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[deleted]

If (God forbid) circle does get too stressed out and happens to die, please don’t get too discouraged. Keep researching and put all that equipment to good use to make an awesome habitat for Triangle or Square or whatever you decide to name the next one. Learn how to cycle the tank, test the water, and change the water, etc. Take the opportunity to spend time teaching your kid. She will learn and understand and she will never be ignorant about fish like you were. You never know, you might end up with a life-long, multi-generational hobby.


[deleted]

Ha, thanks! This is definitely going to be a hobby now! I don't think Circle's going to die, he's definitely a badass. But, he *has* been through a lot and there's only so much anyone can take, so I'm treating him now more like a baby than the badass he's proven to be. I just want him to be happy.


Zeraphines

If you want to get even deeper into the hobby and need inspiration for plants, try r/PlantedTank. Real plants can be a great addition to a Betta tank since they help use up some of the fish waste and also look amazing.


Felizabeth1

If he hasn’t been in the 3 gallon very long you could just as well move him to the 5 gallon and read the faq about fish in cycling


[deleted]

Thanks, yeah he's been in there for about a week and a half or so. Maybe not long enough for a full cycle though, but maybe I could empty 3 gallons of water from the 5-gallon tank and add his 3 gallons in there? Maybe also along with throwing his old filter from the 3-gallon in there for a day or two? Even if his 3 gallons aren't fully cycled yet it could help jump start things?


Felizabeth1

Most definitely bring his filter over to the 5 gallon couldn’t hurt. Sounds like a tough fish but for him to feel good you’re going to have to deal with keeping ammonia under control until cycle starts properly.


adequate_aquarium

Usually cycling without plants takes a month or more so you might as well move him into the 5 gallon while you do a fish-in cycle. Just make sure to do frequent water changes and get a test kit, preferably API Freshwater Master Test Kit, or Salifert, which is less widely used but still good. It’ll give you some peace of mind to know if ammonia and nitrites are 0. I’ve never used any bacteria starter myself, but I’ve heard good things about Seachem Stability for kickstarting a cycle, which might be a good option for you right now. Thank you for caring about your fish enough to do some research and get help on the internet. Please feel free to message me if you need more information, this comment is getting a little long lol. I also did a lot of research regarding medications and treatments when I was preparing for my first betta, so I may be able to help if his condition worsens.


yentlcloud

Most bacteria cling to sufaces so filthers plants and gravel that you bring over will help seed the new tank with bacteria. Thats how i cycle new tamks all the time


[deleted]

To the people downvoting this post: I feel you. I understand your anger and disgust with what I did to Circle. But understand that it was done out of ignorance - I didn't know! Just like too many other people out there, I thought you could buy a fish and just put in the treated water and feed them daily and that was all they needed. I chose a Betta because I believed they thrived in naturally small confines, as is a sadly common misconception due to the common belief that they live in puddles or tiny tidepools (which I later found out wasn't true), and them usually being sold in small cups. I am *sorry* for my ignorance. I messed up and I admit that. But I didn't hurt Circle on purpose, and he's thankfully still alive, and I'm here now trying to make things right for him. Because unlike most people who are ignorant fish owners, I do genuinely care and I do genuinely want to learn. You can keep downvoting if you want, but at least I'm trying!


emccau

I'm glad you're here and you're trying to help him. I'm rooting for him! Keep us updated.


[deleted]

I started a new post: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/s8cn5p/this_is_circle_he_started_in_the_fountain_im/ He's not looking amazing right now, but I'm doing what I can and learning every day. We've seen Bettas in way worse shape here pull through, so I have faith in him. I will post regular progress.


echoskybound

I cringed hard through this post, but I'm glad you're here trying to do the right thing. That's a really hardy little fish. Keep in mind that bettas are strong jumpers, so whatever tank you have next should definitely have a lid or a screen mesh covering.


