TurtleBugg333 Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 (edited) i have returned... i was going to get goldfish as a first starter fish but have decided that it is not that much more to have bettas.. and i am really excited to have them!!! so back to my original idea of having a betta, eventually more in the future, i am so confused and i need help with choosing which water tests to use. So far i think i know i need a Ph Test kit, water conditioner, and de-chlorinator. now i am completely clueless about what they actually do and how to use them, but im sure the packets will tell me, and the forums on ausaqua.com. Now, i know the ph test will do that indeed, test the ph of the water. so if it is not at what it should be how do i make it do it? As for the water conditioner and de-chlorinator, again, no idea. Is there any other tests or water treatments i will need? All help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. Oh and also, with live plants, which i will hopefully be getting, how long do they live? oh and one more thing... (god, i will never stop with the questions!) I have a aquastart 320, which is a 28 litre tank. it has an under gravel filter, will i need another filter? Thank you Lauren <eager to start up my new betta tank> :D Edited August 17, 2010 by TurtleBugg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delyall Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Test kits arnt extremely important.. but you do need a good water conditioner/de-chlorinator (same thing ) This just removes harmful chemicals from your tap water Instructions should be on the bottle you buy Under gravel filter should be enough But if your getting plants, I hear they can get all stuck in the undergravel sheet-things.. I personally like internal filters, though they arnt very pretty You need a decent light for the plants, or theyll just die If you do want a pH test kit, go ahead.. I know its not so important to have the 'right' pH, but to have a stable pH I havent really bothered much with test kits until I setup my larger tanks.. Just remember before you set up your tank, make sure you have a good heater, filter, water conditioner and you should be fine :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurtleBugg333 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 thank you so much for all the info... One last question.. what would be better.. a sponge filter or just normal internal filter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delyall Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 If your just going to have one male betta in a 38l tank by himself, a sponge filter should be enough :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Agreed, dechlorinator/conditioner for water is all you need to start (but not if you use rain water). Tap water contains chlorine and chloramine which kill bacteria in our srinking water - there are "good" bacteria in an established fish tank which you don't want to kill - hence removing the chemicals with the conditioner. pH should be bout 7 out of the tap, and I wouldn't worry bout it much beyond that. Manipulating pH can be a difficult chore and swings in pH would be worse than a stable (slightly off "ideal") measure. 38L tank is heaps for a betta and either type of filter would be acceptable. The type of filter you choose is up to your personal preference. If you've got a lot of fish in the tank (and hence a lot of waste produced) then you may want a more "powerful" filter. Betta seem to prefer fairly still water, so a turbulent current is probably not what you want... that's why many people recommend sponge filter for betta as it's fairly gentle by way of the current it produces. Have you set up the tank yet? And have you got your betta yet.. if so what kind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurtleBugg333 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 looks like i'll go a sponge filter, haven't got much yet, so far only have the tank which has a built-in under-gravel filter and built in light in the lid. I've only so far bought a air pump and rocks. Not sure on which betta i will be getting yet, but the crown-tails do tickle my fancy Thanks for the replies :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delyall Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions if your unsure of something Keep us updated :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishfin Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Hello, I have just bought myself the exact same tank to keep in my office at work. It does not have any fish in it at the moment as I'm cycling it. I will also have a Betta along with a Bristlenose for company. I have planted out my tank with a few plants and added some driftwood. I just took these photos to share with you with my mobile phone so the pic quality isn't the greatest. So far, the undergravel filter is doing a ripper job and I love the fact that it is quiet. No hang on, it's silent! It's ideal as the tank sits right on my desk and the noise of another filter might just drive me loopy. I have the API master test kit and am performing daily tests on ammonia, nitrites and nitrates as the tank cycles. I must admit that I am a bit of a testing freak. I test all my tanks almost daily. The kits last a long time and I find them really helpful, especially as a beginner like myself. The test kits are really easy to use too. Dont' fear. LOL. People say to avoid the test strips and buy the drop kits like I mentioned as they are far more accurate. Get yourself a good quality water conditioner ( I use Seachem Prime). It's more expensive than some other brands but you will only use a fraction of the amount and it has a good reputation. Good luck, keep us posted and share some photos with us! Leonie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurtleBugg333 Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 ah wow! good to see what i will end up with! your tank looks great! What kind of plants have you got? thanks heaps!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishfin Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 I have just put up a thread about this new tank to share with everyone. I have a java fern attached to the driftwood. I actually put my driftwood into my slow cooker/crockpot overnight on low and it's ready to go the next day. No soaking driftwood for days or even weeks on end that way. I also have moneywort in the back left corner and some watersprite floating about. I'm only new to fish keeping and plants so it's trial and error for me but I have done a ton of research. Glad you like it. Can't wait to see how yours evolves too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts