off and on selectively? i'm worried turning it off after being on too long will cause too much of a temperature drop =/

... oh and peas! cutest thing ever!