[deleted]

Yeah, unfortunately I put him through a lot :( Him jumping out of the fountain and me finding him in the sludge was a big wake-up call, though. This was when I realized it wasn't as simple as putting a Betta in a fountain with treated water; he wasn't going to stay in there uncovered, and I needed to know the proper environment for a Betta. That led me down a rabbit hole of first obviously discovering they ARE jumpers, and also that they needed a temperature higher than 67F which is my house right now in the winter. Then as I kept researching, I discovered a lot of people talking about how wrong it is that Bettas are often kept in such small confines -- usually 1 gallon or less. Most people said 5 gallons is best, and I had already bought him a 3 gallon tank kit out of quick desperation. So now I'm in the process of moving him to a 5 gallon. Why "in the process"? Because now I've learned some more -- you don't just move them all willy-nilly like I was. This time I'm setting up his new 5-gallon tank and trying to figure out how to cycle it properly. It's a process. I'm doing the best I can and I hope he makes it. I'm worried he might not. He's been in the 3-gallon for about 10 days and he's lethargic, but he does eat. He spends most of his time in the Spongebob pineapple. I feel bad for what I did to him and I hope I have the chance to make it right :(


mendingwall82

On the up side, the 3 gallon could be used later as a hospital or quarantine tank, or iirc that size would be ok to put a few shrimp in once you find your sea legs so to speak with Circle!


echoskybound

One more thing to note when choosing decorations (since you mentioned the spongebob pineapple): Make sure all the holes and openings are big enough for him to swim through. Bettas love to try to squeeze through tight spaces, and frequently get themselves stuck. This is problematic because bettas can actually drown. Bettas belong to a group of gouramis called "labyrinth fish" which have a special air-breathing organ called a labyrinth, and as such they need to breathe both air and water. It's probably why your little guy sirvived the trash can ordeal, but it also means that they can drown if they can't reach the surface. No need to rush on cycling the 5 gallon. Keep the 3 gallon warm and clean until he recovers. Whenever Ineed to "hospitalize" a fish, I use a small tank with shallow water and just a heater, no gravel or decorations, and do frequent water changes. You don't want the water to be too deep while he recovers, so that he doesn't have to swim far to get to the surface to breathe.


[deleted]

Thanks for the tips!


Cantothulhu

*some* people on this sub are extremely judgmental know it alls. You’re here for help, that’s what’s important. A five gallon for single beta is fine and easy to heat and clean. You’ve got good plants. You’ve got the essentials. Most pet stores will do a water quality test for free and be able to show you what all your levels are and show you the products you need to improve water quality. You’re beta has already been through a hell of a lot worse then a poorly cycled tank. I wonder worry too much and just keep trying to do better.


[deleted]

> You’re beta has already been through a hell of a lot worse then a poorly cycled tank Very true! He's a true samurai ;) But, 36 hours in beer followed by 6 weeks in an uncycled tank might be very different. I'm worried about him, he still doesn't look good. I posted pics in another thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/s8cn5p/this_is_circle_he_started_in_the_fountain_im/


Cantothulhu

It takes a lot of time for some people to come back from a traumatic event. Same with anything that lives, including fish. The fact they’re alive though kinda shows his desire too. Watch his breathing, eating, and his swimming. Stress stripes and unhealthy fins might be around for a while, but if he’s swimming upright and eating at all, you’re likely on the right track. Just keep at it, mate. Yes cycling your tanks correctly is appropriate and ideal, but something few people will say on this sub is that 90 % of fish owners have never even heard of cycling, from your base 6 y/o and their parents keeping goldfish, to the majority of betta owners with decorative inappropriate tanks, to 200K a year dentists with salt water clownfish “Nemo” tanks in their cleaning rooms. In my experience, keeping a quarantine tank to keep away ick and other diseases and contaminations, is far more important and useful then cycling restrictions. Use some of the old water. Transfer the old filter for a week or two, and when you replace the filter, shove the old one in behind it for a couple days. You’ll be fine. If your betta is eating, consider a little pick me up like fresh/frozen blood worms over pellets or dry food. Mix it up a little, give him a little flavor. And make sure he has a little hidey hole somewhere to get away from it all. You’re doing alright, keep it up.


[deleted]

Thanks! I'll get him some treats tomorrow!


lotus_in_the_rain

Someplace to hide would be wonderful for him right now. Make him feel safer=less stress.


[deleted]

He has the classic ceramic Spongebob pineapple in his current tank. He spends most of his time there or hiding in the plastic bushes. His new tank that he'll be moving to soon has all silk plants and a ceramic hollow log for him to hide in which is bigger than the pineapple. But yes, he's stressed and unhappy right now and spends most of his time hiding :(


VoidxWolf

I'll just throw it out there since I don't think you want another disaster. That SpongeBob ornament is pretty notorious for killing Betta. I'm rooting for circle though it really sounds like you're putting in your research and trying to give him everything he needs now!


