To be honest I am not entirely sure what effects water hardness would have on skin or hair but apparently yes, Japan's water is really soft. So soft in fact that there are articles about how soft it is lol. NYC doesn't disclose the hardness of their water but some users say it's soft. But yeah, Japanese water seems superior!!
Also if you want you can test your tap water's hardness with this kit. It's meant for aquariums but I would test tap water for customers a lot. The general hardness test is the one that matters the most. Carbonate hardness is only an issue if you're a fish.
No such thing as a stupid question! I got myself a python vacuum (around $30 - can’t link to it from mobile but I’ll update tomorrow). I then drain as much as possible to the last inch or so, and then I use a couple towels to soak up the rest. If there’s any residual vinegar, you’ll catch it when you cycle the tank. The python also makes water changes incredibly easy - I use the tank water for my plants, or it drains directly into the nearest tub or sink so less mess!
Edit: Python Vaccum
Side note- you should look into getting your dad a Python aquarium water changer. Hooks up to your faucet and can both empty and fill the tank for you. I got my dad one because he’s got a slipped disk in his back and couldn’t carry his buckets anymore.
it’s definitely not! that would be an interesting way to do a water change though 😂 for those interested here is a (non affiliated dont worry) link to the system. i refuse to use buckets unless its my nano under 10g tanks.
Test the water again with a liquid kit as strips are super inaccurate.
Get a filter and a pump. A frogs natural habitat is not a closed system, and nature regulates all the bad stuff. Usually wild animals are hardier than the domesticated critters we put in ponds, so I would suspect something is really whack with your water parameters. Additionally, unlike fish, frogs have the luxury of hopping off to better conditions if something is wrong. Which means one of two things: the cause of death is something unrelated to your pond, or something is really, really amiss with the water.
To be safe, in a similar vein to what u/Odd_Cranberry9343 said, I would do the following:
They look ok from this, but unfortunately test strips are actually incredibly unreliable. They also don't test for ammonia, which is possibly the #1 most important thing you need to test for. As soon as you're able, you'll want to pick up a liquid test kit instead so you know things are ok for sure. This is the cheapest but also most accurate one out there.
You need to go see a vet. He is dying. You also need to get a water test kit like this. The water needs to stay between 15-18 Celsius. He should be eating earthworms at this point.
Bro this stuff is actually a miracle, it completely destroyed my cyanobacteria problem. Now all if it turned back into regular green algae as god intended.
https://www.amazon.ca/UltraLife-Green-Slime-Stain-Remover/dp/B000QSK31M?tag=masterplaye01-20
Nitrite is really high, I would do 50% water change now. Check the level again in a couple of hours. DO several partial water changes till you get to the safe level. You need to keep nitrites as close to 0. Ammonia should be maintained at 0.25.
You have to make sure to maintain the safe levels. Ammonia can burn and Nitrite suffocates them. Nitrate is safe at 20ppm.
Invest in API fresh water test kit, its more accurate than strips. You can do more test too compared to strips.
The strips tend to not be particularly well regarded. They're really hard to read and aren't known for being super accurate.
Liquid test kits tend to be better and easier to read. Something like theAPI master test kit is recommended as an easy all in one option that's in pretty much every pet store.
Tips -
Swap out the gravel for sand, it's far easier to clean
Dont waste money on fake decor, it's quite expensive. Go for live plants - anubias, java ferns, java moss, moss balls, and anarcharis are very easy. Amazon swords and most crypts are also fairly easy but they will definitely require root tabs. Plants will improve water quality and will act as a buffer for any 'oops' ammonia spikes.
the nicrew lights on amazon are super cheap and work well for low-light, low-tech setups
r/aquaswap always has great deals on plants. Especially floaters, bettas love them, and they soak up nitrates like nothing else.
Personally I think you might be starting out on the wrong foot if you use distilled. Honestly better to get the 4 stage RO Buddie from Amazon for $60.
This isn’t really the hobby to cut corners on, but you do you.
Unless something is very wrong with your city water it’s already nearly ready. You just need the chlorine and/or chloramine out. Use this.
The real question is have you prepared your tank? The water has to be cycled. That is, it needs a colony of helpful bacteria that process the fish waste so they don’t all just die of ammonia poisoning.
Here is a guide to the cycle.
