Reddit mentions of Hydor 50W Submersible Glass Aquarium Heater - Original Theo

It sounds like Swim Bladder Disorder, which, while alarming to see, is actually not life threatening in most cases. He will most likely heal on his own in time, if you give him a good suitable environment for him.

I recommend Seachem Prime as a water conditioner, it's the board favourite around here and the good thing about it is that it converts ammonia (produced from fish waste and anything else decomposing in the tank, is toxic to fish) into a harmless form for 24 hours. Since you do not have the Nitrogen cycle established in your tank, this property will be very useful in keeping your fish comfortable while the cycle gets started.

If you don't know what it is yet, please read this article about the Nitrogen Cycle and then this guide to Fish-in Cycling. This is not optional information in fishkeeping!

By the way, those fake plants you have--bettas have very delicate fins that are easily torn on the typical plastic aquarium plant; here we have something that's referred to as the "pantyhose test", which is basically what it sounds like--stretch a pair of pantyhose over your fingers, and run it over any tank decorations you have. If the decorations snag the pantyhose, they are rough/sharp enough to tear a betta's fins. For this reason, silk fabric plants are recommended for betta tanks over plastic plants. Make sure any hides you have for him don't have any holes small enough that he'd get stuck (I learned this one the hard way), bettas are curious fish and like to stick their heads in everything.

I posted this list of affordable but good tank supplies for someone else yesterday, so here you go:

Here is a list of affordable supplies:

Aqueon Quietflow Filter, $14. I replaced the filter cartridges inside this unit with ceramic filter media (gives nitrifying good bacteria a place to grow for biological filtration) and Seachem Purigen (absorbs organic waste) along with a good chunk of filter floss (way cheaper than buying filter pads) to make it more effective, but it's not strictly necessary if you're on a budget.

Hydor Theo Submersible Glass Heater, $20. This is my favourite heater, I've set up five tanks so far using this model. It heats up well, holds the temperature steady automatically, and it's adjustable, so if you ever need to turn up the temperature (sometimes needed to treat illness), you're all set.

Seachem Prime, $5

API Master Testing Kit, $19. This is extremely helpful to have when setting up your tank, so you can test the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in your water. All three are toxic to fish in high quantities, in order of most to least bad.

If your betta is sulky or a picky eater, you can try tempting him with freeze-dried bloodworms (but feed very little, as they expand when they get wet and are super fattening) or soaking his pellets in garlic juice.

Edit: Also, yeah, do not feed him "generic" fish pellets. Bettas are carnivores and need to be fed as such. I suggest Hikari Bio-Gold betta pellets.

Too small for a bristlenose, and you want 6 neons (this tank is too small for them as well). I don't know much about kuhli loaches, but this is probably a tight fit for them too.

This is also a very, very heavy stocking for a 13.7 gallon aquarium. As this is your first tank, I highly suggest going for a small stock and getting a feel for it - solving problems with a low bioload is much easier, and will give you much needed practice for when things occur down the road.

I would recommend that you get solely a male betta for now. Your decor choice is good, and I applaud you for going with sand over gravel. It's much better, objectively.

If you can find them at your local fish store (LFS), pick up some Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS). They'll aerate the substrate and cycle waste into the sand, as well as eat uneaten food and decaying plant matter.

In terms of filtration, you could probably get away with an air pump and a sponge. If you have a fair chunk of money to dedicate to this aquarium, my filter of choice for tanks under 15 gallons is the ZooMed 501. If that is outside of your budget, an AquaClear 20 would be great. I would have the outflow disperse over your driftwood to avoid churning up your sand. If you need creative ideas, feel free to post here again and we can help you figure something out. The primary advantage of the canister is that it is dead silent, and comes with a spray bar which greatly helps to disperse the flow (bettas do not appreciate lots of flow in their environment).

I would do your damnedest to keep the tank out of sunlight, as this will contribute to rampant algae problems. It should have a dedicated light. You can purchase a clamp light and 6500K CFL bulb from home depot for about $15 total. Very wise investment, and this allows you to grow plants!

You need to keep the tank (for a Betta) at 78-80F. If your ambient temperature is not this, you will require a heater. My personal favourite heater for small aquariums are manufactured by Hydor. Aim for 50W for the set up. Here is a link to one.

There is a very good link regarding cycling in the sidebar. It can be found here.

