Help With Finding a Fish For 1 Gallon Tank?

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josh7 said:
What??? I hope you understand a 3 gallon with heater and filter is fine for a betta and a single neon tetra with some rocks you sound like a petsmart employee. Neons need open space and 6 of their own kind not like a betta who has judt been saved a prison in a .5 gallon vase or tiny plastic cup.
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maybe a little harsh and offensive there...
Pellets and flakes debate is just like the Xbox One Vs. PS4 debate, They're just too closely alike to really get into a reasonable debate about either. I personally use a combo of both but that's not really needed for just one betta. In the end it will make little difference which you choose as both are far superior to many other brands flakes/pellets.
 
Bichir Bro said:
maybe a little harsh and offensive there...
Pellets and flakes debate is just like the Xbox One Vs. PS4 debate, They're just too closely alike to really get into a reasonable debate about either. I personally use a combo of both but that's not really needed for just one betta. In the end it will make little difference which you choose as both are far superior to many other brands flakes/pellets.
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What do you mean that was harsh? I was simply stating that what he said was offensive to the op and when he said just do a single neon tetra to offend the OP it makes me mad. Sorry if it offends someone but its wrong for him to attack the OP who's done nothing wrong. I'm not out to attack someone just defending a beginner who's done nothing wrong by placing a betta in a 3 gallon tank. It's not like he put 4 oscars in a 5 gallon.
 
Saying you sound like a petsmart employee is a little harsh. You made a good point just it could've been worded a little better.
 
josh7 said:
What do you mean that was harsh? I was simply stating that what he said was offensive to the op and when he said just do a single neon tetra to offend the OP it makes me mad. Sorry if it offends someone but its wrong for him to attack the OP who's done nothing wrong. I'm not out to attack someone just defending a beginner who's done nothing wrong by placing a betta in a 3 gallon tank. It's not like he put 4 oscars in a 5 gallon.
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No offense to anyone and I don't mean it badly but I giggled when I read that. It's amazing some of the dumb stuff pet shop employees will tell you..
 
Bichir Bro said:
Saying you sound like a petsmart employee is a little harsh. You made a good point just it could've been worded a little better.
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Alright that was where I stepped over the line. But he did to me by throwing out 1 neon tetra sorry its the first thing that popped in my head. I should have worded that better.
 
josh7 said:
Alright that was where I stepped over the line. But he did to me by throwing out 1 neon tetra sorry its the first thing that pooped in my head. I should have worded that better.
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Yeah it's fine!
Also if something is pooping in your head you may want to seek medical attention lol!
 
ScumbagSaV said:
Yes I have a filter in the tank as well. And I didn't buy the bottled betta water, I treated the tap water with Start Right which says conditions & treats tap water, removes the chlorine & adds a slime coat.
I haven't transfered the fish as of yet, still going to give it another hour or so before I put him in the new tank.
Any other suggestions? Or the best way to transfer him to the tank from the tub he was sold in?
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I am actually kind of terrified that nobody actually caught this but your tank is in no way shape or form cycled. The additive you used was for removing chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals rather than adding bacteria. You will need to keep an eye out for ammonia and nitrites in the tank which is poisonous to fish and do water changes accordingly.

Take a look at this link and read through it.
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

Since you only have a single betta in a 3g tank it's not going to be a large issue but I would suggest going out and buying an API master freshwater test kit so you can keep an eye on parameters such as nitrite and ammonia. Also, don't be worried when your water clouds up. It's just a bacterial bloom and almost all cycling tanks go through it.

As for the food debate, flakes and pellets are the same thing. Fish food and other additives that are dried out and shaped into food bits. If you really want to spoil your betta however go out and get him some frozen blood worms. It's $7 ish for a pack that will last you a long long long time and is good for your betta although a little fattening.
 