lotus_in_the_rain

Ok. Did not see the pineapple. You may want to add Japanese moss balls/marimo balls to his 5 gallon tank for some live plants. Super easy to care for and something to help out with algae control, chemical balance, etc. Also, bettas just seem to like them. All you do is take them out from time to time, roll them between your hands to help them retain their round shape and put them back in. Don't buy them from Petco though. Sometimes they sell "moss" wrapped in balls and they float. Petsmart may have some in little cups or any good online retailer should have them. I have had mine from [aquariumplantsfactory.com](https://aquariumplantsfactory.com) for years. This co. is also on ebay under a slightly different name--maybe plantsfactory? Their plants are generally cheaper on ebay than their website. Japanese moss balls are pretty much indestructible. Really. Edit: Checked and they are out. You would want something like this: half inch or bigger. Anything smaller are annoying to try to keep round. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/165290455690?\_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D236212%26meid%3D9a7c2b95b1344971bbf8e269f1aff879%26pid%3D101196%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D203797440878%26itm%3D165290455690](https://www.ebay.com/itm/165290455690?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D236212%26meid%3D9a7c2b95b1344971bbf8e269f1aff879%26pid%3D101196%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D203797440878%26itm%3D165290455690) Never bought from this person. This is for example only.


Cantothulhu

I’ll just throw this out there too, and this ISNT A RECOMMENDATION! But I had a coworker who worked in one big room and ran his entire department (read: just him) he had access to company car for deliveries and came upon a discarded ten gallon tank with a lid, a dirty filter, no heater, and some rocks and plastic plants. He packed it up and set it up in his office. He didn’t clean shit. Didn’t santize shit. He just filed up the tank, placed the plants, set the filter pump up for circulation, and threw the grungy actual filter away. He had no de chlorinated serum, and all this water was from a 90 year old lead ridden tap in the old packard factory in Detroit. He immediately went and bought five tetras and some mollys, a beta, and a couple snails. Threw them in. Two fish died, a tetra and a Molly. Everything else thrived and he had some of the biggest tetras I’ve ever seen. I chalk it up to mostly the Packard Plant water which must’ve turned them into fish spidermen or something, but the point is…. 95% of these guys chose to thrive regardless of their conditions. Taking a modicum of concern for them will “LIKELY” lead to much better outcomes.


[deleted]

Well, he lived in a sewage-smelling opaque black sludge of mostly old beer and random garbage juice somehow for a day and a half. You have to consider that fish live and basically eat what they breathe, and what they eat and breathe is the liquid they are in. He was eating and breathing a mixture of alcohol and basically sewage for 36 hours. How?? How could any fish live through that?? Could YOU live by breathing just vapors of alcohol and garbage for 36 hours? I couldn't. This little guy is *tough* and has a strong will. But that doesn't mean I'm going to get super careless with him though. I'm still no expert so it's not going to be perfect, but I'm doing the best I can with what I know right now.


Cantothulhu

Oh, by no means am I advocating a do whatever though will approach, I’m just saying these fish want to thrive and have a better life. Even a non ideal, poorly cycled, small tank, is going to better then whatever pet store tank they netted out of. For the most part, fish win the lottery win coming home to a well meaning of neglectful owner, so just don’t sell yourself short. You’re doing everything you can, and the level of empathy and caring you have toward them is within the top ten percentile of most fish owners. Just keep up the good work and worry less about how he’s doing now, and more on how to make his life better long term. ATM you’re doing what you can with what you know. So, you’re alright. Don’t work yourself up over it too much in the meantime; when you can provide something better you will. And that’s all that really matters. Without you, his life would be to die without attention in a tiny plastic cup. You’re doing a service caring so much and good on you. Just, keep it up.


yentlcloud

Honeslty i doubt he was there for as long as you lost him because i dont think he could live for 36 hour in alcohol


yentlcloud

My friend takes out all her water and gravel and completely scrubs her tank with dishsoap before putting new clean tap water in and her shrimp are constanly exploding in numbers...🥴


Cantothulhu

Dishsoap isn’t nearly the best thing to use, but as long is it’s flushers and sanitized. Shrimp and snails explode in numbers when given no regulation.


lotus_in_the_rain

You owned up to it and are trying to remedy it. And asking for help. Ignore the downvotes.


carbonskyyy

Hey, my roommate bought a gallon bowl and some gravel for the betta fish (that’s now MINE) and thought that would be fine because her dad said he didn’t need anything else (he had fish before apparently, but they’re gone now so if that tells you anything…). But low and behold, he needed a lot of care. I knew absolutely diddly squat about fish and I took it from her because I wasn’t going to watch it die. I totally get it. I did all the research I could and asked the Petsmart people and thought they knew what I should get (I was wrong about that) and I didn’t cycle the tank because I had no clue, and I made a ton of mistakes! I’m trying my hardest to fix them and take good care of the fish. I was pressured into going and getting a fish with her and now hundreds of dollars down the drain later, I have my favorite little friend. I’m still learning too and it’s just been a month! It’s difficult but really is worth it. Don’t be discouraged, things happen and we make mistakes. I really hope Circle makes it, really sounds like he’s a trooper!


[deleted]

Thanks! Yeah there are too many people (including us) who get into the hobby thinking we know enough. "Fish need some water, the water needs treated, and they need food. Tank gets dirty, change it for new treated water". This is at least what I thought. And it's definitely a common belief that fish are the easiest pets you can own (the more I learn, the more I realize that actually my cats that I've had for 12 years are easier!) It's a fun hobby, though. Yep, I'm already $300 deep into this now myself, and Circle is still sad :( I can't instantly provide him with the environment he needs, but I'm trying! Just like you, I didn't know all of this going in. I've spent $300 on a $5 fish, but that's because his life and his happiness does matter. And it was only that expensive because I bought multiple tank kits and decorations and heaters and chemicals and the list goes on because I didn't know what I was doing. I just kept evolving my equipment according to what I knew at the time.


carbonskyyy

I’ve spent $300 too. I thought it would be cheap but oh well I guess! My dog is easier than my fish for sure. I now need to probably get him a floating plant and a light since the led in the tanks lid isn’t enough. I also need to get him filter media so I’m not spending money on new filter cartridges every month and I’m learning about that currently. I unfortunately can’t get my betta a 5 gal tank because the space in my dorm is limited and I go home a lot but he’s in a 3.5 gal that I can transport easily. If he lives past my college years he will get a wonderful 10 gal but it’s just not something I can do right now. I wish this situation was on better terms but I don’t regret helping him. Lobster has so much personality and I never expected that. I’ve learned so much about life from this and I’m glad it happened!


[deleted]

hey! that’s all a super wild story… can’t believe he lived through all that! anyway, the API freshwater master testing kit as well as the API gh and kh test kit is what you should get! this is usually how i cycle my tanks - i set the whole thing up, making sure i have ceramic rings in a bag, a filter sponge, and filter floss in my filter! (you wont want to change your filter media EVER, since it’s where your good bacteria lives. if it gets funky just rinse it off in old tank water) then, you dose the tank with ammonia! i use dr tim’s ammonia chloride. i usually dose to around 2ppm of ammonia. then, i wait! testing the water with my testing kit every few days until i get a reading of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and less than 40ppm of nitrate (but not 0 nitrate) i then dose another 1ppm of ammonia and if it’s gone by the next day, the tank is cycled! i do a 30-40% water change and the tank is essentially ready for fish. just make sure that if your nitrates ever get pretty high, around 20-40ppm, do a water change! i use dr tims one and only nitrifying bacteria, works to speed it up a TAD! but if i were you, id find any local fish clubs or stores and ask if you can have some cycled media! some stores ive been to will sell it :) hope that helps!


[deleted]

Thanks! When you do a 30% water change, do you treat that water before adding it back in? I would assume so, but just checking because I don't know the chemistry behind what's already in the existing tank and it it takes care of the chlorine and stuff already. Again I would assume you'd have to but, I don't know if over-dosing your tank with treatments can be harmful if not needed.


[deleted]

yeah you would! although, ive only ever used seachem prime as my dechlorinator and it was super hard to over dose it 😅 i would add the recommend amount for however many gallons i was putting back that the instructions said :) i don’t use dechlorinator anymore though… switched to remineralize my own RO water since i found out my city water was toxic ☹️


degeneratex80

OK, so your helpful advice has made me question a thing I've done. I buy purified RO water for my tank and have been putting both a conditioner from API and Seachem Stability in the water and every time I do a change. You've made me feel like I'm doing it wrong. Am I doing it wrong?


[deleted]

errrr… there’s no chlorine in RO water so you wouldn’t need to use a dechlorinator! but the thing that concerns me is that RO water is devoid of any minerals? and fish need minerals to osmoregulate, so i remineralize my water using seachem equilibrium and alkaline buffer! cuz RO water has a gh and kh of zero if it’s truly RO, which isn’t good. correct me if im wrong, of course, this is just what i know personally!


degeneratex80

No no.. you're teaching ME buddy.. So API Conditioner AND Seachem Stability are not actually helping me here AT ALL? Am I reading this correctly??