While I do not know your water's composition, I would still recommend treating it with SeaChem Prime. This helps out with some heavy metals as well. While I am not sure if it will benefit you, it is fairly cheap and you'll get a ton of uses out of it for the cost. Hopefully someone with a similar water source to yours will chime in, as I myself am on municipal supply and must dechlorinate my water.

Earlier when I mentioned lighting, I mentioned plants. These are a great addition to your aquarium and your fish will appreciate them. For beginner plants, I would recommend looking into Anubias and Java Fern. They do not grow in substrate, but rather on decor and can be fastened to your driftwood with zip ties or string. They absorb nutrients from the water column, helping to clean your tank while providing refuge for your fish. I would also recommend a floating plant, as it will dim the lights and provide your betta with cover. Frogbit is great, and very cheap in my experience. It grows very well. None of these plants require you to do ANYTHING extra aside from get that light I mentioned. There are fancier alternatives, but they are not necessary for this set up with the above plants. I highly recommend setting your lights up on a timer and keeping them on for 8 hours a day. If you notice algae, reduce light.

I hope this helps. If you have anymore questions feel free to let me know. Really great of you to come and ask for advice BEFORE purchasing an animal, kudos to you.

Be sure to check out /r/bettafish and /r/plantedtank. Within you'll find lots of guides and extremely knowledgeable people. I would highly recommend reading the majority of links from the side bar in those two subreddits, as well as this one. There's a trove of information at your disposal. Here's a link to /r/Aquariums' wiki.

Finally, here's a care sheet specifically about Bettas!

Hopefully that wasn't too long winded for you. Best of luck in the hobby.

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 :)

There's also this tank from Petsmart, which is a pretty darn good deal for 5 gallons plus tank plus corner filter (I got the Top Fin 5.5 gallon, and it comes with a sucky hang on back filter that was WAY too strong for my betta Drax) or if you wanted something a bit smaller, there's this option. BUT, that tank doesn't have a light, heater, or filter. I recommend the Hydor Theo heater for the 5 gallon tank, and the Hydor mini for the 2.5.

As for water parameters, are you conditioning your water at all when you do water changes? If not, the chlorine/chloramines in the water might be getting to him. I totally recommend Prime by Seachem - gets rid of chlorine/chloramines/temporarily detoxifies ammonia.

Otherwise, having live plants can do a world of difference for a betta; they tend to like more of a jungle environment; as long as the plants are "low tech/low light" and get some light throughout the day, they should survive in a tank with regular water changes. And the best part about all natural plants? They don't tear betta fins! :) I'd recommend ordering some from www.liveaquaria.com or www.plantedaquariumscentral.com - both are highly regarded among the planted tank community, and their rates are super reasonable.

EDIT: The reason I recommend these guys as opposed to getting plants from Petco or Petsmart is because both of those corporations tend to sell mis-labeled and non-aquatic plants as true aquatic plants - I fell for this and ended up having to get rid of at least three of my aquarium plants because of my mistake. >.<

Also, if you get the 2.5 gallon and think you can afford it, I totally recommend the sponge filter + air pump combo for filtration; excellent biological and mechanical filtration once the tank is cycled, and it's pretty cheap to boot. Well, cheaper than other options. (I think I paid...$20 for all of my sponge filters - 4 of them - then $10 for 8 feet of silicone air tubing + a set of 5 check valves to prevent back siphoning. The main cost was the air pumps themselves at $9/apiece for three of them. So...$57 grand total for four filter setups? I keep shrimp as well, and they need sponge filtration, so I jumped in feet first, I guess. :P) Otherwise, Marina's I25 filter would work well also, provided your betta can stand a little more current/won't get his fins caught in the intake.

In the meantime, if he's fighting his reflection, it can sometimes help to put some light-colored paper on the outside walls of the tank; it can reduce the reflections he sees.

Golly, sorry for the novel of a post!

• You'll need a thermometer
  
• A net is handy (but not needed)
  
  This 5-gallon kit is very affordable and includes those things. However, the filter is very strong and needs to be baffled:
  
  http://www.petsmart.com/fish/aquariums-stands/top-fin-led-aquarium-starter-kit-zid36-36002/cat-36-catid-300013?var_id=36-36002&_t=pfm%3Dcategory
  
  I wouldn't wait to get a heater unless your indoor temperature is pushing 80. I'd get an adjustable one, since sometimes Bettas can get sick and the treatment involves turning up their water temp.
  
