A few Qs

Lexi_D

Lexi_D

is *Magic*
Nov 25, 2007
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Question 1- Is it bad to top off evaporated water? I always thought it wasn't, but recently heard otherwise.

Question 2- One of my bettas is in a 2gal bowl. Would it be ok to put a female with him as well? Or would he be aggressive toward her?

Question 3- my friend is just starting out in the fishkeeping hobby (she may join this site soon). Problem- she's already made several mistakes but is willing to learn why they're mistakes and correct them. She has 2 dalmation mollies in a 2.5g tank. One is about to give birth, so we moved her to a seperate 2g tank until she does so (then we'll move her back). She knew nothing about cycling, heating, fitration, stocking, etc. so, we made this list of what she'll need. is there anything else we should include?

10g tank
Whisper10i filter
Heater
hood w/lights

and she wants live plants, too.
 
I dont' think that its bad to top off water, its just important to realize it doesn't take the place of water changes. The male betta would be aggressive to the female for sure. Definately tell your friend to get a good test kit (api master freshwater test kit) and some water conditioner (prime) and the biggest tank she can afford, especially if she doesn't have a plan for what to do with the fry. Also a gravel vac and a bucket dedicated to the tank.
 
Lexi_D said:
Question 1- Is it bad to top off evaporated water? I always thought it wasn't, but recently heard otherwise.

It is not a bad thing to do, especially if the sound of the water return from your filters bothers you. However, do not use it as a substitute for regular water changes and gravel vacs. Topping off doesn't remove the build up of undesirable TDS and toxins in the tank.

Question 2- One of my bettas is in a 2gal bowl. Would it be ok to put a female with him as well? Or would he be aggressive toward her?

Combining male/female bettas can lead to spawning and its related issues. For me, that is a small tank for a pair and you would probably still need another tank for part of the time.

Question 3- my friend is just starting out in the fishkeeping hobby (she may join this site soon). Problem- she's already made several mistakes but is willing to learn why they're mistakes and correct them. She has 2 dalmation mollies in a 2.5g tank. One is about to give birth, so we moved her to a seperate 2g tank until she does so (then we'll move her back). She knew nothing about cycling, heating, fitration, stocking, etc. so, we made this list of what she'll need. is there anything else we should include?

10g tank
Whisper10i filter
Heater
hood w/lights

and she wants live plants, too.
Click to expand...

Thermometer, liquid test kit, larger tank.
 
Jinx & Rb have it covered. For plants, have her stick to low light requirement plants like Anacharis, Java Moss & Fern, etc. to avoid problems.
 
Question 1- Is it bad to top off evaporated water? I always thought it wasn't, but recently heard otherwise.

Topping off is fine, use treated water (Prime, Novaqua...)

Question 2- One of my bettas is in a 2gal bowl. Would it be ok to put a female with him as well? Or would he be aggressive toward her?

Nope, Yep - would end in tears.

Question 3- my friend is just starting out in the fishkeeping hobby (she may join this site soon). Problem- she's already made several mistakes but is willing to learn why they're mistakes and correct them. She has 2 dalmation mollies in a 2.5g tank. One is about to give birth, so we moved her to a seperate 2g tank until she does so (then we'll move her back). She knew nothing about cycling, heating, fitration, stocking, etc. so, we made this list of what she'll need. is there anything else we should include?

10g tank
Whisper10i filter
Heater
hood w/lights

and she wants live plants, too.

larger tank - Mollies get too big for a 10g, if you're planning on housing fry too. If the hood she gets w/ the tank has a screw-in fixture, she ought to get a 20W Coralife PC bulb to grow plants w/. Have her read up on DIY CO2, Ferts.
 
If you do not want to mess with co2 injection just now, you can skip it if you stick to low light plants such as anacharis,anubias,java fern and java moss. I have to agree that mollies need a bigger tank then a 10gal. They grow fast and get too big for a ten gallon tank. If you are going to keep baby fry with the adult fish I would suggest heavily planting the tank so the babies have somewhere to hide until they are big enough to be swimming freely with the other fish in the tank. Mollies will eat the fry if given the chance.

Marinemom
 
Okay^^ Thanks! I was reading her this thread earlier and she's grateful for your help! She has a large, transparent bin in her basement that she'll probably use instead :)
 
One more question- when I first started out with my betta, I read on a website that you had use bottled water for your betta's bowl (at the time I don't think I had dechlorinator), and that you had to continue to use the same brand of bottled water once you'd started. Would it be ok now to change to conditioned tap water?
 
You shouldn't need to. Check your pH in the tank and from the tap (after 24 hours). As long as they are close, tap with a good dechlor (i.e. Prime) should be fine.
 
That bottled betta water looks like the scam of the year to me. Bettas are OK in most any water that has been properly dechlorinated and is at the right temperature. If you are making a big change in water parameters, give them a chance to adjust by drip acclimating them.
 
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