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Curious question (not a health concern question). I'm a first time betta owner. Is it normal for their color and pattern to change?? I got George Jan 31st and he was quite healthy from what I could see. Mostly white fins with blue/turqouise body. He is now almost completely blue with hues of...

Hey! I'm still in pre-planning stages for my 35gal and I REALLY want to try sand (or similar) substrate. I've always had gravel before but I like the natural look of sand. This will also be my first try with live plants (starting minimal, all live plants will be "tied" to drift wood.) but I...

Oh! And your pH sounds fine, especially if it's what your LFS keeps theirs at, and if your qt/main tank had same level. Rapid pH change as you probably have heard, is the biggest danger.

That's a tough question. Hopefully we get more input on this thread. I can tell you what some options, and what I might do if it were me, but please know, that without knowing what exactly killed the fish, there is no guarantee :( Internal illness (as I recently discovered) is very tricky to...

When you say "0,0,5-10" I just want to clarify: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5-10 nitrates? What is your pH like? Water hardness? When I had a problem with perfect perimeters and unhealthy fish, it turned out to be my pH (it was rock bottom). I've heard some fish do fine outside of their...

Thanks BBradbury, I am definitely one who tends to complicate things too. And thanks for the plant suggestions!

Thank you V227. Follow up question if you don't mind... does it matter who I add first? Would either species benefit from being able to settle into the tank prior to their "new roommates"?

Tank isn't even close to set up. All in pre-plan stages. My tap water comes out at pH 6.8, GH 0ppm and KH 40ppm. I use strips for the hardness measurements, so I know they are not spot on, but still very soft. This is going to be a tiger barb tank and I know they don't mind acidic water... how...

I'm planning my 35gal setup. I want to try plants but something small and simple to start. My tap water is SUPER soft and I use crushed coral in my two other tanks to stabilize the pH around 7. I would love to try drift wood, but heard it lowers pH. Could I just add more crushed coral? Or am I...

I have a 35gal bow front begging to be set up. It's a ways off but I am already planning. Here's the thing. I was planning to do a all or mostly tiger barb tank (with some greens and albinos too). However I recently discovered that what I thought to be a regular upside-down catfish (in my 25gal...

Well said! Although fishless cycling is the most common, IMO (please no one shoot me ;)) fish in cycling is not necessarily bad as long as the fish are not stressed :)

I agree with dalto. Your nitrites are getting to worrisome levels. Once you start reading nitrates, you will be getting closer to the end because that means the bacteria is developing to handle the nitrite load. Another way to help boost the process... if you know someone with a healthy and...

Update UPDATE - The Metro treatment was (as prescribed by the bottle) every other day for 3 weeks "or until symptoms disappear." Towards the end of the treatment, his symptoms became worse. Instead of upside down on the hospital tank bottom, he was upside down floating at the top. And...

Oh! And your pH should be whatever is recommended for your fish of course. I only add this because on my first tank, all of my water perameters looked perfect, but turned out my tap water is super super soft, so the pH eventually hit rock bottom. Some of my fish were okay, and some I lost :(...

Not knowing what they actually gave you, I can't say how well it works. But a fully cycled tank will read 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites ideally. Nitrates no more than 20 (this is what is removed with weekly water changes). Of course your tank can go into a mini cycle too. Meaning, that even after...

Was anything new added around the time the cloudiness started showing up? New decorations?

I wish I had joined sooner and not waited for a sick fish to spur me. But already the forum has been so nice and helpful (I was nervous posting, as I'm so new to aquariums). My best friend got me started and is very knowledgable, and a fellow at my local pet store (I know, a fish savvy pet...

Thank you so much Delapool! I feel that this info will come in handy for future sick fish too. I picked up Metroplex from a specialty store (my usual go-to pet store didn't carry). It was marked up x3 what I saw online D: but didn't want to wait for shipping to get my little guy started. Yikes...

Okay, I'll admit, the patent stuff went pretty much right over my head. I read up on Metronidazole (what you meant by Metro right?) Just curious why that one? Since it is for such a specific bacteria? Also, is it something that can be bought at a pet store? Thanks again

The blood worms are freeze dried. It is why I initially suspected swim bladder from over eating. Before he got sick, I had not heard of soaking them before feeding until I researched the symptoms. I wish the pre soak method was something companies would suggest on the food canisters! Suffice to...

Wow thank you so much! Bedtime reading for sure! (I'm not being sarcastic at all). I will look into this

Hi! Thank you for the reply. Temp is almost always 78. We have a swamp cooler, so sometimes the temp will go up to 80 in the tank when it's triple digits outside. That hasn't happened for about a month tho. I feed flake to the community, and shrimp pellets to my catfish. Every three days I...

Hi V227. Thanks for the reply. I thought Corys could live up to 5yrs, but my friend who gave him to me was his second owner, so his age may not be accurate. This is my first tank so I've not seen what happens to aging fish. Is this normal behavior for them when they are aging out?

Hi Delapool! The bottle says "Active Ingredient: 1-Chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone" and that it is "Non-antibiotic, broad-spectrum tablets for freshwater aquarium fish. Treatment for external parasites, viral, fungal, & bacterial infections"

Thank you stevenht and toad! I had not thought of them in that way, I thought it was more of a space/territory issue, not social. Glad I asked the forum :)