Ok go do a 25% water change. Make sure to follow the instruction on the water conditioner.
Next step. Go back to the store and tell them they’re all idiots. Pick up a liquid water test kit. API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT 800-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water Master Test Kit, White, Single https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BF5NH7G5CR7RMD5G528C
Get a slime coat solution like seachem stressguard too.
Since you had fish die of unknown causes I would disinfect everything in the tank and get new filter media. Bleach/white vinegar are good options for cleaning. Just make sure everything is super well rinsed afterwards.
There's been no fish in there for a while, so the cycle will be dead. Ordinarily you don't ever want to change out your filter media (save for chemical filtration types ex. carbon) as it would crash your cycle.
Make sure you fishless cycle the tank.
You also 100% need a liquid water test kit.
As far as plants go, have sand as a substrate and get some root tabs. Easy plants: java ferns (don't bury these, tie to decor), anubias (don't bury rhizome), java moss, moss balls, anacharis, and amazon swords.
The nicrew lights on amazon are really cheap and work well for low-tech, low-light setups.
Bare minimum for a betta to be healthy and happy:
-5 gallon tank or larger (with a lid, since bettas can and will jump surprisingly high)
-Filter
-Water conditioner
-Water testing kit
-Quality food
-Heater
-Thermometer
-Decor (this can be as cheap or as expensive as you want)
Most of the basic equipment will be cheapest if you buy used. The water testing kit is cheapest on Amazon. You also don't need to buy everything at once. Start with the tank, filter, conditioner, and testing kit, and you can begin working on your fishless cycle while you get the decorations and everything else. Food you can get at the same time as the fish if you want. I've found craft mesh makes a really cheap tank lid.
After everything is set up, make sure you can dedicate just a little time to daily feeding and weekly water testing and water changes.
I'd just like to point out that these things are the minimum. I understand college can be very demanding as far as time, space, and money goes. If this sounds like too much, I highly encourage you to wait on getting a betta until after college. Don't sacrifice the fish's health in order to get one now. /r/Jarrariums can give you some super neat ideas for smaller, cheaper, lower-maintenance setups that don't include fish but will still be very nice and relaxing.
The API master test kit contains everything you need, and is on sale on amazon right now for wayyyyyy cheaper than in any stores.
I'd fully recommend the api kit compared to the paper kits that are out there, as the paper kits are notoriously inaccurate.
I would suggest getting the following first:
- Tank (Also buy a filter if your tank doesn't come with one)
- Heater
- Substrate
- Plant
- Hardscape
- Fish food
Once you scape your tank you should add a pinch of fish food to start off the Nitrogen Cycle
And over the next 2-6 months you should constantly check your water conditions. Once you have 0 ppm of amonia and nitrite you will be able to add livestock To the tank.
If you do have any more questions or you just need help just DM me and I'll be happy to help!
If that’s the intake that I think it is, this should fit nearly perfectly:
Fluval Edge PreFilter Sponge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LL32RY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Y1n.FbGK8Y0JZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
50% water changes daily until levels drop. Clean your filter - a gunked up filter can be a nitrate factory. Don't overfeed your fish. Make sure you're not overstocked. Make sure you have adequate filtration for the stock you have. More plants. Floating plants tend to soak up nitrates best. Also, not sure what you fertilize, but root tabs and plant ferts in excess will increase nitrates.
If you don't have any, buy some Seachem Prime from Amazon. The normal dosage is 2ml for your 20 gallon. You can dose 5x the normal dose in emergency, so 10ml (one capful) will bind to the nitrates and detoxify them until you can remove them with a water change or the plants can absorb them.
I think you're doing all that can be done unfortunately.... intakes can be super dangerous. I've lost a few fish to my intake before, and started purchasing the fluval edge sponge to go over thw pipe to protect all of my fish and inverts. You can get them here from Amazon for a good price. I'm sorry about your Molly! I hope he/she pulls through!
Using a water test kit! Absolutely necessary for fish-keeping. You can get them at most pet stores, but they're cheaper on Amazon. Make sure you get a LIQUID DROP kit, not paper test strips. The paper strips are horribly inaccurate.
Don't worry about the pH, what you need the values for are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. The only safe value for ammonia or nitrite is 0ppm. Anything higher is harmful and can cause a lot of issues with fish and their tanks, including cloudy water. Same goes for nitrates, but nitrates are safe up to 20ppm. You still want to keep them as low as you can though.