Thanks for defending me Josh7! I'm a beginner at this as I stated in the beginning of this thread & just like Josh7 said, I am doing my best to save this little guy & I think I'm doing a good job so far. A 3 gallon tank w/ a filter & heater seems to fit him perfectly for now. Much better than the .5 gallon plastic container the store sells him in anyways.
I purchased a betta because I knew it was a good beginner fish & didn't want to get in over my head.
He seems happy as well as I. And I'm thankful for all the help I have received from this forum because nobody criticizes novice aquarists.
 
Mebbid said:
I am actually kind of terrified that nobody actually caught this but your tank is in no way shape or form cycled. The additive you used was for removing chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals rather than adding bacteria. You will need to keep an eye out for ammonia and nitrites in the tank which is poisonous to fish and do water changes accordingly. Take a look at this link and read through it. I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice Since you only have a single betta in a 3g tank it's not going to be a large issue but I would suggest going out and buying an API master freshwater test kit so you can keep an eye on parameters such as nitrite and ammonia. Also, don't be worried when your water clouds up. It's just a bacterial bloom and almost all cycling tanks go through it. As for the food debate, flakes and pellets are the same thing. Fish food and other additives that are dried out and shaped into food bits. If you really want to spoil your betta however go out and get him some frozen blood worms. It's $7 ish for a pack that will last you a long long long time and is good for your betta although a little fattening.
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Ok API freshwaster test kit got it! Thank you for that so much I know that these threads get big sometimes it seems so I think people read over certain things like this. Thank you again!
 
He likes to be behind the filter or around his little plant so it's hard to get a picture as of yet but as soon as he creeps out again I will try snagging a quick pic!
 
Good call on the 3 gallon!

I kept a Betta in a 1 gallon corner tank for 5 years! He seemed very happy and very vibrant colors. I had an air stone and no heater and no lights. He was stationed on my headboard of my bed on the shelf. I even moved and threw the guy in the back of my car with half water to move from Alabama to Indiana. Made the trip and lived 4 years with me in Indiana. I missed the guy! I did change the water out every single week and I would clean the rocks with hot water and the plants. So I am guessing my tank never cycled.

I am not saying a 1 gallon was good for him, but he seemed very happy and grew up with very big gorgeous red fins. Looking back I think that I got lucky being I didn't really know anything about keeping fish and never cared to learn. I just kept cleaning the whole tank once a week, and I did feed my fish bloodworms and Betta Pellets as well as a flake food. So At least I gave him a good diet!

My last attempt at a Betta resulted in failure. I had a 2.5 gallon tank, with a small filter and heater and lighting. He decided to jump from my tank. :-(

With your 3 gallon, you Betta should be grow up to be nice and big! Feed him live bloodworms here and there. They go nuts for live bloodworms! I think pet smart has some live in containers. A good flake is good, but you should feed your Betta mixed variety of foods, not just flakes. You can even get frozen mysis shrimp and feed that to your guy as well! They come in a cube so you will need to cut it and refreeze the amount you don't need. One package of frozen mysis should last you for months being you won't need to feed him the whole cube! Thaw before feeding. :p I use little Dixi cups to thaw the frozen food! If the small amount you would feed to one Betta, I am sure you can use something smaller! Like the little cups you get for ketchup at McDonald's! I just dip my cup into the tank to get a little water and once the food is thawed, I throw it in.

