New Tank Set Up For A Siamese Ff

[Fishfan76]

Hi all
I am new to this forum and this is my first post!

I have recently set up an "Elite Stlye" 35 litre tank which will be home to a Siamese Fighting fish. I have used a sand base and the filter is a Stingray 10 internal filter and there is an airstone as well.

I used some filter media from my other Tropical tank which is a Roma 125 going for 2 and 1/2 years. My plan is to have this new tank as a home for a Siamese fighting fish, as I love these fish. It has been suggested to have some Kuhli loaches to live at the botton in this setup.

I have some plants on the way (coming Tues or Weds) and they are; 2 types of floating plants (Limnobium Spongia & Pista), Java Fern and Anubias Barteri attached to small rocks and Anubias Nana attached to some bogwood. I also have 5 Moss balls in the tank at present.
The tank has been setup and running for a week now. My current parameters are as follows:

Temp = 27 oC
pH = 7.2 (test strip)
Ammonia = 0 (Nutrafin test kit)
Nitrite = 0 (Nutrafin test kit)
Nitrate = 0 (Nutrafin test kit)
KH = 180 (test strip)
GH = 250 (test strip)
I have been adding some bacterial supplements and liquid plant food on a daily basis.
Would anyone mind commenting on my setup and the test results to see if I am on the right lines? Would it be best to add the Kuhli loaches first? And if so how many, and then add the Betta? Or add the Betta then Kuhli loaches?

Many thanks for any comments and suggestions.

 

[hihi100202]

I have been told to add betas last because they are very territorial. idk about the loaches, but they get along with corys so I don't see a problem with those guys.

 

[Assaye]

Looks good. Never kep khulis but many peope, say they make excellent tank mates. Just make sure you get enough as they like to be kept in groups.

A word of warning - if you added mature media to the new tank and only fed it with bacteria supplements then there is a good chance the bacteria in the mature media will be dying (or have died) off. The bacteria needs a constant source of ammonia to survive so unless you have fish in there or have been adding ammonia, you'll likely have wasted the media.

Add the betta to the tank last and make sure there is nothing in the tank that he could catch his delicate fins on.

Also make sure you have plenty of live/frozen food and some dedicated betta food (flakes or pellets).

 

[Fishfan76]

Hi
Thank you for the replies. I have been putting in some small pieces of flake food as I was advised that this would break down and feed the bacteria. Is this right?
I was thinking of adding 4 to 6 Kuhli loaches during the week after the plants have been delivered and gone in the tank. I was then planning on testing the water on a regular basis before add the Betta.

 

[Assaye]

Hi
Thank you for the replies. I have been putting in some small pieces of flake food as I was advised that this would break down and feed the bacteria. Is this right?
I was thinking of adding 4 to 6 Kuhli loaches during the week after the plants have been delivered and gone in the tank. I was then planning on testing the water on a regular basis before add the Betta.

Using flake food will eventually cycle your tank (that's what we call the process of growing bacteria) but it does need time to break down and is fairly hard to control. You'd be better off using pure ammonia and making sure your tank is cycled to handle 3-5ppm of ammonia per 12 hours.

Of course you want to test your water, whatever method you use. even if you don't have enough bacteria, daily water testing and water changes as necessary will keep your fish safe from harm.

 

[Lacuna]

Hi Fishfan76. I have kuhli loaches with a betta and they make great tank mates. I agree it would be best to add the loaches first, although I added mine after the betta and they were fine. Kuhlis love bogwood and moss balls, so it sounds like you have the perfect set up for them. If you give them lots of places to hide they will come out more.

 

[Fishfan76]

Hi Lacuna
Thanks for your reply! I'm really pleased that it sounds like I'm on the right track. I'm hoping to add the Kuhlis in the week after my plants have arrived. Cant wait to see them in the tank as they look really fun and lively in the fish shop! They look crazy! hehe. I will update on here as things progress.

Can I ask what you feed the Kuhlis?

 

[loraxchick]

sounds like youre on the perfect track for some fish now. Kulhis are really good tankmates with bettas, and i agree get a group and theyll venture out more. ive fed my kulhis sinking pellets, flake and frozen stuff like bloodworms and daphnia. just keep in mind that they may be shy for a while esp after you add the betta. also the betta may (and most likely will) try to eat all their food (bettas are pigs). so feed them after lights out to give them the best chance of getting some food after the betta is introduced.
i wouldnt worry too much about the bacteria dying off in the filter, esp as youve been adding fishfood. but i wouldnt wait too much longer to get some fish in there. and then just keep testing your levels for at least a week to make sure the filter is able to handle the loaches (although they really add very very little to the bioload) before adding the betta.
good luck with the future plans. hopfully pics will be up as you add the tankmates
cheers

 

[liz2]

sounds like a good set up, but a lot depends on the individual fighters personality. Some of them are really loners, also the airstone could upset them as well..

 

[Lacuna]

I feed my kuhlis tetra granules, hikari sinking wafers, and bloodworm once a week. They'll also eat peas. They're not fussy and will eat almost anything. Feeding after lights out is a good idea as I find bettas always go after food for other fish, and in my experience will eat food off the tank floor before the other fish can get it.

Post pics of your tank when it's all set up

 

[Fishfan76]

Thank you all for the input and suggestions. I wasnt sure about the airstone, as to whether I needed one or not. I will post some pics when everything is in place. Am really looking forward to having it all set up.

 

[silverrabbit]

I have Stingray filters in some of my betta tanks, and i'd suggest directing the outflow to the wall of the tank, as the flow can be quite blustery and overpowering for a betta

Khulis are cute!

 

[Fishfan76]

Thanks for the tip silverrabbit. I have now done that. More updates soon. Thanks all!

 

[Fishfan76]

Hi all,
5 Kuhli loaches went in the tank today! Checked all the parameters beforehand and with my LFS and they said tank should be fine with 5 as they have a small "bioload". They were "Black Kuhli loaches" and are a nice size and they contrast well on the sand. They seemed nice and active in the shop and were hard to catch! They are now in the tank and I took some time to acclimatise them with the tank water and the bag they came home in. They seem fine and are quite crazy!

I do hope they will settle in and be ok. If all goes well then hopefully the Betta will follow in a week or two!

 

[Fishfan76]