Does this look normal for a Betta?

[jsoong]

Sorry to hear about the betta..

I know it really feels bad to see all the fish dying on you. However, don't get discouraged ... once you get things figured out, fish keeping becomes enjoyable ... and we are here to help ....

Doctoring water is an advanced part of the hobby, and does require a bit of trial & error. You also need a good understanding of basic chemistry, & a bit of physics & physiology to boot. Also, it is easier to do in bigger tanks.

For someone starting out, it may be easier & more enjoyable to work with the water you have and choose fish that can adapt to the parameters. The danios you have were doing fine in the hard water. There are other fish that can live in the same conditions, and I am sure someone here can recommend others.

What I am trying to say is, don't give up. Once you have success with a few more fishies, I am sure you'll find this hobby rewarding.

 

[tsaraber]

Good advice, which I intend to listen to. =)

I asked my LFS what they did for water and they use tap and Seachem Neutral Regulator. They have perfect 7.0 water. If it's good enough for them it's good enough for me. So I'm going back to trying to use my tap. Fishies in the big tank didn't get a whole lot of my doctored water so it won't surprise them too much to go back.

Just for kicks I'm having my hubby bring home water from where he works (two states away). Maybe, just maybe, it's good water. I doubt it but it's worth a shot.

And you're right about the fish too, keep what can live in your water. We were mainly trying to make the water livable for tetras and from what I've read about them they're very hard fish to keep to begin with so I think we'll hold off on those.

Thanks again.