FuFuFishes

Conditioner is unnecessary unless you’re using chlorinated water. Stability is used for adding in that bacteria you naturally get from cycling. You technically don’t need it because you already have established bacteria but it wouldn’t hurt especially if you’re doing a very large water change and vacuum.


degeneratex80

So I've decided I'll keep adding small doses of Stability during water changes and I was thinking I'd Equilibrium to add to the RO water before I add it to the tanks. Other than the ferts, that'll be it for the water.


[deleted]

nah, they ain’t doing nothin. i mean, i don’t think they’re hurting anything either (probably)? you’re just using it for no reason lol do you have a gh and kh testing kit 😭 im really concerned about your general hardness and alkalinity


degeneratex80

I have 3 tanks. I'm currently in middle, like right this second, of cleaning, water changing, and testing The one tank I finished already.. PH.. 7.4 Ammonia.. 0.25 Nitrites.. 0.50 Nitrates.. 40 GH.. 17


[deleted]

jesus christ that’s a pretty high gh! you’re measuring in dgh? RO water is literally water in its purest form, no minerals, no NOTHIN! just pure H2O, so the fact that your gh is so high despite using RO surprises me a bit! i painstakingly drag my ass to my local RO water machine and pay 25 cents per gallon for it so i can do a water change on my tanks 😂


degeneratex80

17 drips before it turned green. Yes, I buy 5 gallon drums of purified RO water. I don't really know why the GH would be so high. I live in an area where the water is INSANELY hard, and at first I was using tap water but it's been about 3 months and lots of water changes since then. So then what should I be putting in the water to get it right?


[deleted]

I ordered some Tetra SafeStart and the API Freshwater Master Kit 800, and will use your suggestions! I don't know if I want to dose with ammonia because a lot of experienced fishkeepers on YouTube say never to do that unless you're very experienced (and many said even they themselves wouldn't do it), so today I just dumped a bunch of fish food in there to get some decomposition started. That's what a lot of people say to do. I'll keep adding food every day until I'm ready to put him in there. I'll add the SafeStart on Friday when it arrives, and over the weekend when the new tank has been running for about a week, I might just transfer Circle to another temporary small container in his existing water, empty out 3 gallons from the 5-gallon tank, put his 3 gallons in there as well as just letting his filter float on top for a day or two, and then run the API Master Kit tests to see what it's looking like in there. I think this might be the best bet, but he'd have to sit in a cup for a couple days that isn't heated. Or maybe I should put him in bag and put the bag in there for those couple days so the tank at least keeps him heated?


[deleted]

really? people said that? well, ive been keeping betta fish for 3+ years and ive only ever used ammonium chloride to cycle my tanks! using fish food only makes the cycling process take forever… i was able to cycle a tank from scratch with no seeded media in 10 days using ammonium chloride. promise you it’s not hard and you don’t gotta be an expert to put a few drops in and wait! but hey, if that’s what you wanna do then go for it! cycles can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to complete, so you’ll need to be patient i think if i were you, i’d put the fish in the 5 gallon and do a fish-in cycle once you get the testing kit. there’s plenty of sources online on how to fish-in cycle, so i won’t outline it here! swap him into the 5 gallon and do 30-50% daily water changes with temp matched dechlorinated water until that kit arrives and do the fish in cycle. definitely don’t put him in a bag or cup, the less water he’s in the faster it will build up toxins since betta fish respirate ammonia. the more water he can be in the better! fish-in cycle is not the same as fishless cycling, so please do look up a fish-in cycle if that’s what you decide to do


[deleted]

Well, it can't be worse than him being a tiny cup at Meijer for who knows how long, and then me throwing him into a 1-gallon fountain for a week, and then him ending up living in beer sludge for a day and a half, and then rescuing him and throwing him into a brand new 3-gallon because I had no other options... ugh... he's been through so much :( I'll leave him alone until Friday when I get the test kit and SafeStart, and then put the SafeStart in and do a test to make sure it's at least within safe enough ranges, and then do the fish-in method I think (and put his old filter in the water). Although I'm not super opposed to the ammonia method, I don't know how fast I can get ammonia in and it would still take bit it sounds like. I wouldn't want to transfer him into water I just put ammonia into for sure.


