1st time fish owner help!

[Newb]

Ive been wanting fish for a while so i went and bought a fish bowl some rocks a silk plant and a small castle for decor i also bought the liquid to clean the water from chlorine witch was recomended since my water comes from the sink i also got the net

Today i finally got the fish i went with the plan of buyng a simple betta cause i heard they were easy to up keep but in the store i fell in love with the pleca and decided to get both I only got betta food cause the store owner sAid the pleca eats anything

Was this a good idea?
Anything else i need?
How often should i clean the bowl?
Is there a special way of cleaning?
Any other thing i should learn about my fish?
Any type of help will be apreciated

 

[-Mac-]

I feel so mean....

The plecO will need to go back as it requires a heated, filtered tank and algae or algae wafers and isn't really sturdy enough to tolerate the cycling processes anyhow.

The betta, btw, would benefit from at the very, very least, a heated tank and a lid of some sort, lest he decide to take a leap; they are perfectly able to take these little hops, to their inevitable doom.

There's more, but I'll stop there for now.

 

[Newb]

Whats optimum temp for a pleco?

So i keep my water in room temp is tat okay

 

[mus]

i agree with Mac, the pleco needs to go back, they can grow over 30cm, you will need a massive tank + good filtration and a temperature between 22-28c and a cycled tank, as mentioned before it will need algea wafers.

the betta requires at least 5gals and filtration is prefered and many partial water changes, more if you dont have filtration. make sure you use declorinator such as prime and also the betta will need a temp between 22-28c, buy a heater and thermometer. Also please read about tank cycling (the nitrogen cycle).

 

[eco23]

Ive been wanting fish for a while so i went and bought a fish bowl some rocks a silk plant and a small castle for decor i also bought the liquid to clean the water from chlorine witch was recomended since my water comes from the sink i also got the net

Today i finally got the fish i went with the plan of buyng a simple betta cause i heard they were easy to up keep but in the store i fell in love with the pleca and decided to get both I only got betta food cause the store owner sAid the pleca eats anything

Was this a good idea?
Anything else i need?
How often should i clean the bowl?
Is there a special way of cleaning?
Any other thing i should learn about my fish?
Any type of help will be apreciated

Welcome to the site. We'll be happy to help you along the way...but there's a lot we need to catch you up on, and quickly. The nitrogen cycle is the single most important aspect of fish keeping to understand.

If you decide to keep your fish and attempt to cycle with them...closely follow this guide-
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html

If you have the option to return the fish or temporarily re-home them (far and away the best option IMO), I invite you to check out the guide and FAQ about fishless cycling you can find the link to in my signature. Feel free to ask any questions you can think of .

 

[Newb]

Pleco and betta together?

Is this good idea

 

[becrac16]

lots of questions to be answered!

how big is your tank?
any other inhabitants?
what kind of pleco?

to start lol

 

[-Mac-]

I hate to break it to you, Eco, but in this case the most important thing to understand is your fish. Our new friend has a pleco in an unheated, unfiltered betta fish bowl that will die if he doesn't get it back to the store, pronto.

Then, he can worry about the cycle.

 

[eco23]

I hate to break it to you, Eco, but in this case the most important thing to understand is your fish. Our new friend has a pleco in an unheated, unfiltered betta fish bowl that will die if he doesn't get it back to the store, pronto.

Then, he can worry about the cycle.

Not sure where you're getting that from. It was already clearly stated by numerous members that the Pleco was unsuitable and we had moved on to only dealing with the Betta situation. Just because I tend to spend time helping people with cycling, don't get the idea I don't know or care about the well being of the actual fish.

 

[eco23]

I hate to break it to you, Eco, but in this case the most important thing to understand is your fish. Our new friend has a pleco in an unheated, unfiltered betta fish bowl that will die if he doesn't get it back to the store, pronto.

Then, he can worry about the cycle.

I would also have to make the point that returning the Betta to the store ensures nothing except the fact the fish will be returned to a plastic cup sitting on a shelf with dozens of others, waiting for a 9 year old to walk in and talk their parents into buying it and sticking it in a plant vase next to their sink.

The fact that our "new friend" has shown the effort to join AA and ask questions shows to me that while they may be uneducated right now, they have the caring demeanor and commitment to caring for their fish properly...things that sticking them back on a shelf at Petco will do much less than guarantee.

Obviously I understand not only the bad situation of the fish, but also the irresponsibility of the store to even make such a sale. I know the requirements of both Plecos and Bettas. The other posters seem well on top of describing the situation to the OP. However, having links to learn about the nitrogen cycle are rule number one with fish keeping. Hopefully before the fish are ever purchased...bet needed information none the less.

 

[-Mac-]

don't get me started on his lfs. O.M.G.

 

[jetajockey]

I would also have to make the point that returning the Betta to the store ensures nothing except the fact the fish will be returned to a plastic cup sitting on a shelf with dozens of others, waiting for a 9 year old to walk in and talk their parents into buying it and sticking it in a plant vase next to their sink.

She was talking about the pleco being returned.

The scenario you wrote about happens, sure, but I wouldn't assume that this is the case every time, or even in any regularity. I don't work in a pet store though so I don't know how often people let their kids run them around lol

 

[-Mac-]

Sadly, Jeta, you'd be amazed.

But enough of the highjacking.

Our New AA member is saving his pleco from certain doom and reading about cycling safely, I hope.

Good luck, Newb!

-M

 

[eco23]

She was talking about the pleco being returned.

The scenario you wrote about happens, sure, but I wouldn't assume that this is the case every time, or even in any regularity. I don't work in a pet store though so I don't know how often people let their kids run them around lol

I would have to assume there's been no studies on the lives of Bettas once they leave the chain stores...but strictly based on the way Bettas are packaged, marketed and the supposedly suitable "homes" that are sold for them (regularly hot pink or neon colors), you would have to believe the core demographic are not devoted fish keepers like the majority of AA members, they are younger customers who believe that since they are being sold in what amounts almost to a Dixie cup filled with dyed water...that must be a suitable environment for them. Only once or twice in my life have I seen a Betta housed in a suitable environment at a fish store...and never a major chain. I would bet my last dollar a VAST majority of Bettas sold in major chain stores go to unsuitable homes with actual needs never taken into account based on what the customers see in the stores.

 

[jetajockey]

I would have to assume there's been no studies on the lives of Bettas once they leave the chain stores...but strictly based on the way Bettas are packaged, marketed and the supposedly suitable "homes" that are sold for them (regularly hot pink or neon colors), you would have to believe the core demographic are not devoted fish keepers like the majority of AA members, they are younger customers who believe that since they are being sold in what amounts almost to a Dixie cup filled with dyed water...that must be a suitable environment for them. Only once or twice in my life have I seen a Betta housed in a suitable environment at a fish store...and never a major chain. I would bet my last dollar a VAST majority of Bettas sold in major chain stores go to unsuitable homes with actual needs never taken into account based on what the customers see in the stores.

Yeah, it's a shame. You could say the same thing about several species being sold in the pet store, feeder goldfish are one off the top of my head.

They 'dyed' water is actually a good thing imo.

 

[Newb]

My water is at 78 degrees farenheit thoe and i will clean the water evry 4-5 days .....so far my pleco seems to be doing great its swimming araound but mostly suking on the fish bowl ....same goes for the beta

 

[Newb]

My water is at 78 degrees farenheit thoe and i will clean the water evry 4-5 days .....so far my pleco seems to be doing great its swimming araound but mostly suking on the fish bowl ....same goes for the beta

I should also mention that i have plans to switch to a ten gallon in the near future

 

[jetajockey]

I should also mention that i have plans to switch to a ten gallon in the near future

That would be good for the betta. If the pleco you have is a common pleco, it grows much too large even for a 10g. They can easily grow to 18" or longer, which means they really should be in a 75g+ tank as a minimum. All I ask is that you consider the long term when you think about your stocking plan and try to do what is best for the fish.

 

[Newb]

That would be good for the betta. If the pleco you have is a common pleco, it grows much too large even for a 10g. They can easily grow to 18" or longer, which means they really should be in a 75g+ tank as a minimum. All I ask is that you consider the long term when you think about your stocking plan and try to do what is best for the fish.

About how long do you belive it will take for the fish to get that big my pleco is a yellow king tiger pleco thats about 3-4 inches at the moment

 

[jetajockey]

if its the l-333 here's one link i found with a caresheet. It appears to grow much smaller than the common pleco, but I would still be concerned with putting it in an adequate sized home.

Hypancistrus sp "L333" - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki

Google around for yellow king tiger pleco and get as much information as you can so you can plan around giving him a nice environment to grow up in.