In the meantime, do lots of partial water changes. If your water is that cloudy, I can almost guarantee it's a water quality issue, and doing water changes will help reduce the levels in your tank into safer measures, and in the process clear things up.
I'm not trying to upset you or make you feel bad. I'm trying to explain part of what the issue is, and prevent bad things from happening to your fish as well in the future. Please just read the care guide I linked if you don't believe me.
Believe me when I say I understand money issues, I've had/am having my fair share of them, but these fish are relying on you/your sister/your guardians for all their care. Space, safe heating, and safe filtration are necessities for these pets to live and thrive.
10 gallon tanks are $10 right now at pet co if you're in the continental US, I highly recommend that as a cheap option for an upgrade. A lot of pet stores will also test your water for free if you bring in a sample. Test kits are $18.15 on Amazon right now, I know that's not cheap but it's insanely important to save up for and get one asap. Craigslist, /r/Aquaswap, facebook marketplace, etc are all great places to look for cheap used equipment as well. If you're in the Wisconsin area, pm me and I can give you some of my old supplies.
What I'm trying to tell you is, like /u/pyropixieshesaid said, the heater is not the only issue here. Poor water quality from living in a small unfiltered tank will cause stress and health issues to begin with (even if they don't seem immediately visible) and while the heater definitely seems to have triggered/made things worse, it's not the only problem here.
Go with Neocardina, they come in basically every color.
What you need to understand tho is this. If you mix different colors of neocardina, they will interbreed and eventually your tank will return to wild color neos which are clear/brown. If you want to prevent this you can mix species that cant breed, such as Neocardina + cardina.
I recommend you pick any color neocardina shrimp. If you plan on doing a multispecies tank, think about getting a cheap r/o system like this. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00204CQF6/
Learn to use saltyshrimp gh/kh salt to get parameters right. Set it for cardina shrimp. since neos can live in cardina parameters. Get neos first, After 2-3 months if your neos are thriving, then add in some cardina shrimps.
Make sure to allow your tank enough time to cycle! It usually takes 4 or so weeks to cycle. During your cycle is a good time to figure out and make adjustments to your hard scape and plants, in my opinion, since there aren't any shrimp in there that you'd have to worry about and work around. Make sure you have a water testing kit and test every 2-3 days to track how your cycle is going. This is one of the most commonly used and best kits.
Mosses are a good choice because biofilm will grow on them. I'd suggest getting a sponge filter too because the shrimp will like to graze on it and will help filter your water. Also, if your shrimp have babies a sponge filter is the best way to ensure they have food to eat and won't get sucked up and die.
Unless your tank has a ton of shrimp you probably won't have to feed them at all. Test out if they have enough food by putting some blanched vegetables in the tank and if they seem uninterested after 15 or so minutes then they probably don't need to be fed and have enough food naturally building up in the tank. Don't over feed, especially in a small tank like that. If you do it will cause ammonia to quickly buildup and can kill your shrimp.
The biggest thing I have noticed is to have fun with it and see what works for you. Do your own research on everything, even the stuff I suggested, and figure out how to care for them through mild trial and error. Don't be afraid to change up your scape a few times if you're not in love with it or if it's not growing how you want. Some of your shrimp will die early on but don't be discouraged.
Get a water testing kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates, as those are vital for fish health. Safe parameters are 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, and 20ppm or less nitrates. I recommend the liquid test kit over test strips, as strips can be very inaccurate and don't always include ammonia.
In the meantime, do a 50% water change for each of them immediately with new water, treated with water conditioner. That should help dilute the waste in the tank.
Might wanna see if any fish stores or /r/AquaSwap in the area will rehome your fish instead of you trying to save them. I'd say your best bet is to rehome the non-betta fish and then keep your betta in the tank alone (like it should in that tank) and keep the water quality pristine with daily water changes and get yourself a freshwater testing kit https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-800-Test-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B000255NCI/ref=asc_df_B000255NCI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198072615033&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14506176137279092008&hvpone=&hvptwo=&h...
> No one has answered me this
No-one can really answer unless you do a water test. Yes, it looks like it's low on oxygen in warm water, but who knows?
Get this, or lose fish: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NCI/