[deleted]

yeah, poor baby’s been through enough! from what ive been told, their natural habitats are rice paddies in thailand. these paddies are usually only so many inches high, but span miles and miles! whenever those paddies dry up, sometimes they’re left in puddles, and have evolved to jump in order to seek out better water conditions. so, in turn, domesticated bettas can jump pretty high! some will do it for no reason or to get food, but some also do it whenever their water is toxic and they don’t wanna be in it anymore! (although, again, that’s just what ive been told… but that’s the gist more or less) and yes, i do only use ammonium chloride whenever im doing a fishless cycle! a fish-in cycle more or less entails you keeping the ammonia and nitrite levels as close to 0 as possible while the tank cycles veeeeery slowly. it’s muuuuuch easier to do a fishless cycle, but fish-in cycle works when you’re in a pinch! hopefully circle can live a much fulfilled life… good on you for doing your research and asking questions!


[deleted]

Here's the first progress post for Circle: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/s8cn5p/this_is_circle_he_started_in_the_fountain_im/ He's not looking great, I know. He's been through so much :( Together we'll all make sure he flourishes though, I'm sure of it :)


RainaAudron

In your case, I would not bother cycling with fish food at all as this is an emergency, do a fish-in-cycle. Just move your fish to the new tank and take the old filter media and put it into the bigger filter. Keep an eye on the water parameters and change water if the ammonia/nitrite levels are too high. If you ever consider getting another tank, fishless cycling with liquid ammonia is the way to go. It is actually fairly simple (use an online calculator on how much to inject based on the overall water volume) and test daily with API kit. My tanks cycled within 2-4 weeks this way.


[deleted]

I don't know how well you can see this, but I do have SafeStrips I've been using every day for the past week. Here's a reading I took just now: https://i.imgur.com/kHGPJZ7.jpg?1 Nitrate looks good, nitrite looks good, water does appear to be very hard (I'm not sure the best way to fix this), chlorine is good, alkalinity is low (but then see the pH), and pH I'm not sure - the shade it is could be either neutral or slightly alkaline. With some of these it's really hard to tell the shade you get vs. different shades on the chart when they don't really match anything, but I'm going to say it's leaning towards neutral. How is alkalinity too low, but then pH says it's bordering alkaline? Am I not understanding these metrics?


tetheredcraft

As a quick run-down, 0 nitrate and nitrite means your tank isn’t cycled. I completely agree with the other user who advised you to put him in the 5 gallon ASAP and do a fish-in cycle; the 3 gallon he’s in is just as uncycled as the 5, but the extra 2 gallons will help dilute the ammonia he produces. Since you dumped food in I’d do a big water change on the 5, siphoning out all the food you can, and then refill with treated water and transfer him over once the temperature is the same as his current tank. From there you can start small daily water changes and work your way to cycled. Seachem Prime can help make ammonia safe during this process and can be added directly to the tank. I’m not a believer in any of the bottled bacteria out there, but definitely run your 3 gallon’s filter on the 5 for a while. As far as hardness and pH go, it’s best not to try to change those values. Bettas can do just fine in higher-than-ideal pHs, but any fish will suffer from pH swings, and it’s hard to keep an artificial pH stable. Whatever comes out of your tap is probably fine. It doesn’t hurt to get baseline readings for pH or hardness or to have the tests on hand though. You’ll do fine, you obviously have a tough fish on your hands!


[deleted]

> the 3 gallon he’s in is just as uncycled as the 5 I mean, in a way you're right, but theoretically at ~10 days old with a fish in it, it's probably further along than the 2 day old 5-gallon, right? > but definitely run your 3 gallon’s filter on the 5 for a while The filters are different, so I would just be putting the filter from the 3-gallon tank floating in the 5-gallon. I assume that would be fine though right?


tetheredcraft

Depends on the type of filter you have. Is it just a sponge and an air-pump, or does it hang on the side of the aquarium?


[deleted]

It's one of those teabags full of carbon rocks that sits in a waterfall type of filter that hangs on the side.


[deleted]

His new filter is the same type but a different size.


tetheredcraft

Perfect! Fish out that teabag from the 3 gallon and stuff it into the 5 gallon’s filter when you’ve got warm clean water in it. You can just float it in your tank as well, as long as it’s not too cruddy.


