(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best aquarium air pumps

Unfortunately a 10g tank is far too small for any additional fish tankmates to be with a betta, but you can have some shrimp OR snails in the 10g as tankmates with the betta. If you really want to do a community tank, the minimum recommended tank size is 15g, but 20g or larger would be best for that.

Keep in mind, bettas DO NOT NEED to have tankmates, they are very territorial and aggressive fish. Most bettas will see tankmates as "intruders" to their territory; though a more docile betta will tolerate these "intruders" better than more aggressive bettas. Only rarely do you get lucky with a betta that has the personality of actually liking their tankmates, that is not the norm for most of our domestic betta splendens.

Tetras are nippy fish and although some people do keep them with bettas, they're not an ideal tankmate + they need a minimum of 15+ and must have at least a 20g for that many of them to be with a betta. https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/neon-tetra/ - Exerpt: "These fish should generally be kept in schools with at least 15 members. Smaller schools than this can feel threatened and this can cause stress... If you’re planning to keep a school of them, you should keep at least 15-20 of them. An aquarium that is at least 20 gallons is needed for this number of them."

Please see our community guidelines for compatible betta tankmates per tank size: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/tankmates

Please do thorough research on the needs of each species of tankmate(s) before you consider if they are a good fit for your betta/tank-size. Cories need minimum 6 of their own kind for best results, and they like to roam around so do need the space to be able to do so (20g and up is best, 15g at the absolute minimum) + sand-type substrate is gentler on their barbels (whiskers) vs gravel types. Also don't cram in too many fish or different kinds of fish, research stocking limits for the size of tank. As I said before, the 10g can humanely house 1 betta + a few shrimp or snails, no other fish.

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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! FISHLESS CYCLE, before you get the betta or any tankmates: The Nitrogen Cycle and the Fishless Cycle - getting your aquarium ready for fish - INJAF

I'd recommend Seachem Stability over other brands of beneficial bacteria, you need to shake it well before each use and add 2 capfuls per day (for a week or more) while cycling your aquarium, especially if you did any water change.

I also highly recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit so you're able to accurately check your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate during the process of cyling + afterwards for routine maintenance purposes.

https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-800-Test-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B000255NCI/ <--- ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE, VERY IMPORTANT, liquid water parameters test kit. Three main things to check every-other-day: Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Not cycled will read 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 0 Nitrate. Cycling in progress will read some ammonia and/or some nitrite, but little or no nitrate. Fully Cycled will read 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, and 5-10 ppm of Nitrate, then when nitrate reaches 15-20 ppm in a cycled tank a water change is necessary to reduce said nitrates.

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As for Tank stuff:

I'd recommend a Sponge Filter setup over a HoB filter, because HoB tend to have a strong outflow which bettas don't like (and the one you got looks like it will be especially strong in the 10g tank since it's meant for a 20g).

Here's my favorite sponge filter setup which I use in my own 5.5g tanks (they're rated for up to 20g and are nice compact sponge filters, so do not take away much space from your tank).

https://www.amazon.com/Powkoo-Double-Biochemical-Aquarium-Gallons/dp/B01M3VALFU/ My bettas (and I) LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!

AND from Petsmart - I HIGHLY recommend the TopFin Quartz BioBalls ceramic filter media, the rounded pearl shape makes them fit a lot more into a small space such as the dual-media chambers in the sponge filter I highly recommended above. It looks like this in store: https://i.imgur.com/Xz50k5F.jpg (I think it's not yet listed on their website because the stuff is still a new release).

https://www.amazon.com/U-picks-Aquarium-Gallon-Quietest-Accessories/dp/B07RRNDMXJ/ Nice air pump with all accessories to set it up - quiet mini air pump, check valve, and airline tubing.

See it all in action: https://i.imgur.com/KAyjMaj.mp4 (not my tank but my friends when she was fishless cycling hers, and the sponge filter is nicely visible. Mine is hidden behind bunch of silk plants :< lol)

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The Aqueon Pro adjustable 100w heater would be a bit much for a 10g unless you live in a particularly cold climate or keep the room at a chilly temperature, otherwise you would be fine with the Aqueon Pro adjustable 50w heater for a 10g tank - per the rule of thumb "5 watts of heater power per gallon" which is sufficient in most cases, except if living in a cold climate and/or the room where the tank is being kept is especially chilly.

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Tetra brand betta pellets are CHOCK-FULL-O-CRAP-FILLERS - this is terrible quality betta food...

