I think i messed up

[blizowman1]

i got a little 1.5 gallon tank from my dad for my oldest girl(5). i washed out the gravel he already had put a new filter in the whisper ???, whater the 1 to 3 gallon one is and put a 1 to 3 gallon heater in it ive put three of the little bulbs you get from walmart in it and one has actually started to sprout. now i may have messed up by putting a otto cat and a snail in the tank with the betta the snail and cat are fine but the top and back fin of my betta are looking real rough and she doesnt flair her fins like she used to she keeps them tucked tight im wondering if she has fin rot or maybe something else if its the cat and snail ill take them out but wouldnt they be doing rough if she was doing rough.... ive been changing about half the water out every week to two times a week with this betta formulated water stuff they sell at walmart.... what can i do to save my girls betta i dont wanna have to explain to her why it died lol. Oh and i didnt cycle my tank i didnt think it would be a big deal since it was a small tank and bettas live in those cups at the store anyways. I bought those betta kit things that come with the tab you disolve and it clears the chlorine and whatnot out of the water i did do that before i put the fish in at the beggining....Please help

 

[Mumma.of.two]

i got a little 1.5 gallon tank from my dad for my oldest girl(5). i washed out the gravel he already had put a new filter in the whisper ???, whater the 1 to 3 gallon one is and put a 1 to 3 gallon heater in it ive put three of the little bulbs you get from walmart in it and one has actually started to sprout. now i may have messed up by putting a otto cat and a snail in the tank with the betta the snail and cat are fine but the top and back fin of my betta are looking real rough and she doesnt flair her fins like she used to she keeps them tucked tight im wondering if she has fin rot or maybe something else if its the cat and snail ill take them out but wouldnt they be doing rough if she was doing rough.... ive been changing about half the water out every week to two times a week with this betta formulated water stuff they sell at walmart.... what can i do to save my girls betta i dont wanna have to explain to her why it died lol. Oh and i didnt cycle my tank i didnt think it would be a big deal since it was a small tank and bettas live in those cups at the store anyways. I bought those betta kit things that come with the tab you disolve and it clears the chlorine and whatnot out of the water i did do that before i put the fish in at the beggining....Please help

Hi, the 1.5g isn't big enough for the Betta let alone the Betta, snail and Otto. You need to rehome the Otto and upgrade the tank to a 5gal if you plan to keep the Betta and snail.
The tank is cycling. It doesn't matter what size a tank is it still needs to be done.
First thing you need to do is a large water change using a dechlorinator. I recommend Prime.
Do you have a test kit? What are your readings?
Please have a read through this info.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html
You will need to preform daily water changes to keep your Betta healthy/alive.

 

[Fishnova]

The bettas don't live in those cups, they barely manage to survive. I think that's pretty cruel to do...
Your betta has fin rot from the stress of poor water conditions, and stress from an overcrowded aquarium. In my opinion to keep a betta as happy as he/she can be, a ten gallon tank would be awesome. I have mine in a ten gallon, along with good filtration, and regular pwcs, he is very very healthy!!!

I would suggest getting him a newer, bigger tank. Ofcoarse cycle it using filtermedia from your existing 1.5...

Regular testing with the API freshwater master test kit, and 50% pwcs every week will definitely cure your betta from his sickness, and will make him very very happy.

 

[blizowman1]

so if I was to get a 5 gallon tank would all three be ok to put in it or would it still only be the betta and snail. and how would I cycle that tank out. or would it be less stressful to put the betta in it from the start than the 1.5

 

[Fishnova]

Still overcrowded, and I don't think the Otto would survive without adequate amount of algae....at least that is what I read.

You can transfer media to the five gallon to cycle to tank quicker.

 

[Sharkbait54]

so if I was to get a 5 gallon tank would all three be ok to put in it or would it still only be the betta and snail. and how would I cycle that tank out. or would it be less stressful to put the betta in it from the start than the 1.5

If I were you and already have the betta in the tank leave him there and take the Otto and snail back. Do 2 or 3 water changes a week depending on your feedings. You betta will be very happy and you won't have to make unnecessary spending on a 10g just for 1 betta.

