#the tank is less than 2 gal and doesn't even have a FILTER!!!!!

[tinkertayler]

Currently planning a betta fish heist anyone want to join?

#will require breaking into my place of employment after hours #and rescuing a depressed betta who is being held hostage in a tank that is FAR too small #the tank is less than 2 gal and doesn't even have a FILTER!!!!! #u g h #i am looking at aquariums online and am seriously considering sinking 50 of my own hard earned dollars into a tank #so this poor fish doesn't have to suffer

[meowmeowuchiha]

how the snikety snack do I do the whole “set up aquarium keep fish alive and happy” thing?? I was gifted a 3 gal and a 5 gal tank and a bunch of this whit powder nonsense (looks like coke and I’m tired rn so I cannot be bothered to dig it out to figure out what it actually is) I’d like to do a Betta in the 3 gal and like maybe a couple small fish in the bigger one?? Do you have any recommendations? Thank you for your time and putting up with this ramble

DFZCGdgchvj

Okay so

Without knowing what the white powder is I can't tell you anything about that.

As for setting it up, it's going to be the same for a betta as it is for other small fish!!!

Find the substrate you want (gravel is easier to clean, but sometimes people would rather use sand) and after you rinse it (with gravel at least you poke a bunch of tiny holes in the bottom, cut the top off, then run it under the faucet) just dump it in the tank! Typically you want roughly a pound of substrate for each one gallon, but this can vary depending on how deep you want the substrate and the overall footprint of the tank.

Then, select an appropriately sized filter and heater. Personally, I don't recommend anything Tetra brand, as I've heard far more bad than good about it. My top recommendation for filters is the Fluval aquaclear series, as you can decide what kind of filter media you want, can adjust the flow rate, and they typically last a long time. I have the size 20 filter on my 3 gallon (it's recommended for 5-20 gal) and I can adjust the flow rate enough so it doesn't bother my half-moon betta at all!!! For heaters, it's a lot easier. I just have a little aqueon heater for my 3 gallon, and it's worked just fine for me. Just make sure you have a thermometer so you can monitor the temperature of the tank properly, because if you don't, you might not catch it if the heater breaks for some reason.

Then decide on the decor.

That's going to be more personal taste than anything, with the only real exception being if you have fish with very long, flowing fins (like most bettas you'll find in shops). Plastic plants tend to be really rough, and sometimes fish with large fins can knock them into the rough decor and shred them up a bit. So if you get a long finned betta, I recommend either silk or live plants. Most live plants don't require extra care, either! If you want to know more specifically about live aquarium plants, just shoot me another ask. I don't want to do a COMPLETE info dump on you all in one post.

Once you have all that decided, you put it all together and fill it up! If using tap water, you'll need a water conditioner to make it safe. I always recommend Prime. You get the most bang for your buck with that, and it doesn't just get rid of chlorine, but also chloramines, which some places use instead of chlorine. Most other conditioners ONLY remove chlorine.

With the betta, you can typically put one in immediately since they're incredibly hardy, but best practice is to wait for a week or so until the tank "cycles", meaning the nitrogen cycle has stabilized itself. With other fish, you practically HAVE TO wait until the cycle stabilizes. Big chain pet stores and even most local fish stores offer free testing of your water, so you'll know if it's cycled or not. You can also get your own testing kit, and I ALWAYS recommend the liquid test kits, as they're far more accurate and easier to read than the strips. They all have instructions in them and they're easy to follow, even if it can sometimes feel tedious.

Once everything is set up and fish are in there, then it's typically fairly simple.

Turn lights on and off, leaving them on for roughly 8 hours (6-10 is my recommendation if you want to avoid a bunch of algae)

Feed once a day, never any more than the fish can eat within one minute (I prefer pellet foods, as they make far less of a mess and are easier to portion. Bettas will get 2-4 pellets a day, usually)

Change roughly 20% of the water once a week to once every other week, depending on how many fish you have

If any issues like diseases crop up, then you can Google, ask pet store employees (those who work with fish at least), ask others you know who have fish, or ask me again!!!!

Best of luck in your new adventure and don't hesitate to reach out and send me another ask if you need to!!!

#Fish #Aquariums #Fish care #Tank setup #Ask