Problems on New Betta Tank Setup (urgent!)

[betta82]

Hi,

Currently, I'm using a (30x15x21)cm tank for my veil-tail betta for 3 weeks. It seems like my setup has gone wrong from the 2nd week onwards.

Please refer to the pictures attached. The 1st picture shows my tank setup. It started to get cloudy the next day after I have changed 100% of the water. The reason is that I thought the cloudy-ness is due to the leftover frozen shrimps I used to feed the betta. But the problem came again even I have changed the water the 3rd time. Then I left it alone for the next 3-4 days as I afraid the betta cannot take the stress of the new water. Then to my horror, mold-like objects started to grow on the log. Please refer to 2nd & 3rd pictures. I used sponge to scrub away the mold but it came back immediately the next day. This time, it has spread to the sand surrounding it.

Now, it seems like my betta is infected with white fungus on the grills and head.

Can fellow AQ members help me with these problems?

The following details are my setup;

Water Tank: (30x15x21)cm
Sand: Black Granite Crystal(not sure)
Plant: Java Fern
Fish: Veiltail Betta

Regards

[benny]

hmm...

You have absolutely no filtration in your tank. So with bad water circulation, fungus and algae will grow, especially with uneaten food.

If you intend to put java fern tied to driftwood, you have to have some sort of filtration. Otherwise, the ferns will rot in still water.

Cheers,

[iwishweallcouldwin]

hi,

is this your first time keeping bettas? your tank is very complex for a normal betta i must say! bascially, all bettas (with the exception of wild bettas of course) need is a bare tank of aged and treated water with ketapang leaves or their extract! your betta will be equally happy in a bare tank! i would not add gravel into the tank as this would greatly hinder water changes, which i do quite frequently as betta tanks do not require filters. as for plants, try switching to money plants instead. basically, a betta tank should be kept as simple as possible due to the fact that their finnage can be torn pretty easily due to sudden movements if there are too many obstacles inside the tank.

[betta82]

hi,

thanks for the advices. this is indeed my 1st time keeping bettas. i wanted to make my betta has a pleasant stay, so i bought a bigger tank and a fern. so sad that i made it wrong.

how do i disinfect the whole setup?

does placing the gravel and natural seashells in boiling water help?

does washing the tank with common salt water and scrubing it be able to clean off the leftover mold and fungus help ?

currently, im using ocean-free series E to treat my betta off the fungus and aquamedi anti chlorine and chlorimate. will this help in treating my poor betta?

regards

[iwishweallcouldwin]

well, if i were you, i would at least add some form of a filter system into the tank! because even if you manage to disinfect the entire tank, without a proper filtration system, mold and fungus may just appear again!

alternatively, you could juz transfer the betta into a bare tank with some ketapang leaves of extract! yup i do agree that your tank is big enough, even as a spawning tank for your betta!

[Johnc]

Your photos are not very clear, but it looks like the driftwood on which the java fern was tied was not pre-soaked. This is the cause of the fungus. It should clear in a week or so, but in the meantime, your water will keep fouling up.

It is possible to keep bettas without filtration, but I would advice that you remove the substrate and seashells (bettas prefer lower PH) and replace the java fern with java moss or a soft stemmed plant such as hornwort. Hornwort will help maintain your water quality so long as your tank is near the window. Ketapang leaves will also help lower the PH.

Feed your betta once (or at the most twice) a day with frozen blood worms or live tubifex. Don't overfeed. A small clump will do. It is a fallacy that the more you feed the healthier your fish will be. More often then not, the reverse is true. If you use flakes, make sure that your betta is trained to take it, and feed only a small pinch each time. I would not personally recommend flakes for betta though there are specially formulated betta pellets which you can try.

/John

[betta82]

hi all,

thanks for the advices. i will remove the granite crystals and seashells. but how do i disinfect the tank so that i can place my betta back to the tank?

does placing the gravel and natural seashells in boiling water help?

does washing the tank with common salt water and scrubing it be able to clean off the leftover mold and fungus help ?

currently, im using ocean-free series E to treat my betta off the fungus and aquamedi anti chlorine and chlorimate. will this help in treating my poor betta?

regards

[Johnc]

I won't worry about about disinfecting the tank. Scrub it then dry it for a couple of days and it will be fine. But if you really want to treat it use 10% bleach or Potassium Permanganate solution. Wash thoroughly. When you add your water, use anti-chlorine.

I won't use the granite chips for the betta as it will tend to get excited and tend to injure itself. Either use smooth gravel or use no gravel.

/John

[iwishweallcouldwin]

agree with johnc. bettas tend to get overly excited at times, and in the process injure or tear their own finnages. hence, if i were you, i would opt for no gravel in order to also facilitate water changes.

bettas are generally very very hardy fishes, capable of surviving under adverse conditions and scarcity of food. sometimes, the best form of care is not to care so much, and soon you may see bubble nests building up. just a bare tank with ketapang leaves will do. keep up your water change regime faithfully and remember to use anti-chlorine and aged water.

atison's betta pro and hikari betta gold are pretty good food for bettas, can try them out. tried hikari micro waffles and OSI shrimp pellets and they both turned out well too. can also try tubiflex worms, just remember to wash thoroughly.

[betta82]

hi,

thank you very much for all your advices.

i will have a bare tank after my betta has recovered from the fungus attack. after observation, it seems like my betta likes to sleep in between the leaves. so might just add a hornwort into it.

by the way, is it normal for bettas to prefer frozen shrimps only?

regards

[betta82]

to all AQ members who have given me good advices,

after implementing most of the suggestions given, my betta has recovered from the fungus infection. currently, i have swapped to a smaller tank, removed the granite crystals and plant. i have placed some java moss and 1/2 of ketapang leaves inside the tank.

my betta is happily building thick foam of bubble nest now.

a "Big Thank You" to all of you.

regards

[Thirteen]

I worry the java moss may trap dirt, excrets and etc after time. Moss requires water flow too. Leave it bare la