Reddit mentions: The best aquarium cleaners

It's not overprice. It's actually a very fairly price and well thought out kit. There's some unnecessary things, and the stock nuvo lights are fine (I actually have them only cause I got a sweet deal), but I would rather get the tank only and different lights. Here's my
attempt to piece that kit together with more ideal parts:

NUVO FUSION 20 BY INNOVATIVE MARINE ($200 anywhere)
This kit includes the TANK WITH THE LIGHTS, which are $400 MSRP. Just get the tank at $200. Use the $200 you would've spent on a better light and fixture:


AI PRIME HD AND MOUNT ($225 for light MSRP, $30 mount, MSRP)
This is a much better light. Stronger. Controllable (able to control all spectrums, set a sunrise sunset schedule, all from a mobile app). The Nuvo lights are just on and off, with no switch. You have to plug them into outlet timers. The AI PRIME is way better, for only a little more.


20 LBS. OF REEF SAVER ROCK ($52 bulk reef supply)
This is actually a good price per pound.


100 ML INSTANT OCEAN BIO-SPIRA (NOT NEEDED)
If you cycle your tank properly, this isn't needed.


4 OZ CLORAM-X AMMONIA REMOVER (NOT NEEDED)
You shouldn't be using a chlorinated water source to begin with, so declorinator only enables bad habits. Get RODI water from a local reef store, or make your own, or at the very worst, use vending machine water.


20 LB. SPECIAL GRADE ARAG-ALIVE! LIVE REEF SAND ($30 amazon)
You definitely want at LEAST special grade sand. Google it. Grain size matters. Too fine, and you'll get a sandstorm when the water is moved.
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-20-Pound-Special-Bimini/dp/B000EM2BRO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479312554&sr=8-3&keywords=arag+alive


HW-MARINEMIX REEFER SALT MIX (DONT GET THIS SALT)
Instead, get the gold standard:


INSTANT OCEAN REEF CRYSTALS ($50 for enough to make 160 gallons, Drs Foster and Smith, also, FREE BUCKET!)
Make sure you get REEF CRYSTALS if you want corals (it's the orange box/bag), or you can get just the regular INSTANT OCEAN (purple box/bag) if you're doing fish only. This is the most trusted and widely used and available salt. I recommend you use it, so your corals always get the same consistency of nutrients, since this salt is sold everywhere and reliable.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4856


REFRACTOMETER FOR READING SALINITY WITH CALIBRATION FLUID (THESE ARE UNNECESSARY)
Accurate? Yes. Pain in the ass? Also yes. Always having to clean these and calibrate them sucks. Get a standard plastic floaty arrow hydrometer instead.


HYDROMETER ($11 amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-tk504-SeaTest-Hydrometer/dp/B00019JOSO


TUNZE CARE MAGNET NANO - 0220.010 CLEANER MAGNET (UNNECESSARILY OVERPRICED ITEM)
Everyone knows that when it comes to cleaning magnets, Mag Floats are the go to. Sure you can pay more, but you don't always get more.


MAGFLOAT SMALL ($12)
https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC


MARINE S PELLET FISH FOOD - HIKARI (THERE ARE BETTER FOODS)
The best widely available pellet fish good is New Life Spectrum.


NEW LIFE SPECTRUM THERA A ($10 most online places)
They have big pellets and small pellets. Make sure you get the small pellets.


HMA-S 50W FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE HEATER (YOU COULD BUY YOUR OWN FOR CHEAPER)


EHEIM JAGER 50W HEATER ($23 amazon)
These are pretty well regarded and reliable heaters. Avoid getting the $15 chinese heaters, for a few bucks more this is a brand you can trust.
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003U82YEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313472&sr=8-1&keywords=50+w+heater+jager


HPS-100 FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE (GET ANOTHER FOR CHEAPER)
It's cool that the BRS team thought of this, but you can get your own large cheap heater for mixing water. Since it's a nuvo 20, and water changes would be around 2-5 gallons, a 150 watt or even 200 watt heater could warm up the water to match the tank pretty quickly.


EHEIM JAGER 150 WATT HEATER ($25 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313666&sr=8-3&keywords=150w+heater


HYDOR KORALIA EVOLUTION POWERHEAD 600 ($29 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Koralia-Evolution-Aquarium-Circulation/dp/B004F461UA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313724&sr=8-1&keywords=hydor+koralia+600


So as you can see, you can do it with better parts and remove unnecessary things, but you'd be paying $697 before tax. Personally, I would still rather part it myself, because I know I can find used AI primes with mounts for $150-$200 (check the classifieds of reef forums or you local club). Also, I don't have to buy some of this stuff because I'm already in the fish hobby and have leftover heaters, or have friends who are that can help me get started. But if you're in a hurry and want to start, or this is your first endeavor into fish keeping and have no fish keeping friends, the BRS kit is not bad at all and the convenience is nice.

PROTIP: If you do plan on buying something this big from BRS, i'll let you in on a trick. First, make an account if you don't already have one. Then, add the kit to your cart. Then, leave it there for a few days. You'll get an email reminding you that you have it in your cart, and since it's a large purchase, they'll give you a coupon (i forget the percentage) to encourage you to buy it. Then use the coupon and buy it lol. WINNING!

No problem! I love this kind of stuff! Neon tetras is what you had? Those are great beginners but they are kind of small. Platties are a good beginner fish that do best in groups of about 3 or 4, especially in a ten gallon. They get to be about 2-3 inches long, and come in many bright, beautiful colors! They also look really pretty when the tank is decorated! Black skirt tetras are also really hardy, and do well in groups! If you wanted variety, you could also throw in a mystery snail or two!

Tanks are pretty easy to shop for. Honestly, the best place I have found is amazon. There are two routes to take. The first is that you could buy all of the parts separately, or you could buy a kit with most of hte stuff oyu need. For beginners, I definitely reccomend getting a kit. This is a pretty good kit that runs pretty cheap! You'll also need a heater for a 10 gallon tank. I use this one because it can be placed either along the wall of the aquarium or along the bottom. You'll also need substrate, or gravel/sand for your aquarium to make it look really nice and to give good bacteria a medium to grow on! This is essentially a preference for what you want your tank to look like! I use this because I like to make my tank look pretty natural, but it is entirely up to you! The most basic rule is you need about 1 pound of substrate per gallon of aquarium. Also, you need to get a gravel vacuum to clean the gravel. I use a small one for my tank because it lets me be more precise. You'll also need some water conditioner to make your tap water safe for fish! Some people use aquarium salt in their tanks, but I've found it's not entirely necessary. You'll also want to get some plastic/silk plants for your tank! Live plants are preferable, but with a 10 gallon tank fake will be fine! Silk is usually recommended because it has less of a tendency to rip fins, but plastic works fine!

So, essentially the bare bones of what you need are:

• 10 gallon tank kit ~$70 (if you go to places like PetsMart or PetCo, you might be lucky and find one on sale for like $30-$50!)
  
• 10 gallon heater ~$15
  
• About 10 lbs of substrate or gravel ~$15-$20
  
• Water conditioner ~$12
  
• Fish food (flakes, pellets, blood worms, etc.) ~$4
  
• Gravel vacuum ~$8
  
• Decorations ~$10-$20 depending on how much you want in your tank
  
  Total: ~$130
  
  All of these prices are from Amazon and my own experience, and can vary greatly from store to store. Especially during sales and such. You might get lucky and get all of this stuff for less that $100! It really does depend on where you are and what's available around you!
  
  If you have any other questions, please let me know!

150 is totally realistic. Planted tanks are the best. I'm not sure what advice you've already received but 10 gallons is "big enough". It is just that the larger the body of water the easier it is to keep stable. 10 gallons is an awesome starting point. I'll take a shot at a $150 total setup, that is plenty for a planted tank:

• API master test kit. Most important of all important importants :). No really though, get one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497496243&sr=sr-1&keywords=API+master+test+kit - $30
  
  
• 10 gallon tank from petsmart or petco - $14.99
  
  
• Aquaclear 30 hang-on-back filter - $32.00. This will eliminate the need for a air pump and sponge filter.
  These things are awesome.
  They are reliable, have adjustable flow, and make it so you can stack the media you want in your filter without having to go crazy expensive witha
  canister filter.
  They also come with really decent media. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00020SVDG/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497495329&sr=sr-1&keywords=aquaclear+30
  
  
• This light will grow low maintenance plants easily and is highly reviewed - $17.99: https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquarium-Light-Extendable-Brackets/dp/B0191EWII2/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1497495518&sr=1-4&keywords=aquarium+led+light
  
  
• Cheap and awesome heater AND thermometer combo - $14.00 - https://www.amazon.com/Aquatop-Aquarium-Submersible-100-Watt-Thermometer/dp/B06X3RYRMD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497495598&sr=8-1&keywords=aquatop+100w
  
  
• Food of your choice ~ $4-8. I highly recommend Hikari Micro pellets. They are one food that my most stubborn will eat and they are small enough that no matter what age fish you get they will be able to eat them.
  
  
• Seachem Prime $13 - Hands down best water conditioner out there. MUCH CHEAPER online. Do not buy it in stores if you can avoid it. It will last forever too: https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116043304-Prime-500ml/dp/B00025694O/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1497495705&sr=1-1&keywords=Seachem+Prime
  
  
• Hiding places and plants - $??? - The rest of your budget I guess. I like to build caves out of slate tiles and silicone from home improvement stores ($1.98/sq foot). Bettas like to explore and like places to get out of the light when they feel like it. Building slate caves is a really cost effective way to do that. Another idea is the super cheap clay pots. If you get clay pots just make sure you plug the hole at the bottom of the pot (the edges are very sharp and will cut your betta's fins).
  
  
  • As for live plants I have had the best success with shopping on amazon or /r/aquaswap. Some great vendors (and I mean great, the plants come in amazing condition days later in the mail) are substratesource and Aquarium Plants Factory
    
    
    So that is ~$120.00 without the plants and hiding places. That leaves you $30.00 for plants which is a great amount of money to get a very nice planted setup going. My 1 best piece of advice is to heavily plant the tank from the very beginning. The more plants you put in there, the more competition there is for algae and the better everything in your ecosystem will thrive.
    
    Edit: forgot to include cleaning basic tools such as a siphon: https://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Squeeze/dp/B00BDPFYEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497496172&sr=8-2&keywords=python+siphon and a bucket :) make sure you get those.
    
    =D

A few things I would change though, to improve the setup and make this 3.5g tank work out for the betta... (PLEASE READ and bear with me, I know it's long but you'll learn a lot I promise!)

1. That's WAYYY TOOO MUCH GRAVEL... jeez damn, that alone is taking at least 2+ inches of what could have been more water space + going to trap a TONNNN of debris with all that gravel... my recommendation would be to remove enough of it until the small finer gravel just barely reaches a bit above the level of black frame at the bottom of the tank, and then have the larger pebbles/rocks on top.
   
2. Fill the water till it's about 1 cm below the top black rim frame of the tank (that's how much I used to fill mine up to when I had the exact same TopFin 3.5g tanks).
   
3. I highly recommend these silk plants, both packs:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KGBJ06 AND https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BG2TEAWith both packs, your tank will have nice and sufficient silk plant coverage. The taller plants towards the back, and the shorter ones to the front, those 4 will form a perfect mini jungle your betta will absolutely enjoy. You could try doing easy lowlight plants like Java Fern, but having had the same tank before, I think the rainbow LED light it comes with is far to dim to sustain most plants. Still you could try and see if java fern will be ok (they don't like their bulbous rhizomes buried though, so only bury the bit of the roots sticking out below the bulby-pill-shaped rhizomes).
   
4. Add 3-4 medium or large marimo moss balls (they look nice and they do eat up some of the toxins in the water) + Java moss [wrap some java moss around cables (heater cables)].
   
5. Add a 18-25w heater, preferably manually adjustable rather than preset, bettas absolutely DO need a heater, especially for winter months when its chilly. Their preferred comfy temperature needs to be kept at 78-80F. I do remember Petsmart has an 18w preset heater that's supposed to maintain 77 or 78F but I don't trust it, you can try it if you want but a manually adjustable heater is more accurate.
   
6. Ditch the included carbon cartridge (replacing that once per month is a money-grabbing gimmick by the pet store, because you should only ever need carbon filtration to remove medicine after a medicinal treatment of a sick betta, it's not really useful filtration otherwise). I recommend filling the big filter space with aquarium sponges cut down to size, towards the front of the filter where the outflow is + TopFin Quartz bioballs (you can buy a whole carton of them for a nice price) towards the back-half.
   
