Hi, kaisa,
when I started reading your post I noted:
... his fins are looking a mess though , they have big rips in them and he just looks like hes falling apart. he had perfect beautiful fins/tail always and just now he seems to be falling apart and looking so sad all the time.
he lives in a 6 gallon eclipse tank, its heated with a 25W heater at 78degrees but its not filtered as the current annoys him(he cant swim at all when its on)
I do a 75% WC once a week and i totally clean out his tank once a month(taking everything out and soaking in hot hot water and washing up the gravel and the sides of the tank in hot water as well)
I just hate to see my little betta baby so depressed and im wondering if im doing anything wrong or if anyone notices there bettas get this way as they age... like ive said ive had him about 2 years now, not sure how old he was when i bought him though he looks like a scraggly old grampa boy. ...
I'm glad to hear you'll be adding live plants, and I hope you'll follow the suggestion of switching to smaller daily water changes for a bit.
Unfortunately, the cleaning routine as described completely destroys all nitrifying bacteria on a monthly basis,
There is a popular misconception that useful amounts of beneficial bacteria can exist only in filter media - and this inaccuracy has the potential to create major/chronic problems.
Nitrifying bacteria will populate every (non-plastic) surface within the tank - and over-zealous gravel cleaning can cause mini-cycles even in established tanks with fully cycled filters, which demonstrates the importance of perceiving the tank as an interactive system.
Healthy, live plants not only absorb ammonia but provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize.
(Without a filter, there is also no option of running charcoal when concerns over water quality/meds removal arise.
However, a very large number of small tanks have been noted to do quite nicely without filters, provided the tank itself adequately functions as a coordinated unit.)
While many people disapprove of fish-in cycling, as both ammonia and nitrites are highly toxic to fish in even very small amounts, these can spike very rapidly in an uncycled tank with no plants to help absorb ammonia, and I suspect that your fish has been, in any event, continually exposed to this over a weekly cycle where toxins built up through the week until a very large water change produced a drastic alteration in water quality,
Ammonia peaks can occur in only a few days.
Over time, the stress of the toxic increase and the shock of extreme variation can wear down even a healthy fish with a good immune system which is receiving otherwise good care.
However, a way to safely undergo fish-in cycling is to begin with small daily waterchanges, gradually reducing these over the weeks to every second, third, etc. day as the beneficial bacteria gradually propagate.
Very large waterchanges can disrupt/prevent the cycle, as the bacteria build ONLY to the level of the food supply which, when abruptly reduced on this regular (or any) basis, causes them to die back due to starvation in corresponding degree.
While bacteria do reproduce rapidly, they can only multiply so fast - as well as only in accordance with the supply of required nutrients, i.e. ammonia - and an awful lot of good bacteria are required at steady levels relative to ammonia/nitrite production to ensure the tank itself functions as a natural system in maintaining water quality between changes.
A good number of healthy, growing plants help enormously with this.
I realize there are a lot of common misconceptions about basic, natural tank functioning, and so I've tried to include enough information to explain the processes/principles involved.
http
/www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/d...788&search=
... Probably the biggest repository of helpful bacteria in your aquarium occurs on the surface of each piece of gravel. Each grain, though appearing smooth to the eye, is rough at a microscopic level, and thus provides a huge surface area for the growth of helpful bacteria. So, it follows that if you sterilize your gravel, you will destroy most of the biofiltration in your tank. Not knowing this, hobbyists sometimes remove the gravel for cleaning and have been known to boil it, scald it or (worst of all) use bleach or soap to sterilize the gravel. This is a huge mistake! It kills off the nitrifying bacteria and will allow ammonia levels to increase rapidly in the water. Gravel should never be cleaned with anything but plain, aquarium-temperature water. ...
... Disposable Filter Media
Many filters use disposable media as a convenient way to clean the filter. When the media is dirty, you throw it away and replace it. Slide-in filter cartridges for power filters are the most common example. But every time you replace disposable filter media, you throw out the good bacteria living on it. This may or may not be a problem. It depends on how much biofiltration there is elsewhere in the tank. For example, in a heavily planted aquarium with a gravel bed, it is unlikely to be a problem; there will be plenty of nitrifying bacteria colonizing those other sites. It would be different in a bare aquarium set up for breeding, however. The filter media would be the main source of biofiltration in such a setup. ...