NorthFin Betta Bits, Fluval/Nutrafin Bug Bites, and New Life Spectrum Betta are HIGH quality betta pellets with good ingredients and little or none of the bad filler crap or nasty preservatives.

Hikari Bloodworms are great as a treat/diet variety as they add vitamins to their bloodworms, and ZooMed Betta Dial-A-Treat is nice for a 3-in-1 treat wheel container.

I'd recommend getting at least two different brands of the pellets I linked below + some variety of treats like bloodworms, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and daphnia. Alternate them day by day, meal by meal or otherwise mix them up such that the betta isn't always eating only the same thing day in and day out for every single meal.

- https://www.amazon.com/Northfin-Food-Betta-Pellet-Package/dp/B00M4Q5DQ4/ <-- my favorite go-to betta pellet

- https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Betta-70g/dp/B077MG4JR2/

- https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A6577-Tropical-Granules-Medium/dp/B07194GD1F/

- Bloodworms with vitamins added: https://www.amazon.com/Hikari-Bio-Pure-Freeze-Dried-0-42-Ounce/dp/B00025K1GQ/

- ZooMed Betta Dial-A-Treat is a decent 3-in-1 treat wheel container which has 3 different treats for betta diet variety. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-AZMBP5-0-12-Ounce/dp/B003ZWCTZO/

- You can also try adding a vitamin drops to the food AND tank water - VitaChem Freshwater - Vitamin drops for aquatic animals - REFRIGERATION needed after first use/opening, to keep the liquid vitamin drops fresh. https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Enterprises-ABE16708-Freshwater-Vitachem/dp/B00BS96V78

Beware of overfeeding, which is equally bad for bettas as underfeeding (they are gluttons and would eat till they burst if given the chance) https://i.imgur.com/4RR2LZ9.jpg. (save this pic for reference, feed betta as much as makes his belly match between 1st and 2nd photo, then let him digest back down to a normal belly before feed again.)

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Again, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... FISHLESS CYCLE before you get a betta or any tankmates, I cannot stress the importance of that enough. The Nitrogen Cycle and the Fishless Cycle - getting your aquarium ready for fish - INJAF

I still can't figure out exactly what kind of turtle he is.

Here's my recommendations. Please keep in mind that this is based on 1) Never owning a turtle of this type 2) Assumptions that it is some kind of common musk turtle, and 3) Limited research. Do a lot of your own reading over the next few days and see if you come to the same conclusions regarding diet and habitat. Hopefully this will give you a place to start though. All prices in USD.

Tank - 40 gallon breeder. You could probably get away with a 20 gallon long, as they are a pretty small species. I like to give my critters pleanty of room to move around though. A breeder tank has more floor space (36" x 18" x 17") than a 40 gallon long, since they don't need a very deep habitat. You can usually get tanks like this for 1$ per gallon, so $40 here. Local aquarium store

I personally like Flourite for a substrate, it looks natural and turtles tend not to try to eat it for whatever reason. 1-2 bags of this at ~$15 a bag, lets call it $30. Make sure you rinse this stuff really good first! https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-Fluorite-Red-Clay-Gravel/dp/B00GJX0E08 <-- should be the stuff, I got mine from a local aquarium store though.

Canister filter rated for around 35-40 gallons. I'm forgoing my earlier rule of a filter at least 2x the size of the tank for two reasons. One, from what I'm reading, they don't like strong currents. Two, you only want about 6" of water. I'm not sure if this is a good call, but it's what I would go with. Fluval 206 might work here, but it might also be too strong. You can play with the output though (place it below rocks or something) to dampen the flow. ~$100 https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A207-206-External-Filter/dp/B005QRDDM4

36" T5 Terrarium Hood + T5 UVB 10.0 bulb - $50 for the hood, $25 for the light, change every 6 months. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8FR4/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8HKO

Ceramic Heat Emitter + CHE Dome - $20 for the CHE, $15 for the Dome. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter/dp/B001F9CV7K/ https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Sun-Dome-Reptile-Lamp/dp/B001OS0SB8

Air pump - Optional, $30 or so plus some air line/air stone. https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-30-60-Gallon-Aquariums/dp/B00IZLRK36

$300 total for brand new equipment, not shopping around or anything. If you pick up some of this used you can probably do better.