   1. https://www.amazon.com/3IN1-BIO-SPONGE-Biochemical-Sponge-QUACLEAR/dp/B00VPL0V0W <-- this pack includes fine, medium, and coarse sponges that you can layer inside the filter front (cut them down to size to fit if needed). Maintenance is the occasional gentle swish of the filter sponges in old tank water (NEVER RINSE IN STRAIGHT TAP WATER), about every two weeks or so (depending how gunked up they get).
      
   2. Add as much TopFin Quartz Bioballs (rinse them first in dechlorinated water) as fits in the space behind the filter sponges mentioned above.
      
      Other things you'll definitely need to have, and/or do:
      
      
7. API Freshwater Master Test Kit - You're definitely going to have to Fish-In cycle that 3.5g tank which means DAILY 25%-30% partial water changes to keep ammonia & nitrites low (you want those close to zero as possible to reduce poisoning of your betta during the process, so you need this test kit to be able to keep a careful watch on the ammonia and nitrite levels). ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE, VERY IMPORTANT, liquid water parameters test kit. Three main things to check daily or 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.
   
8. Seachem Prime - best water dechlorinator out there, and perfect for Fish-In cycling because it helps temporarily neutralize smaller amounts of ammonia (under 1ppm).
   
9. Seachem Stability - beneficial bacteria blend which you'll need for establishing a nitrogen cycle.
   
10. Gravel Vacuum (mini size is good for 3.5g) - mandatory must-have item for tank maintenance, how else are you gonna siphon out the poo and food waste from the bottom of the tank? https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY/ should be perfect size for your tank.
    
11. 5g bucket (yes I know that's more than what your tank water volume is, but imagine having only a 3g bucket and you're trying to carry it to be dumped, or to carry it for a refill and it's going to be sloshing around as you walk, so a larger bucket will help reduce spills from some sloshing.)
    
12. NorthFin Betta Bits - one of the best quality betta pellets out there (little or no fillers, high quality ingredients, no nasty toxic preservatives) https://www.amazon.com/Northfin-Betta-Bits-Pellet-Package/dp/B01C1ARV3K/
    
    Also PLEASE watch out with the overfeeding, your betta in this video clip looks super bloated (his little tiny belly looks about ready to burst, he's so stuffed). You need to fast him for 3-4 days until his belly looks almost flat again, then you can try giving him some daphnia as a mild laxative to help him clear out any further blockage (not to mention a heater to warm the water to a stable 78-80F will help his metabolism so he can process the food properly).
    
    Here's a reference of photos to help you determine how much food his little belly needs: https://i.imgur.com/4RR2LZ9.jpg (feed slowly 1 piece at a time, watch his belly, and aim not to let it get too far past the 2nd from the top picture).
    
    Please read these articles to learn more how to give your boi the best quality of life: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index
    
    Only once your tank is fully cycled (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5-15ppm nitrAte) for a 3.5g tank, you will need to do one 30% partial water change (PWC) mid-week (Wednesday for example), and one 30% PWC at end of week (Sunday for example). Or if you won't be there over the weekend then do 1 PWC Tues. and 1 on Friday.
    
    Good luck!

I was in your shoes not too long ago, it's overwhelming! Here's a list of things that I bought, but I am not an expert so if others have better input go for that:

Equipment

• 10 gallon tank with hood
  
• Broad Spectrum Light The one that came with the hood did not provide enough for the plants, you definitely need to invest in a broad spectrum bulb.
  
• CaribSea Flora Max Substrate I learned that shrimp prefer darker color substrate, this was worth the investment! My shrimp were so unhappy with cheap gravel, after switching to this substrate they are very active.
  
• Air pump
  
• Sponge filter
  
• Heater, maybe optional for you?
  
• Thermometer
  
• Gallon Bucket
  
• Siphon
  
• Seachem Prime Because it's a smaller tank, I ended up poking a pinhole sized hole in the seal so that I could use it as drops rather than pouring it in.
  
• [Seachem Stability] (https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-67101230-Stability-500ml/dp/B0002APIIW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499786377&sr=1-1&keywords=seachem+stability) Use this while you're cycling your tank, follow the instructions.
  
• API Test Kit
  
• Feeding Tray For the longest time I was really confused as to how the feeding tray worked, you can either get a tube or pre-soak the pellets and then drop them into the tray using long tweezers. This will help prevent ammonia/nitrite spikes.
  
• Long Tweezer Set
  
• Pellets Do also feed them blanched vegetables, make sure to peel the skin and buy organic to avoid chemicals/pesticides
  
• Timer Outlet Worth the investment! So you don't have to keep remembering to turn the light on and off.
  
  Shop for whatever is cheaper, I have a huge heater because I had an extra one from before. I've read that it's not necessary but also have read that if you want them to breed you need to stimulate warm water. For now, I keep the heater off and leave it at room temperature of 72F. They seem very happy! Most important in my opinion, add plenty of plants and a marimo ball or 2.
  
  Lastly, I'm unsure of the siphon, I think it's good to have a bucket and siphon just in case your water parameters are looking bad so you are prepared to do a water change. From what I read, shrimp have a very low bio load and should be able to sustain themselves. Make sure to do tests regularly.
  
  EDIT I just read that this is your first aquarium, so here is a detailed write up:
  
  Setting up your tank
  
  
• 1. Find a stable top to place your aquarium on, keep in mind a well sunlit room will mean more plant/algae growth. Make sure it's sturdy and made for heavy objects, don't want to place it on a flimsy shelf or it might break! I keep mine on top a waterproof place mat because water drips are going to happen.
     
• 2. Rinse everything as a precaution! NEVER use dish soap!! If you must sanitize, vinegar is okay. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly. Also, NEVER use any kind of soap on your hands before handling things, just rinse well with water. Add your substrate, I lightly rinsed mine as there are beneficial bacteria living inside the substrate, pour it in. Make sure it's at least 2" of floor. Your water will be cloudy if you bought the substrate I listed, don't worry as it will settle after an hour and be clear.
     
• 3. Fill water half way, use a small plate and pour the water on top of that to avoid the substrate being pushed around. NEVER use hot water! If you're using tap water be sure to always use cold water. It's also recommended to purchase "RO water" (Reverse Osmosis Water) as some times your tap water can be too "hard". The best thing to do is use the test kit on tap water and go from there. If the kH/gH are very high 100+ you will need to use RO water. I like to place my plants and decor now while the tank is half full. Place in your thermometer, heater, sponge filter, etc. After that, continue to fill all the way to the top remembering to aim the stream on top the plate. Leave about a half to an inch from the top.
     
• 4. Take out plate, plug in filter, add in Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability. Please read the label for instructions and dosage according to your tank size. Since there is nothing inside you can add it after you've added the water to the tank. Moving forward, be sure to add the chemicals in the water bucket BEFORE pouring into the tank.
     
• 5. Turn on filter, wait for the water to settle and temperature to come up. They say shrimp can tolerate 52F to 86F but ideally room temperature water is best, this is where your water heater will come into play. Follow which ever cycling method you choose before purchasing your shrimp. This can take up to 6 weeks.
     
     After your tank has cycled
     
     
• 1. When adding your shrimp, there are many methods, the way I acclimate my shrimp is:
     
• 2. Put the shrimp in a 1 gallon tub using the water that they came in.
     
• 3. Drop in a tablespoon of the tank water, ONCE every 2 minutes.
     
• 4. After the water has reached 1/3 old water, 2/3rd new water, your shrimp are ready to be placed into your tank.
     
     Please don't skip the important step of acclimating your shrimp! They are very sensitive to water changes and this ensures that they will survive.
     
     Here are my water parameters, people have all kinds of ranges but this is what works for me:
     
     
• kH: 60 / gH: 40 / pH: 7.0 / NO2: 0 / NO3: 20 / Ammonia: 0 / Temperature: 72F
  
  I hope this helps... again, I was in your shoes not too long ago, it was really overwhelming. But after a lot of research I think my tank is in a good place :). Other users, if there's anything in my list that seems incorrect please let me know!

I too suffer from the living in an apartment and trying to keep fish problem, so I feel your pain! Aside from the second tank setup for your other 2 goldies, I highly recommend getting a Python, I didn't even know they existed until I saw one on this subreddit and it blew me away. Before I was doing water changes the same way, except I was using a five gallon bucket from home depot. After you remove water from your tank, dose your tank with Prime (the entire volume of the tank, so however much it says for 30 gallons) and then just add the water back in the way you normally would. I'm not sure if there is a much faster way to do it unfortunately. I know it's a pain, but the water changes are worth it in the long run. Try to change at least 50% once a week, but you can spread it out if you want (think ~25% twice a week). The Aqueon version of the Python is a little bit less expensive, and I'm sure it works about the same. Also in terms of tanks, Petco has a dollar per gallon sale going on right now, but I think it ends today. They usually do them about once every few months, and occasionally Petsmart will do one as well, that's a great way to get cheap tanks.

And you're welcome! Starting out it's overwhelming how much information it seems like you have to process, but it does get easier! I'm still learning things all the time, this subreddit has been a great help as well. Feel free to PM me if you ever have other questions, I'll do my best to help. And in the meantime, if you have any additional questions about goldfish care, Solid Gold Aquatics is a really great resource on youtube, and she has a blog as well. She has a lot of really informative videos on everything from cycling tanks to feeding your fish, her channel has been immensely helpful to me. Good luck!

Advice from a fellow Canadian in a small city;

• Save yourself the trouble and expense of buying tank pieces separately and buy a kit that includes filter, hood, and tank (all major chains have them, Petsmart's own brand Grreat Choice is cheap and awesome and frequently on sale), that being said I also recommend a 10 gallon, it sounds big I know but trust me when I say the extra space is worth the significantly reduced maintenance and happy healthy fish.
  
  
• If you have the budget (aka extra $10), get live plants (not Marimo ball, those do nothing except look pretty), swords are excellent, hardy, and super easy to care for (PJ's Pets has a lot of cheap plants, lucky you! jealous).
  
  
• Use sand instead of gravel, it creates a healthy environment for beneficial bacteria to grow and that keep your water parameters in check.
  
  
• If you do choose to go with gravel, you don't ever need to change or rinse it (other than the first time), just use a gravel vacuum or betta waste remover ^^lol ^^turkey ^^baster to siphon out the detritus during water changes and you'll be set.
  
  As for your fish;
  
  2 potential culprits; fin rot or tail biting.
  
  
• Fin rot results from poor water parameters, fins literally begin to burn from the excess ammonia and rot away. It's easy to fix in most cases but can quickly become advanced fin rot and/or body rot in which case your little buddy is a goner. Providing a clean environment with fixed water parameters will allow the fish to recover on his own (very quickly!) but some people do choose to also try aquarium salt treatment, the latter is not a necessity unless the rot is quite bad.
  
  
• Tail biting results from boredom, poor water parameters, stress, and/or filter being too strong. This can be easily fixed by providing a change in environment or a clean tank with many hiding spots and places to explore, reducing filter current (a ton of ways to do this), keeping the tank dark (no lights in or around it) for a couple of days, reducing reflective surfaces (from the inside sometimes the glass can turn into a mirror for the fish so covering the hidden sides with black paper/background is beneficial).
  
  I hope you enjoyed this novel, best of luck!

A 40 gallon will be much better than a 5 gallon. Be sure to put a good filter on it. (I would choose an Aquaclear 70 if your mom isn't bringing you a filter). It will give you a lot more wiggle room since they won't get to be 12 inches overnight! People do budget stands made from cinderblocks all the time, if you're not getting a stand. I'd stick to bare bottom if you are on the budget. It's cheaper, safer, and easier to clean than any substrate would be. You can buy some cheap peel-off paint and paint the outside of the tank black and do something like this and it will look pretty luxe for not a whole lot of cash. (I would skip the live plants and do driftwood myself, since my goldfish seriously chow down on any plant life in the tank.).

For now, I would do daily 50% water changes. Drain half the water with a gravel vac like this. Add your dechlorinator (again, SeaChem Prime is the best choice, especially in a too-small tank). Add in water that is the same temperature. If you absolutely can't do a thermometer, feel the water and make sure you cannot feel ANY difference. Not perfect, but it shouldn't kill your fish. I would still strongly encourage you to buy a water test kit, since you will be doing something called fish-in cycling. The toxic ammonia and nitrite are not immediately visible, but can cause serious damage to your fish. You want your parameters to be 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, less than 20ppm nitrate. Yours are not going to be that, and testing your water is the only reliable way to know when to do a water change, and how serious things are. The best of the reasonably priced is API Freshwater Master, which is usually around $20 on Amazon.

