Siamese

[itisme]

I am woundering who long after adding the first fish would be a good time to add a fighting fish?

 

[MegTheFish]

Did you do a fishless cycle on the tank? Or are you cycling with fish? How big is the tank? What other fish are you planning on adding with the betta (siamese fighter)?
If you would answer these few questions it would help us to help you!

 

[itisme]

Did you do a fishless cycle on the tank? Or are you cycling with fish? How big is the tank? What other fish are you planning on adding with the betta (siamese fighter)?
If you would answer these few questions it would help us to help you!

Ok then ill try my best the tank is about 20L and for the moment I want to add just a sholl of tetras also what is cycling the tank? Oh and I started the tank today but it is a wounder at the back of my mind

 

[MegTheFish]

Did you do a fishless cycle on the tank? Or are you cycling with fish? How big is the tank? What other fish are you planning on adding with the betta (siamese fighter)?
If you would answer these few questions it would help us to help you!

Ok then ill try my best the tank is about 20L and for the moment I want to add just a sholl of tetras also what is cycling the tank? Oh and I started the tank today but it is a wounder at the back of my mind

Ok, so you have not added any fish into the tank at this point, correct?
You have a few options at this point:

-The tank is too small for a proper school of tetras.

1. You could have just the betta, or you could have the betta and add shrimp, snails or african dwarf frogs (depending on the temperament of the betta, he may be too aggressive and kill them). If you go with this option you can get away without a filter so you wouldn't have to cycle the tank.

2. Instead of a betta, you could have a trio of MALE guppies or MALE platies (if you add females, you will get fry, and enless you have plans for the fry you don't want to get them) or look into some tiny fish, such as pygmy cories/endlers/ottos...I'll try and find a list for your in a minute. However, if you choose to go with this option you will need to filter the tank, which means you would have to cycle it.

Fishless cycling- http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365
African Dwarf Frogs- http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=133204
Amano Shrimp- http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=142468
Cherry Shrimp- http/www.petshrimp.com/redcherryshrimp.html
Ghost/Glass Shrimp- http/www.petshrimp.com/glassshrimp.html
Ottos- http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile76.html
Pygmy Cory- http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=104113
Apple Snails- http/www.applesnail.net/


If you have more questions, feel free to ask!

 

[zodiac]

sounds like another long
troll to me

 

[itisme]

Ok then so the tank is too small for tetras thats good to know. For the cycle if i get it right you add 4 to 5 drops of ammonia till the nitrate spikes and then reduse it to 2 to 3 drops a day untill it reches 0? How long would I have to wate before doing that?

Also Im guessing males because they wont breed? Also I was thinking about setting this tank up and then chaging the tank to a bigger one (about 4 foot) what would I have to do to chage it to the bigger tank?

Sorry about all of the questions

sounds like another long
troll to me

Im sorry but what would give you that idea?

 

[Rediahs]

sounds like another long
troll to me

How ironic, since you sound like a troll.

 

[MegTheFish]

Ok then so the tank is too small for tetras thats good to know. For the cycle if i get it right you add 4 to 5 drops of ammonia till the nitrate spikes and then reduse it to 2 to 3 drops a day untill it reches 0? How long would I have to wate before doing that?

Also Im guessing males because they wont breed? Also I was thinking about setting this tank up and then chaging the tank to a bigger one (about 4 foot) what would I have to do to chage it to the bigger tank?

Sorry about all of the questions

Hmmm...maybe this article will be a little clearer: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...3861&hl=methods
Use the add and wait method (much easier). Cycling without fish should be faster, with a 5 gallon I would think at the very least it should be down in 2 weeks, maybe even sooner though.

You can add either a single male or a single female betta (not both though), either one would be fine. Females tend to be less aggressive them males, but this is not always the case.
If you want to set up this tank then set up a larger tank eventaully, then all the power to you! If you want to move the fish from your 20 litre into the bigger tank, just cycle the bigger tank first then transfer them over, its as simple as that. You can also put some filter media from the smaller filter into the larger filter to get your cycle going faster (thats if you get a filter for the 20 litre, though, and if you go with a betta it would be best to skip out on one).
So, what do you think your going to go with? I think a betta would be a good choice, and you wouldn't have to worry about a filter so you could skip the cycle and add him/her right away. If you want you can add a small sponge filter or a filter with very little current and still cycle it, its up to you! If you do cycle it, you can change the water less often (25% a week) but if you don't cycle I would be doing 50% once a week then every 2-3 weeks do a complete clean out (so the bacteria doesn't "establish" in the tank and cycle on you, which would harm your betta if he had to go through that)
And don't worry about asking too many questions, thats what we're here for!

 

[itisme]

I am deffinatly going with a male betta I just love the look of them. The tank that I have has an inbilt filter and i have added a better heater (the last one could not heat its way out of a paper bag)

I think that I understand all of this however the best way that I have found of learning is to get stuck in and do it. Luckley i have about three months off of college so i can do a lot of monotering.

I thaught that the bigger tank would not be too hard to move up to. Thank you for the help

 

[zodiac]

sounds like another long
troll to me

How ironic, since you sound like a troll.

why do i sound like a troll

 

[MegTheFish]

I am deffinatly going with a male betta I just love the look of them. The tank that I have has an inbilt filter and i have added a better heater (the last one could not heat its way out of a paper bag)

I think that I understand all of this however the best way that I have found of learning is to get stuck in and do it. Luckley i have about three months off of college so i can do a lot of monotering.

I thaught that the bigger tank would not be too hard to move up to. Thank you for the help

So I'm assuming that you are using the filter then. It will be much easier (once cycled) because you don't have to change as much water out and is a stable environment for your fish. Thats great that you got a heater-bettas like the temperature to be around 78-80 F and he will be much more active then if the temperature was lower.
And larger tanks are great, you have more room to add fish and to aquascape (have you considered trying live plants?). Good luck!

 

[itisme]

well i have a live plant in the tank because i thaught it would help start the nitrogen cycle better than if there was notthing there. Im guessing that bettas are the group nem for the fighting fish?

 

[SPLiSH]

well i have a live plant in the tank because i thaught it would help start the nitrogen cycle better than if there was notthing there. Im guessing that bettas are the group nem for the fighting fish?

Yep, live plants help keep your levels stable by consuming the less dangerous chemicals (nitrates) that can still build up and cause trouble. Plus they look nicer than most fake ones and make the fish feel more comfortable.

Most people here call Fighting Fish bettas, eg. I have three bettas, my friend has a betta.

 

[itisme]

well i have a live plant in the tank because i thaught it would help start the nitrogen cycle better than if there was notthing there. Im guessing that bettas are the group nem for the fighting fish?

Yep, live plants help keep your levels stable by consuming the less dangerous chemicals (nitrates) that can still build up and cause trouble. Plus they look nicer than most fake ones and make the fish feel more comfortable.

Most people here call Fighting Fish bettas, eg. I have three bettas, my friend has a betta.

I like the look of the live plants better than the fake ones so its a win win situation. Also people calling fighting fish bettas would explain why it took me so long to find the forum on them the book that i got called them anabandits

 

[carrera]

anabantids is the group that bettas belong to. betta is short for the scientific name, betta splendens