(My interjection: if a filter is not used, it's all the more important that the whole tank functions at optimum levels to prevent toxic buildup from appearing and stressing/weakening or even killing the inhabitants, if not directly, through susceptibility to disease.)
http/www.novalek.com/kordon/articles/bio..._filtration.htm
... These nitrifying bacteria in biological filtration and the aquatic nitrogen cycle are in the beneficial gram positive group of bacteria, and their presence is important to aquarium and pond keeping. These bacteria are harmless to the aquarium inhabitants, as well as to man, pets, and other life, and do not cause any disease problems. They like to stick to positively charged surfaces, such as glass, gravel, and other substrates, filter materials such as filter pads, activated carbon, ceramic Raschig rings (see Kordon Bio-Mech) and glass decorations. They do not thrive on plastic, such as used in filter balls, or on the walls of plastic aquariums, or on plastic decorations. In fact, for those aquarists wanting for some reason to keep these bacteria low in number, they only need to be sure that as much as possible everything in their aquarium is plastic.
Small numbers of these bacteria will come into the aquarium and pond on the surface of the fish, invertebrates, or aquatic plants, or through moist air, or in natural food. Also, these bacteria can be provided by commercial culture products (see Kordon Zym-Bac) or by introducing some gravel or filter material from a well established aquarium or pond which already has gone through the nitrogen sequence. A cubic inch of gravel or filter material per ten gallons of water is sufficient. Given an adequate food supply, oxygen and a suitable substrate, these bacteria will quickly spread throughout the new gravel and filter bed. ...
http/www.lifeforceonline.co.uk/aquarium_substrates.html
... An aquarium substrate is the material chosen to cover the bottom of the aquarium. It can, depending on the system type, be for purely decorative adornment, it can be an essential additive needed to maintain the water chemistry or it can be a major component of the aquarium filtration system. ...
... (Mathematically a finer substrate is a more efficient biological filter medium as it has a larger surface area providing a greater area for colonizing by aerobic nitrifying bacteria. ...)...
http/www.myaquariumclub.com/blogs/
... One of the monthly aquarium magazines just published an interesting bit of information about cycling a newly established tank to get rid of the ammonia spikes that are deadly to fish. Fish waste, food waste, and plant decay all produce ammonia, which is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. Beneficial bacteria, so conventional wisdom goes, convert the ammonia into nitrogen or a nitrogen compound that plants can metabolize. The bacteria, when well established, then eat up and convert all of the ammonia in the aquarium. Getting the bacteria established and doing their thing is what takes all the time of cycling an aquarium. I suppose we’ve all read that before.
The magazine article stated that live plants can control nitrogen spikes from day one. In other words, they say that cycling is not necessary if the aquarium has plenty of live plants. ...
http/www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biol..._filtration.htm
PLANTS and BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION
by Diana Walstad
Plants are much more than tank decorations; they help keep the fish healthy. Nitrogenous compounds, particularly ammonia and nitrite, are extremely toxic to fish. Hobbyists have for many years relied heavily on the bacterial process of nitrification (i.e., ‘biological filtration’) to convert these toxic compounds into non-toxic nitrates. Hobbyists and even retailer of aquatic plants too easily ignore nitrogen uptake by aquarium plants or assume (incorrectly) that aquarium plants mainly take up nitrates.
Aquatic Plants Prefer Ammonium Over Nitrates
Many terrestrial plants like peas and tomatoes do grow better with nitrates than ammonium [Ref 5]. Thus, some botanists assumed that aquatic plants would similarly take up and grow better with nitrates. However, actual experimental studies suggest otherwise.
Scientists from all over the world have studied nitrogen uptake in aquatic plants under a variety of experimental conditions. I was able to locate published studies on 33 different aquatic plant species. Only 4 of the 33 species preferred nitrates (Table 1). ...
http/www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumap...hat-heck-2.html
... I can't say at this time that your over cleaning is removing necessary ferts from the substrate since you are not growing plants that are rooted into the substrate. The concern then shifts to removing/disturbing too much of the beneficial bacteria, causing the tank to go into mini-cycles. I know I did this to my tanks because I cleaned way too much.