  For a small tank a 25W heater is fine, but for some reason on Amazon the 50W Hydor Theo is usually cheaper...
  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061UQ6G/ref=twister_B00ZX0DDS8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Also add the API master test kit to your list. It's a big upfront buy, but it's worth it over the long haul.
  
  For water conditioner, I suggest Seachem Prime. I've been through several, and wish I'd bought Prime to start with.

You sound just like me and anyone else that is trying to be responsible from the start. Good for you, there is nothing wrong with buying something that isn't optimal if you had no idea otherwise.

As for the heater, 10 watts is small for a 5.5 gallon. I would upgrade to at least a 25w and you can easily go up to 100w, it just depends on your preference and thought process when it comes to heaters. a larger wattage has to work less to keep the water warm but you may see slightly larger fluctuations in temperature. A 25w - 100w adjustable heater will run you ~$15 on amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Submersible-Glass-Aquarium-Heater/dp/B00061UQ6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494027759&sr=8-1&keywords=hydor+aquarium+heater).

Don't stress. Most Bettas are extremely resilient compared to other tropical fauna.

I got this for my 5.5 gallon. Works good so far. https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Submersible-Glass-Aquarium-Heater/dp/B00061UQ6G

I'd go for an adjustable heater. My 25 W heater can't quite keep the temperature at 80 F in the winter.

http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-50W-Submersible-Aquarium-Heater/dp/B00061UQ6G/ref=pd_sbs_petsupplies_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BZ5NEB4ZFK67VQSEJ4S

I know you're on a budget, but don't skimp on the heater! The fish are always the cheapest part of a tank.

not soon soon. there is a high chance they might but they might not, if you can see if you can take them back or give them to a friend that has a cycled tank if possible till your tank cycles, if you can't and you want to give them the best chance of survival, you will have to test ammonia the water daily and if the ammonia is above 0.25ppm do a 50% water change. then just test nitrite every 2-4 days. your goal is to:

1. keep ammonia nitrite at 0ppm or close to it
   
2. nitrate under 30ppm
   
3. do all of that while keeping your new little friends alive.
   all of that will take awhile to do and don't be to shocked if a couple die.
   it will also help if I know what filter you have. you might also want to pick up a heater

I like the Aquaclear 20 a lot. It moves a lot of water, you can customize the media (like adding more biomedia, Purigen instead of carbon, etc), can easily adjust flow, and is VERY quiet. I've used the Whispers and they're alright, but tended to blow my biggest betta around. It is possible to baffle it with a cut water bottle (google it) but I prefer the Aquaclear hands down.

Heater: Eheim 50w (adjustable), Cobalt 50w (also adjustable, and looks sleek). A lot of people like the Hydor heaters as well.

Thermometer: the Marina one. Strips tend to not be as accurate.

I think I do! It doesn't say Theo on the box, but this is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00061UQ6G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have the Evo saltwater version, only the light and packaging are different.

Last night my low ambient temp indoors was 61.6. My Spec V is has a 25w heater in the main display chamber and the tank was 70.3 when I woke up. The Evo has 50w heater in the pump chamber and got as low as 73.6.

I have an external temperature controller for the heater in the Evo but the heater's internal thermostat always shuts it off. Point is, I think the 50w would possibly work OK if it was allowed to heat up the back chamber enough, but the internal thermostat kicks it off no matter how high I set it. Currently I'd like to get a cobalt neo-therm as a replacement.

I've read of people perforating the tubing in the pump chamber to allow more heat exchange but that will also reduce flow. For my saltwater I want more flow and upgraded the pump, so the perforations would go against my goal but I may end up doing it in the end if I have to add a wave maker.

Inefficiency is my OCD kryptonite, so I can only bring myself to use LEDs. You can get higher output levels with other technologies but your plants and corals can only use so much. People obsess over buying the brightest thing possible then spend another small fortune on a PAR meter to figure out it's way too bright and dial it down to 30%. The plants don't need a wide spectrum of light, so most of what you're after is what it looks like to you. It looks like the the fixture you linked uses standard bulbs so you have a lot of options to test with. I really like the look of the stock light and the plant growth is more than OK for me.