Unfortunately, I wish that the practice of giving away goldfish (or any live animals) as prizes was illegal, since I agree that it is absolutely not fair to you to ask you to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a hobby that you didn't intentionally choose and didn't know anything about until someone gave you a life to care for, and it's certainly not fair to the fish to send them home with people who are not prepared for them! I'm glad you are working on providing a better home for your fish.

P.S. I'm always happy to talk about goldfish, so you are welcome to PM me in the future if you have more questions!

Before I answer your questions, I want you to know that getting more advanced meaning spending a lot more money and time. A lot us learn by making mistakes, and that's how I started, by making a lot of mistakes.

I don't know what level of planting you want to do. It can be as easy as adding a few amazon swords into your tank right now, or as difficult as buying new light, CO2 equipment, fertilizers, etc.

If you want to save a lot of money from mistakes then here is what you should do:

• Buy a new tank. preferably a big one like a 75G at least since you'll probably want a lot of fish and some of those fish will need a good size tank. I think 75G minimum is the perfect size for beginner as oppose to 55G because of the width. It gives you comfort zone for a lot of fish. Look for it on craiglist first, and be patient. Of course you can get bigger tank if you want
  
  
• You'll need substrates. I personally like Eco-Complete. $22.99 on Amazon. You can also have a layer of sand on top. I use pool filter sand. Something like this
  
  
• You'll need light. 7000k Light is great for plants. LEDs will save you tons of money in the long run. Personally recommend Finnex. They simply have the best LEDs out there. There is a used one on Ebay for very cheap. link I don't know how much I can trust them, I personally would buy a new one if I have the money.
  
  
• You'll need plants. If you live close by Miami, I can give you a few good places to go to. If not your LFS can provide you with these. There is also a seller on Ebay called FishRUs who has some very good plants. You can start with amazon swords, anubias, or whatever plants you want. You'll make mistakes and kill plants, but that's what we humans do. Just make sure you utilize google.
  
  
• You'll need fertilizers. Don't waste your money on Seachem. Read this page Fertilizer can be purchased here
  
  
• You'll need a CO2 system. Aquatek Mini for 87.99 + CO2 tank $26.59. Then go to a local paintball shop and refill your CO2 bottle for $3-4.
  
  
• Water change. You can use Aqueon Water Changer $27.99 you can also buy the 50FT version if you need. You won't regret this buy, trust me.
  
  
• You'll need a filter. Sunsun Canister Pro Kit $97.99 Probably the best canister out there for this price. You can go FX5 if you have the money.
  
  
• Purigen filter media ~$20
  
  
• API Test Kit $22.99
  
  
• There are a wide variety of cichlid. I don't know what you like, but I personally LOVE South America cichlids. These fish are also compatible with your gouramis. You can get a few rams, and 4 angelfish to begin. Discus are beautiful, but don't try it until you feel comfortable with the basics and do enough research. Along with those, you can also get some tetras and corys catfish.

Finally at work so I can give some links, lol

Here's a cheap sponge filter, I love these for bettas because they have a gentle flow and no mechanical intake for the betta to get sucked into. The bacteria will live in the sponges so make sure to never clean them with tap water or else you'll kill them! You'll also need an air pump and some airline tubing to get the filter going. I've used all of these and it's a pretty simple and cheap setup.

To actually measure the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels, you'll need a test kit. I know some people and stores use strips, but they are hilariously inaccurate. You can have levels of 70+ ppm of nitrate (which is usually deadly) and the strips will tell you that you have 0 ppm. The liquid kit also lasts a lot longer! Your tank is cycled when ammonia is at 0 ppm, nitrites are at 0 pmm, and nitrates are at 0-20 ppm.

To make it easier to clean his tank, you can use a siphon. It sucks up the water for you, all you need is a bucket/tub to catch it in. Makes cleaning a lot less hectic!

Just a side note, Betta are actually tropical (and cold-blooded fish), so they need a heater. This is good for a 10 gal, it's what I use :) You can also get a glass or electronic thermometer to make sure the water is staying at the recommended 78-80 F. If you already have a water conditioner this is optional but Seachem Prime is what I use as it binds and neutralizes low levels of ammonia.

Here's the sub caresheet/wiki, and here's a guide to fish-in cycling (which basically just means cycling the tank with a fish already inside). I know this is a lot of info/expenses all at once but if you ever have any questions you're always free to PM me! I'm happy to help to the best of my ability. I'd recommend getting him a 5 gal or bigger ASAP, and with clean warm water his fins will be healing in no time :)

It's very kind of you to not just let him die! If you get him spiffed up you may be able to find someone who likes fish to take him in, so you don't end up feeling burdened...

but in the meanwhile, there is some basic stuff you can do. If your measurements are correct, then he's probably in a 2 1/2 or 3 gallon aquarium, which while not the best, will certainly suffice. This means the main things you'll need are a filter and a heater.

It would also be nice if you got him some stuff to hide in, so he doesn't stress. They make aquarium decorations, but a clean, well rinsed ceramic coffee mug or unpainted terra cotta planter will do the trick for cheap.

By the way, can you post the name of the water conditioner that you found in the tube? It will help me be able to figure out if it's a dechlorinator or not, which is the most important thing.

Also, does the tank have a lid? Bettas will jump out of water, especially if the water quality is bad.

Anyway, there is plenty of inexpsensive, decent equipment for a tank that size:

I personally happen to like this filter for a tank that size, and it's very easy to install/maintain.

Here's a nice little heater that's worked very well for me. You'd want to maintain his water between 75 and 80 degrees, so it's always a good idea to have a thermometer to make sure the heater is doing its job properly.

From there, maintenance is pretty easy. Feed him just 3 or so of those little food pebbles a day, and once a week give him some of the bloodworms for variety. The main thing is to not overfeed, because they have very small tummies.

Once a week, change out about 25% of his water, and rinse out your filter pads with old aquarium water if they need it. They make little syphons especially for this, because the suction they create helps you vacuum poo out of the substrate.

Here's what you'll need:

• 5+ gallon tank with a lid. You can go for one of the nicer-looking (but more expensive ones) or just a plain ol' tank from any pet store. Lids are necessary because bettas are jumpy by nature.
  
  
• Heater. Bettas are tropical fish so you need something that can keep the water at around 78ºF. I'd really reccomend an adjustable one because A) you can do extra fine-tuning and B) you can bump the temperature up if you need to (if the room gets extra cold, or if your betta gets stick, etc). Here's what I use in my 5.5g.
  
  
• Thermometer. Nothing fancy, but you need something so you can know what the temperature is. Get an internal one instead of the ones that stick on the front of the glass (those aren't very accurate). Again, you can find them at any pet store for a couple bucks.
  
  
• Filter. Filters are a must because they house the bacteria that maintain a tank's cycle (preventing your fish from getting poisoned). I would reccomend either reading up on the nitrogen cycle yourself and teaching your friend or giving them a link to a guide, since if they've got the fish in a little container they probably know nothing about it. An air pump + sponge filter is a cheap way to do it but as long as you can get a filter that makes less of a current you're good. Bettas (especially ones with long heavy fins) don't like fast flowing water. I've got this one in my 5.5g. The fact that it's adjustable is super convenient.
  
  
• Substrate. Looks nice, add extra surface area for more bacteria to grow, A+. You can get either gravel or sand. If you want to go cheap, regular pool filter sand or black diamond blasting sand will get you a ton for a few bucks.
  
  
• Decor. Bettas appreciate densely planted/decorated tanks with lots of hiding places. Make sure anything you get isn't rough/sharp enough to snag panty hose, because that means it'll also tear betta fins. That means no coarse decorations, plastic plants, etc. Silk plants are popular, and mugs are an easy way to add a little cave.
  
  
• Gravel vac. When you're doing water changes you need a gravel vacuum to clean down in the gravel. I've found that this one is a great size for my 5.5g. Others I've tried pull out water too fast to get a good cleaning in before you've removed the water you need to. She'll probably need some container to put the water into as well. I just use a plastic 1-gallon pitcher for my 5.5.
  
  
• Test kit. Back to cycling, you need to have a test kit so you can know the pH, concentration of ammonia, concentration of nitrite, and concentration of nitrate in the tank. The API freshwater master test kit is far and away the most popular since it provides all four. Whatever you get, go for the liquid kits rather than the strips because strips aren't very accurate.
  
  
• Betta food, but she probably already has that. Although if she's got flakes it'd be a good idea to move her over to pellets, since flakes make the water a lot dirtier. Also I would reccomend you advise her on how much she should be feeding her betta. They're little piggies and will eat themselves sick if you let them, so people who don't research betta care are prone to overfeeding.
  
  
• Water conditioner. Water conditioner removes chlorine from tap water so fish can live in it. Oftentimes you'll see betta-specific water conditioner at stores, but this is just a scam that preys on folks who don't know better. It's overpriced, comes in tiny bottles, and is watered down. At 1/10 mL per gallon, a single bottle of Prime for instance is way cheaper and will last way longer. I'd reccomend you also get a 1mL syringe for easy dosing. Whenever I want one I pick one up from my school's chemistry stockroom for like 25 cents.

I'll just give you my generalize copy/pasta I usually hand out in situations like these so if you wanna read it when you got a chance, then you have it! Also has tips and purchase links for Amazon as well for different axolotl stuffs.


HOW TO CYCLE:

1. Set up tank with clean conditioned water. 2. Add recommended amount of beneficial bacteria per label
   
   
2. Add "waste" to the tank, so a little bit of say fish flakes ( they're cheap and you need a waste source since you DO NOT put a fish or axolotl in a uncycled tank. The flakes are gonna break down into ammonia. The goal with cycling is to get benefical bacteria to build up so they can change (eat) the waste & breaks down the ammonia into nitrite then finally break it down further into nitrate. All these chemicals can hurt axolotl.
   
   
3. Test tank a couple days later with a testing kit ( avoid strips, they will lie to you and give false results) if there is ANY ammonia or nitrite present, you arent cycled. If there is no nitrate present either, you arent cycled.
   
   
4. If you find ammonia or nitrite, take 50% of the water out and add clean treated water. Add more seachem stability ( benefical bacteria) ( add these each time you change water. Even if it's cycled)
   
   
5. Add a pinch more flakes & Continue to do this until your tank is cycled. Meaning you have no ammonia, no nitrite and a presence of 40ppm or less of nitrate.
   
   
   
   Warnings:
   1.If your tank isn't cycled, you are going to chemical burn them with ammonia in the water. And they will suffer. Nitrate ( the final of the chemical process) can also burn the fish/axolotl. This is why we keep this number under 40ppm. If it is higher than 40ppm, change the water 75%.
   
   
6. This beneficial bacteria lives in the filter. If you change your filter, you just ruined your cycle. Don't do this. If it gets nasty/clogged & you have to replace the cartirage, leave the old cartirage in with the new one for a few days so the beneficial bacteria can inhabit the new filter. If you can avoid replacing that, just rinse/gently squeeze out the filter in old tank water when you do clean the tank to keep from murdering the bacteria
   
7. Letting the filter dry out will also kill a cycle.
   
8. 
   
   *NOTE: Most bottles of beneficial bacteria say they cycle a tank in a day. Cycling can take up to a month in some cases but usually just two weeks if you keep on it. This requires constantly monitoring, testing and replacing most of the water in the tank when you get high ammonia/nitrite levels. You need ammonia/nitrite to be 0 and nitrate to be more than 0. Definitely less <40. If all your levels are higher than this, or if nitrate remains 0, your tank isn't cycled.***
   
   
   Summery;
   So basically, cycling builds beneficial bacteria which makes these waste breakdown chemicals go through a cycle of breaking down into a less dangerous form which keeps fish/axolotl from getting sick/dying. ... Most new fish people don't do this. And fish store employees try & tell them just adding something like seachem stability fixes this. It doesn't. An uncycled tank is basically new tank syndrome and it kills animals.
   
   You still are going to need to keep an eye on chemical levels after the cycle..Occasionally different things can cause the cycle to "crash", like changing the filters or a high tempeture, or the filters becoming dry..
   
