Umm Not Sure What To Do??

[AquaKitty]

Ok so i'm kinda new to keeping fish.
I had an aquarium before and all my fish did really great( i didn't even do much to it i just put water in, a filter and fish) but that was when i lived in the country and we had well water. Now i'm in the city and have tap water.
anyway i decided to get a Betta (since their pretty easy)i set the aquarium up and put in the the betta water conditioner. the lady at the store said that was all that i needed. But i've also got some live plants ( not real sure what they are though) and again the lady at the store told me that they'd do fine.
well so far i've lost two betta's and have no idea why?
Now I'm on my third and scare that i'll lose him too!
I changed part of the water a day before i put him in and so far hes doing fine.
But i would like some advise as how to maintain the tank and what to do??
i've attached some pics of my tank
I'd also like to know how to care for the plant and how to tell if they are healthy? i'm just not sure what to do? (i never knew fish were so hard

 

[rubysoho]

can you take your water in to be tested at the store (if you don't have a test kit at home)? Bettas are pretty hardy and even with a small uncycled tank they usually do okay.

Do you use city or well water?

How long did you have the first two bettas before they died?

Kind of gross, but how long were they in the tank before you found them?

Any strange behavior before dieing other than being lethargic? Bloating?

 

[blue71]

are you using dechlorinator/water conditioner? what kind of filter do you have?

 

[AquaKitty]

i got a small test kit and it say that everything is fine now
My first betta i had for a little over a week and the second one died the next day
they werent in the tank for very long after they die i check the tank a lest once a day.umm there wasnt any really strange behavior the first one was really active and then he wasnt as active the next day he was dead, the second one wasnt ever very active so i dont think so?yes i use a dechlorinator that said its for bettas and my filter is just a small 1-3 gal filter

 

[dkpate]

You should be doing pwc's twice a week with a betta until his tank is cycled. If it's not, then the ammonia is probably building up in the tank and killing the fish. If you are using test strips, they are notoriously innaccurate. What is the temp of the water he's in? Do you make sure and use the same temp of water when you put more in the tank? What are you feeding him and how often?

 

[AquaKitty]

hmm yes i'm using test strips. . .
the water temp is about 74*F and yes i use the same temp of water when i add water. i only feed him once a day and only a few pellets of his food.
Does the Ammonia Clear fizz tablets work?
do the plants help with keeping the ammonia down?

 

[rubysoho]

plants are definitely going to help. Make sure to clip any browning leaves because the deteriorating leaves can pollute your water. In such a small tank it is important to avoid this. With two bettas dieing I would recommend a couple water changes throughout the week. Only use dechlorinator on the water you are adding. Are you using the proper amount? Too much? Too much might cause problems. Though I have not experienced that.

Also, it is possible the two fish were on their way out. Betta strains are not as hardy as they once were (most likely inbreeding). BUT if this third one dies I would bet there is something in the tank/added to the tank that is causing the problem (whether it is ammonia, etc...)

 

[dkpate]

I use dechlor for the amount of water in the tank, not just what I am replacing. Never had a problem. I feed my bettas 4 pellets, every 12 hours, except for the occassional blood worm or brine shrimp. I also feed them boiled, de-shelled peas every Thursday afternoon to help with digestion. Peas are a laxative for fish.
Good job on putting the same temp of water in.
I would not use any kind of ammonia tabs or anything for the tank.
Is your fish very active? If he's not, you could try lowering the water level, (so he can come up for air easier. Bettas are labrynth breathers, which means that they gulp air at the surface too), and you can also add some epsom salt. 1tsp/gallon for 10 days and doing a 10% pwc every day.
I wish you luck with your fishie!

 

[AquaKitty]

Thanks for the advice everyone

how active should a betta be??
my betta isn't real active but he doesn't just sit around at the top or bottom either . . .

 

[rubysoho]

kind of hard to describe over the internet. Especially because every fish seems to be a little different. But it sounds like your guy is moving around normally. Perhaps do one or two extra water changes this week.

 

[Da Squid]

This wouldn't be the reason for your fish dying, but you might think about changing out the glass marble substrate for some aquarium gravel. A black gravel would bring out the fish's colors and also be easier for a plant to root in.

 

[supradupafast]

+1 on changing the substrate to gravel. You plants will thank you as well.
Going against what has been said here, I recommend you use the Dechlor for the size of your Tank, and not just the water you are replacing.
Since Bettas come up for air, make sure that your plants are not in the way or too dense at the top for the Betta to come up and breathe.

 

[AquaKitty]

K i think i'd like to change to gravel
worried it ll mess the aquarium up though or hurt my fish
what do i do with the plants while i change to gravel??
will they be ok just left out or do i put them in water?

 

[supradupafast]

Your plants will do fine out of the water for a bit. (1-2 hrs or so).
Don't forget to Rinse the gravel before putting it in your Tank.. Rinse Rinse and Rinse. Final Rinse with Declorinator.
That will save you from having cloudy water and dust particles floating in your Tank.

 

[supradupafast]

I forgot to ask, but are you using a heater?
The sudden death of your bettas may have been caused by a change in temperature. I'm not sure exactly where you live, or where the tank is in the house but Nights tend to get a lil chilly and if your Room temp goes down at night, so does the water (if you're not using a heater).
It could also have been sick from the LFS. I find it cruel for LFS to keep Bettas in a small cup. The way I see it, is like living in a toilet, and living in your own wastes. Diseases take over very quickly.

 

[AquaKitty]

Im not using a heater right now. but i keep the house temp pretty consistent and i have a digital Thermometer which i check twice a day ( morning and night) it has stay between 76-72 degrees F.