Betta fish questions

[black_cat]

The tank is not a long one, but a square/tall one. If it was long, I'd use it for my crabs and set up a 10 gallon betta tank.

 

[black_cat]

Wow, a free tank! That's awesome!

Research filters before you buy. You will need a large filter to handle that much water. Get one that is rated for at least 100gal. Canister filters are great but expensive. They can filter a lot of water but are hidden under the tank.

For my planted tank, I used nylon stocking as little dirt bags. Filled them with soil and placed them on the bottom of the tank. Then covered them with very fine gravel. To insert the plants, I cut a little hole in the nylon and gently put the roots through and into the soil. Worked great. I will try to find the pictures I took of the process.

That's a great idea!
I had been looking at the Aqua Clear ones because they are adjustable.

 

[Tonyroo]

I"m back on the betta thing! I've decided to save up enough money to buy all of the materials, plus enough money to upkeep the tank for a year. I'm planning a ten gallon aquarium, still.
Current list:
View attachment 2522829
The filter I think is good
The heater I think is good
Substrate of choice
Centerpiece- I plan to bury the base in the substrate so that it blends in.
The plants would be 3 java fern and 2 anubias.
I'm struggling to figure out how hard my water is- this is the town's water chart.
View attachment 2522840
The ph looks good for a betta, but I can't figure out much else. I already have some water un chlorine stuff for my hermit crabs that I got for christmas to use for their water.

You have hard water on the alkaline side, if your betta likes that type of water condition should be ok. Water plants on the other hand like neutral ph. so you might want to do some research on the plant background. Good choice on plant selection, I know they don't require a lot of light to thrive. Using charcoal based filters will help to neutralize heavy metals, chlorine/chloromine. Also the liquid chlorine neutralizer is a must when setting up. But I'm sure you already know.

 

[black_cat]

You have hard water on the alkaline side, if your betta likes that type of water condition should be ok. Water plants on the other hand like neutral ph. so you might want to do some research on the plant background. Good choice on plant selection, I know they don't require a lot of light to thrive. Using charcoal based filters will help to neutralize heavy metals, chlorine/chloromine. Also the liquid chlorine neutralizer is a must when setting up. But I'm sure you already know.

How soft would the water have to be for a betta?

 

[SegiDream]

That's a great idea!
I had been looking at the Aqua Clear ones because they are adjustable.

Sorry if I've said any of this before but soak the soil when it is in the tank, so that it has the consistency of paste and then put pre-rinsed gravel on top otherwise trapped air bubbles can make a mess. You can put plants in (with tweezers) before or after the gravel step. Dirt especially organic "dirt" can cause a spike in the ammonia, I used that to help cycle my first really big tank.

Look for used canister filters. Always buy a filter that's rated for a larger tank. If you know what gph you need it makes it so much easier when shopping for a filter, I used to know off the top of my head how many gph per gallon. Also consider getting a spray bar to help with the outflow. Also consider placement. 75g is about 700lbs (water+glass weight) and you need appropriate floor support, perpendicular to floor beams, 1st floor on older homes etc.

 

[SegiDream]

How soft would the water have to be for a betta?

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/betta-splendens/

 

[black_cat]

How do I figure out the water ppm of my water?

 

[Chickstarrs]

Sorry if I've said any of this before but soak the soil when it is in the tank, so that it has the consistency of paste and then put pre-rinsed gravel on top otherwise trapped air bubbles can make a mess. You can put plants in (with tweezers) before or after the gravel step. Dirt especially organic "dirt" can cause a spike in the ammonia, I used that to help cycle my first really big tank.

Look for used canister filters. Always buy a filter that's rated for a larger tank. If you know what gph you need it makes it so much easier when shopping for a filter, I used to know off the top of my head how many gph per gallon. Also consider getting a spray bar to help with the outflow. Also consider placement. 75g is about 700lbs (water+glass weight) and you need appropriate floor support, perpendicular to floor beams, 1st floor on older homes etc.

Good point on the soil. I soaked and dried mine 2 or 3 times before using. I helps reduce the gassing afterwards.

 

[black_cat]

What's wrong with just,,,,,, putting the dirt in? are the air bubbles bad? I'd be having the tank without fish for a month or so anyway to cycle it and make sure that the plants take root properly.

 

[black_cat]

I still really want a betta but would feel bad using a giant aquarium for only one fish