   Once your tank is cycled, and you have an axolotl, honestly it's not that much work. The cycles the worst part. I feed my adult axolotls once every other day, I change 75% of their water twice a month, and add water to top it off / spot clean occasionally two-three other times a month due to the water I lose due to evaporation.
   
   
   Stuff you'll need:
   
9. Air stone+ airline+ air pump ( cheap ones are at Walmart.
   
10. Seachem stability ( beneficial bacteria)
    
11. Seachem prime ( it's a water conditioner I just prefer seachem)
    
12. A tank, 10 gallon minimum for 1 axolotl. But the bigger the better.
    
13. A filter
    
14. Hides for the axolotl
    
15. A syphon / water vacuum ( to suck out the poo/change water easy. I have a long food grade plastic hose I got from Ace hardware. I syphon and let it drain into the yard
    
16. A bucket
    
17. A Tupperware
    
18. A fan. Literally any fan you can put on top the tank and point at it will work. I have a table fan sitting on top my tank and blowing at the water to help keep it cool. A chiller is best, but they are expensive.
    
19. A tank thermometer ( don't get the thermometer strips, they lie
    
20. A master fresh water test kit.
    
21. Worms or repashy or pellets
    
    
    
    Links:
    
22. Test kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000255NCI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784772&sr=8-2&keywords=master+freshwater+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51FQhbpfB0L&ref=plSrch
    
    
    
23. Fan suggestion
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001R1RXUG?aaxitk=NqgMhM9.r7.gAHICKezCoA&pd_rd_i=B001R1RXUG&pf_rd_p=0ef604ef-c787-43e9-9404-52a4ff25a95c&hsa_cr_id=8386596470601&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F71pMktGGyRL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B001R1RXUG
    
    
24. Tank thermometer
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AQITK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784880&sr=8-5&keywords=tank+thermometer
    
    4.
    Air pump + line + stone.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073DWVX5P/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784937&sr=8-11&keywords=air+pump+for+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=41%2BcSpzfDgL&ref=plSrch
    
    
25. Filter ( basic the tank you have probably already has one)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000260FUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785038&sr=8-2&keywords=hob+filter&dpPl=1&dpID=41Rr1kpTVOL&ref=plSrch
    
    
26. Shower poof ( hang these so they slow the flow of water coming out of filter. Axolotls don't like a lot of heavy water flow. Get these at the dollar store and rinse them before going in tank. You don't have to get these online. I'm just showing you)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01F88BMC8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785094&sr=8-3&keywords=shower+pouf
    
    
27. Seachem stuff
    Prime; https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025694O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785181&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+prime&dpPl=1&dpID=41Q0rRc8NML&ref=plSrch
    
    Stablity:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002APIIW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785210&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+stability
    
    
28. Food
    Pellets:
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0787T25J1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785278&sr=8-1&keywords=axolotl+pellets
    
    Repashy:
    https://www.chewy.com/repashy-superfoods-meat-pie-gel/dp/166289?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Repashy%20Superfoods&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkfriBRD1ARIsAASKsQLQAXpk3WwGiCwRMr6OQmbfUXPIZutYnADrujltXxW1PPSVgYpPduEaAmAaEALw_wcB
    
    Ice cube trays for repashy( frozen is better. It's a jello. It will really trash your tank. So frozen is better):
    
    https://www.amazon.com/niceCube-Mini-Ice-Cube-Trays/dp/B01L7ZFBXW/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785496&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mini+ice+cube+tray&psc=1
    
    
    
29. Hides. Here's a good example..I soemthing similar. Just go to the reptile section at your pet store. Get one that's not rough but smooth. Plastics a good option. Just rinse it well before you put it in tank
    https://www.arcatapet.com/m/item.cfm?cat=22600&source=GA-PLA00522600&fullsite=0
    
    
30. Water vacuum. This is what I have + I have a big long hose for big water changes. I use this to spot clean poo and "vacuum' it into a 10 gallon bucket
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785739&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+vacuum
    
    Feeding tongs: They're actually tweezers for planting a planted fish tank. These can grip worms very well.. The Amazon ones that are silver suck and will make your life hell. Don't waste your money on ones on amazon unless you can find these on Amazon.
    
    https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/feeding-accessories/fluval-straight-forceps

I have this one. It was $30, but I think it was worth it. It makes my life so much easier (although, it is much easier to use with two people rather than one, one at the sink to turn the water on/off, one at the tank to make sure the fish don't get hurt). I wouldn't necessarily call it a cheap piece of plastic, because it seems pretty well made, and I think it will last me a long time. I don't really know of any way to make a system like this yourself, but if you find one, I'd love to hear about it! Also, for what it's worth, I've only had a tank for about six months, so I'm fairly new at this. Someone more knowledgable than I am might have better advice for you. Good luck!

Re your questions:

• I noticed that one side is bubbling furiously and the other side bubbles every 30 seconds or so in a burst. If the side bubbling furiously is nearer to the air pump then it might not be strong enough to push air to the end, especially if it's far away from the filter. Check for airline kinks or blockages in the filter too.
  
• Do I really need to remove all my decorations every time I do water changes/clean the gravel? No.
  
• What size siphon/gravel cleaner should I use and do you have any recommendations? I have three of these and have no complaints. I use them with squeeze siphon starters as I have floating plants I don't want to disturb by using gravity to start the flow.
  
• When I reach in to my aquarium, do I need to wear gloves? Wash or rinse my hands? The proper answer is that you should wear gloves as fish TB and other diseases are communicable to humans. That said, most folks just rinse their hands and arms well before and after reaching into the tank unless they know there's illness in the tank. Use soap and rinse it off well if you have perfume, lotion, or any chemicals on your skin.
  
• When preparing water to refill after cleaning, do I need to use a thermometer to ensure the temperature is equal or will a finger test suffice? An extra thermometer is $2 so I'd get one. Better safe than sorry. I keep one by the sink for water changes and it's made me correct the temp more than once.
  
• Is this appropriate given my tank size/filtration? If you just had the biowheel I'd say your filtration might be on the light side depending upon how you stock (8x-10x tank turnover per hour is suggested with HOBs) but paired with a UGF I expect it'll be fine. You can play with stocking calcs on AQAdvisor.com. (The "one inch per gallon" rule is bunk, FYI.)
  
  A few other things I wish I'd considered before starting:
  
  
• Filled tanks are seriously heavy. A 20g will weigh at least 225 pounds. Think long and hard where you want it and make sure your floor can support the weight.
  
• If the tank's going on furniture (as opposed to a tank stand) get Plexiglass cut to size to cover and protect its surface. Water will splash and drip during maintenance.
  
• Be proactive in having common medicines on hand to avoid frantic searches for them when they're needed. I always keep things like Kanaplex, Furan-2, PraziPro, Paraguard, methylene blue, and clove oil on hand. (I prophylactically use Prazi and Paraguard during QT.)
  
• Dip and QT plants to mitigate the risk of bringing snails and illness into the tank.
  
  Good luck and have fun!

Yes, you can do a fish-in cycle with a betta! It is not ideal, but he should be fine as long as you do your proper water maintenance. Get yourself a liquid (not paper) water testing kit and do daily water tests for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and perform a partial water change (~20% or so) whenever they are detectable. This will likely be a few times a week. As your nitrifying bacteria establish, you'll be able to go for longer periods of time without doing those water changes. When fully cycled, you should do just weekly partial water changes. Seachem Prime is a great brand of water conditioner, as it's extremely concentrated (a drop or two will treat a gallon of water) and has the added benefit of detoxifying ammonia for 24 hours.

If you don't have one yet, a gravel vacuum is your best friend for water changes. Just have a bucket or something to drain the water into.

I'm not sure what kind of filter the kit comes with, but I recommend scrapping cartridges and filling the filter with good biological media (like aquarium sponge, filter floss, ceramic noodles). These media give a huge amount of surface area for your cycling bacteria to colonize, and never need to be replaced. You may also want to get a pre-filter sponge to slip over the intake to protect his fins from getting sucked in.

It will be okay! You can do it!

Just an fyi, I have sand in most of my tanks and I have plants in all of them. And most fish are fine with sand. The bigger concern with a 10 gallon is finding fish that work in it. Schooling fish need a group of 6 and many are too big. I have a couple 10s. You can do:

• 12 Chili Rasboras and 6 Corydoras habrosus. They need sand anyway. These 2 together have a very low bioload. They are not beginner fish, BUT if you are keeping up with weekly water changes and testing and cleaning substrate. You must keep this moderately planted.
  
• 8 Rosy loaches and 8 Chili Rasboras if you over filter with the equivalent of an Aqueon 20 quietflow filter. Not necessarily beginner fish either, need very clean water so the above note applies here too. But, if kept moderately planted this can be a fun tank.
  
• If you want bombproof easy beginner fish, get 8 male only Endlers, a couple of Amano shrimp, a bunch of live plants, and then after several months, you could even get a Nerite.
  
  If your plants need a boost in sand, you dose with Seachem Excel (liquid Co2) and Seachem Flourish. And if you had heavy root feeders, you could use root tabs. I find the narrow tubed python works reallly reallly well to clean sand because the fat ones just suck up the sand, and you still need to clean the substrate. so this is important to keep your fish healthy. Hope this helps!

No no no, don't add a pleco. They are bad for goldfish as they find their slime coat quite tasty. Plus, goldies are cold water and basically every other fish type is warm water. With the shrimp and crayfish you are just going to be throwing your money away, they will die pretty quickly in a goldfish tank. It's a common misconception that fish like Cory's or Pleco's eat poop, but Cory's eat what the other fish miss that floats to the bottom and Pleco's eat algae and plants. You WILL get an algae bloom eventually, don't go buy a pleco, just work on scrubbing it off and taking care with water changes because pleco's are hard to take care of properly and don't belong with goldfish.

Add your second filter right now, and if you can, get some cycled filter media out of your current one to put into the new one, to help get the bacteria growing properly. That EX70 is definitely not big enough. You are going to need to be cycling 300+ gallons an hour, so you are probably going to need to get a third one or just invest in something in the 110 size or larger. Seriously, goldfish are a mess in small tanks. You might get something like the Quick Vac to help get the poop out in between water changes. I love my cleaner, it really helps (I do have a pleco, he's such a poop machine, I have to clean out his home a few times a week.)

Heater:

I currently use the Fluval E100 heater on my 20gal tank and I've loved it so far. It has a very clear digital display that shines red if the water is, if I remember correctly, 2 degrees hotter than what you set the heater to and blue if the water is 2 degrees colder than one you set it to, and green if it's just right. It also lets you control the temperature to the half degree, which I find to be a nice bonus. The heater is a little bulky looking because of the cage that hides the heater, so keep that in mind. Also, I would recommend getting a cheap little mercury thermometer to stick on the glass. Maybe it's just me, but I don't always trust technology to work as it does 100% of the time so I use that as a check to make sure my heater is displaying accurately.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001VMWT4Q/ref=twister_B078RT5TZJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Filter:

Here is a good video on different filters that are common for aquariums and how to modify them to be better than they are out of the box (for cheap)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipTDkQsT6HQ

Cleaners:

I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to when you say cleaners, so I'll toss in a few different things. First off, a dechlorinator is a must for any aquarium, as tap water often includes chlorine which is harmful to fish. For this, many people, myself included use Seachem Prime. This should be used with all water changes.

https://smile.amazon.com/Seachem-116043304-Prime-500ml/dp/B00025694O/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1525110732&sr=1-1&keywords=seachem+prime

Algae can be beneficial to a tank in a few different ways, but it can also be unsightly. If you decide that you want to remove algae from the glass in your tank, I would recommend the magfloat cleaner. If uses magnets to stick on both sides of the tank so that you don't have to put your hands in the water to remove algae if you don't want to.

https://smile.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU125MED-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B0002568ZO/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1525110918&sr=1-1&keywords=magfloat+cleaner

Hope this helps a bit!

I would really really reallyyyy love this because I have a big fish tank and it is very hard to do water changes and I've heard this is a life saver for that!

A little about me... I'm a 21 year old girl, about to be a senior in college. I'm majoring in biology and hope to go to veterinary school after undergrad. I love everybody here and I love life in general. I'm just about to move into my first apartment which I'm very excited about! I'm pretty outdoorsy and love hiking, climbing, camping, etc.

What about you?? Tell me about yourself!

