Hi Everyone!

[FishMommy8962]

Hi everyone! I'm excited to be here.
I'm new to both the forum AND fishkeeping.
I'm thinking that, based on my parameters & what's been going on lately, that I should be able to get my fish some time very soon.

So let me tell you about the tank!

Here are the specs:
Tank Size: 10g Standard
Filter: Whisper PF10
Heater: MARINELAND 50w
Temperature: Consistent 78 degrees (Fahrenheit)
Lighting: Full Spectrum Fluorescent Bulb - I can change this if it's needed in terms of the health of my plants.

My current plants in there consist of:
3 Marimo Moss Balls - 1 teen & 2 babies
4 Peacock Fern - Filling in nicely, looking healthy & bright green
1 Anubias Petite - Nice and healthy, always getting up to some sort of mischief
1 Anubias ________ - I honestly have no idea what type it is, but I'm thinking that it's Anubias Barteri. It's leaves have been drooping, though it's still lush and green. I plan on purchasing some root tabs & liquid plant food tomorrow to see if it's health improves. Any suggestions are appreciated!

The (fishless) cycle has been frustrating

, but I finally got it to start making sense, and it's nearly cycled. AAAAAAAAAAAH (that's me screaming)!!!!!!!!!!

The current parameters are:
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5-1 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm

I just dosed some more beneficial bacteria to help me convert that nitrite. I'm super excited. I have a great colony of BB, and I'm thinking that (based on my current colony) I should be able to get my fish on Monday or Tuesday.

Oh! I just realized, I haven't even said what fish I'm getting!

I plan on stocking this tank with a single Betta. I always feel so bad for them in those cups, so I figured, why not rescue one? He (or she, it doesn't matter) will be in a total paradise in a 10 gallon.

I'm so excited!

I'm open to all feedback, so if you have any suggestions or recommendations, it'd be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Autumnsky]

Anubias do not want their stem in the substrate, in other words, not planted, but attached to a driftwood (DW) or rock.

Welcome to the community!!!

 

[FishMommy8962]

Aha! Thank you! That definitely could be my issue.

What would I attach it with? Some thread?

 

[Autumnsky]

Yes, some cotton thread/yarn, a special type of super glue. You can use fly tying material (like fishing line) also, as it has a natural varigated coloring to it and you can pick the coloring more towards brown, or green. Comes in a smaller spool / less expensive.

 

[FishMommy8962]

Would some nylon fishing line work as well?

I'm currently boiling some rocks that I think might work.

Very excited!

 

[rew]

I personally use super glue. Works great and no strings attached (pun intended).

 

[FishMommy8962]

Yeah but superglue is scary

I just attached it to a rock and placed some other rocks around the tank to make the Anubias rock look not so out of place.

I'm going to test my nitrites again today to see if it's cycled.

AAAAAAH! SO EXCITED!

 

[Delapool]

Welcome! Good luck with the tank cycling. A betta owner here too

 

[GuppyGuy333]

Welcome!
And props for putting your betta in a suitable environment!
Also more respect for getting peacock fern to grow for you....when i tried adding it to my tank it all melted except one sprig and its barely holding on. Good luck with it

 

[FishMommy8962]

I'm dying.

In a good way.

So I have some updates....

Update 1: This one is about the drooping Anubias. After taking it's rhizome out of the substrate and attaching it to a boiled rock, it started looking up a bit.

I purchased some liquid plant food (Flourish, to be specific) and it's gone back to normal. No more drooping. YAY!


Update 2: Fish/Cycling
So yesterday I did the first water change to clean everything up, because I hadn't done one yet and it was starting to look kinda gross. The water slightly clouded because of whatever I stirred up, but the filter cleared it up in a matter of about 15 minutes.

So after that, I tested my water, and guess what?

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!

IT WAS CYCLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I went to the LPS and got my Betta!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had ammonia burns and was in poor condition. After being acclimated, he started exploring his new tank.

But something strange was going on that I didn't realize until today...

He was just staying in one spot. It was very weird. But then I realized why... It's because the filter current was far too strong for him, and the only area that he could stay without being pushed all around was in that one spot. So I looked up a good way to buffer the filter current, and it worked! So now he's swimming all happily about the tank.

He had bits of light red on him, and I realized that those were ammonia burns. So now, those light red parts have turns a beautiful, vibrant, pearly white. Sometimes, when the light hits him a certain way, the white parts glimmer with a beautiful silvery cyan.

He's so pretty!

I named him Bernie.

I'll attach some pictures in just a minute here, but in the meantime, thanks a bunch for the help! I'm glad that you guys are as crazy about this as I am

 

[nirbhao]

I'm so happy for you.

 

[rew]

Now that you've got your boy all settled in, he may be looking for a roommate or two. I have my guy in with 2 females, 5 cory's, 5 black neons and a lonely cardinal neon (need to get more). He's loving life after the cup poor fellow was in. I hate seeing those fish in those cup at the big Retailers then have the 16yr old kid tell ya that's the way they like it.

Oh it's a 30 gal heavily planted dirt sub, sand cap

 

[FishMommy8962]

Now that you've got your boy all settled in, he may be looking for a roommate or two. I have my guy in with 2 females, 5 cory's, 5 black neons and a lonely cardinal neon (need to get more). He's loving life after the cup poor fellow was in. I hate seeing those fish in those cup at the big Retailers then have the 16yr old kid tell ya that's the way they like it.

Oh it's a 30 gal heavily planted dirt sub, sand cap

I have a ten gallon, so I don't want to overstock... I was looking into getting some sort of algae eater to get... Perhaps otocincluses, maybe? Would that work? Thanks. [emoji199]

 

[rew]

Yes it would be fine. I would say that plus a female betta or three, or a small group of 5 neon tetra's would be good as well, IMO. Totally up to you though

 

[FishMommy8962]

Yes it would be fine. I would say that plus a female betta or three, or a small group of 5 neon tetra's would be good as well, IMO. Totally up to you though

I don't plan on breeding... And I don't like three thought of keeping multiple bettas together... I've also heard that bettas will hurt neons... I think I'll stick with the otocincluses. Thanks, though [emoji4]

 

[FishMommy8962]

I don't plan on breeding... And I don't like three thought of keeping multiple bettas together... I've also heard that bettas will hurt neons... I think I'll stick with the otocincluses. Thanks, though [emoji4]

The* not three

 

[Autumnsky]

Also consider that Bernie needs to build up some muscle after sitting slack in that little space he will need some time to get strong-er!

Congrats on how things are looking good.

 

[FishMommy8962]

Also consider that Bernie needs to build up some muscle after sitting slack in that little space he will need some time to get strong-er!

Congrats on how things are looking good.

Hahaha, I'm just thinking about a muscley fish. BWAHAAHAAHAAHAA! But yes, I'll be sure to add in some flaring to his daily routine.

 

[FishMommy8962]

Exercised him for a while, fed him, he's soooooooo happy to be exploring all the room he had in his tank in comparison to the tiny cup he was in.

Soooooooo... If I were to get otocincluses, how many could I get?

 

[Coursair]

My old Betta boy ruled his 10g
No other fish and he liked it that way.