My New, Old Tank. :)

[FishFixation]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the world of bettas, but not new to fishkeeping. I've owned a few different tanks, and I bought an eclipse 3 gallon tank a few years ago, then killed a bunch of goldfish in it because I honestly didn't know that they need 20+ gallons. The tank has been empty/dry for about a year, and now that I'm wiser and I know that a betta is about all that I'll be able to fit in my tank, I'm ready to try again!

I cleaned the tank last week, and today I went out and purchased a bunch of stuff that I needed - heater, thermometer, food, test strips, and so forth. I also chose to replace my old plastic decor with silk plants and a pretty piece of driftwood which winds across the tank. So here it is!

Unfortunately, the bulb is burned out (replacement is in the mail) so the tank is dark and there is a lot of glare. I might rearrange the plants a bit, but I think this is close to the finished product.

Today is day one of cycling. I don't have any pure ammonia, so I'm going with the fish food method. It's kinda gross, but I understand it should work.

I don't have a betta yet - I'm going to wait a week or three for the tank to cycle, and then I hope to find a fish which is either pure white halfmoon, or bright yellow, like this one:

I'm hoping to find one locally, but I may need to resort to ordering one. I hope I can afford it!

Anyway, this is me introducing me and my tank to the betta boards. Hi everyone!

 

[Taybird]

Welcome to the boards FishFixation!

I love the Eclipse tanks - I had a System 6, once upon a time, and kept it for a number of years with great success.

Your set up looks very pretty! I look forward to seeing who you find to inhabit it!

 

[KoiKris]

Wow that would be one great looking Betta for one great looking tank! I love the idea of making the male happy in his home, meaning he creates a bubble nest. I'd love to breed them one day but before I even think about breeding I need to actually get my tropical tank up and running and then get the breeding tank built into the cabinet

Good luck with your project, keep us updated!

 

[loraxchick]

welcome to the forums!!!
that tank looks GREAT! glad ur fishless cylcing. so much better for the fish. cant wait to see the lucky guy
only one suggestion i could offer-get some more of those broad leafed plants for the corners. bettas LOVE plants. other than that, looks so GREAT!!!
( looks good anyway but more plants would be better
cheers

 

[FishFixation]

welcome to the forums!!!
that tank looks GREAT! glad ur fishless cylcing. so much better for the fish. cant wait to see the lucky guy
only one suggestion i could offer-get some more of those broad leafed plants for the corners. bettas LOVE plants. other than that, looks so GREAT!!!
( looks good anyway but more plants would be better
cheers

Thanks. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, and I can't wait to see it with the aquarium light (c'mon USPS!). Unfortunately, I've already 'broken the bank' with the decor so I can't afford to add much more, but I can spread out the plants I have a bit. They're crammed pretty tightly in that one corner to block the filter intake. I noticed that my driftwood has a lot of splinters which I'm gonna have to sand down. I just wish I'd seen them before I stuck the thing in the tank!

 

[loraxchick]

well more plants isnt *essential*. looks GREAT!
shame about the wood good to notice now, tho, instead of after some ragged fins.
cheers

 

[Knox213]

Welcome to these Forums And welcome back into the world of Betta's

Halfmoons are beutiful fish i may be getting one for my 5 gallon tank some time in the year

they normally cost £30 UK pounds.

i cant wait to see oyur tank up and running!

once again

Welcome to our forums

 

[FishFixation]

Ok, I need some help here. Maybe I'll start a new thread.

Because I don't have any established media and because I can't find surfactant-free ammonia anywhere, I'm cycling using the fish food method. Today is day three of adding fish food (six goldfish pellets), and my ammonia levels are still ZERO. (??) Am I too impatient? Not adding enough? Are my test kits bogus? The water is slightly cloudy, but I think that's because of the new piece of driftwood that I have in there. I know that I need my ammonia levels to to go up if I ever want to get this cycling started for real. Help!!