I'm not sure you'd need to mod the tank unless you want one light on each end? The lid is super thin so it will be easy to cut if you need to. I was pricing pieces of glass as a replacement to make it octopus-safe and depending on thickness it's around $13-35 in Seattle. I prefer to run them topless - I don't like the light diffusion of the lid, but the trade-off is evaporation and you might have critters that like to escape.

so many options! :)

I just bought this about a week ago and have not had any issues yet. The back compartment water gets warmer than the actual aquarium but I have my heater set to 80 and my thermometer reads around 79/80. You have to unplug the heater every time you do a water change because the water drops lower in the back section in comparison to the front.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00061UQ6G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two questions:

What scissors do you guys use to trim plants in the aquarium? I have a 10 gallon with some dwarf sag that I desperately need to tame down.

Also, what heater would you guys recommend for a 10 gallon? I had this one about a year or two ago but was curious which ones you guys liked.

You could also try the Hydor 50W submersible heater. I have both the Aqueon and Hydor, both have been working well for me so far (I only just got Aqueon recently since it was on sale and the Hydor wasn’t, tho).

Here’s a link to both (sorry for long links, am on mobile and new to posting on reddit lol):

Hydor 50W Submersible Glass Aquarium Heater - Original Theo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061UQ6G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zA8NDb59F8D0Y


Aqueon 50W
https://www.petsmart.com/fish/heating-and-lighting/heaters/aqueon-submersible-aquarium-heater-5175676.html?utm_id=500%7Cpg1050514657%7C770857006021&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrfvsBRD7ARIsAKuDvMNJs6NtT1jcpvDHP0otwaHA7ZZbS42ymE6w28uEeV_rf9zxEUdGR14aAuk7EALw_wcB&lsft=utm_source%3Agoogle%2Cutm_term%3A5175676%2Cutm_medium%3APLA%2Cutm_content%3AGSC%20-%20Medium%20-%20Specialty%20-%20Fish%20-%20Strong%20SS%20%7C%20*Catch%20All%2Cutm_campaign%3AGSC%20-%20Medium%20-%20Specialty%20-%20Fish%20-%20Strong%20SS&utm_medium=PLA&utm_source=google

Ya that heater sucks lol

Try this one: Hydor 50W Submersible Aquarium Heater - Original Theo https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00061UQ6G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zRR3BbSX83K84


I have three of them when I used to have three nano tanks

Edit: Oops I just read that you have a 2.5g. Depending on the room temp, it might be too much for the 2.5g. I used to have one in a 3 gallon and during the summer, it would def be too hot for the tank and I would just turn it off. Not ideal. Sorry for the shoddy suggestion after all!

It's not the best quality, so you will probably have to replace parts of it over time, but it's a good starter kit.

If you want to get some slightly higher quality gear for a comparable price, I recommend:

• get a standard 20 gallon tank at the dollar per gallon sale ($20)
  
• filter: Aquaclear 30 ($30)
  
• heater: Hydor 50W($20)
  
• lights: Nicrew LED 20-27"($30)
  
  Boom, that's $100 and you get pretty much everything that's included in the kit but it will last longer. I don't think the light will let you grow much more than low-light plants, but it probably won't be worse than the light that comes with the kit.

The fact that you're asking questions and researching is a good sign that you'll do well by your new friend! We all went through the noob period. My first betta was in a 1.5 gallon tank until I started researching here.

Unfortunately I don't think you could add anything to that size of a tank without causing stress/imbalance to the water parameters, except maybe a nerite snail. You should check out petco's black friday deal; you can get this 10 gallon kit for 50 bucks. That includes a light, a filter, a hood, a preset heater (although I would personally get an adjustable heater to replace it since preset heaters have a habit of getting stuck in the "on" position; this one is a great alternative), a thermometer, fish food, water conditioner, and the tank itself. It's a hell of a steal and you'll have enough room to add cories or shrimp if you want.

It's best to not move them around so much, but sometimes it's necessary for large water changes or introducing new friends. My recommendation would be to get a bigger tank, add the fish you want to add to it (I can help with how many fish to add as well, and what type, and there's tons of information on google if you type things like "what fish can I have with my betta"), and then maybe a week later add your betta. SLOWLY. Float him in a cup for a few hours and slowly add the new tank water to his cup. If he acts super aggressive even after a few hours (flaring, charging, etc) don't add him to the tank. You may just have an aggressive betta. :P