I would make about a quarter of it to one side a few inches out of the water for him to rest and bask, place the heat lamp over this area. You can use larger rocks to pile up here to get it out of the water. Basking area should be 85-90 F. Gradually slope this down into the rest of the aquarium. Give him about 6" of water off the bottom of the substrate to swim in and decorate this however you see fit.

http://www.insectivore.co.uk/pdf/common_musk_turtle_caresheet.pdf

Feeding should be pretty much what I said before. As /u/Ra_Cha_Cha said, they love movement. I had a box turtle too, and while she got used to the usual greens and pellets, nothing got her quite as excited as seeing a wiggling worm.

Monte Carlo could work. I haven't had much luck with it in a jar but that could be because I didn't keep up with water changes for a little bit.

I personally am not a fan of the dry start method, especially in something like a small jar. I would suggest planting with water. My thing with the dry start method is that you need to do it at least a month for some results but when you floor your jar the plants have to adjust to being submerged. In my experience, this caused a lot of dying off of plants and caused them to have to regrow and creates dirty water for a period of time. Because of that, I'd suggest planting them with water.

I'd definitely suggest using dirt and capping it with something (walstad method). Make sure you use organic potting soil, I've used Miracle Grow Organic potting soil in the past. The extra chemicals and fertalizers in regular potting soil isn't good to use in aquariums and can kill your plants/livestock. I'd suggest putting the potting soil in a large bucket, flood the bucket, and scoop out the wood and particles that float to the top. Be sure to mix up your dirt when you're doing this, let the dirt settle, and repeat. You should cap the dirt with something. I think gravel is better than fine sand so there is more room for the soil to leach it's nutrients into the water.

I'm pretty sure if you do the walstad method you don't need a filter (I'd double check that by googling and checking the sidebar for the walstad method). If you do I have this in my 2ish gallon jar (non walstad but I wish I did) with something like this for the air pump.

I'd suggest getting some sort of moss too. Moss is super easy to grow and if you put it on a piece of wood it will look great. Look up the nitrogen cycle and the walstad method along with looking at this sub for more advice and pieces of info you can pick up.

Here's what I have so far and my quick write up.

My dad started the tomato plant that I am using in soil. He had too many for his garden, so I used that instead of starting one from seed in rockwool. My next plant will be started from seed.

I picked up a 5 gal bucket and Lid from Home Depot. <$5.

I cut a hole in the Lid to fit the 3" Net Cups. I put one right in the center. I quickly found out the cup it too small to support the plant so I had to use a support stick. I just bought this 6" net cup bucket lid.

The plant is supported in Expanded Clay balls. I chose this material as apposed to 'Hydroton, Coco coir, Viagrow stones, pearlite...' because from my very little research I found the clay to be the most environmentally friendly and easiest to use, disclaimer: I could be very wrong here.

The nutrient solution used General Hydroponics Maxi Grow. Simple to use, add X scoops per X gal of water. I am about to switch to Maxi Bloom. She is flowering and starting to produce fruit. I do now know when the best time to switch solutions. I am learning by experiment here.

To keep the nutrient solution oxygenated, I used this Air pump,two of of these air stones, and tubing. Any items will do, I used this products because I know an employee of Penn Plax and got them for cost $. Any pump will work, I got a two outlet pump for future expansion.

You should also be sure to have the correct pH for your particular plant. Here is a chart and a great site. I used this pH Test Kit and pH adjust.

It's that simple. Right now the plant is outside and gets about 8 hours of sun. I plan on keeping it outside as long as possible, then will bring it in and have to choose a light source for it.


tl;dr What I used for my first DWC tomato plant experiment. Step 1: Click all links above. Step2: Buy. Step 3: Tomatoes

Edit: Also, Watch this video

If you have a small enough airstone you can stick it inside of a sponge filter, so it doesn't disturb the water at the bottom of the tank as much. Here's a great video demonstrating this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS7gIHUkhuo

Sponge filters are super cheap on Amazon. Here's the one I bought (only for a 10 gallon tank, though): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L565N7H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's the air pump I bought on Amazon (again, only for 10 gallons): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HKHQJSQ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's SUPER quiet, suctions onto the back of the tank, and the bubbles it produces are very tiny. I love it.

tbh my nano is a premade with a built in filter behind a plastic divider, I think it's the Marineland portrait. I'm actually not crazy about the filter because the intake gets clogged pretty easily and taking it out of the narrow space is a headache.

If you want minimal visibility, my best guess would be a small sponge filter that could go behind the rocks with only the airline tubing showing. I like this air pump for small tanks.

Someone correct me though if this isn't the best way to go for a nano.

Nice scape by the way, the rocks look great.