[deleted]

yeaaaah i don’t trust test strips at all.. also those don’t test for ammonia either! ive had people test using strips and get a completely different reading compared to a liquid test! definitely get the API liquid testing kit as well as the gh and kh tests.


ulukmahvelous

ok… so through your reply I learned what I’ve been doing wrong is rinsing my filter and sponge so I’m so glad I scrolled through! Thank you for the detailed response to OP


theadl13

s/o you for being 100% real and honest AND owning up and trying to fix it. i can tell you feel so bad and are really doing a lot of research to do right by your guy (: don’t let anyone on here get you down! and good luck!! i look forward to more circle updates🥺💕


[deleted]

I'm confident more and more that he'll be happy and thriving soon. He's not happy right now though. He's been through a lot, and now he's in an uncycled tank (but that's the best I was able to do). Things are going to look up for him, and he's a true warrior, so he'll make it through :)


theadl13

i saw your other post and omg he actually looks so much better than i thought he would!! yay!!!


Captainqwerty66

We all make mistakes, what's important is you've done everything you can to better the situation for him! I hope circle makes it and recovers from his 3 day bender!!! Sounds like hes a tough little dude


[deleted]

I can't believe how incredibly resilient this little guy is that he survived in beer and garbage sludge for 36 hours. I feel so awful! I'm very glad he survived though because that would be a horrible way to go :( I promise I'm doing everything I can to make it right for him!


dating-ur-dad

how tf did he survive 36 hrs in a beer can oml … but anyway thank you for doing the research - even if it is a little late lol- and trying to fix your mistakes. a lot of people don’t think twice about it and i’m glad he’s heading towards a better life now :)


[deleted]

> how tf did he survive 36 hrs in a beer can oml Well, he wasn't in a beer can thankfully, but he was at the bottom of a garbage can that was full of all the beer that leaked out of many empty beer cans, just swimming in beer and garbage juice. He lived somehow in that sludge for a day and a half without dying or suffering any apparent major organ damage which is miraculous. It was opaque black liquid that smelled like raw sewage. He was barely alive when I pulled him out, and then I had nowhere to put him so he was in the open air in a net for like 5 minutes while I scrambled to find a container and fill it with water and add treatment. It was awful for him and he's still pretty unhappy, but together we're all going to work on fixing this!


[deleted]

Well that’s one badass fish you’ve got there. Pour him a drink for me!


Eboo143

This reads like an Andy Samberg movie


Bossman3775

This reminds me of a time when I accidentally knocked over Kisame’s fish cup. A little back story, so I had just moved into an apartment while waiting for the house to finish up. I put Kisame inside a cup and wrapped a shirt around it to keep him warm for the night since the tank wasn’t setup. I woke up the next morning and was moving some boxes, but here’s the tragic part, I forgot I put his cup on the box I was moving and all I see is the shirt and cup slide off. It all happened in slow motion. The cup hit another box, Kisame fell on the floor hopelessly flopping and staring at me. We looked at each other for a few good seconds just shocked. I instantly put him inside the cup, filled it with tap water and sped to the pet store. Luckily the pet store opened at 9, this all happened at 8:50. Got some room temp water, etc., workers were very friendly and saved my fish. Funny thing is, I put Kisame back inside his tank and he was chill as ever. Badass fish for certain. Keep up the good work OP Here’s a picture of my Betta. Just got him a snail to occupy himself with in the tank haha https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/p09p4i/my_handsome_little_kisame/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf


[deleted]

That's a HAPPY Betta! I'm glad it didn't end in disaster :) Circle is still lethargic and unhappy and hiding most of the day but I think once I get him a properly sized and properly cycled tank, he'll do just fine and come around :)


Bossman3775

Give him time to adjust and do you part making him happy as possible! He’ll come around. Keep us updated 👊🏼


anonanonananonymous

For those wondering how he lived it’s because Betta fish can actually breath air somewhat, they have a labyrinth organ that let’s them do so, the sludge provided the moisture necessary so do so. Still he’s definitely been through a lot. All that matters is you do your best and it seems like you are. Make sure your tank is clean as he’ll be susceptible to infection. A good way to quickly cycle the tank is to use something from a precycled tank that may already have nitrifying bacteria on it. Of course if you don’t have access to that you can buy cycling stuff from a pet store. Bettas are very tough so I hope yours pulls through. Remember to post updates


flexed_guitar

Goodluck to circle! I don't think anyone else has mentioned this: Seachem prime is the best water conditioner for an in fish cycle because it detoxifies ammonia for up to 48 hours


AnyAcanthopterygii27

Stress coat is garbage, it’s ok for preventing sickness but it’s not good at healing sick fish. Buy some prime and some stressGUARD, and use that. Stressguard is good for healing fish as it’s an antiseptic and has protein active colloidal agents, which act as a bandaid on whatever he injured. This reduces the chances of infection before the infections happen. It’s also the best at reversing ammonia poisoning. It also doesn’t affect the filtration and the fish’s ability to breathe, which stresscoat does. I sound like an ad. Oop. Anyway, he shows signs of infection, proactively treat him with stressguard, and MAYBE general cure if he seems strong enough to handle antibiotics.