http://nippyfish.net/bettas-101/feeding-bettas/
 
baron1282 said:
Good call on the 3 gallon! I kept a Betta in a 1 gallon corner tank for 5 years! He seemed very happy and very vibrant colors. I had an air stone and no heater and no lights. He was stationed on my headboard of my bed on the shelf. I even moved and threw the guy in the back of my car with half water to move from Alabama to Indiana. Made the trip and lived 4 years with me in Indiana. I missed the guy! I did change the water out every single week and I would clean the rocks with hot water and the plants. So I am guessing my tank never cycled. I am not saying a 1 gallon was good for him, but he seemed very happy and grew up with very big gorgeous red fins. Looking back I think that I got lucky being I didn't really know anything about keeping fish and never cared to learn. I just kept cleaning the whole tank once a week, and I did feed my fish bloodworms and Betta Pellets as well as a flake food. So At least I gave him a good diet! My last attempt at a Betta resulted in failure. I had a 2.5 gallon tank, with a small filter and heater and lighting. He decided to jump from my tank. :-( With your 3 gallon, you Betta should be grow up to be nice and big! Feed him live bloodworms here and there. They go nuts for live bloodworms! I think pet smart has some live in containers. A good flake is good, but you should feed your Betta mixed variety of foods, not just flakes. You can even get frozen mysis shrimp and feed that to your guy as well! They come in a cube so you will need to cut it and refreeze the amount you don't need. One package of frozen mysis should last you for months being you won't need to feed him the whole cube! Thaw before feeding. :p I use little Dixi cups to thaw the frozen food! If the small amount you would feed to one Betta, I am sure you can use something smaller! Like the little cups you get for ketchup at McDonald's! I just dip my cup into the tank to get a little water and once the food is thawed, I throw it in. http://nippyfish.net/bettas-101/feeding-bettas/
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Nice thanks for all your input! That's amazing your first betta lived for that long! Sorry to hear your 2nd fish made a leap of faith though :( Hope that never happens to mine haha

I just uploaded a pic of him by the way. It's a little blurry but I tried my best. I'll try to upload some more soon!
Thanks again everyone for all your help!

Bloodworms & a testing kit is next on my list!
 
Nice looking Betta! I will say this, move the bubblier to the corner of the tank! Betta's hate fast moving water. They like mostly standing water! You almost don't need the bubblier being they can breath air straight from the top of the tank. They can breath just like us almost, because in the rice patties where they come from, water gets really stagnated and almost no oxygen gets into the water, so they got to breath from the top.

They mostly prefer standing water with very little movement. :p I do like the tank set up! He should be happy for a long time!
 
baron1282 said:
Nice looking Betta! I will say this, move the bubblier to the corner of the tank! Betta's hate fast moving water. They like mostly standing water! You almost don't need the bubblier being they can breath air straight from the top of the tank. They can breath just like us almost, because in the rice patties where they come from, water gets really stagnated and almost no oxygen gets into the water, so they got to breath from the top. They mostly prefer standing water with very little movement. :p I do like the tank set up! He should be happy for a long time!
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Oh ok thanks for that advice & thanks for the compliment on my fish! I believe he is a Veil Tail betta from my research on Google. :)
As for my bubbler, i turned it down pretty much all the way with just a tad of stream going to the top to create a minimal bubble effect. Hopefully that is ok because I really think he enjoys the led lights haha :) He always swims around them as well as the filter area by the tubes.
Since I turned it down lower though he does seem to swim more freely around the entire tank instead of just staying on the sides so thank you for that helpful little tip!
I just watched "Finding Nemo" with my girlfriend & it made us a little more excited about our little fish! Hahaha :)
 
I wouldn't feed your Betta only once a week. Your tank is small enough you can do a water change easily and with Betta Water in case of a ammonia spike. Don't use tap, go to wal-mart or pet smart they sell Betta water very cheaply. I did use this water for my Betta (the one that jumped) and had no issues with cycling. Mostly because I would change about 10% each week. For a three gallon that would be .3 gallons, lol.

CaribSea Ready-Water - Fish Care - Fish - PetSmart

One of them lasted me for two month. I never used tap water for my Betta tank, and I never used tap for my saltwater. A cheaper method is just go to your supermarket and buy the filtered R/O water they sale in the machines. 3 gallons of that shouldn't cost you much, hardly over a dollar after you buy the jugs.

Trust me, using reverse osmosis water will save you so much trouble in the long run!

Your guy is still a growing Betta, you want to feed him well so he can grow nice and big with great color. Not feeding him at this point does nothing and does nothing to help your tank cycle. Just watch the water conditions and if the ammonia goes up, do a 90% water change. You won't harm your cycle process by doing a big water change once a week. The Bactria is in the rock and decorations, not in the water.

The other great thing about using Reverse Osmosis water, is you don't need to waste your money on the more expensive water conditioners. It does not need to be conditioned at all, it's ready to use and cheaper.
 
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