I think the compulsion to over clean needs to be reviewed in your own mind. What is the real concern if you don't vacuum every speck of debris in the substrate? What will happen if you leave it? Will it cloud the water? Pollute the tank? Make the tank look unkept? And what are you receiving by over cleaning? Do you feel you are taking excellent care of the tank? Do you think it is necessary to clean tanks to that degree?
I think if you find the real reason as to why you feel the need to over clean, then you can take a hard look at whether the concern is truly valid. If you can change your thinking around, then you can see that over cleaning is not beneficial and can be harmful, while not over cleaning is actually better for the plants, inverts and fish.
I will say that my tanks are their cleanest when I have a high plant mass and just simply do water changes without messing with the substrate. The plants clean the tank for me. I now see the mulm as a good thing, like an enriched soil. Too sterile a substrate is not good. So when I see the mulm build up (I can see it where the substrate is up against the glass), I feel very good about it. I feel that I have a truly thriving tank, not a sterile one. It does not harm the water quality, the water is crystal clear, the fish/plants/inverts do fine with it and I'm not constantly disturbing the beneficial bacteria. Try to change the way you look at the mulm which will go a long way towards no longer feeling the need to over clean. ...
In reply:
... As for water changes, I guess I’ve always thought of gravel vacuuming and water changes to be one in the same. That’s just the way I grew up knowing of water changes. You do water changes to clean the tank. And the most common practice now is to do frequent water changes because its better for the health of the fish. So for me, when I think of doing water changes, that also includes vacuuming. I figure it reduces the amount of nitrates, which is good for the fish. I mean, you’re suppose to clean the filter media every now and then to reduce nitrates, right? But I suppose I need to change two decades worth of thinking, and start shifting the idea of what water changes are; only changing out the water. I can leave the gravel vacuuming to be about once a month instead. And that’s cool with me, because its less work for me. And I actually like mulm, and use it to seed new tanks. I just don’t like seeing it float around when the substrate is disturbed. But I’ll change my ways. Thanks for your input! ...
Another commenter:
... Nitrates are removed by just doing water changes. It is the bacteria that's in the substrate and filters. That bacteria is what converts the ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. Once converted, they are in the actual water column. Keep in mind that tests for all three are done with water only, not substrate.
So when you over clean the substrate, you are actually removing and disturbing the bacteria that helps to keep the water quality safe for the fish. You are removing the actual bacteria, not the nitrates. A water change without vacuuming removes nitrates. This is not to say that the detritus in the substrate doesn't matter. It has to be converted by the bacteria from ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. So, sure, when you vacuum, you clean that up. But it's best to let the bacteria undisturbed to do the job.
As far as having debris on top of the substrate, definitely vacuum that up. That's the point of hovering over the substrate. Just don't plunge the water changer into the substrate. ...
And from Dan Quackenbush:
http/www.malloftheworld.com/aquarium/par...tm#Introduction
... Comparing a plant to a plastic filter, mechanically, the filter wins the contest because plants can't remove any waste from the aquarium. They can, however, convert much of this waste to plant food.
Most experts would agree that biological filtering (using aerobic bacteria) is the most important means of maintaining water quality in the fish tank. The biological filter requires that the toxins produced by fish waste and excess food be broken down in stages via the nitrogen cycle. For new hobbyists, this means that different types of bacteria must break down deadly ammonia (or ammonium) produced in the decay of the waste, to a slightly less toxic nitrite and finally the least toxic nitrate. Plants use the same bacteria system. The roots and base of a plant are loaded with good guy bacteria and, in fact, plants are often used to start (seed) new aquariums. But, plants have other benefits not found in filters. Plants love ammonia and consume large quantities with no need to wait for it to be broken down by bacteria. Typical biological filters can't break down waste beyond nitrates, so this last by-product tends to accumulate and can become deadly at high levels. Plants, under certain conditions can consume nitrates. Many aquariums also have problems with excess phosphate that filters can't remove. Plants can, and do, remove substantial amounts of phosphate from the water.
Aesthetically, plants certainly look a whole lot better than any filter design I have seen to date. In retrospect, I guess it's not so surprising; after all, Mother Nature has had millions of years to perfect her methods. Plastic filters have not even been around a century. ...
