Rehabilitating a nasty tank w 1 Betta-how to start?

hi Kalena. You'll need to start doing water changes slowly. Otherwise the sudden shock of clean water will shock the fish. The usual remedy for OTS (old tank syndrome), which is what you've got at this point, is 5% water changes every day for a couple weeks. Once the water is clear and all the junk has been vacuumed off the bottom, you can stay on a maintenance schedule of 25-50% water changes weekly.

hope that helps!

Rava said:

Ok, so step-by-step... Each day I remove 5% of the water and replace it with clean, de-chlorinated water? Should I remove 5% of the water with the gravel vaccume to kill two birds with one stone--is that the point? Also, what do I do about the build-up around the top of the tank if it doesn't remove with water?

Someone recommended removing the fish and cleaning the tank, then adding SeaChem and putting him back in. Would this be an effective method, as well?

Thanks so much!!

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I think that removing the fish and cleaning the tank, etc, and putting him immediately into a good environment a would shock and harm the fish.

Yes, using a gravel vac to remove some of that foul water will be the way to go.

That said, what I would probably do is remove the fish and the water - keep both. I would get rid of the gunk on the bottom by rinsing, but in lukewarm water. There are going to be bacteria colonies there that can be a benefit to you. You want to preserve those, so no super hot water, no bleach, no soap, etc. Just rinse the loose gunk away.

You can clean out the inside of the tank at this point too. Be careful - acrylic is very easy to scratch. They make cleaning pads just for this, and they are really cheap. I got one the other day for $0.99 and it was big enough to cut into six pieces. Also, the deposits could scratch the surface if you scrub on them, I would really just be really patient and dissolve them off. Vinegar may be a big help in dissolving it. Rinse thoroughly after using vinegar if you go that route.

Once everything is OK with the tank itself, I would strain the water through some filter floss to remove larger debris, then put it back in the tank. Then put the fish back in.

You will have lost the bacteria that were on the inside walls of the tank, but since you will have removed all that decaying food (both pre- and post-Betta), I think you would be fine with what's left on the gravel.

I'd do the water changes as suggested, until the water produces decent test results. It should be cycled right now, meaning the bacterial colonies are present inside the tank. But Nitrates are probably off the charts.

Once you get decent parameters, I would say to start modifying your changing... If you remove 6oz, replace 12oz - until you get the tank filled to the proper level.

I recently got a little HOB filter for a 2.5 gal tank from Petco.com It's made by Red Sea and called a Nano Filter. I think it was something like $23.00 shipped. I couldn't find one locally, but I don't have a Petco nearby either. I had to make a cutout in the tank lid, but it's plastic, so it was easy.

removing him and totally rehauling the tank would also shock him. The point is his body has gotten accustomed to dirty, thick water. Suddenly moving him into clean water will send him into osmotic shock. So my advice is to leave him in, and let him get used to the gradually cleaner water. Bettas are hardy, but not invincible

For cleaning the top, where all the residues have dried, just use a scrubbing pad. Not a kitchen sponge, because those often contain anti-mildew and antibacterial chemicals that can also hurt the fish. I have hard water deposits at the top of my tanks, but don't bother removing the fish just to clean them. They basically become clear once the tank is filled with water, anyway.

Sure, gravel vac a little bit, but it's hard to monitor how much water you're removing if you do it that way. I always get carried away and before I know it, I've taken out too much!

So I'd probably suggest just skimming a tiny bit off the top and replacing it with dechlorinated water. Since your water level is so low, maybe each time you add the clean water, just add a tiny bit more than you remove. That way you'll get the tank filled again without suddenly dissolving the wastes (again, risking shocking the fish) like if you just topped it off completely all at once.

edit: I just read CaptnDan's post. I like his idea of removing the fish and the water, but keeping the water. Make sure you rinse the gravel and filter in dechlorinated water, otherwise tap water will kill off your good bacteria and you'll have to cycle the tank anew.

a good filter you could get is the azoo palm filter. pretty expensive shipped, but worth every penny IME/O. the good captian here and plah summed up just about everything else you should know. also, getting a live plants like java moss will really help clean the water up IME. good luck, you'll need it...

Azoo Palm or Red Sea Nano filters are great for small tanks. I think it might be a good idea to add a little bag of carbon to it as well, at least for the first week or so. That way you will have some chemical assistance in removing some of the dissolved organics.

The only thing I would add here is maybe you can start with filling the tank to the top - this way there will be some introduction of new, clean water and thus not only will the betta be getting introduced to this safely, but the nitrates will lower in concentration due to being diluted.

Follow all of the other advice. It's good advice.

As far as plants go, if you use a mini pc bulb in that fixture you will be rocking some serious light. Take advantage of this and put in some fast growing plants like hornwort, anacharis, water sprite, hygrophila, etc. Naturally they will outgrow the tank but they will absorb copious amounts of pollutants. Plus fish just like plants.

Rava said:

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. I think I'll do as CaptnDan suggested, as in thinking about it I realized the gravel vac will be tedious to use--if not impossible to get it going in that small tank with hardly any water! But what is filter floss? I have the filter cartridge I used in my tank previously (it's been broken down for about 4 months now and stored), is that sufficient?

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I wouldn't reuse it, just in case. It could have developed bacterial issues while being stored.

Filter floss is just the white stuff that looks like pillow stuffing. I prefer to get it from the LFS, that way I know it isn't treated with anything potentially harmful - I can't be so sure about something from a sewing/crafts store. I got a nice sized bag for less than $2 at the LFS.

Depending on what lighting you have, there are several plants you could use in the 5g tank. Hornwort, Java Fern, and I believer Anacris (sp? and I could be wrong on this one.) should do fine, you will just need to clip the tall ones a bit when you do water changes tokeep them from overgrowing the tank. Oh yeah, Java Moss would work in low light too.

Just keep the changeover from nasty water to good water nice and gradual, and the fish should be fine. It sounds like he's much better off already.

cpt dan has mentioned the plants.
anachais generally does better in high light..but it will survive in low light(1wpg)
anubias, jave fern, java moss do not nees to be buried in substrate (jave fern, anubias need to have the rizome exposed) you can attach them to rocks, wood etc same is true with java moss.

anacharis can be floated in the tank or burried in substrate.

good suggestions in this thread.