Of course! I got the jar from walmart for about $10. There is about an inch and a half of gravel that I got from petco. The driftwood is some hardwood that I found by my local lake and soaked in a washing soda solution, then a bleach solution, baked in my oven, and finally soaked in water countless times to get the chemicals out. The filter consists of [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LV2KUS/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) powerhead along with a fluval prefilter sponge. For lighting, I just got [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QVKBLS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and stuck it on my english textbook that I never use. The plant to the left if the filter is an amazon sword, to the right of the filter is a java fern, and in the front is something else that I can't remember the name of. Shortly after I took this picture, my friend brought me some duckweed that she smuggled out of the LFS where she works (I know some people hate duckweed, but IMO it is the greatest aquarium plant in the world). In all I probably spent about $60. I plan on adding maybe a half dozen RCS and a couple bamboo shrimp since there is a very strong current. I'll make sure to post an update once everything is done!

Qanvee comes in 2 sizes. If you look at my submissions you'll see my post on it.

I've used DIY moving beds for years but the commercial ones are better. You can add a few bio-rings at the bottom but not too many otherwise you'll block the flow of the media. I would also recommend adding a handful more K1 or K2 media to it.

I have a 55g so I don't use this as a standalone filter because not enough water current/flow and it doesn't hold a whole lot of media. The amount of media is what determines its fish capacity. The big Qanvee without additional media is probably good enough for 5 inches of fish. If you double the amount of media in it, it's probably good for 10 inches.

You can also try these sponge filters.

If you get an air pump with 2 hoses you can get both filters, one at each end and that would probably be good enough for your 39g.

aPump is nearly completely quiet. Yes it's small, but for an airstone it works well. I recommend the stronger version. We own both (and run both at the same time) and you won't hear anything unless you put your ear against it. Can 100% recommend.

Can't help on the solar panel stuff but I'll recommend FloraGro, FloraMicro, and FloraBloom depending on what you're growing. For the aerator any old air pump will do, just put an air stone on it.

Can't make recommendations on the rest. Happy farming!

The pump goes outside on your counter/table. They are not that big.

They are a lot less smaller than a HOB, and more gentle for a betta. A 10gal is big enough for a sponge filter.

There are a bunch of tutorials on YT. All things considered, it will be less expensive than a Fluval too. If you, or a relative has any free shipping service like Amazon Prime, for example, you're looking at a lot of savings.



https://youtu.be/BS7gIHUkhuo



https://www.amazon.com/hz/reviews-render/mobile-media-feed/B078HDL21V/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_crsl_img_5?ie=UTF8&physicalId=71UkXwFIKCL&imageExtension=jpg&reviewId=R3QRKV8BBGIES5



https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078HDL21V/ref=cm_cr_othr_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8#cm_cr_carousel_images_section


https://www.amazon.com/Aquatop-Aquarium-Air-Pump-AP50/dp/B005FZYIG2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=aquatop+ap50&qid=1570679927&sr=8-1

If you're using it to power a filter, the Tetra Whisper20 is a good size. The 10 will work fine if you're using it just for aeration. There's adjustable valves you can use to control air flow without having to pay extra for an air pump with that feature built in. If I remember correctly, an adjustable valve is included with the Tetra whisper pumps. You'll probably have to purchase a check valve separately as a safety measure to prevent back flow if the air pump gets powered off.

For a 10 gallon, I would recommend Endlers over guppies, so you have some lee-way when they start breeding (unless you get only males). Swordtails are not appropriate for an aquarium that size.

It depends on you personal preferences;

• sponge filters (like this one powered by an airpump.
  
  
• HOB filters like this one
  
  
• or and internal filters with a spray bar (I use this one, with a different sponge).
  
  I really like sponge filters and internal filters since they fit in nearly every tank. Sponge filters are cheap and really gentle, but they do make a bit of noise. Internal filters have more flow, but are (in my experience) very silent. You can easily baffle them by placing some sponge over the spray bar.

I would also recommend this in case of emergency

Penn-Plax Silent Air B11 Battery Operated Air Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PBIKHU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_l-QxybXF1Q60X

It's loud when it kicks on but in an emergency it will save your tank, and with a sponge filter you can keep your filter running with the power out. It certainly saved mine!

Then try this pump(link to amazon).

I got it for a 10 gal actually and it works great with the sponge filter I have.

It's good for up to 10 gallons, so I would recommend picking up a small pack of splitters or one with a valve so you can control the airflow.

It runs completely silently as long as it doesn't get knocked over (when that happens though it buzzes like a Hitachi in a cutlery drawer).