I never imagined that I would be a fish owner, but I have found myself with one, and I have a huge soft spot for all animals, so I can't stand to see them neglected so I want to provide the best home the little guy I can! Here is the list of what I've gotten so far. Let me know what you think and if I have made any mistakes!

Aquarium Rocks

He already has ~5lbs so I figure 10 lbs should cover a 5 gallon tank pretty well.

Betta Balls

Gravel Vacuum

Seachem Prime

Thermometer

Heater for 5 gallon tank

5 Gallon Tank

API Freshwater Test Kit

He already has a betta log, betta hammock, a small decorative plant, Tetra betta pellets, and some bloodworms for treats. Hopefully this covers all bases for little Zazoo! (Yes, my gf named him after the bird from the Lion King. Lol) If you have any other tips for a complete beginner, I'd love to hear them! Thank you for your suggestions!

http://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Gravel-Cleaner-Sludge-Extractor/dp/B003C5U2SU I just saw this the other day at petsmart too.

It should only be powerful enough to lift a little bit of gravel at a time, if the gravel makes it to the top of the chamber then it's too strong. I've never run a tank with anything other than sand so I have no personal experience vacuuming a tank. You also shouldn't have to remove anything unless you want to, but I would recommend it(at least a couple times a year) because a lot of waste collects near decorations because they disturb the water flow and let it sit without be cleaned away by the filter. A lot of people stir up their gravel or sand a little bit before siphoning, that way since you've only got a little bit of water to siphon, most of the crap will be ready and waiting at the top of the gravel.

Also with filtration, carbon is only necessary to clean meds out of the water, but it can extend your water between changes. I used use carbon 24/7 but it has to be replaced pretty often, now I go without and just do more water changes, the water smells and looks just as good. So in the long run only use it if you need it for sure.

About using gloves, if that makes you more comfortable handling decorations and such then go for it, but honestly I'd be worried about the gloves leeching something nasty into the water, I just rinse and dry my hands and arms before handling anything in the tank.

The thing is with fish is that they prefer consistent conditions over ideal conditions, so if your levels are way out of range for your fish, you can shock them by correcting it too quickly, so just do whatever you can not to stress the fish.

If you decide to go with catfish or algae eaters, then use less salt than what I recommended, about half a dose because catfish are irritated by it more so than most fish. I think I may have killed both of my candycane plecos with salt. And to be clear, never use iodized table salt. Salts are going to keep your fish free from ick and parasites and fungus better.

Sure, happy to help! Here is an example of how my free play/exercise bin looks today. There's a dish with soil/seeds for digging, some tubes, a little wooden castle from Michael's, an egg carton, etc. Really you can put almost anything in there and they love it. Goodwill's has baby toys very cheap that often are good for mice too. I made the lid with this aquarium mesh and I just used Gorilla Tape to stick it onto the lid (which I cut with a box cutter). It is not safe for long term since they can chew the mesh, but I can leave them for a minute so they don't accidentally climb out and I don't worry about my dog sticking his head in there. It would be much better with metal hardware cloth -- search "bin cage DIY" and you'll see lots of examples.

Enjoy!

Personally I think it is algae, and your choice in gravel is probably contributing. It's a little on the large size, which means tons of crevices for the detritus to build up in that are difficult to clean properly. So even if you're doing regular water changes, unless you're also regularly and vigorously stirring up the gravel to raise all the junk into the water column, it all just sits. A plant would definitely help.

So two options. First fix is to switch out to a finer substrate. If you choose sand, it still needs maintenance because it can grow anaerobic bacteria and so will need to be gently agitated when you do water changes. A smaller size gravel wouldn't need it, but would still benefit from occasional shifting.

The second option is keep everything as is but be extremely aggressive with your cleaning. If you do that you'll need one of these so you can remove the fish from the tank and get the job done without stressing him or injuring him. What I mean by aggressive, is to remove the decorations, then use your hand or some sort of utensil to stir up the gravel. Specifically to put all the gunk into the water that you will be exchanging.

With the latter option there are two choices. For the first time, you can actually choose to strip the tank and fish the gravel out to deep clean into a bucket or tupperware or something. This is the method I'd choose because then the next water change will be much more clean since you're essentially starting with newer cleaner gravel. Do not wash the gravel with tap water, use the tank water. There's beneficial bacteria in the gravel by now that die from chlorine(tap water)

Choice number two is the lazy way, you just stir up the gravel and do several water changes over a week, but during that time your tank will still look dirty because of all the mulm and algae in the water. Also there's a good chance that the algae will get worse first before better as it's eating the nutrients.

In the end though I think these ways are how you'll get the best water for your fish and fix this issue. I wouldn't use any algae killers, since that's not actually solving the root issue here. I would strongly suggest you also get a plant but only after your water has become more clear because that way it has a chance to establish itself and not get choked out by the algae.

As a side note I don't know how you're siphoning your water out, and if you don't have a gravel vac might want to consider getting one.

Yes, I just stick the vacuum down about a half inch or so and then lift it back out if I notice an accumulation of detritus anywhere. Very rarely does much sand get taken up by it. I use this guy and it's made water changes and fills a real breeze on a larger tank.

As for the grungry sand, I suppose everyone has there own ways they prefer for keeping things clean. What works well for me is the high water flow from my filter which helps a lot with keeping the detritus stay suspended in the water column to get filtered out. The CAE does the rest at stirring it all up. He has definitely helped a lot with tank cleanliness, though no one else here seems to like them. Overall, it works pretty well in my tank. Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

Def consider some mesh or a screen then. Getting used to an uncovered tank (as in no lid) was definitely a learning curve, but I really like it. No lid to clean, I just wipe down the lights every week or so. There's no real smell or anything. THe only negative aspect is the water evaporates faster, but not to the point I have to do more than just a normal weekly water change.

The plants seem to love it. I've got swords sprouting big long arms as runners that grow up and out of the mesh, and sprout flowers. It's awesome.

And the mesh ensures none of the fish/shrimp/snails can get out. The holes in it are large enough for me to drop food through, but small enough that nobody can escape.

This is ultimately what I bought:

https://smile.amazon.com/Clear-Mesh-Netting/dp/B00OABXY9O/

But there are definitely other options ut there.

Some people use window-screen kits to make mesh lids, but I'm definitely not competent enough to do that. I just put some command hooks on the rim of my tank and use that to hold the mesh in place.

Thanks! It's the Aqueon Mini Bow 5 Gallon. I think I have the old model, there's a newer one which seems to be more available on Amazon at this point. That comes with a filter. I just got a large silk plant today to put under the flow because it is a little strong for the betta. I have this heater. I had a lot of trouble with the really cheap Aqueon heaters. Didn't seem to work at all. I have the 10watt now because I bought it when I had a smaller tank, it manages to get the 5gal up to 76, I should probably order the 25watt now though. Didn't remember the one I have is too small! I also got this gravel vacc which you definitely want with an upgrade so you can do 25% water changes every week. Its really easy to use! Just need a bucket or container of some sort to put on the ground to collect the water. Good luck!

Having bred them a few times before and daffodils. I'll share my advice. 45 gallons is enough tank if you only keep the breeding pair. These fish are protective enough that they will run off bigger fish. My dad has a daffodil/julie pair, in a 125gallon, and the daffodil (4" mouth to tips of tail wisps) runs off a Frontosa that is 7 inches long and massively larger body wise. Best to just keep the mated pair in there. Take note that you won't have to get the young out of there, as each brood helps take care of the next along with the parents, which is kind of cool. I've kept plecos in the same tank, but they have to be larger so that they don't get picked on (think fully grown bristle-nose), otherwise they will get picked on / bite by the brichardi.

Getting a pair for mating... buy 6 to 10, and as you see fish get ostracized / chased to the corners of the tank, get them out of the tank.

Maybe get some clay/terracotta pots (don't get ones that have cement lining in them) put them on their sides for breeding, and/or break them in half. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes in bucket of water, get a masonry drill-bit, drill holes in a line up the sides, bottom; and whack lightly with a chisel and hammer.

Get an air stone of some sort in the tank, be it a bubble line, or an ornament, or a sponge filter (over filtering never hurts). Gravel is just fine as long as it's small, like pea or smaller sized, they'll dig and move things, be sure nothing will fall over and crush them (had this happen once or twice). Make sure to have driftwood in the tank, and remove live plants. Lake Tanganyika does not have natural water vegetation (plants) and they will uproot / rip up your plants. Water changes, they can survive/thrive in hard water, you can do weekly/bi-weekly/monthly water changes and they'll be ok.

feeding the babies, yes, you'll need Small Fry Starter Formula , and I suggest a turkey baster for feeding. You're going to get a little cup, put some tank water in it, then suck it up with the turkey baster, and put it near the fry to release and feed them, sounds weird, but it works.

Also, if you want more cichlid info... heres a book by a world renowned cichlid guy.

edit note: spawning cycle, assuming they keep at it, is about 3 weeks between broods.
edit note 2: changed encapsulated brine shrimp eggs to Small Fry Starter Formula

Fish in cycling is totally possible. Just buy some seachem prime (seriously, this stuff is the top of the top, get it), make sure you're doing regular (every other day is what I did) water changes of ~40-50% (side note, get one of these doesn't have to be the same one but something similar. This lets you do the water changes without taking the fish out of the tank which stresses the fish).

And most importantly, get a complete test kit one like this, not the strips they're inaccurate and make sure the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels don't go too high. If they do, do a 60% water change and add some seachem prime and check back in a few hours.

You can also get something like this to jumpstart your bacteria growth. Putting filters from previously established tanks also works

He should be fine as long as you do all this! Love the setup btw!

I have a kit similar to this, I think I got the 4 tools for $10 somehow.

Tweezers, both large and small, are critical for planting.

Curved scissors help tremendously.

Flexible pipe cleaner for cleaning out all fittings, pipes, filters. Also is great for shooing fish / shrimp out of corners without hurting them.

If you’re lucky enough to live on the west coast, I really recommend a visit to TAP Plastics- they have all the scrapers, tiny containers, large containers, needles, vials, boxes, and spray bottles that you could ever need. Also, every piece is like 37 cents.

Hey! For your 12 gallon I wouldn't recommend anything automatic to suck out the water as you'd be out of water in no time if you're trying to clean the gravel. I use a manual gravel pump for my 20 gallon. The one I got is from petsmart but there are similar options for cheap here:

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-TERAPUMP-Aquarium-Cleaner-Controller/dp/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487268079&sr=8-2&keywords=gravel+vacuum

They're very simple to use, just drop it in, pump the hand pump like two or three times to get the vacuum going and it'll siphon water into the pump and pick up detritus that's left at the bottom of your tank. Best of luck!

Set up for TWO Axolotls

Realistic initial set up cost $145
(Not including cost of axolotls)

$5-$150 30g tank MINIMUM preferably 40+ (OfferUp Facebook groups Craigslist pet stores)

$1-$130Hides - decor or caves or even home made must be water safe even pvc piping works minimum of 2 for each (decor can become expensive fast if you want to make your tank look very “pretty”)

$20-$75 Filter - something with low current flow sponge filter or a canister filter with something to break up a strong flow if you have a sponge filter you need air line tubing and a air pump (link of canister filter is what I use in my 55g tank )

Bacto-Surge High Density Foam Filter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GOFPX9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oov7AbY5ESARC

Penn Plax Airline Tubing for Aquariums –Clear and Flexible Resists Kinking, 25 Feet Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002563MW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kpv7AbQ20H9V7

Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump for Aquariums (Non-UL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YF4FI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Hpv7AbC3Y8R2Z

SUN 4-Stage Aquarium External Canister Filter with 9 Watt UV Sterilizer 264GPH (HW402B with Pro Filter Kits) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFCS6W7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CVv7AbX67HQED

$10-$15 Water additives
Water dechlorinator follow instructions on bottle if the tank isn’t fully cycled use prime plus follow instructions on bottle it helps keeps the water healthy for the axolotls too

API TAP WATER CONDITIONER Aquarium Water Conditioner 16-Ounce Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LO9KSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1qv7AbHFPEHT5

Tetra 77960 SafeStart, 100 Gallon, 250-ml, 1.69-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E2RI74/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1tv7AbDHHEMEY

$20-$35 API water test kit to make sure the water is in good parameters
http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm

API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT 800-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water Master Test Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zvv7AbK35G0WW

$2-$10 Aquarium thermometer that reads down to 60 degrees F

CNZ Digital LCD Thermometer for Aquarium Fish Tank Vivarium Reptile Terrarium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPXVI94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yxv7Ab1NSQ5H6

$5-$20 Aquarium syphon

Aqueon Medium Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner, 9-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RK1WBK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2aw7Ab3Z5KS9B

Feeding

$2.50-$3 Fishing earth worms (Walmart sporting goods section)
$10-$15 blister pack of 30 blood worm cubes (I can sell them to you while supplies last for $15 or you can buy them at any pet shop that sells fish)

Earth worms when they get bigger try to feed them nibbles of a worm like the size of their head and move up as they get bigger and frozen blood worms for first month to month and a half try to feed the earth worms to the axolotls ever couple days by hand until they start accepting them they might start accepting earth worms as soon as a week after receiving them from me (feed frozen blood worms every other day until they are regularly eating pieces of worm )

Maintenance

You can use a turkey baster and clean up their poops as you see them you’ll still have to do water changes but much less water 25%-35% or use a syphon once a week and do a 30%-50% water change along with the water dechlorinator and some of the safe start plus make sure to test the water regular with the api test kit

Keeping the water to the correct temperature

60-64F is the perfect water temp for them but it can be hard to achieve during summer but doing more regular water changes can help with that and putting a fan over the aquarium blowing on it will help by up to 4-5 degrees

NO SAND OR GRAVEL ESPECIALLY NO GRAVEL EVER sand maybe fine once they are 6-7inches but they will swallow it and they can become impacted and possibly lead to death

that's how mine is, I used to scrape it with a razorblade but the [magfloat] (https://www.amazon.ca/Gulfstream-Tropical-Mag-Float-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B0002568ZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463156752&sr=8-1&keywords=magfloat) takes care of it, I bought it for like 20$ on amazon and am very impressed, never even need to get my hands wet anymore.

