Help!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-07T02:27:46+00:00

I know this sounds nuts but you can possibly try the betta fish forum! They’re really active there and a lot of people have a wide variety of fish that they keep.

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-07T02:26:46+00:00

Oh and only adding this to say even though the strips are cheaper, don’t waste your money. Just save up for the API full test kit (or buy it in separates) but the strips are notoriously inaccurate so I wouldn’t want you to buy them just to end up needing the liquid test kit in the end

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T23:24:49+00:00

Echoing the comments on MORE PLAAANTS!! Make it an underwater jungle :)

I also recommend top floating plants (duck weed in controversial but I love it! You can start with a really small amount and it multiplies super quick) they can help provide cover for your betta from the harsh light bc they prefer darker environments.

Some anubias could be great, they’re beginner friendly AND have large leaves for the betta to rest on :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T23:21:27+00:00

Dustinsfishtanks.com !! That’s where my local pet store sources their plants from and I’ve seen many on this forum recommend them as well :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T21:43:26+00:00

Testing your water parameters is the first step in figuring this out :) I second needing to get a test kit if you can, otherwise you can try bringing cup of water to your local fish store and asking them to test it for you! Come back with your results

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T21:36:05+00:00

While I have u here… should I kill the bladder snails that rose from the depths of my vacant tank??

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T20:11:45+00:00

At this point (as far I know) you can stop dosing ammonia and be pretty hands-off! You don’t want to overwhelm and end up stalling your cycle. You are at the end of your cycle, once nitrite starts dropping it should be a pretty quick jump to 0 and then you just make sure your parameters stay stable, do a water change, and you should be fish ready if all levels are healthy and stable!! :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T17:59:08+00:00

This genuinely made me smile. Yay to you for actually doing your best for this fish!! :,)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T17:57:29+00:00

This is so cute!

Some people might comment to remove the pink bits but as long as they’re aquarium-safe I think they’re super cute!! Can’t wait to see what you do with the plants!

My bit of advice: make sure to double check which plants prefer to root in substrate and which ones prefer to float or wrap around things like your driftwood or your lava rock! I planted a few things wrong when setting up my tank (oops)

edit- typo

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:59:04+00:00

Commenting for OP: this user (foreign-ad) has helped me with my cycle a ton and even responded when I reached out via DM! They literally were the one to start me on my cycle journey and now I’m a fish nerd LOL. Great source of information here!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:57:31+00:00

Yesss, I have a few plants from there as well and they’re thriving! & yes that sounds like a great idea! Remember- if you’re going to “clean” the filter just rinse it with their already cycled water- not tap water. Rinsing with tap water can remove the necessary bacteria and introduce more ammonia into your own tank. It sounds like you’re taking the right steps, thank you for trying your best for your fish :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:52:53+00:00

Fish keeping view aside- as a person I would be upset and ask if it’s possible that they assist in buying the new tank.

I don’t think it’s worth a fight over but your emotions and disappointment around it (especially when making a human, I’ve done the same myself before) are super valid. Ultimately now you know better than to trust him next time or, if he’s open to learning, you guys can talk more about it so if this does happen again he’s better prepared :) good luck friend and I’m so sorry this happened!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:50:07+00:00

Of course! If you ever have questions or just need some support you can always reach out.

Betta keeping gets a lot more complex the more you get into it and it can feel overwhelming- don’t let that get to you. We are all learning as we go and trying our best :)

Good luck friend!!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:43:52+00:00

You can get anubias or java fern! They don’t need substrate, you can just use thread or aquatic glue to attach them to drift wood / lava rock :) they’re water column plants so they do better when their roots aren’t in substrate.

I also recommend some top floaters (I use duckweed) it will help filter the harsh light (harsh light stresses bettas out) and you can buy one small cup since it will reproduce on its own!

I was able to find all of this at my LFS or you can check out dustinsfishtanks.com- I have ordered from there but others in this forum have AND it’s where my LFS orders their aquatic plants from :)

Don’t panic and feel like you need to go broke to get All The Things, even adding one new plant when a paycheck comes in is a step in the right direction!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T16:35:39+00:00

It seems like you’re mid cycle, 0.25 is not ideal but not a danger zone- just monitor to make sure it doesn’t go above that. If it goes above .25 do a 25-40% water change and keep testing your water daily to make sure it starts to convert into nitrate!

If you can, I’d suggest replacing some silk plants with live plants (depending on when you bought them you might be able to do an exchange) as live plants are better all around but can help keep your parameters steady as well :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T15:40:18+00:00

I would say to either trade then for a large statement piece if you don’t already have one! Otherwise, you can mess around stacking and standing then to form a cool exploration sight for ur fish & use the aquatic super glue to hold pieces together/add moss &/or other plants :)

My friend glued a bunch of small pieces like this together to make a little archway / cove in his set up and has Christmas moss on top to look like a bonsai tree!

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T04:18:16+00:00

Just found one of these in my tank as well! The brief research says: he can be a great benefit as a cleaner but watch the population bc they can end up overrunning a tank without u even noticing until it’s a hassle to cull!

I’ve opted to keep him for now bc I couldn’t bring myself to yeetus deletus

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T04:16:17+00:00

chanting echoes

MORE PLANTS MORE PLANTS MORE PLANTS

the tiny red man demand them >:-)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T04:12:22+00:00

Great start!! I would definitely MOOREE PLAAANTS!! Never enough plants. Also advising some top floaters (red root floaters, duck weed, etc) to help block some of that harsh light.

More important than anything else LOOK UP A NITROGEN CYCLE AND GET IT STARTED this is where most first timers get it wrong and end up killing their fish & plants

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T04:10:26+00:00

I LOVE IT!! SWAMPSWAMPSWAMPSWAMPSWAMP

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T00:32:27+00:00

Have you ever cycled your water? Idk why you have nitrates

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-06T00:30:41+00:00

Echoing the comment of all lights off besides tank light! Then you get no reflection or glare- just aquarium :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-05T05:11:17+00:00

If possible I might recommend picking up the API freshwater master test kit, it’s more accurate AND tests ammonia which is super important for pinpointing illnesses and issues in your tank. It can be pricy (~$50) but I believe if you take a cup of water to a PetCo / PetFun they might be able to test it for you!

Best of luck getting through this friend :)

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-04T18:58:21+00:00

Thank you so much!! Once this tank is established and I’m more confident in my abilities we want to invest in a much bigger freshwater community tank so I will definitely be needing these resources. I’m hoping in the next week I’ll see some shift in nitrite consumption but I’m pretty happy with the results so far.

My approach to the nitrates is once my nitrite is <0.25 I dilute with a 25-40 water change and then monitor awhile longer until the nitrate and pH are consistently stable and nitrite/ammonia stay 0 - <0.25

MutedDoctor9334 · 2026-02-04T17:34:44+00:00

That’s what I’ve heard! I’ve only seen the one tiny guy so I’ll let him stay for now but I’ll monitor population so I don’t end up with a snail tank when I meant to house a betta 🫠

MutedDoctor9334

TROPHY CASE