feel like giving up fish tank! :'(

[TMaier]

It is awesome! Very peaceful to look at.

 

[loubeardy]

thank you betta, I think, agrees

 

[loubeardy]

It is awesome! Very peaceful to look at.

thank you I took the plant out at the left hand side. I freaked thinking it had more hydra on it but now I think it was just hair algae... it was string and whitey colour. I'll pick up another plant to fill the space.... is there a way I can clean plants before putting them in to avoid catastrophe?!

 

[nirbhao]

thank you I took the plant out at the left hand side. I freaked thinking it had more hydra on it but now I think it was just hair algae... it was string and whitey colour. I'll pick up another plant to fill the space.... is there a way I can clean plants before putting them in to avoid catastrophe?!

YES.

You can dip them in a salt solution or diluted hydrogen peroxide or bleach. Different plants can handle different strengths of dip, so be sure to look into that.

I personally really like hydrogen peroxide. It's pretty strong, so you can't use it on delicate plants, but it's very effective. After it does its work, it leaves only water and oxygen.

 

[loubeardy]

YES.

You can dip them in a salt solution or diluted hydrogen peroxide or bleach. Different plants can handle different strengths of dip, so be sure to look into that.

I personally really like hydrogen peroxide. It's pretty strong, so you can't use it on delicate plants, but it's very effective. After it does its work, it leaves only water and oxygen.

awesome thanks

 

[loubeardy]

... would a salt solution work of I placed it in the tank... would thay solve any problems thay may reoccur ? (I have used the original plants which may have given me everything... though I really hope not!)

 

[nirbhao]

... would a salt solution work of I placed it in the tank... would thay solve any problems thay may reoccur ? (I have used the original plants which may have given me everything... though I really hope not!)

You would need way too much salt to be in your tank.

 

[loubeardy]

You would need way too much salt to be in your tank.

OK, bad idea lol fingers crossed then!!!!! (I think most.of my problem was my hydra and worms in the substrate so my plants may have been the cauae originally but maybe -hoping - safe now!)

 

[Lev]

Suck it up! If you can't suck it up then your not hooked on aquariums to the point where it will ever be worth your effort. They aren't easy and they are time consuming money pits. You have to LOVE it so much that you want to try harder when you hit a hurdle, not quit.

All this is true, but your wormy issues aren't the end of the world, and your betta sounds like a perky little fellow [emoji5]

Sometimes when you're doing it all alone and feel new and incompetent it's good to have some experienced ( or less experienced in my case!!) voices telling you that everyone has been through these problems before

Don't give up unless when your tank has settled a bit you find that you aren't enjoying it even when the issues are ironed out . I had a rough night with a molly that got dropsy and felt like I'd messed up and my effort had been for nothing... I'd just bought a sick fish - now my tank is back to being awesome and super entertaining

 

[loubeardy]

All this is true, but your wormy issues aren't the end of the world, and your betta sounds like a perky little fellow [emoji5]

Sometimes when you're doing it all alone and feel new and incompetent it's good to have some experienced ( or less experienced in my case!!) voices telling you that everyone has been through these problems before

Don't give up unless when your tank has settled a bit you find that you aren't enjoying it even when the issues are ironed out . I had a rough night with a molly that got dropsy and felt like I'd messed up and my effort had been for nothing... I'd just bought a sick fish - now my tank is back to being awesome and super entertaining

thank you now that I have a more manageable tank I feel a bit more at ease. my betta is deffinetly a character. he now seems to be glass surfing now so rather dworried about that :/ but I know my water is suitable and now critters (that I have seen after redoing my tank) so maybe just about phase! lol

 

[Lev]

My new corycats did that on their first day but have stopped, but if I walk quickly to the tank all the fish do it (they don't if I sneak up haha) so I think it's cause they are like "ooo the giant food giving thing outside is back!"

 

[loubeardy]

I think you might be right.... got home from work and went and checked on Betta... he wasn't glass surfing.. bit soon as he saw me he did.

 

[Betta keeper]

Hi there

Sometimes Betta will glass surf to get attention..see if you can watch with the lights out, when it can't see you

Mine does it all the time, he will literally forget what he's doing and glass surf until I come over

Assassin snails might help your worm problem? They love live food....try asking the fish store and see if they know?

Using a gravel vac will definitely help to pick up extra population....I have read not to use worm killer because while the worms themselves are not harmful, a mass die-off could cause a dangerous ammonia spike....if I remember the source I will post it. I had googled aquarium parasites

 

[flchamp89]

This game is about up and downs. Never ending always more to learn. Never a finish line. Those who succeed are the ones that understand this.

 

[Mcfly]

Fish are smarter than you think. Opportunists when it comes to feeding. They'll mooch 8 meals a day out of someone if they can. This is where your discipline keeps them alive.

When you vacuum your (gravel) substrate, push the vacuum down, twist a little, and wait till the 'schtuff' goes up the tube before slowly pulling the vacuum up. Move a little and repeat. This has to be done slowly. Sand you have move even slower and more methodically.

I went so far as to install a PVC ball valve on the vacuum hose. It allows finer control on the flow, and a way to kill the vac without yankin' it out of the water.

I think every aquarist goes through these growing pains. If they didn't there would be no answers on these forums!

Hang in there, the end result is worth the frustration.

 

[loubeardy]

Hi there

Sometimes Betta will glass surf to get attention..see if you can watch with the lights out, when it can't see you

Mine does it all the time, he will literally forget what he's doing and glass surf until I come over

Assassin snails might help your worm problem? They love live food....try asking the fish store and see if they know?

Using a gravel vac will definitely help to pick up extra population....I have read not to use worm killer because while the worms themselves are not harmful, a mass die-off could cause a dangerous ammonia spike....if I remember the source I will post it. I had googled aquarium parasites

I was thinking of getting an assassin snail... would it try and eat my shrimp though?
I've not got - fingers crossed - a worm problem any longer as I took the whole substrate out and put gravel down... I have flower substrate, like soil, so was incredibly difficult to vacuum. much happier with my tank set up now.... cleaner, critter less, and easier to maintain (taken out some / most of the plants!)

 

[loubeardy]

Fish are smarter than you think. Opportunists when it comes to feeding. They'll mooch 8 meals a day out of someone if they can. This is where your discipline keeps them alive.

When you vacuum your (gravel) substrate, push the vacuum down, twist a little, and wait till the 'schtuff' goes up the tube before slowly pulling the vacuum up. Move a little and repeat. This has to be done slowly. Sand you have move even slower and more methodically.

I went so far as to install a PVC ball valve on the vacuum hose. It allows finer control on the flow, and a way to kill the vac without yankin' it out of the water.

I think every aquarist goes through these growing pains. If they didn't there would be no answers on these forums!

Hang in there, the end result is worth the frustration.

thank you I'm feeling more at ease knowing I'm not the only one who has had these 'Omg' moments.mum raised me to be a panicked! haha. so I do panic at each little thing..... is he happy in a big tank (I've read that you can get too big of a tank!!!), is he healthy, are the hydra hurting him! and yeah he will happily eat too much I've realised... he is going without tomorrow as I over fed him today (then Google it cause he got bloated).

 

[TMaier]

At least 2 OMG moments a year on average multiplied by 5 tanks = life on the edge. Never a dull moment.

But all the moments in between enjoying the tank make it all worth it for me.

 

[Betta keeper]

Shrimp are pretty fast, they should be ok...assassin snails are opportunists and will eat what is easiest for them to find...leftover food, worms, other snails....but something faster than them is too much work lol

 

[coralbandit]

The assassin can catch the shrimp during its molt....
That would be one opportunity every so often?