New person here replying.

1. Use clear ammonia. No scented or colored ones. Ammonia is usually sold in a 10% ammonia 90% water sort of solution. You probably won't be able to find 100% ammonia. You don't need it anyway. All the cycling guides assume the common household ammonia.
   
   
2. I believe Bio-Spira is only for saltwater tanks. My cousin used a nutrafin (I think) when he did his first tank, I don't think it did anything. Skip the bottled bacteria.
   
   
3. The amount of ammonia you need to add varies on the size of your tank, but the time between redosing is usually about every other day. On the initial dosing you want to get the ammonia in your tank to read about 3 ppm. No more then 4 ppm though. If you hit more then 4 ppm do a large water change to lower it. You want to redose the ammonia when it gets down to 1 ppm, which should take about 2 days. So if you dose on a Friday and come back Sunday night or Monday morning I think you'll be fine.
   
   
4. Once your tank is cycled, you should be doing weekly water changes of about 20%. That is the general rule, but it can change depending on your stock (fish) and filtration. Here's a quick rundown of how the cycle works in a fully cycled tank:
   
   a. Fish eat foot, produce poop, and poop has ammonia in it. Ammonia is bad.
   
   b. Bacteria in your tank will consume the ammonia, but as a byproduct produce NitrItes. Which are also bad for fish.
   
   c. Another bacteria is going to consume the NitrItes, but as a byproduct produces NitrAtes. NitrAtes are tolerated a lot better by fish then Ammonia or NitrItes. Fish can handle about 40ppm of NitrAtes safely.
   
   Therefore, when your nitrAtes hit 40ppm you should be doing a water change. If you have great filtration, lots of plants, little fish, it may take you 2 weeks to hit that number. Your weekly water changes would only have to be done bi-weekly. If you have "ok" filtration, messy fish and not a lot of plants, it may only take 5 days.
   
   Daily testing after your tank is cycled is still required to see how long it takes your tank to go over 40 ppm Nitrates. AND you still need to test afterwards to make sure the amount of water you changed is enough to lower the Nitrates to a safe level. If 20% isn't enough, then you may need to do 35% weekly water changes. It really depends on your setup. We can't know for sure until your tank has been fully set up.
   
   As far as how to do water changes, you should really invest in a water changer. It hooks up to your faucet and lets you pour water directly into the tank. Way easier then using numerous jugs or buckets. Regarding temperature and dechlorinator, you should just "eyeball" the temp with your hand. You are doing a 20%-35% water change, so the temperature shouldn't be swinging more then 1 or 2 degrees. Your fish should be able to handle it. I would suggest doing the water change directly into the tank and then dosing with the dechlorinator for the full amount of water in the tank. Ex. If your tank is 55 gallons, but your only changing about 15 gallons or so, you should dose the tank for all 55 gallons. Dechlorinator is fairly cheap, so while it does waste a bit, its probably not worth your time to be doing 5 gallon buckets at a time and waiting. Your fish will be absolutly fine with chlorinated water for a few minutes. It's not an instant death. Just get it done within half an hour of adding in the new water.
   
   Buy this: http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347985506&sr=8-1&keywords=api+testing+kit
   It's the API master test kit. Pretty much the standard in water testing. Don't get any paper strips, they suck. Your LFS should carry them if you can't order online or want them fast.
   
   You should also get this: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347985595&sr=8-1&keywords=water+changer
   
   It makes water changes SO much easier. Suck water out of the tank directly into your sink, and refill directly from faucet to tank. Such a time saver. There are other brands and lengths, so you may want to double check what you need/like first before ordering. LFS will carry this, but a lot more expensive IME. Might want to order this online and do it the hard way while you wait.

As an alternative, especially for those who need larger than a 30-gal bucket, don't have an area to store something like that, or don't care about saving the old water, you can just go straight to your faucet with a water changing kit. HOWEVER, do this only if you know your water is excellent quality and doesn't need to be conditioned prior to use. I'm lucky enough to have great tap water, I've been doing it this way for 18 months, and a 50% water change on my 55g takes 10 minutes.

If you have powerful mechanical filtration, dislodging sediment from moss by using powerhead (or turkey baster at small scale) should help.

There are motorized gravel cleaners, like Eheim, but they do not have enough pulling power.

Strong enough powerhead in your hand and micron sock as mechanical filtration (collector) should do the trick.

Not sure if this really applies but I save soooo much time now doing water changes by using a gravel vacuum that attaches to a faucet. I hate to think of how long I was using a bucket.

Another neat thing is Amazon has some useful aquarium supplies in bulk for cheap. I bought a bunch of suction cups, check valves, and airline connectors because I always seem to need them.

And lastly, check out AquaBid.com! I just discovered it and found a couple of sellers with a huge variety of live plants for cheap and very reasonable shipping.

I've been doing my research. :) Ordered the Aqua Clear 50 as you suggested and I am buying ammonium chloride and a testing kit off Amazon. Also signed up for aquabid. :)

I considered Dr. Tim's bacteria but I decided to do it the slow way instead, because why not.

I found out the type of fish tank I wanted to do is the low light low-tech tank, so I'm reading up on them right now. I read about this scientist who makes fishtanks where you don't have to change water for months at a time when I was a kid. Apparently she writes books on the subject.

Going to do some more research and try to get this right.

In terms of how I siphon water out of the fish tank, will something like this work? http://smile.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Gravel-Washer-Aquarium/dp/B001V6Y3LY/

I decided to use Miracle Gro topped with some kind of sand for my substrate. Will this suck out all of my substrate?

Nice tank, I love rimless cubes. I have a 60 gallon that I made a lid for. I used screen door framing, this nettingfor the screen, and black spray paint to match my stand. Works like a charm.

Here is the final product

Sounds like you have pretty much everything covered!

As far as water changes go, you're going to need a dedicated fish bucket or two (I use two HDPE 2 gallon buckets from Walmart) and a siphon or a gravel vacuum. I use this gravel vac in my 10 gallon tanks and it works just fine.

Here's a good video on how to use a gravel vacuum.

Out of curiosity, are you planning on using ammonia or fish food to cycle your tank?

heater

Light

Test kit Don't get strips, they're inaccurate.


Dechlorinator seems they have the wrong title up but that's what you want. There are other brands as well.

Gravel vac


For substrate, you can just get some play sand since it's really cheap, just have to rinse a few times until the water runs clear.


For plants, aquabid.com has cheap packages and you can check out r/aquaswap.


Read this to learn how to cycle.

Here is the easiest way to cycle.

id order a set of proper "Aquascaping tools", type that in on amazon. I bought i think an $18 dollar kit, and trim in tank. That way you wont have to pull them out.


The way you are currently setup, no matter how gentle you are pulling your plants, some substrate is going to come up with every single plant. Particularly if they are well rooted.


There are much more expensive "Aquascaping tools" that will run you like $18 for each item i got in my kit, but are of a significantly higher quality. Trust me you are going to want some normal straight trimmers, and a set that have the curved blades.


Here is the set i bought https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y9JDM3A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


they arent the best, and you need to be quick when you make a cut, if you try to slowly cut, the blades will grab your plant, and it is easy to pull them out depending on the plant and how well rooted it is.

I use one of these bad boys.

Just put a gallon jug or bucket on the floor and start the siphon. Then just mix up the top 1/2 inch or so of the sand with the wide end and all of the crap down there gets sucked up. First though, I clean off the glass really well, and use a turkey baster to blow all the detritus and other junk off of (and out of) the rock in my tank, then give it 10 minutes or so to settle with all pumps off. THEN I do the siphoning. Helps get a LOT of gunk out in a pretty efficient way.

It can take 15 minutes total if you want to be quick about it, or two hours if you want a really deep clean of your tank (mine is 9 gallon, so YMMV)....which I recommend every couple months if your inhabitants aren't the kind to stress out over it too badly.

I also use a motorized pump version of a siphon to clean out the water more thoroughly and save a little time:

https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Gravel-Cleaner-Sludge-Extractor/dp/B003C5U2SU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1473442810&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=eheim+electric+siphon

Check out the Marineland Portrait (5 gallon) on Amazon - full kit, only needs a heater. - $57.46 - https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-ML90609-Portrait-Aquarium-5-Gallon/dp/B00O8SZTKQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1X2LC9K1PR12Z&keywords=marineland+portrait&qid=1550531669&s=gateway&sprefix=marineland+po%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1

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Add:

Indian Almond Leaves - $7.95 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HG1TMIW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08__o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Marino Moss Balls - find the cheapest with the best reviews - $7.95 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT8YO3E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

VitaChem - $9.12 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS96V78/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Betta Hammock - $7.56 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079ZM9H97/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05__o00_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My betta's favorite hammock - $5.99 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BTMKNY2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seachem Ammonia Alert - $6.99 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255R5G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pipettes - $6.19 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073WLCQWD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thermometer - $6.99 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A0TMS6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tweezers/Scissors for plants - $11.39 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y9ZGYMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Algae Scraper - $7.50 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01726KDKG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

API Freshwater Testing Kit - $17.59 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NCI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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You can change the water quickly and easily with one of these http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409009786&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+water+changer

It hooks up to your faucet and uses a venturi to suck the water out of the tank. Turn a valve to fill the tank. Done.

If you are cheap like me you can make your own out of a water bed water changer and some hardware store fittings and garden hose. Works great!

I bought this one http://www.amazon.com/Rps-dfk-Waterbed-Drain-fill/dp/B000FT2PUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=waterbed++drain+fill

This one has a better picture http://www.amazon.com/Waterbed-Mattress-Fill-Drain-Kit/dp/B001QTMTNA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409009927&sr=8-3&keywords=waterbed++drain+fill

You can use a Gravel vacuum to get the gunk out of the substrate. Algae is not bad for fish at all! It is really just a primitive single celled plant that uses up nitrates(fish poop) and creates oxygen just like other plants. It's us fishkeepers that don't like the way it looks. It is very common to have new tanks go through a phase of algae growth, as your plants become more established they should out compete the algae and it will diminish. So manually clean off the glass and gravel vacuum what you can, and add more plants and/or floating plants to out compete the algae.

Get one of these. It's a mini siphon perfect for small tanks. It doesn't have nearly the amount of suction of a large one, but it pulls up debris in a small tank perfectly.

Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer
The Amazon link

I have one and oh man I love doing water changes now lol but if you drain and fill with a garden hose that is pretty much the same thing. I was carrying buckets for days for a small % water change, I knew something would give, my back or my patience

1. Most of the standard siphon vacuums you can find in stores would work. The hardest part with those is the source needs to be higher than the destination. So taking water out is pretty easy since the bucket is usually lower than the tank. But getting the bucket of water higher than the tank is more difficult. I used this one for a bit:
   
   https://www.petsmart.com/fish/maintenance-and-repair/vacuums/top-fin-aquarium-gravel-vacuum-5162807.html
   
   But it's a lot easier to just get a motorized fluid pump for pumping water back into the tank. Something like this (but there are cheaper $10 versions):
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APU2X0K/
   
   
2. You probably saw the Mag-Float:
   
   http://www.magfloat.com/
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC
   
   
   Edit: Forgot to mention, the siphons usually remove water faster than I can clean the tank, so I like using this to clean my tank since it pumps the water back into the tank while catching all of the waste/debris:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OYOPNW/

Go on amazon and get the Aqueon version. It's like $23. Petsmart and Petco, etc are WAY overpriced.

Did it for you. Guess I was lucky and got it at a good time cause I paid $23.xx and it was prime. Here is for $30. Still WAY cheaper than a chain store. http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418177170&sr=8-1&keywords=aqueon+water+changer

Looks like he has plants. A nice set of aquascaping tools?

Maybe some high-end fish food, like NLS or Repashy?

You know a lot about betta tanks! Can you tell me what would be the best way to clean the gravel and log in my tank? A gravel vac seems like overkill, I was thinking about getting one of those things that look like a turkey baster to suck up the gunk that will accumulate along the bottom. I'm also planning a 20-25% water change every week, but I figure since it's not much, I can just scoop out the water with the plastic cup that my betta will come home in today (yay, I'm so excited to meet him!). Good plan, or no?

You really just need a siphon with a long head, like this one, if you don't have it already.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xJy2DbQXKKHDM

It's pretty easy to start, you don't need to submerge the whole siphon in your tank. Just pour water down the siphon, after it's filled up with water hold the other end of the siphon where the water comes out with your thumb. Submerge the long head in your tank fully, letting out any air bubbles. Then let go of your thumb. Water siphon starts right away.

The suction is weak, so it won't siphon up the sand. In a up and down motion, let your sand rise up and quickly raise your siphon. It'll go down. This is how I clean my tank for my corys.

Nice tank! Just in case you didn't know, Fluval Edges are meant to be filled up into the outer lip with water. It makes the whole thing quieter helps with viewing from the top. You can use a magnet cleaner to push bubbles off the top glass.

Yeah I love the Rockscape but he's right. You could bring them in just a tad and use one of these! It's actually A LOT stronger than this one I bought to replace it so I could cover more surface area. The Mag Float one just falls off all the time. I have the Nuvo 10g too.

:( All the sand falls back into place for me. Maybe mine is less strong; it has a pump insert http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Aquarium-Cleaner-10-Inch/dp/B004RK405A?ie=UTF8&keywords=aquarium%20siphon&qid=1463540082&ref_=sr_1_9&s=digital-text&sr=8-9 like this one but mine is super cheap.

My suction is also wider, so probably slower.

https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Gravel-Cleaner-Sludge-Extractor/dp/B003C5U2SU

I use this daily and love it. I only change water twice a month in my big tank so this helps keep it looking clean every day.

I use these. They're fairly cheap, good quality, and work well. They've made maintaining my planted shrimp tanks a lot easier.

Do people refer to a specific python product model when they talk about how amazing they are? I have this one and it just seems like a normal old siphon to me

Amazon link with information: http://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Gravel-Cleaner-Sludge-Extractor/dp/B003C5U2SU

That is a neat tool. Thanks for the video.

The eheim is a vacuum that recirculates the water, so you can clean all the junk off the substrate between water changes. I would have never spend the money is cichlids weren't such nasty critters, lol,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003C5U2SU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506288299&sr=8-3&keywords=eheim+gravel+vac&dpPl=1&dpID=31cLttovLeL&ref=plSrch

You can also look into cheaper ones where you pour the water into a 5-gallon bucket, but this is totally worth the money. 5 gallon bucket is pretty heavy and it is hard to refill your tank imo.

I've got:
Python Pro Clean-Mini

As well as the squeeze starter reccomended with it and it works well. I use it for cleaning and water changes (as they go hand in hand).

Rig up a priming bulb like they use on a fuel line or something along these lines. Great setup you've got there!

I use stainless steel tools like these with my plants and the tweezers are good for grabbing things without getting my hands in the water.

Water hose connectors that attach to your siphon hose so you can drain the tank straight outside/into sink/etc.

Plunger with measurements on the side so you can extract exactly 5ml of water from the tank into your test tubs.

Of course! Glad to help. We've all been there and I know I'm still learning new stuff every day.

I unplug everything and use this siphon (I'm sure any is fine though) to suck out water / any obvious debris into a small plastic bucket I happened to have on hand (it's a good idea to designate a bucket to your tank). Luckily for me it was a 1.5 gallon bucket so it's perfect for 50% water changes.

Once the bucket is full I kinda shake around / "brush off" the filter cartridge in the old tank water and put it back. From what I've learned this lets you get all the nasty crap off it without compromising the beneficial bacteria. Even running it under your sink for a bit is a bad idea because of the chlorine in tap water.

I just dump out the bucket in the toilet, flush it, then refill the bucket with tap water. I try and adjust the temperature to be about the same. Put in the water conditioner according to directions. I use API StressCoat+, which I like, but a lot of people here recommend SeaChem Prime. Then just slowly pour water into tank and plug everything back in!

Here is what I did to solve the veggie clip issue a few years ago.

I found that the little suction cup thing would just give out after a few minutes with the fish tugging and pulling. So I grabbed an old magfloat algae scraper thing... This thing

I then took my standard algae clip and super glued the clip to the magfloat. I've been using it for 3+ years without issue. Just my .02

I bought an Aqueon water changer. I don't have enough water pressure at my kitchen sink to use it just yet. The previous owner had a reverse osmosis system under there that is mucking things up.

Anyhow, I cut the hose at about 8 feet to use manually for now (I'll splice it back together once I resolve my water pressure situation). It cleans my gravel fast enough in that I don't have enough water removed from the tank by the time the gravel has been cleaned, so it does a good job (it's only a 40 gallon tall though).

From what I've read, you can pre-treat your tank with enough for the entire tank, and then figure out what temperature your tap water should be based on trial and error, and then you just vacuum the gravel and replace the water with the same device without using any buckets.

It's probably the best bang for your buck at $25. You could splurge more and go with the Python or better, but from the reviews I've read, the Aqueon is good enough.

Aquarium vac

TERAPUMP TRFTCLN Original Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel N Sand Cleaner (Long Nozzle) / Pump (Short Nozzle) with Water Flow Controller - BPA Free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_fr49wb7QEZQX3

Just removing water is fine. If you like you can purchase a siphon to help remove some waste from the gravel.
As for cleaning the sides, I find these very useful.

For a 3 gallon tank I would definitely do 20-30% water changes twice a week. I would not add any more fish, aside from maybe a snail. Adding any more fish would overstock your tank, causing it to get dirty faster and upping the chances of illnesses.


No. Cycling takes at least a few weeks. (read the article I posted in an earlier comment) You can keep track of where it is in the cycling process by doing daily water parameters tests. Here is a really good kit.

You have bare bottom. That's easier than having a substrate. Use a turkey baster or one of those small siphon. Aqueon Mini Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner, 5-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_IqYPAbFJZ4MEW. Like this one.

Try this one (or just the attachment can be had as well). You should only need to unscrew the aerator/flow limiter from the main faucet's output and put this in. Same as installing a water filter on the tap

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6

edit: I was thinking of the "flow valve assembly" here, although you might want to look into a better quality one, or some zipties, just in case

Looks like one of these . I have one too and I put a scratch pad on the inside to help with cleaning.

Get a glass cleaner. There are many different styles. That will allow you to scrape without scratching. Here is an example of one I like. Your local shop should have something similar along with other options.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WRKVUC/

I made similar coasters and had a similar problem. What I did with the next coasters I made was get a sheet of a fine, thin, clear plastic netting - like this - and then add the top mod podge and clear coating over the net. The netting is not very visible yet provides small pockets of air which keeps the condensation/glass from sticking to it.

Here's the gravel vacuum I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002APRT2/

It's got a nice low flow rate which is helpful for smaller tanks because otherwise you're done with the water change before you've actually had enough time to work through much gravel. I'd also recommend getting the squeeze-starter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017JHPA6/

It sounds like you may be feeding too much if that much food is uneaten and sinking into the gravel. Can you provide more info on your setup and feeding routines?

Here's a great video that shows you proper gravel vacuuming technique including how to start the siphon and how to control the water flow to separate the debris from the gravel (crimping the line).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYv5n0a85OY

This is the gravel vac that I use on my 5 gallon tank. Get the size rated for your aquarium.
https://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Mini-Tube-Hose/dp/B0002APRT2

This plus this makes a super professional looking mesh lid. You can use scissors to snip appropriate size holes in the netting.

What kind of filter is it? You could buy a smaller one, or buy/make a sponge filter, or make a baffle, there are lots of easy DIY tutorials like this one. You really need a filter though for the good bacteria to colonize. Read up on the nitrogen cycle, it's pretty much the most important part of keeping fish. To make this so much easier a test kit like this one is great. Liquid is best, strip are not very accurate. You can take water samples to fish stores and they will test it for you, but ask if it is liquid or strips and get exact numbers for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. A Good reading is 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and more than 0 but less than 20 nitrates.

As for the gravel, get a gravel vacuum. Because you are so over stocked, and are not likely to have completed a cycle, you should be doing lots of partial water changes. Press the vacuum into the gravel to disturb it and suck up the gunk when you do a water change. In a cycled tank that is not over stocked you would only need to do a partial water change one a week or once every 2 weeks.

Another note about the filter, the manufacturer directions will tell you to change the filter pad/media once a month. This is just throwing away all the good bacteria and will reset the cycle. If the filter pad gets really really dirty or is falling apart see if you can't put a second pad in with the first for 2 weeks to let the bacteria colonize the new pad before throwing away the old.

My issue was the siphon was just too big of a diameter for my tank. I am investing in one of these which I think will serve me a lot better.

And I do think I've been overfeeding. I was doing about 3 pellets in the morning before work and then 2-3 more later that night after I got home. I called a local pet store (well an hour away in the next town) and they said they feed every other day. So I'll just cut back to once a day from now on.

I'll try that with the next cartridge. I had already thrown the old one out when I changed the other night. But I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the response!

Their gills may be damaged from the ammonia. Just keep up with the fresh water and dechlorinator and hopefully it will clear up. And get your test kit tomorrow.

Do yourself a favor and get a water changer that you can hook up to your sink. It will make life a whole hell of a lot easier while you're doing these water changes, if you don't have one already.

Normally you only need to do 30-40%. You'll definitely want this siphon, anything bigger won't fit in your tank! You pump them up and down in your tank to get the water flowing so if the intake tube is too long then you can't get it started. It's an add-on item for Amazon though so you'll probably need to order the API test kits with it in order to be able to buy it. I've also seen them in Petco.

I also have a 5 gallon. The small sized gravel vaccuum is perfect for that size tank if you're interested in one. Here is where I got mine. I think with the 100% water changes and constant moving in and out of the tank you might be stressing your betta out....

I can't tell how big that is but something like this should work for a 6 gallon. http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY?ie=UTF8&keywords=small%20gravel%20vac&qid=1464546739&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Pythons are an aquarium owner's dream! Worth every penny. Here's the one I have.

Take the sink attachment part from here: https://www.amazon.com/Waterbed-FILL-DRAIN-KIT-Blue-Magic/dp/B0084FFL7A

Get a garden hose of whatever kind you want.

Get a sink to garden hose adapter

Get a syphon hose of whatever variety you want/have ex: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004RK1WBK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1486358683&sr=8-5&keywords=aqueon+siphon+hose

Put this end on the syphon hose and screw into the garden hose.

Optional, shutoff valve( goes between syphon end and hose: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004SDYU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1486358897&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=garden+hose+shut+off+valve&dpPl=1&dpID=51aJdogwv%2BL&ref=plSrch

Put all of this together with Teflon tape on all of the connections except between hose and sink attachment.

This isn't a out of the box solution, but this is what I would do if I could do it all over again.

