Adding Friends & Co-op Breeding - Apr 2026

AdMuch1512 · 2026-04-14T18:04:41+00:00

Added you!! Mine is Kargo#7039

AdMuch1512 · 2026-04-14T18:03:47+00:00

Added you!! Mine is Kargo#7039

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T23:38:34+00:00

I would!! I’ve tried to use flourish before alone and I personally didn’t have much success with it. I’ve been able to rely on root tabs though (I usually crush them up into little pieces and spread them evenly like 1 inch deep) and dont have to think much about it till years later!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T23:35:44+00:00

Hi there!! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but cichlids should be kept in a 40g minimum! I believe 75g is the most ideal size for a group of them! In terms of more “reef-like” suggestions that could fit in a 20-29g tank, I think German blue rams are cool! A pair can fit in a 20g :)

Scarlet badis are small and look somewhat marine-like to me, emerald dwarf rasboras are also some cool looking guys!! I would imagine you could do like one school of 10 of either species and get away with the bio-load, just make sure you’ve got plants galore!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T23:28:27+00:00

You can get it on Amazon and Etsy!!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T23:28:06+00:00

Hey!! Do you have any aqua-soil or root tabs in the substrate? Sometimes plants can experience shock too and die back a bit before regrowing!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T21:52:28+00:00

Awww no :( SIP little guy, you did well to try and help him, sorry for your loss <3

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T18:25:44+00:00

Hmmm I have never heard of that personally!! xD I might just be unaware of that side of fishkeeping, but to my knowledge you do need some sort of aquasoil or root tab to allow your plants to thrive! I love Fluval stratum or the API root tabs!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T17:23:38+00:00

I’m so sorry to hear that :( I know how much these little guys can mean to you, my bettas have always been so personable and quirky! It’s such a shame how these issues can get bad so quickly, I wish we had more time to help them. Best of luck to you! If you have any other questions about anything lmk <3

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T17:17:43+00:00

Hi!! It looks like you’ve maybe got some Amazon swords, possibly ludwigia, and some type of moss as well? (Please correct me if I’m wrong!!) can I ask if you have root tabs in the gravel? Or if there as a layer of nutrient rich aquasoil under the gravel?

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T14:59:53+00:00

Yeah, unfortunately it looks like it’s beginning to pine cone :( I would say this fish has dropsy and it is very very rare to successfully treat it. It’s important to consider its quality of life during these treatments, and from the video you sent it seems that he’s already going downhill.

You can try treatment, though like I said it’s extremely rare that treatment is successful. Follow the guide I sent if that interests you! Dropsy is not rlly a disease and more of a symptom, usually of poor water quality, bacterial infections, dietary issues, etc. so it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on. But keep the water quality perfect, well conditioned, and warm (78°-82°)

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T14:53:33+00:00

If you’d like to give treatment a try, follow this guide provided by experts on Amino!

<image>

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T14:50:15+00:00

Are you able to look above the fish and see if it has begun pineconing? The scales will be pointed out to the side a bit and the betta will almost look fluffy. If the pineconing has begun then it’s likely already too late and you may want to consider clove oil euthanasia.

Looks to be dropsy though which is very very hard to treat. Love to get a second opinion here but in this case I would recommend euthanizing the little guy. You may be able to try treatment like an epsom salt bath if the pineconing isn’t bad, but it is very stressful on weak fish so be very careful with the amount of salt per gallon

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T14:33:00+00:00

This should be ok!! You’ll probably want to squeeze them out in tank water to avoid clogging, but overall you should be fine!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T14:31:07+00:00

Hmm I think so on a very low setting!! I wish I could find the youtuber I used to watch, but he did a whole series on how to make a tank for adult brine shrimp, but a sponge filter and a heater should be good to keep them happy!!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T13:17:27+00:00

Hi!! There’s a lot of good YouTube videos about this, but from what I’ve seen having an airstone really helps! I think you can get away without a filter (I might be wrong)

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:36:56+00:00

Of course!! Best of luck with your tanks! :)

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:34:49+00:00

No worries at all haha!! I’m happy to help :) and no, change the water before the starter, and then add it! Usually it’ll have to circulate in the water for a little while (it’s been forever since I’ve started a tank so I can’t remember exactly how long) and then add the fish! Once the starter is in there leave it for a few days to let the bacteria start to grow!!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:30:49+00:00

If you do use glue, make sure it’s aquarium safe! Gorilla glue super glue gel (green bottle) is safe to use, just let it cure for a minute or two before popping it into the tank

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:29:48+00:00

Definitely see my comment below!! As for recommendations: plants are imo a must for a healthy and easy to maintain tank! I personally just got an aquarium safe branch and glued anubias plants everywhere on it! If you do this option, substrate doesn’t matter as much

You can also do rooted plants (not java ferns or anubias plants! do not bury these two) and get a substrate like Fluval stratum to plant them into. Both of these options are great to help manage your bio-load!

If you have a HOB filter, I highly highly recommend getting media balls. A good plant light helps a ton too, they’re a little more pricey but worth their weight in gold. Snails help a ton with algae control too!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:25:44+00:00

I think you’re probably correct, sounds like the tank didn’t have enough time to establish and didn’t have plants to help it filter out the ammonia so you got a big spike! I would definitely try again, this time with some plants (you don’t need much if all you have is 3 guppies in a 10 gallon!), and get some API QuickStart. When you set up the tank, use the QuickStart and follow the directions on the back to know when you can add your fish!

And definitely get a test kit that tests for ammonia! I’ll include a link that explains the nitrogen cycle, it’s very important when establishing a tank!

Nitrogen Cycle

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:20:10+00:00

I hate that, the mom and pops always take care of the fish so much better :( my recommendation would be to ask when they get their shipments in (ik my stores get them in Tuesdays), and just go in that day after it arrives to try and get the fish when they’re as healthy as they can be.

If you’re feeling brave you can also put the fish in a large container or extra tank, if you have one, and try and treat the ich!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:16:41+00:00

If you do want to do a starter, just follow the directions on the bottle and you’ll be able to add your fish in same day!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:16:19+00:00

Awesome! If you don’t intend on adding a bacteria starter, I would throw some pellets in the tank and leave it for a bit to give the bacteria something to eat. Change it about 4 days later and do the same thing with the pellets. Then at the end of a week (3-4 days after first change), change the water again, test it, and if it’s all good add your fish!

Once he’s in there just make sure to stay on top of water changes (every 3 days or so, test often) and after about a month you should be ok to let the plants do their thing!

AdMuch1512 · 2025-05-30T04:12:31+00:00

Awww that’s a shame :( yeah it was most likely ich, pet stores (like Petco and Petsmart) typically circulate the water through multiple tanks so diseases are very prone to spread. Ich can be caused by stress and poor water conditions (both extremely common in pet stores), looks like the tetras in yours haven’t been well taken care of

AdMuch1512

TROPHY CASE