 

[Knox213]

I've heard of this food cycle.

Hmm Maybe post this up in "New To Hobby"

They'll help you with cycling.

 

[FishFixation]

Well, my light bulb is finally actually in the mail. I'm hoping to get it by the end of the week.

In other news, I'm experiencing aquascape ADD. I can't tell you how many times I've rearranged my silk plants, but it's just never quite right. I added a couple more (found 3 for $5 today), but I'm thinking it's actually too many. Hmmm... I want it to be PERFECT!

 

[Taybird]

Oh FishFix, there is no perfect... like music! It's all about personal preference and interpretation: Some ornaments (musical and aquatic) are nice, too many can be overbearing. I know the feeling of wanting to constantly tinker.

Do what your creative senses tell you...

...and post more pictures!

 

[FishFixation]

Reasons for no more pictures at this time:

1. the driftwood has turned my water yellowish (yuck!)
2. I still don't have the light bulb (although it's finally on its way!)
3. The tank doesn't look all that different because the driftwood only fits in that one way
4. I'm sorta lazy.

Rest assured, I will post a new pic as soon as I get my light working!

I'm trying to tell myself to wait until a planned water change to mess with it again, but I'm really not known for my patience. Part of my problem is that I wish I'd bought more short plants and fewer medium/tall ones. I can't really justify spending any more on plants though because I've already dropped $40 on the decor and I'd better save a little money for oh, say, a fish! However, I know exactly what plant I'd want... is it worth the $3.29 to appease me? Hm... I'm just regretting some of the plants I purchased, but I don't know if I can take them back since they've been in my tank a couple days. Couldn't hurt to try...

 

[FishFixation]

Reasons I'm a liar:

Exhibit A:

Not only did I drain the tank and rearrange the plants again (back to a setup very similar to the original photo), but I improvised a light source and even took a picture of it for you. Maybe I'll have to try taking another picture at night to reduce that glare.

I removed three of the plants and I'm going to return them... it was just too crowded with 10 plants in there! Unfortunately, the ones I'm returning only cost me $5 (total) at walmart. The other plants were $3 to $8 each, but they look a lot better. I really wish the water weren't so murky; I want to see my setup in all its glory!

*sigh* I should really go do something productive now.

Oh... has anyone ever used something called 'Stability?' It's one of those bacterial solutions that the dude at my local aquariums-only store told me I HAD to get. It claims to establish those nitrifying bacteria within a week, but I'm not so sure. I guess I'll follow the instructions on the bottle and keep watching my water levels. You'd think it would make my water clearer though...

 

[FishFixation]

My light bulb came today! For a gut-wrenching moment, it wasn't working, but then I whacked it, and it turned on! I so cannot afford a new hood. Phew.

So here it is. The decor is gonna stay the way it is. Although it's a tad crowded for such a small tank, I understand that bettas like it that way - lots of leafy hiding places.

The bag hanging on the right is some activated charcoal to help combat the tannins from the driftwood. My murky water got cleared when I lost patience and did a huge water change, and I didn't realize how dirty the tank itself was until my new light hi-lighted the algae residue for me. Oops. Next time.

I almost bought a betta today. He was an active little white/platinum guy (veil tail) at a petco in the area. He was cute because he was so interactive, but I'm trying to be responsible and wait until the tank is cycled before I bring anyone home. *sigh* Poor little guy. I liked him. I was sad to leave him there in that awful little cup of blue water.

 

[loraxchick]

that erally looks fab! the set up and all the hidey holes, leaves (basically things for him to do once hes in there) look great!
i would have been tempted and gotten him.
doubtful that bacteria in a bottle did anything really. you would still need an ammonia source to feed them once in the tank. another reason i would have gotten the fish, tried the miracle product(if it worked, awesome for you), and done fish-in. it really is no big deal to test and change everyday, when youd be testing then dosing anyway.
cant wait to see the fish you choose. he has a nice home there!
cheers