 

[blizowman1]

sharkbait...are you saying leave the betta in the 1.5 gallon and take the cat and snail out and just keep changing the water.. have you heard of the betta water im talking about if I do like a 75% change once then like a 50% once a week after that using the betta water will it clear up the fin problems and stabilize the water ....I didn't think the levels would stabilize if you keep changing the water like that

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I would encourage you to at least get a 5g. Your betta will be much happier. The snail you can keep in the 5g too, but will need to have algae wafers or some supplemental feedings until algae builds up. The oto needs to be returned as soon as possible.

 

[Sharkbait54]

BB grows in filter media, decorations,and substrate water has very little to do with it.

While doing a fish in or out cycle it's not uncommon to do a couple of 50% or more water changes a day to bring the readings down.

Read some of the links on fish in cycle cause that's what you doing and go from there.

 

[Gboy66]

sharkbait...are you saying leave the betta in the 1.5 gallon and take the cat and snail out and just keep changing the water.. have you heard of the betta water im talking about if I do like a 75% change once then like a 50% once a week after that using the betta water will it clear up the fin problems and stabilize the water ....I didn't think the levels would stabilize if you keep changing the water like that

Water changes can never hurt the cycle, especially if its fish in. There is no beneficial bacteria in the water, so changing it doesnt matter much. People do 100% water changes..

 

[Gboy66]

BB grows in filter media, decorations,and substrate water has very little to do with it.

While doing a fish in or out cycle it's not uncommon to do a couple of 50% or more water changes a day to bring the readings down.

Read some of the links on fish in cycle cause that's what you doing and go from there.

Lol you beat me to it

 

[Mumma.of.two]

sharkbait...are you saying leave the betta in the 1.5 gallon and take the cat and snail out and just keep changing the water.. have you heard of the betta water im talking about if I do like a 75% change once then like a 50% once a week after that using the betta water will it clear up the fin problems and stabilize the water ....I didn't think the levels would stabilize if you keep changing the water like that

Ok I'm not sure you fully understand the nitrogen cycle. Cycling a tank is where bacteria grow in the tank and filter. Most of the BB (beneficial bacteria) grow in the filter. Fish give off ammonia in their waste and through their gills. The BB convert this ammonia to nitrite then a different set of BB convert the nitrite to nitrate. The nitrate is then removed during weekly PWC (partial water changes). In a new tank there are no BB so the ammonia builds up quickly and can damage or even kill your fish. PWC are needed frequently to bring the ammonia and nitrite down. PWC do not hinder a cycle. Cycling takes 4-8 weeks. Please read the link I gave you.
You do not need to buy special Betta water. IMO it is a waste of money. All you need for a healthy tank is fresh water and a dechlorinator (to dechlorinate your tap water).

 

[Mumma.of.two]

1.5g is simply not big enough to sustain the Betta, snail and otto. The otto is a schooling fish and it needs a school of a bare minimum of three of its own kind. They prefer (and some only eat) algae. A 1.5 or a 5g are simply not big enough to produce enough algae for it to eat.
The snail will need it's food supplemented even in a 5gal tank.

 

[Sharkbait54]

You do not need to buy special Betta water. IMO it is a waste of money. All you need for a healthy tank is fresh water and a dechlorinator (to dechlorinate your tap water).

Probably alot cheaper to.

 

[blizowman1]

ok so i know im not supposed to keep the betta in less than a 5 now...bit if I get rid of the cat and the snail and keep the pwc going will the betta be ok until I can afford the bigger tank cause she was doing great till I added the other two in with her

 

[Sharkbait54]

He'll be fine in the tank he's in right now. If you take the snail and Otto back.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

ok so i know im not supposed to keep the betta in less than a 5 now...bit if I get rid of the cat and the snail and keep the pwc going will the betta be ok until I can afford the bigger tank cause she was doing great till I added the other two in with her

Yes she will be ok just keep on top of water changes.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

In case you don't understand anything, this will help you a lot with your problem or answer some of your questions at least if you are going to keep your betta in that tank:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

 

[blizowman1]

ok so I've been using these disolvable tabs yo dechlorinate the water I bought I bottle of the stress coat stuff the dechlorinate the water with but it says 1tsp to 10 gallons if im using I gallon water jug seeings how the tank is only 1.5 how much would I use like maybe just one drop to a gallon

 

[blizowman1]

is there such thing as using to much