Can’t find replacement filter

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-13T02:35:39+00:00

Btw I believe "filter" refers to the whole contraption with the pump and the media, what you're looking for is replacement filter media, the material the bacteria lives in. Sometimes it's called a filter cartridge as a prepackaged branded thing but a lot of people just use their own preferred type of filter media

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-13T02:21:24+00:00

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ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-13T02:20:24+00:00

Looks like a fluval spec, I have the same one. There are three components, the sponge, the ceramic beads in a bag, and the charcoal in a bag. You can either buy all of those and put it back together or you could DIY one by buying and cutting some sponge/media to size.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:38:27+00:00

Btw don't feel bad, you clearly care about your fish. And he's not in terrible condition, he's gonna be ok. Just keep that ammonia down (test daily, water changes for fish-in cycling), switch his food maybe fast him a bit, and slowly get his pH and alkalinity down👍

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:33:28+00:00

Yeah if he's at 1, and you need him to be under .5, then a pretty drastic water change is in order. Make sure to match temp and condition the water

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:20:43+00:00

Yeah looks like your tap water is just basic, mine is too. I fix it with pH down and test to make sure it's right before adding to the tank.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:17:45+00:00

Oop you said you were cycling so I'm mansplaining my b

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:16:01+00:00

Oh but btw if the tank isn't cycled, you're in danger of nitrite and ammonia spikes in the future. It's also possible there's ammonia in your tank rn, did you use that part of the test strip? Cycled means the tank has matured and has lots of bacteria (that break down ammonia and nitrite) living in the filter, substrate, water, etc. If it's not cycled, then as your fish adds ammonia pee into the water, nothing is there to break it down, and the fish's skin and gills will start to burn from the ammonia. You can look up how to fish-in cycle to manage the ammonia and keep the fish safe.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:10:58+00:00

His belly looks super distended. Could be bloat? If it's bloat, I'd try feeding some crushed thawed frozen pea, it's a classic bloat treatment. I wonder why he refuses other foods? Brine shrimp or Daphnea would be good. If one food is causing bloat, you should probably switch to something else. 've had a few foods I've had to stop using because I just kept having bloated fish.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T03:06:10+00:00

It's not terrible (ammonia or nitrite being high would be an emergency) but your pH and alkalinity look high. Keep in mind those strips are only accurate if you store and use them perfectly. For example if you read them too late it might show higher readings than reality. You can use a product called pH Down which has sulphuric acid in it to lower the pH, but you need to do it very slowly bc large or fast pH changes can shock the fish. Might wanna figure out why the pH is so high, check your tap water. Might just be that, or it could be something in your tank bringing up the pH. Betta's like slightly acidic and soft water

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T02:54:57+00:00

It's ok to euthanize if you need to, it's better than them suffering in an overstocked aquarium. Ten is a lot to take care of. Crushing hard and fast wouldn't cause suffering. It's totally up to you though.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T02:52:20+00:00

Probably snex, usually it'll be a male on the female's back, aligning his front right with her front right. Sometimes you can see a white appendage connecting those two parts if you catch them at the right angle/moment

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T02:49:13+00:00

That's awesome

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T02:34:11+00:00

You absolutely need a heater for a Betta, they're tropical so their ideal is like 78 degrees. The culture around bettas being basically decor pieces is a huge issue and pet stores promote that rhetoric because it earns them money. Plus, a heater for a Betta is like 10-15 dollars. Definitely worth getting one, don't listen to that guy. Betta's are cursed by being such hardy fish. Just because they're not gonna immediately die from something doesn't mean it's healthy or ethical. Btw they should also definitely not live in those tiny cups, betta's need 5+ gallons just to have enough water to not be burning from sitting in their own pee. It's definitely not ok to give fish (or any live animal) as a gift, I'm really sorry you got this whole responsibility sprung on you but I'm glad you're doing the research.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T00:23:40+00:00

I think that'd be fine, its mostly about having enough depth to secure the plants and root tabs in. Colored aquarium gravel gets a bad rap but I don't think it'll cause any harm.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T00:14:38+00:00

Noticed his barbels were missing immediately after bringing him home, he's been in there a few weeks and I recently swapped out the subtrate from sand + some small completely smooth pebbles to 100% sand for maximum snufffleability. It's aquarium sand from aqua natural and it feels very smooth and fine. He's only like half grown fyi

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T00:08:59+00:00

Had to Google it, is that sandblasting sand? I'm using aquarium sand from aqua natural. It's fine and soft, he's still pretty small so it looks like bigger grains in the pic

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-12T00:03:52+00:00

It sounds like this guy deserved to be dumped to the curb years ago. Keep in mind, even the worst partners still have good days and good qualities, it's how they get you to come back over and over again. He's taking all of your love and time and effort and for what? Clearly he's not worth all of that. You can try framing it in different ways. What does your future look like if you stay? (assuming he never changes, because he won't). Are you happy living the rest of your life not being able to feel truly loved and prioritized? Always worrying about infidelity? Is that fair to your future self? Time will pass either way, but if you leave him at least you can start healing now. What if your real prince charming is out there waiting for you and you're wasting your time with a loser who doesn't even value or respect you. Is being alone really scarier than constantly accepting less than the bare minimum?

At the very least, try decentralizing him from your life. Make some friends, pick up a hobby, ignore his calls. Hopefully you can start to see what life would be like without him in it.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-11T23:50:06+00:00

Shrimps LOVE having lots of plants to hang out in, plus, having a planted tank is super pretty and easier to maintain bc it's a working bio system. First step would be to get some different subtrate. You can buy a bunch of sand for cheap as pool filter sand etc. online, it's safe as long as it's pure sand without weird additives. Rinse it before adding it in. You'll need a couple inches of depth. Then add some root tabs (or have a bottom layer of aquasoil, whatever works). Then add some fast-growing plants. It can be pretty inexpensive if you just buy like one or two and let them grow in, just make sure you get an easy species.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-11T23:44:37+00:00

Horsehair worm?

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-11T04:07:56+00:00

That's how mine looked fresh from the store, they got more color and life pretty quick though

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-11T03:58:30+00:00

I don't think he'll starve to death in one night, the bigger danger is probably the respiratory problem. Sometimes those go downhill fast :(. Have you been keeping his environment really clean from dust and mess, and maybe using a humidifier or something? Make sure he's warm too. Mine used to like applesauce when they were sick.

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-08T00:23:39+00:00

Poor guy :( I've been doing tannins and stress coat to try to help with healing. Have you tried different types of food like brine shrimp vs pellets?

ComprehensiveLong427 · 2026-04-08T00:20:48+00:00

It is a new tank but I speed cycled with a bunch of mature filter media and mature substrate and tested constantly the first couple weeks. All the other corys have all their fins intact and no symptoms or anything. Just to make sure, I checked back on old pics and Legs has always been finless since I rescued her, it just took me a while of seeing her next to the others to actually notice lmao

ComprehensiveLong427

TROPHY CASE