... I have helped perpetuate the myth that you should never locate your aquarium by a window and especially a southern window ( if you live north of the equator). The logic was that it created too much temperature fluctuation and increased algae. It would not surprise me if this mis-information was started by a lighting company. The truth is, the temperature change is slow and the fish will adjust to it with no trouble. It takes more than just light to get alga. If the tank conditions are not right any light will increase alga.
Light from a southern window will out do the highest price lighting known for an aquarium. Depending on how much you get, it could even be to much. Reducing the sun light with partial (tape strips) or a total background on the back and or sides is much cheaper and easier than upgrading to high-tech lighting. Sun light also produces a very pleasing aquarium to look at.
East and west windows also work but for a shorter period of time.
I might point out, if you plan to do a notch plant tank, a southern window is critical. Even though I have a southern window I still use a small light. the reason is you will probably never get 10 hours of solid light. There are times of the year the sun will be over your home, below tree lines, overhangs or other buildings. You also have gray or rainy days. By putting even a little light on a timer I can extend the day to 12 hours for evening viewing. ...
http/www.malloftheworld.com/aquarium/part2.htm
... There is also the ammonia problem. Ammonia is typically the most deadly toxin (for fish) produced in an aquarium. When the pH is 7.0 or below, ammonia becomes ammonium. Ammonium is not toxic. ...
... In a fish tank without live plants, the fish have zero ability to improve their water. In fact, their entire metabolism is geared to turn the aquarium into a cesspool. Without a filter and partial water changes, the fish will die a toxic death of their own doing. Even with filters and water changes, it always seems fish tanks are close to impending danger. Most disasters can strike without any change to the water clarity. For this reason, I have been a big advocate of just about any test kit available, in hopes of spotting water quality problems before they occur.
When it comes to plants, you can use all the same test kits and at least 4 more. They include; iron(Fe), Carbonate hardness ( K or dCH),CO2, and phosphate (PO4). Naturally, I bought them all. Unnaturally for me, I seldom use them, with one exception, and that's the pH test kit. I will not suggest you should stop using test kits, but I can't resist telling you why I seldom do.
I know that statement is going to generate a lot of e-mail heat so let me defend my position a little. First of all, if you were to own all the test kits out there, your talking several hundred dollars and a lot of time to use them. Once you have determined hardness and pH, you have a good handle as to the quality of water you have for plants or at least what corrections your going to have to make. There is a great deal of chemistry change that goes on in a low-tech aquarium, but once the low-tech aquarium ages a bit, you will find that most of the big changes occur from morning to night. If you made the same test at the same time each day, you will find little variance from day to day.
As I stated before, in a typical filtered FISH tank without live plants, the fish are only capable of degrading their aquarium. When fish and plants are combined, a wonderful partnership is born. The various poisons that fish produce are cherished as food by the plants. They especially love what can be the most toxic, ammonia. Even the CO2 that the fish produce, but have no use for, is sucked up by the plants. In effect, the potential toxins are now improving the water quality.
To my knowledge, no one has ever come up with an exact formula for partial water changes that is proven to be just the right amount, at just the right frequency, and that will work best for all aquariums. My seat of the pants recommendation therefore seems as valid as anyone else's. In a low-tech plant aquarium (not a fish tank), I do partial water changes based mostly on the clarity of the water. I have one 20 gal, with a small filter, that probably averages two 30% partial water changes a month. I have a no-tech tank that went about 8 months before I did a partial water change other than to replace evaporated water. But this is not so easy for a beginner who typically overfeeds.
The point I am trying to make is, that a low-tech plant tank often create such a stable condition that I now rely almost totally on the observation of the plants condition and water clarity as an indicator, instead of test kits. ...
... In summary, plants can produce all the CO2 they need if the pH is low enough.. Once you have CO2, the trick is to conserve it until the plants can use it during the day. Moving the water with the wrong filter, air stones or any other device that moves the surface, is as bad as not having any CO2. Simply put, if you don't have CO2, you won't keep most plants alive for long. Improper pH, and/or the wrong filter, are the number one cause of plant failure in low-tech tank set-up. ...
... For a long time, I passed on the myth, that the pond snails that hitchhike into our aquariums, via the plants, were plant predators. Of the seven species I've seen to date, only one has caused plant damage. They are always busy on the glass or plants so I can only assume they are eating algae. ...
Mother Nature worked things out a looooooooong time ago...
The least we can do is - benefit.