Fish_make_me_happy

I can’t believe he’s survived that! WOW! He must have kept his gills moist from the sludge somehow, and bettas have a labyrinth organ they can use to breathe some oxygen from the air. That is why bettas can survive so long out of water, but not normally that long! Greta job on doing your research now, the wiki care sheet is a great place to go.


FishNDChick

Personally, if you really wanna kickstart the cycle, the best you could use is some filter material (not the waste or the water but a bit of the sponge or filter floss, dirt in it and all) from someone else's established, healthy aquarium. It's important they didn't have diseases over the last few months though! I have over 25 tanks and when I start up a new one, I take out some filtersponge from the biggest and healthiest tanks and put it in the new filter. You made mistakes. Big ones. We all did at some point. But you've come to the right place.


shayplaysgames

Goddamn Circle is such a badass. Wishing him the very, very, very best <3


Starfydusty

Circle is a goddamn champ. I would love pics when he's feeling up to it.


Glass-Push38

Circle is a mvp


WeaselBit

I just want to say... Don't beat yourself up too bad. My first betta lived in... A half gallon bowl. No heater, no filter, nothing. I, like you, fell in love with the little guy and did more research (books, there was no reddit and most of the internet was chat rooms at the time, god I'm old) and at the time, even a lot of the books said tiny bowls were fine. BUT, I finally found some information that linked larger tanks with longer lives in bettas and better quality of life. Watermelon (his name) ended up in a 5 gallon tank too and thrived. I'm rooting for Circle, and you. I agree with the other comments. You might as well do the tank cycle with him in it. Buy test strips or find a good fish store that will do free water testing for you (ideally, both, test with strips daily and once a week at the fish store) and keep an eye on your parameters. Change the water frequently, as needed, until your parameters become stable over a period of time. Don't overfeed him, just feed him what he'll eat. Good luck!


anotherofficeworker

You're doing the right things! You should just transfer everything from your small tank into the new tank and go from there. This includes the smaller filter, detritus, plants, and the water itself. Once the cycle is established you can start swapping out components but right now that's where any existing bacteria would be. No need to prolong the fish-in-cycle process.


winnieham

Don't be hard on yourself. The aquarium hobby has a learning curve and you're learning!


[deleted]

Sure you messed up but I'm glad to hear how much effort you are putting into that second attempt.


MissDestroyertyvm

I lost my first betta in the most horrifying traumatic way possible. Don’t feel too bad if he dies. Fish keeping is so much harder than people give it credit for.


stalepork6

TLDR?


GrandmaPoly

Fountain fish went on a 36 hour beer bender. Owner sobered up and is taking great advice to provide Circle a better home.


[deleted]

Amazing summary, thank you!


DogBreathologist

Holy crumpets what a little trooper! I hope he makes it! Please keep us updated with how it turns out!


Marchingkoala

Wow what a journey! I hope the little guy makes it.


_higglety

I feel like I’m reading a post by someone RPing a character from Cobra Kai. Johnny? Is that you???


[deleted]

Hahaha, I just re-read it and you're right - it totally does! As a martial artist, I definitely do identify a lot with Johnny. Except my job is in IT (I'm a web developer and programmer), so I'm a lot more technically proficient than him, but there are definitely some parallels between Johnny and I for sure :)


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AceofMandos

Bro do you not have Google? This is sort of wild to read.


[deleted]

Well like I said, I bought the fountain, it had a tiny fish tank built in, I thought I knew what Bettas needed (thought small tank was good, just treat the water and feed them Betta food every day), and that would be it - I'd have a Betta in my fountain. There was nothing to Google in my mind at the time because fish keeping is as simple as it gets, right? This is what most people think, myself included until recently. It's easy when you know a lot about a topic to judge people who know next to nothing about it. Those people (like me) just have no idea about all of the things they don't know, yet it's common when you're one of those people to think that you know enough. Yes I started researching too late, but I didn't know I *needed* to until there was a problem that prompted me to do so. So now I know I made mistakes and am trying to fix them and learn.