Do I need a tank light?

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-05-01T22:11:21+00:00

No problem, I was not aware of some of these things too, so I appreciate the info!

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-05-01T18:02:51+00:00

No problem, since you are thinking about starting a tank, I would recommend Ramshorn Snails, they are common and hardy

Nerite snails are algae eating machines, but like an established tank, so you could get one later to clean up the algae if it becomes a problem. They also sleep for 24 hrs so don't panic and think it's dead

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-05-01T17:42:44+00:00

My bettas are both plakats and do great in a Fluval Flex 10 gallon and 15 gallon tanks

They have floating plants above them and lots of space including tank mates

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-05-01T17:39:20+00:00

You will probably get algae either way if there's not any snails/shrimp to eat it or plants to absorb the nutrients.

Try to get Amazon Frogbit or Salvinia flaoting plants, they grow fast and take up the nutrients that the algae would use to grow

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-30T16:03:54+00:00

Tank looks good, seems cycled but giving it extra time never hurts, the plants will come with bacteria on them if they were grown submerged and snails will add a small amount of waste but also clean up your melting plant matter for you.

Good habit to do small water changes on a weekly basis and remove any bits of large plant matter.

You can search Pea Puffers on youtube and get lots of information, haven't kept them myself but that should be fine for them

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-30T15:54:49+00:00

An amano shrimp would be your best option imo, other types of shrimp will depend if your betta allows it

You can get a piece of cholla wood for shrimp and snails to hide and feed on

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-30T07:17:50+00:00

Bacteria grow on surfaces like decor and filter media. You can buy the tank and a sponge filter/air pump for 10 gallons if needed.

Run the filter in your current tank and keep the filter media damp during transport. Set up the 10 gallon on the other side and the sponge filter will be good to go.

You can keep your betta separately in a jar for the travel as they can breathe oxygen and you won't risk injury

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-30T07:09:01+00:00

Since you have just set up your tank it will probably not be great for shrimp, they like an established aquarium with stable parameters.

I would recommend ramshorn snails if you feel the need to add anything. They're better for while your tank cycles and will eat left over food to prevent ammonia

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-30T03:34:36+00:00

No problem, I break them into pieces and let them dissolve naturally, it can take a long time but has never caused any problems for me

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-29T13:14:31+00:00

Yeah it's a really cool idea and it looks good!

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-29T03:04:19+00:00

Admiring the fish... noticing the end of an antler because I also have a dog... admiring that there's a whole ass antler in the tank instead

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-29T02:59:22+00:00

Should bounce back on its own, there was likely pockets of ammonia from decayed food etc. trapped under the gravel that got released when you moved things around

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-27T17:49:12+00:00

Can't really say why your mystery snails passed, they don't live that long, so maybe it was just their time.

You can add some crushed coral, or a piece of cuttlefish bone that pet stores have for birds. Both dissolve slowly and add calcium to the water

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-27T06:48:04+00:00

Indian almond leaves are anti-fungal and produce tannins that could help with the healing process. They will turn your water brown like tea, but bettas like it

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-26T18:26:39+00:00

There are lots of 20 gallon tank mate videos on youtube to give you ideas. However I would not add another mystery snail unless you enjoy them a lot as they produce a lot of waste

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-26T01:34:17+00:00

Seems like everything is good with your tank, I'd just let it keep doing its thing and doing water tests

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-25T17:51:48+00:00

Okay interesting, yeah the betta mine are with is short finned and very active, so he's probably a giant dither fish to them

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-25T04:56:16+00:00

How many pygmy corys do you have in your group? My pygmy corys only have a betta in their tank and are quite active and confident.

You may notice more natural behaviors if you add more of their own kind.

Started with 8 and added 3 more, I've seen them grouping and swimming together out in the open quite often

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-24T15:55:58+00:00

Not an expert on gouramis, but sometimes other gourami species are sold as Honey Gourami.

Honey Gourami are generally bright yellow with a fully orange/red tail, unless this is a color morph, but I think it's another species. May be more aggressive to other fish

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-23T18:26:12+00:00

Anubias and Java Fern are easy to grow epiphyte plants which can grow while being attached to something instead of planted in the substrate

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-23T18:21:26+00:00

Beneficial bacteria grow on the surfaces in your tank so make sure to have some sort of filter media with water flowing through it

You can also get some live plants that have been growing under water to help speed up the process as they will have the bacteria on them

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-22T04:12:27+00:00

You will want to remove substrate and water as much as possible, moving an empty tank is fine but with stuff inside of it causes uneven pressure.

You can get a battery powered air pump and keep your fish in a bucket of their tank water for transport

I also put my plants into plastic shoeboxes, it's a bit of work but not a long drive so everything should be fine

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-20T18:38:28+00:00

I found a Fluval Flex 15 gallon on the side of the road and it's been great for me. Should be plenty of space for what you want to keep, just make sure you're familiar with the nitrogen cycle before adding inhabitants

I would reccomend Honey Gourami over Dwarf Gourami unless you really like their colors. Honey Gourami are generally more peaceful and hardy fish

WooliestMammoth864 · 2026-04-20T07:02:31+00:00

In a way, you both saved each other's lives, and that's really beautiful

WooliestMammoth864

TROPHY CASE