ok this is weird!!

I got my husband a betta and a bowl for his birthday... well... the poor thing died a while back... we took him out and the tank has just been sitting on his desk all hooked up -- water still in it -- the light has been out all this time.. but there is a desk lamp near it.

Ok to the weird part. About three weeks ago it started growing alge. I said ok... I need to clean that out and start over again. Well I never got around to it. And now the tank is clear again. The gravel still has some alge on it. There are a few snails in there but there is no way they could have cleaned all of that up! The snails are only as big as a pin head! And there was so much alge in it you could not see in there very far!! So what the heck is going on in there?

 

At first, the algae was probably feeding on left over nutrients from when the betta was in the bowl. Then after a while of not having a betta & not putting any food in there, the algae died.


BTW, your bowl wasn't one of these things, was it?


If so, that's too small for a betta and probably the reason it died.

-Chelle

 

Damn sphere, it sure looks good. Too bad it doesn't really work for them, but i know ppl keep bettas in smaller containers.

 

Yes, that's sad that those are actually sold Chelle. I saw an even smaller bowl for bettas on ebay that was actually on a stick so you could put the betta's bowl in a houseplant to use for decoration. Made me sick. And even sicker that some people think that its an ok home.

 

no it isnt that small... I think the one we have is a gallon and a half or two gallons. It needs to be small because the only place for it is on his desk.

*edit* And we had to have one that had a lid because our cats like to "go fishing"

 

This is as close as I could find... ours is an octagon shape though...it also has an undergound filter.

 

Okay, I think I know which one you're talking about. I think I've seen it at Walmart and it's 2 1/2 gallons which is a good size for a betta.

One thing about those horrible little betta spheres it for about the same price ($12ish) you can buy a nice 3 gallon jar at Walmart. Granted, it doesn't have a light, but it gives the fish a lot more room to swim and you don't need to do daily water changes just to keep the poor fish alive.

-Chelle

 

The only thing bad about a Jar is that it has no lid... ours has to have a lid because of the kitties. :?

 

My jar has a lid. I set it at a little bit of an angle so there's a small opening to let fresh air in.

-Chelle

 

in the same aquarium we are trying to find some kind of fish that will do fine in that aquarium.

What I need are suggestions on what kind of fish and how many for a 2 gallon aquarium with an underground filter system.

 

Other than a betta, ghost shrimp, a guppy, or snails, there's really not much that can go in a 2 gallon. Most of the fish that normally would fit in a 2 gallon (ie small tetras, danios, & barbs) are schooling fish and would be miserable by themselves, but you wouldn't be able to fit them & some buddies in a 2 gallon.

-Chelle

 

Laura05,

Remember that larger tanks are easier and more enjoyable when set up right. Why not find a spot in your house and begin to shop around. Some nicer 29 and 55 gallon tanks come with great looking wood stands and canopys that are awesome. You can look around at displays in shops, or online and find some combinations of fish that you like. Don't limit yourself, go for it.

 

I already have a 55 gallon tank. This is one we have for the desk.

 

t-chelle, does your jar havea filter heater or anything?

 

No. I do 100% water changes every 2 weeks or so (I keep an eye on the ammonia and if it starts registering, I do a water change). And the jar is right next to my computer which stays on all the time so the temp stays between 75* and 80*.

-Chelle

 

isnt that stressful on the fish, 100% water changes?

constant fresh water doesnt alow for anything to go wrong i spose but it doesnt let anything settle.

but then i guess, what is there to settle.

pretty good temp from a comp, do you leave it on a scren saver so your betta can watch something?

 

Bettas are fairly hardy; they're just about the only fish that can tollerate 100% water changes.

-Chelle