I need HELP!!! Pleaasseee!!!

invisible1130

AC Members
Feb 18, 2006
76
0
0
Hi,
I'm VERY new at this...I have had a beta fish for a few months and have enjoyed him so much I decided to go out and get a 10 gallon tank (not to put the beta in but new fish). So I get the tank today and also get 2 neon tetras, a caly catfish, and a black snail. So i get everything home and realize I need to "cycle" the tank before I put them in. I also realized I should have read about having a fish tank before getting one. Now, its too late for that so now I have these fish that I cannot put in the aquarium so I have them in a small bowl. What is safer...putting them in the tank or leaving them in a bowl. These fish are precious pets to me and not just replaceable items so any help is going to be GREATLY appreciated!! What do I do???? :huh:
 
What size of tank is the beta in? Im a complete newbie to all this, but Im guessing if the water quality is suited for them and the tank large enough, they could last with the betta a wee while. Look up some stuff on doing a fishy cycle as well, you might be able to get away with that as well.

Of course, I might be wrong.
 
the beta is in a one gallon bowl with no filtration. I've just been reading on cycling with fish and many of the articles I've read have said that the Neon tetras don't do well during cycling. I've had the tank up and running for about 6 hours now. Not sure whether to add the fish. I"ve also read that I could make frequent water changes to keep the amonia levels down.
 
Hi! Go ahead and put the fish in the tank. Do a 50% water change everyday. Go buy test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and read the sticky at the top of this forum on cycling. If your lfs will not take the fish back you will have to do a "fishy" cycle.
 
Yea definitely put them in the ten gallon! Do large water changes every day for a few weeks. Eventually get six neons. They like a school. What kind of filter do you have?
 
You can also buy some stuff to "kick-start" the cycle. Forgot the name though.
 
The filter is an Aqua-tech power filter.

thanks so much for the help!! I put them in the tank last night. So far so good. I'm going to go to PetsMart today and get a book and test kit. Is there anything else you can recommend that I get while I am there??

Thanks!!!!!!! :)
 
Roan Art said:
Get the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit. Test tubes are much better than strips.

And the bottle of Cycle or Biozyme to "Kick-start" cycle.
 
tanker said:
And the bottle of Cycle or Biozyme to "Kick-start" cycle.
No. Neither of those products work. They are just snake oil and a waste of money.

The only product available currently that will cycle your tank is Bio Spira. Neither Cycle or Biozyme contain all of the bacteria found in FW biofilters. Any of the correct bacteria that might be in either product is most likely dead as they do not require refridgeration. With no refridgeration, the bacteria will just go through their life cycle with no food and die off. With refridgeration, the bacteria go "dormant" until they are warmed up.

Roan
 
AquariaCentral.com