The New Guy

[Ltygress]

Got another betta today. I saw him yesterday at a different LFS that I hadn't been to before. He's almost solid white except five small dots. He looked like a little angel in that tiny tank they had him in (now he's helping to cycle my soon-to-be zebra pleco breeding tank, but I added bacterial supplement too, so he's not alone).

Yes, his water is cloudy, but it's the remnants of the sand I'm using for substrate, and the "eco complete" substrate I bought for the live plants. Being that it's 20-gallons, just set up today, and he's the ONLY fish in it (along with VERY sparse plants) it should be no surprise that ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0 despite the cloudiness. So I promise everything is okay. It's JUST the sand still settling.

 

 

[NickAu]

Nice looking boy.

So I promise everything is okay. It's JUST the sand still settling.

We all know about cloudy water and new substrate.
 

now he's helping to cycle my soon-to-be zebra pleco breeding tank,

Personally I am not a fan of that. Can be too stressful for the fish. But that's just my opinion.

 

[AmtotheBurr]

He's gorgeous!
Are you saying the reading are currently all at zero?

 

[Ltygress]

Don't worry, Nick. I added bacteria, so the tank it really already cycled. He's just contributing his poop to keep those bacteria alive.

AmtotheBurr, yes. The tank was literally JUST set up. I did add bacteria to it, but needed something for them to feed on, so I put the fish in there to contribute his poop. Plus some plants.

 

[LyraGuppi]

He's handsome, nice find. c:

 

[RCA]

Lovely looking fish.
Which bacterial product did you use, and what test kit are you using?
I use pure ammonia while the readings settle, as it can take awhile for the beneficial bacteria to build to safe levels, hence my interest in your method.

 

[Ltygress]

Seachem Stability and API liquid tests.

 

[Wildbetta]

Don't worry, Nick. I added bacteria, so the tank it really already cycled. He's just contributing his poop to keep those bacteria alive.

AmtotheBurr, yes. The tank was literally JUST set up. I did add bacteria to it, but needed something for them to feed on, so I put the fish in there to contribute his poop. Plus some plants.

 
The tank is not "really already cycled" just by adding a bacteria supplement.  Even when adding one, it just cuts down the time it takes for the tank to completely cycle so you are still going to have to be very careful and watch the levels of ammonia/nitrIte and do water changes accordingly.  I personally do not recommend this type of cycling since there is the possibility for damage to the fish. Since you have other tanks, why not instead transfer over a small bit of cycled media from one of those tanks instead?

 

[Ltygress]

 

 

Since you have other tanks, why not instead transfer over a small bit of cycled media from one of those tanks instead?
 

Because a few of those tanks are suffering from the fungus/bacteria/whatever that I mentioned in the fish emergency forum. If they aren't suffering from it, they may have a fish that already went through successful treatment, and I just don't want to mix ANY of that with these zebra plecos. The whole reason I have that problem is from a "carrier" guppy that went through quarantine, never showing any signs. But when I added her to my main community tank, everything ELSE started to die. So I'm not even trusted the "treated" fish anymore, because I don't want any chance what so ever that they are carriers giving it to others. Zebra plecos are too expensive to risk that. The only thing I brought over is clippings of plants that were rinsed in a strong potassium permanganate solution first.

In the meantime, I also don't think the betta is going to experience any serious spikes being alone in a 20-gallon tank.

 

[Wildbetta]

Ahh that makes sense.  I agree that you probably will not see any spikes in a tank as large as a 20 gallon(didn't know the tank size until you stated it) and I wouldn't risk transferring over bacteria with possibility of illness.  
 
Just as a side note, if you are cycling this tank for plecos, a betta is not going to produce enough ammonia to cycle a tank with enough bacteria to handle a bioload that the plecos are going to have so you will definitely need to keep your bottle of stability handy plus be ready to really watch your water parameters.  
 
Love zebra plecos!  They are such cute fish.  Just not in my price range unfortunately.

 

[Ltygress]

 
Love zebra plecos!  They are such cute fish.  Just not in my price range unfortunately.

That's what I'm hoping to help alleviate. I wanted one about 15+ years ago when I was in the hobby pretty heavily. But I didn't trust them with central american cichlids, and even then I thought they were too expensive at $50 a piece. The $300 to $500 I'm seeing now is just outrageous! But I do have the money now, and found five at $650, and snatched them up. I will have to wait a couple of years for them to reach breeding age though - they are only going to be about 1.5" long when I get them. 

 

[Zardra77]

That's a nice looking betta. I'm actually taking my 3 year old today to pick out her first betta. She loves to watch my community tank and helps feed and do water changes so a small 5 gallon of her own with a betta to start and hopefully keep her interested in the hobby.

As for zebra plecos, I've always wanted them but yes the price range is ridiculous.

 

[Ltygress]

I thought I had a good picture of him today. But the entire "session" turned out blurry.

But I did go get four new females today! Three plain veil tails and a halfmoon!

 

[NickAu]

 
I thought I had a good picture of him today. But the entire "session" turned out blurry.

I know that feeling I took about 50 shots of my girl to find a few that are just ok, She wint stay still LOL

 

[Ltygress]

Finally got a decent photo! And he's flaring!

.... At a rubber band holding the java fern down!

And yes, he's a crowntail. REALLY long fricking rays too!