It has a low sturdy shape with slip-resistant "legs" and a reasonably compact size.

>diaphragm pump

Thanks. Do you mean something like this? https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Commercial-Aquarium-Hydroponic-Systems/dp/B072N2HPWB/ref=sr_1_36?crid=3A0WZZR0GUGV3&keywords=diaphragm+pump+air&qid=1564799691&s=gateway&sprefix=diaphrag%2Caps%2C362&sr=8-36

Yes. Some will even come with an adjustment or they can easily purchased separately. I've got this one that runs into 2 of these and I can control the flow to each of my tanks that way.

Here's a cheap 3w that would run it.

The aqueon air pumps are great, silent and reliable. I have an aqueon 100 for my 60g and for being a large pump, it's barely noticeable. The smaller pumps are even quieter.
https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Quiet-Flow-Gallon-Tanks/dp/B0157AKG24/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1467411007&sr=1-3&keywords=aqueon+air+pump

I dont recconend hydro if you suck at keeping plants alive dude. Buy any 5 gallon bucket plus the following...

Net Pot:

https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Lip-Bucket-Basket-Container/dp/B0049XIIGC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448234&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=5+gallon+bucket+net+pot&dpPl=1&dpID=41OyuQEug2L&ref=plSrch

Air Pump

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004PB8SRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448287&sr=8-6&keywords=air+pump+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=51GDMPD2gDL&ref=plSrch

Air stones


https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Stone-Cylinder-Aquarium-Hydroponics/dp/B01MV5C1I4/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448415&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=air+stones&dpPl=1&dpID=61kdxK4TwKL&ref=plSrch

Air hose

https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Airline-Aquariums-Terrariums-Hydroponics/dp/B079DFWLX4/ref=pd_aw_fbt_86_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01HBSU9EA&pd_rd_r=1ef20a78-f367-11e8-b5ba-5dfed4e35b83&pd_rd_w=ry8W3&pd_rd_wg=odzaM&pf_rd_i=mobile-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=b98fa1a4-6e6e-4981-835c-7fb29e0f4dd2&pf_rd_r=XE7EVET4QSQ7P0K5GKH5&pf_rd_s=mobile-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=XE7EVET4QSQ7P0K5GKH5&th=1

And then buy some hydroton or some other medium, maybe rapid rooters or some rockwool cubes to sprout in. Set up is very cheap and easy.

I use two Tetra Whispers. I use a 20g pump on my 55 gallon and 10g pump on my 15 gallon tank. They work just fine and are very quiet. I recommend them.

sponge filter air pump

So a sponge filter will help filter the tanks and aerate the surface and since Bettas really don’t like flow this filter won’t really bother them much. You would need this air pump with it and this is the quietest inexpensive one I know but you could go cheaper if you don’t mind the noise. This is the most inexpensive set up I know of and if you’re ever able to get a bigger tank this will fit in it fine.

I don't know if it will ruin your aesthetic, but maybe the Whisper 3i? Being an in-tank filter, it does take up a little room, but the uptake pipe is transparent, which helps reduce the visual profile, I think. I use it in my 2.2g, in parallel with the UGF that came with the tank. I power both off the same pump, with a splitter. I'm probably over-doing it on the pump, but I figure there's likely some back-pressure and leakage out the splitter's joints and valves.

Do you think this would also be okay? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superfish-Aqua-Flow-Filter-100/dp/B003ZGC22K?th=1&psc=1
(The 50 one)

Thanks for the edit. I did a bit of digging and there is a forum with some people's ideas here but here is a TL;DR version.

> If you want to use the airstone, you could just have the stone sit directly under the surface of the water.

> User a flow regulator/timer and have it not constantly on. When its off he will probably make a bubble nest etc etc and give him a bit of rest while also keeping o2 levels up in the water.

You could use a product such as this and be sure to monitor the fish's behavour aka how its swimming and see if it is struggling before and after.

My fishies keep getting sucked up into the filter and keep dying :( This is all I need now to have a safe tank for my friends!

This air pump

With this sponge would work great!

You will need some airline tubing with it but I usually find that cheaper in store

Here is the mobile version of your link

I just discovered aquarium pumps are often measured in gallons per hour. 3.4 CFM would be roughly 1520 GPH.

Quick search on Amazon yielded me these results. There's some much cheaper with lower output if that would work.
VIVOSUN Air Pump 1750 GPH 102W 110L/min 12 Outlet Commercial Air Pump for Aquarium and Hydroponic Systems (102 W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N2HPWB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iW-BDb2N50DK2v