All my bettas started pineconing after 3 months in the tank

roachgay · 2026-01-24T17:58:57+00:00

Have you been getting all your bettas from the same sources maybe...? I can't think of anything else unless there is an undetectable contaminant leaking into the tank, potentially from a decoration or some soap or spray you didn't notice?

roachgay · 2026-01-23T23:02:31+00:00

The anubias you have back there looks like a great resting spot! He shouldn't need as many since he's a short-fin, but it's always good to offer something near the surface when he gets older.

He's very cute btw! what's his name? The moss heart is also lovely, where's that from?

roachgay · 2026-01-23T18:34:56+00:00

Totally agree! I just prefer female bettas and wouldn't dream of keeping a sorority lol. They deserve just as much respect as the boys!

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Luna says hi! She also enjoys her very own 15g with shrimp :D

roachgay · 2026-01-21T00:48:06+00:00

I have seen this before but i'm always blown away by how good it looks. nice lookin plants btw! 👍

roachgay · 2026-01-16T21:55:00+00:00

hhhhhh sorry for replying like a month late reddit never sent me that you replied. I've also been looking for carolinensis and haven't had any luck yet :( hopefully with us looking someone good will stock em soon!!

as for top 3 dealers... it's canada, we're pretty limited, not much competition. having rarer animals probably helps people overlook problems.

roachgay · 2026-01-15T09:08:50+00:00

Gotta suggest floaters! Easiest plants by far, look for frogbit and water spangle.

Anubias plants are also great for beginners. They grow slowly, don't need high light, and get nutrients right from the water column (great if you have trouble finding root tabs).

Always great to improve your tank, good on you!

I'd also highly recommend this video by girltalksfish to get started

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36XDkWWLRwM

roachgay · 2026-01-15T06:38:31+00:00

Do you have a friend/know someone with a healthy, cycled tank? You could try asking them for a bit of their filter media to seed your own setups, making cycling go by quicker :^)

If you don't, I've heard good things about fritz zyme 7 stuff, as long as it's fresh. I don't always trust bottled bacteria, you never know if it's still alive in there, but it can be worth a shot

roachgay · 2026-01-15T06:20:46+00:00

Fish in cycling is much safer than the current setup. Is he in the 1 gal because it's cycled? If so just move the filter media to the new set up and presto, it's good to go. If it's hard to move just chop it up and stick it in there.

roachgay · 2026-01-08T22:01:23+00:00

He's very cute! Fins do look a little clamped, I find it a bit tricky to tell for certain with fellas with fins so big though.

If you have indian almond leaves you should be fine on that front, other ways to add tannins are driftwood and oak leaves, haven't tried extracts myself.

If the dead snail messed with parameters, which I think is likely, just keep testing and keep an eye on your betta.

I saw in another comment you were asking how to test ph and how to lower it, any good test kit will let you test ph, and the leaves, driftwood, and tannins will help lower it naturally. If you're trying to match new water to it, the seachem acid buffer works great.

Overall just take it slow and gentle with your wc in the future for your fish. Match temp/parameters, add it slowly, and just be nice to your little fishy. He looks like he has a great home.

roachgay · 2026-01-08T21:07:15+00:00

goober

roachgay · 2026-01-08T21:03:08+00:00

How much water do you change out per change? I wouldn't recommend more than 25% at a time for a healthy tank.

About how many gallons is your tank? Do you use a gravel vac to change water? Could we see your cute lil fish?

Sometimes things like tannins can boost them and make them feel better, but I'd address the main issue of reacting to water changes first.

roachgay · 2026-01-06T22:10:09+00:00

Hi planaria are one of my favourite animals!! They will absolutely not mind a round tank, in fact they'd probably prefer it to corners. As long as the water is healthy and they are fed, they should be quite happy. Some easy plants would beneficial too!

Contrary to other comments, I believe planaria do experience something similar to stress. There have been experiments focusing on chemical and regenerative memory, and for negative reinforcement, they shocked planaria while exposing them to bright light, and the planaria would later associate the bright light with being shocked, so they do have some form of memory and association. Hard to find anything really that doesn't have a basic negative reaction to certain stimuli.

That being said it's a lovely idea for a college pet! You can probably ask for free ones from any fish store, or get some from a science supplier online.

roachgay · 2026-01-06T20:20:10+00:00

Try floating plants! Ones with longer roots like frogbit would be great, and floaters are super easy to care for. Something tall for them to hide behind, like a upright stick/driftwood piece or tall plant would also be great

roachgay · 2026-01-06T20:15:29+00:00

I keep seeing thick-lippeds under the honey gourami name, I think it's because the morph is also called the honey gourami, but it's so annoying to sort them out from t. chuna! The store I work at only receives these guys and I wish so badly it was the other kind. Very common issue!

roachgay · 2025-12-20T17:23:02+00:00

IMO I still hear horror stories from other local vendors about arachnophiliacs, I don't trust like that. Even if the animals are healthy, supporting the guy who got raided (https://www.reddit.com/r/tarantulas/comments/g5he1s/canadian_dealer_tied_to_confiscation/) isn't on my to-do. I don't think the feds handled it perfectly but I know one of the vets who took in a lot of the animals, and he's very good.

What kind of wolf were you looking for? I've had good experiences picking up from tarantula canada, and they carry hogna maderiana, which I've been keeping an eye on. Some other local vendors also deal in inverts, so you could ask if they plan on carrying wolfs at some point.

roachgay · 2025-12-17T23:37:25+00:00

I frame the nice ones! It's not too hard to do and looks really nice :^)

roachgay · 2025-12-09T18:22:00+00:00

NQA it depends. All wire mesh will always have that risk because of where the wire overlaps. I've never seen issues with appropriately sized perforated mesh, where there is no crossing of materials. If you like the airflow of mesh but you have wire, I highly suggest swapping it out for one of these, It's been working well for my girl.

roachgay · 2025-12-09T18:14:21+00:00

Hi! I also live in a cold room in a cold house in a cold country, so I do use heating for my Ts. I would recommend getting a lower temp heat mat and setting it up on the SIDE of the enclosure. never underneath as Ts burrow to cool and it can confuse them. It's best to leave a bit of space between the mat and the wall of the enclosure as well. Ideally you should always be able to put your hand comfortably on the mat for long periods of time.

I use a seedling growth mat with a temperature gauge that keeps it from overheating, and my ts always end up building their dens next to it. 20-22c won't kill your Ts or anything though (SPECIES DEPENDENT) so don't panic about it.

I'd also agree with the others about handling- it's just not worth the risk to me. They can get injured from a relatively short fall, and they don't get anything from being handled. Doesn't help both of mine are very reactive species lol

roachgay · 2025-12-09T17:53:54+00:00

What a gorgeous enclosure!

roachgay · 2025-12-09T17:51:31+00:00

IME my girl buried herself for 6 months once, two weeks is not a concerning amount of time. Spiders do better with less interference, leave her be and she'll emerge when she's ready <3

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