Not sure to be honest because I don't use one, but here are [the Amazon reviews on it.] (https://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Gravel-Washer-Aquarium/dp/B001V6Y3LY)

Found a good deal for my fellow aquarists:

http://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Gravel-Cleaner-Sludge-Extractor/dp/B003C5U2SU

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1469909406&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=siphon+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=51ZxVAnYE9L&ref=plSrch

Python is another popular brand.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003WRKVUC
You put it in the tank and move it around to clean it, in was just wondering if the bearings would work

Clear Mesh Netting 6' x 4' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OABXY9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SLgXCbGHS0B2P

For the frame I used a house window screen frame kit which you can get a hardware store

Yes! I have this: Petyoung Small Submersible Heater... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRRWTDF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Also I have this gravel vacuum: Aquarium Gravel Cleaner Kit with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HM3SQN0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

And the filter media that came with the tank says it should be changed every 3-4 weeks. Should I keep it up with all that other stuff or no?

Gravel vacing will have a huge impact on the nutrient imbalance. Have you tried a siphon with a gravel vac attachment? It really doesnt let any detritus back into the water.

This is the one I use. http://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Washer/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=zg_bs_3048856011_5

Something like this might be what you're looking for.

Would you suggest the Python brand itself over say, the Aqueon water changing system? The look pretty much the same but Aqueon is $27.99 vs $39.99. Or does it not really matter?

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419183036&sr=8-3&keywords=python+water+changer

I use this one for my 5 gallon tank, it works well for me. I use a 5 gallon home depot bucket to drain in to.

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Mini-Tube-Hose/dp/B0002APRT2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MJBGM3XMWERL&keywords=python+mini+siphon&qid=1567359317&s=gateway&sprefix=python+mini%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-2

You should turn one of those magnet tank algae scrapers into moss ledges on the inside instead of that big old block... Form AND function!

Ill take one of those 😎

For reference:

Gulfstream Tropical AGU030SM Mag-Float Glass Aquarium Cleaner, Small https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WRKVUC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Qwa.AbG5DBF1B

Looks like you didn't rinse the gravel before adding it to the tank.

Get yourself an Aquarium Gravel Siphon and a bucket.

http://smile.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1422713821&sr=8-16&keywords=tank+cleaning+pump There is this, I have it and it works well. Haven't had any issues so far.

I just got a new tiny gravel vacuum for my five gallon and it's perfect. I can't believe all the time I've wasted with full-size vacs because that was all the stores had and I didn't even know small ones existed. It's tiny enough to get into the corners and around my plants, and it takes in water slowly enough to give me time for detailed cleaning. The self-start actually works, too, which I was surprised to see. I'm really pumped about it.

Aqueon 06226 Mini Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner, 5-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_69rJxbEM6CMGY

That should work for a one gallon. Try doing it with him in, if he tries getting sucked into the tube, yeah pull him out in a bowl for a couple minutes. If he keeps his distance he probably won't be happy if you take too long but should be alright.

Not really expensive, $18 on amazon prime

http://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU125MED-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B0002568ZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1395869859&sr=8-3&keywords=algae+cleaning+magnet

1. i got mine from a chain pet store
   
2. a magnetic algae cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1495152258&sr=1-4&keywords=magnet+algae+cleaner

buy the screen frame at the hardware store and buy the netting on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Far-Edge-Aquatics-Clear-Netting/dp/B00OABXY9O

I'm sure you heard of this, but just in case you hasn't: http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450737645&sr=8-5&keywords=aquarium+siphon

Just bought [this one](Python 12PC Small Pro-Clean Gravel Washer and Siphon Kit https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uEM-ybE1C9B71) and it works well with my sand substrate.

Yeah!
Python Pro-Clean Aquarium Gravel Washer/Siphon Kit, Medium with Siphon Squeeze https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BDPFYEI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_uhdxzbHE0V0FK

Skip to ~3:00 to see it in action here with gravel https://youtu.be/G4Zi1g5vvYs

My guess would be that it could work with sand too, since sand is heavier than poop

Copper Test kit

You will want to use a small siphon. And don't dig into the substrate. Hover just above it.


Copper shouldn't be an issue unless you are using ferts with lots of copper... or you overdose ferts. iirc, Seachem has trace amounts of copper, not enough to cause issues unless you use the entire bottle at once.

If you don't feel like spending $40 on one, there's always the Aqueon brand alternative that does the same thing. It's over $10 cheaper on Amazon, and per the reviews it's actually more durable. I don't know enough about the products to speak for those reviews, but that's what they say.

Here it is

If you do not already own one of these you should buy it now. That is a big tank so I understand that changing the water is a pain.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6

Super easy water changes with no buckets and no water leaking.

They sell these for aquariums

you need one.

Here is the desktop version of your link

A gravel vacuum


You can pick one up anywhere that sells fish stuff.

Aqueon water changer I can change about 40 gallons a week from my 4 tanks in less than in hour.

You could also look into getting one of these. It makes water changes 1000 times better/easier.

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Gravel-Washer-Aquarium/dp/B001V6Y3LY/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=fish+tank+siphone&qid=1574057375&sr=8-6

Buy this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003C5U2SU?cache=96fab02d9701f6a90f7c7a080f6bb7ef&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1407456721&sr=8-5#ref=mp_s_a_1_5 Basically what you asked for, right? Or am I not getting the idea?

like these

https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Medium-Siphon-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK1WBK/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3VCBSQK9YVPU5&keywords=aquarium+siphon&qid=1549761252&s=gateway&sprefix=aquarium+si%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-10

Here ya go.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=mini+gravel+vacuum&qid=1568853650&s=gateway&sr=8-2 I have 3 sizes of these, and used the mini in my 2.5gallon. It's very slow for me, but maybe what you need.

what about an Aqueon Mini? https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1494948619&sr=1-2&keywords=mini+aquarium+gravel+cleaner

gravel vacuum

Would this work?

http://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Squeeze/dp/B00BDPFYEI?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I don't have a small siphon since I intended to do water changes with a cup.

Buy an aquarium vacuum/siphon along with a bucket or get a hose long enough to go outside.

Buy This: Screen Frame Kit , this: Clear Net Mesh, this: Lid Clips (Measure the size you need first), and make this: https://imgur.com/8FiHIVB.

Note the link goes to a kit that is 60". You'll need more than that... I didn't purchase the same one in the link. I got mine at a local hardware store for about 1/2 the price.

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Here is the netting: Clear Mesh Netting

Here is the screen kit: Screen Kit

I can help ya a bit. So the vacuum is thing. It comes in all different sizes and types. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7hWLAbY8CEKAS

You use this to siphon out the water and every so often, shove it into the substrate and kida shimmy it. The poop and stuff gets sucked away and the substrate falls back down.

I do a simple water change 1 or 2 times a week, where I pull out a gallon(ish) then put in a gallon(ish) of fresh, to temperature, conditioned water. Every other week during a WC I vacuum the gravel, but I don't have issues with sunken food.

Here's a video on extensive tank cleaning, just keep in mind it's not recommended to do this much all the time. https://youtu.be/9h8KTYMHP5w

You can also search "how to vac substrate" "partial water change" on YT and watch a few videos.

I use an Aqueon water changer. Hook one end to your faucet, put the other end in the tank and use the water pressure from your faucet to drain the tank. Then close the valve to fill the tank up. No lifting, no buckets

No gravel--turtles can swallow it and cause obstruction. I don't use substrate at all, personally, but some people like sand or river rocks. And I have live plants in terra cotta planters with river rocks.

Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer25 Feet (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V9FPzbZFCHF7W)

They make various sizes of gravel vacs. Here's a baby one for small tanks.

https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY

If you're looking for that exact one it comes with aqueon water siphons. The sell the whole siphon and clip (which looks to be updated and new) on amazon as an add on item. It looks to be an add on item. No clue where you can buy the clip on it's own.

Siphon and clip

Er, do you mean a pic of the gravel vac or?

This is the one anyway: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pgxFDbT5GNWVA

Are you referring to these? They contain a one-way valve, with a moving part. When you push down, the valve opens, letting water into the tube, but when you pull up the valve closes, holding the water in the tube so that it builds up as you shake up and down.

It started very slowly a couple-few weeks ago but I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t had a chance to do anything about it yet unfortunately. I have a gravel vac and a siphon starter but I’m thinking about getting this bulb syringe thing to remove Betta poop instead.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347908487&sr=8-1&keywords=aqueon+water+changer

A lot of people I've talked to recommend aqueon over the python, sadly I cannot use one of these as I have no faucets that will work with this.

Like this? http://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Washer/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1425940229&sr=1-4&keywords=python+siphon#Ask

I didn't know you could add dechloronator after the fact, I've been doing it beforehands. Should I be concerned about my fish getting sucked up! They're quite small.

I have crushed black gravel and I could see it being something I'd enjoy to an extent.

Not from requested regions, but this is what I could think of:

1. To remove solid waste, using recirculating gravel cleaner, with a bag, that could be replaced by 50 micron pad, shaped to a bag. Discard after use. Mesh of Eheim gravel cleaner pulverizes poop too much. This one looks even better, custom mechanical media could be added.
   
   
2. Floating plants to remove nitrates. Discard excess of them from time to time.
   
   
3. Disposable filter floss in the filter, changed frequently.
   
   
4. Granulated activated carbon should absorb excreted substances that can't be tested. Changed frequently too. It requires pre-washing, but this could be done in limited amount of water.
   
   
5. If something has to be siphoned out, thin rigid tubing with airline, attached to it, would reduce amount of removed water.
   
   
6. See if Chihiros Doctor device could help with general tank health.

no a python gravel vac that doesnt hook up to the sink



http://www.amazon.com/Python-Pro-Clean-Aquarium-Gravel-Washer/dp/B0002APRVK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463447786&sr=8-3&keywords=gravel+siphon

Easiest way to do water changes I've found is with a water siphon with faucet adapter. here is a "cheap" one on amazon

African Cichlids are very territorial. Don't waste your money on other varieties of fish without doing research.. those cichlids will kill them most likely. I've had Jack Dempsey co-habitat.

give them several places to hide, rocks and pots plants are cheap/easy decor.

Pic of my late fish tank RIP little buddies

I'm using pool filter sand and a siphon similar to this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002APRVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1463538689&sr=8-4&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=aquarium+siphon there's always junk that doesn't want to get sucked up unless I actually touch the sand, causing me to get a bunch of sand along with it.

if there's too much build-up and it looks gross, try a gravel vac (just a small one like this) and just suck it out as part of your regular water change ;)

Okay here is a list of supplies off amazon:

Test kit: API Freshwater Master Test Kit 800-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water master Test Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cEpvDb8R85Q1K
(should be found at the store, petsmart price matches from their online store and chewy.com)

Water conditioner: Seachem Prime Fresh and Saltwater Conditioner - Chemical Remover and Detoxifier 100 ml https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255PFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u-kKDbTMV2W8K
(at the store, may be in a different section - i found it near the crickets once for some reason)

Food: Northfin Food Betta Bits 1Mm... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M4Q5DQ4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
(online only unless youre lucky)

Gravel Siphon if you dont already have one: Aqueon Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner 5" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RK40VY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ypGUDbPQWMG6J (You dont have to get this one ofc, but you should def have a gravel siphon, you can find one of these at the store)

Hikari Usa AHK73254 Prazipro for Aquarium, 4-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LOBGYA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VqGUDb6RFCYMX
(online only-
or you could try API general cure which is probably at the store for meds)

Biomax: Fluval SPEC Carbon Filter Media - 3-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049RIUWK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xsGUDb7GSFX4H
(This is at the store too)

For what you have now you can (and should really tbh) still soak in tank water before feeding. Its hard to know how much to feed with flakes, ill always prefer pellets for fish but hmm.. Idk try like 3 medium pieces ? I really am not sure

This thing has helped me so much. I could never get the suction to start on the ones you have to jack up and down, but this one makes it so easy. It's cheap. Get a bucket at walmart, you can get a 5 gallon bucket that has measurements engraved on the sides for about 5 bucks. Suck the water out with your water changer to about 1-1.5 gallons, dump it out, and then replace that water with similarly tempted, conditioned water. Slowly pour it back in, and you're done. :)

That's just a platform that the turtles can rest on with an Acrylic square on the top ($53). There's plenty of other ways to do it. Another platform we have is just rocks. There's those floating docks, but they suck and fall apart. Another option is to silicon an acrylic piece to the tank.

Changing water: Just get a Aqueron water changer and hook it to an outside hose. http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Aquarium-Water-Changer-Feet/dp/B000YAJKL6/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342214121&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=aquaeron+water+changer

You might have to buy one more extension for $25. It does take FOREVER to fill this thing up. The plan is to change the filter stuff once a week, and 50% water change every two weeks.