Newfishmama
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2023
- Messages
- 3
Hello all,
I am new here and as you may be able to tell by my name a novice in fish keeping. Though I have had betta fish in the past they have always been solo. I now have an 8 year old daughter who has really enjoyed keeping a small aquarium the last few years. Sadly our neon tetras died last week from what I now believe to be a toxic castle we added to our tank.
Our poor friends were gone within 24 hours after adding it despite me soaking and cleaning it thoroughly beforehand. When I noticed one swimming oddly I took the tank lid off and there was a strong chemical smell. I tried to quarantine and treat them but it was too late
We discussed starting our aquarium over and I suggested a betta fish. They are easy and gorgeous and I have always had great luck with them. We brought our girl home and she seemed very happy in her new tank. My daughter was interested in getting her a tank mate so during a bloodworm run At our local aquarium store we inquired about a possible friend.
The woman suggested either plaities or tetra. I was a little hesitant because we have a five gallon tank but she and several patrons who overheard said 2 or 3 would be just fine with her. So we came home with 2 platies.
I added them to the tank and watched for a while and honestly thought she was excited for the company. They were swimming around together and I saw interest but no nipping or aggression. We ate dinner and before I put my daughter to bed I checked in and noticed that our betta was swimming back and forth in the front along the glass which I recall reading could mean stress.
Once my daughter was asleep I took a seat and observed more closely. Our betta continued to swim back and forth while our platies did their own thing and when they would cross paths there would be some chasing and then they would go their separate ways. I honestly couldn't tell if they were playing or she was stressed so I decided to air on the side of caution and remove the platies for the night.
I have been trying to research and as always there is a lot of contradictory information as to if our setup was right of not. I have seen a lot of things say "10 gallon is proper when keeping platies with a betta, though the number of platies is higher... I can't help but wonder if this still could be the issue. I also know it could downright boil down to personality, maybe she's just not that into company but I wanted to ask here before I return these little platies. I feel like this group will offer some great advice.
Thank you in advance,
Paranoid betta mom
I am new here and as you may be able to tell by my name a novice in fish keeping. Though I have had betta fish in the past they have always been solo. I now have an 8 year old daughter who has really enjoyed keeping a small aquarium the last few years. Sadly our neon tetras died last week from what I now believe to be a toxic castle we added to our tank.
Our poor friends were gone within 24 hours after adding it despite me soaking and cleaning it thoroughly beforehand. When I noticed one swimming oddly I took the tank lid off and there was a strong chemical smell. I tried to quarantine and treat them but it was too late
We discussed starting our aquarium over and I suggested a betta fish. They are easy and gorgeous and I have always had great luck with them. We brought our girl home and she seemed very happy in her new tank. My daughter was interested in getting her a tank mate so during a bloodworm run At our local aquarium store we inquired about a possible friend.
The woman suggested either plaities or tetra. I was a little hesitant because we have a five gallon tank but she and several patrons who overheard said 2 or 3 would be just fine with her. So we came home with 2 platies.
I added them to the tank and watched for a while and honestly thought she was excited for the company. They were swimming around together and I saw interest but no nipping or aggression. We ate dinner and before I put my daughter to bed I checked in and noticed that our betta was swimming back and forth in the front along the glass which I recall reading could mean stress.
Once my daughter was asleep I took a seat and observed more closely. Our betta continued to swim back and forth while our platies did their own thing and when they would cross paths there would be some chasing and then they would go their separate ways. I honestly couldn't tell if they were playing or she was stressed so I decided to air on the side of caution and remove the platies for the night.
I have been trying to research and as always there is a lot of contradictory information as to if our setup was right of not. I have seen a lot of things say "10 gallon is proper when keeping platies with a betta, though the number of platies is higher... I can't help but wonder if this still could be the issue. I also know it could downright boil down to personality, maybe she's just not that into company but I wanted to ask here before I return these little platies. I feel like this group will offer some great advice.
Thank you in advance,
Paranoid betta mom