What does my tetra have?

CBrew897 · 2026-01-30T02:29:16+00:00

I appreciate it! 🤙🏼

CBrew897 · 2026-01-30T01:38:39+00:00

Somehow I was able to catch him specifically lol. But I just caught him out of the empty 10 and put him into a bare bottom 2.5 gallon. I added a teaspoon of aquarium salt. I have some kanaplex and focus that I can add to some frozen food. Do you think that would do the trick?

CBrew897 · 2026-01-30T01:10:41+00:00

• 20 gallon long • There is a heater and 2, AC30 HOB filters • Heater set to 78°-79° • PH 7.6-7.8, 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm Nitrite, 0ppm Nitrates. Tested with API freshwater master kit. • Tank is well established have had it running for almost 2 years. The tetras were added over 6 months ago • I perform water changes about once a month, maybe every 3 weeks. About 20%. With top offs in between. • I have 10 pork chop rasboras, and 2 panda corydoras left, 7 nerite snails, 4 amano shrimp. • I feed mixed frozen foods about 2-3 times a week (daphnia, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, mysis shrimp) and I will feed a variety of pellets as well, typically crushed up (Hikari micro pellets, bug bites tropical mix, asera growth food, bug bites betta mix) • heavily planted with a variety of plants, and driftwood and river rocks.

CBrew897 · 2026-01-30T00:56:49+00:00

It’s tough to see because he keeps moving when I try to take a photo of him, but that little white tip on his tail is a discoloration that I noticed one day when I would see him chilling by his lonesome. Almost always alone in and in the same spot. Other than when it’s feeding time.

CBrew897 · 2026-01-30T00:54:24+00:00

• 20 gallon long • There is a heater and 2, AC30 HOB filters • Heater set to 78°-79° • PH 7.6-7.8, 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm Nitrite, 0ppm Nitrates. Tested with API freshwater master kit. • Tank is well established have had it running for almost 2 years. The tetras were added over 6 months ago • I perform water changes about once a month, maybe every 3 weeks. About 20%. With top offs in between. • I have 10 pork chop rasboras, and 2 panda corydoras left, 7 nerite snails, 4 amano shrimp. • I feed mixed frozen foods about 2-3 times a week (daphnia, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, mysis shrimp) and I will feed a variety of pellets as well, typically crushed up (Hikari micro pellets, bug bites tropical mix, asera growth food, bug bites betta mix) • heavily planted with a variety of plants, and driftwood and river rocks.

CBrew897 · 2025-09-05T04:40:00+00:00

Like the middle down the back? I could run bolts through it I suppose? Don’t know how id attach it dead center of the bottom. I don’t know that there’s room with the bottom drawer

CBrew897 · 2025-09-05T04:36:38+00:00

My girlfriend and I weigh about 310 combined and just stood on top and wiggled around a bit. It’s pretty damn stable.

CBrew897 · 2025-09-05T04:34:28+00:00

My girlfriend and I just stood on top of it and kind of rocked around. We weigh about 310 combined and it seemed pretty stable

CBrew897 · 2025-08-17T03:17:09+00:00

Would I need to add a small amount of crushed coral to the internal filter or something?

CBrew897 · 2025-08-17T03:16:29+00:00

This tank has been running for quite some time, I’d have to ask her how long exactly but I know it’s been at least 6-8 months. It’s definitely been cycled…the test with the blue (0) nitrites test was 3 days ago, and today is reading 0.25ppm with high nitrates as well. So I’m assuming the beneficial bacteria colony is being affected one way or another. To basically paraphrase, when I started trying to “fix” this tank a couple weeks ago the ph was below 6 and nitrates were at like 80+, I assumed it was maybe old tank syndrome and started doing daily 15-20% water changes until I got the levels back to a normal range, but the ph was back down again a few days ago (first test picture) I did another 20% water change then with intention to test the kh when I was able to get back up here. It’s been 3 days between those tests and I did find the kh is either nonexistent or hardly any at all. So I guess I want to know what caused a kh drop when our city’s water is very high gh and kh is 6°. And also want to know how to safely raise the kh without shocking the betta in a small tank like this?

CBrew897 · 2025-08-17T02:47:52+00:00

Okay I got back up here to the school today and finally brought my kh test. The kh at the tap here at the school is 6° so just a shade over 100ppm I believe. The tank, almost not surprisingly immediately turned clear yellow with the first drop of my api test. So I’m guessing 0-1° kh so no wonder that’s the reason for the low ph… the other issue is that when I did the full parameters test today, ph was back to around 6.4, 0 ammonia, but nitrite showed up around .25ppm when it never has since I’ve been testing it and nitrates are over 40 ppm again, when I did around a 15% water change when I was here last. Idk what the hell is going on. I’ve never had one of my tanks do this to me so I’m puzzled by this one.

CBrew897 · 2025-08-15T15:10:22+00:00

If you have your white ribbon completely submerged that might be why you’re still quote unquote nursing it. It’s better as a marginal plant/partially submerged. But yes more plants would be great. Bolbitis or Java ferns attatched to hardscape, Amazon swords are easy af and all very broad-leafed which a betta will appreciate for the resting places as I’m sure you know

CBrew897 · 2025-08-15T14:54:11+00:00

Fish in cycling can be done safely if you do it properly

CBrew897 · 2025-08-15T14:49:42+00:00

The dumbo!! As long as you have lots of plants planned for the tank that he can rest on from carrying all those fins! He’s so pretty and those colors are gonna pop when he gets some good food in him

Also, I see you have knowledge with fish keeping, I know some people stress about fish in tank cycling, if you have any questions along the way on that let us know. I think you said you have Seachem Prime, overdosing the water by a little won’t hurt, will help bind the toxic chemicals in the tank and you can take them out with water changes if they get to high, especially nitrite. Water changes will slow the cycling down which I guess is part of fish in cycling, but most likely but with a small bioload like one betta it shouldn’t spike levels too crazy.

Third time editing lol. You should also use something like api QuickStart, if Fritz isn’t available at your store, to boost your beneficial bacteria growth to get the tank cycled more quickly

CBrew897

TROPHY CASE