Reddit reviews Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump for Aquariums (Non-UL), Up to 10-Gallons

I haven't seen anyone give an extensive, quick, and friendly guide so here's a quick one!

You're going to need a 5.5 gallon in order for him to thrive, otherwise you're gonna have a very unhappy fish who might live but will not be doing good. An aquarium is a tiny ecosystem in an enclosed space, so a .5 gallon gets very toxic, very quickly. It'll hurt his gills, it'll hurt his fins, just everything. The ammonia will buildup quickly and reach very dangerous levels, and although 100% water changes will decrease that, an established bacteria colony (made up of harmless ones) needs to be there for the fish to really be healthy!

When you see a happy and healthy betta, you will never want to go back!

Cheap quick solution for now: Five gallon Rubbermaid from Walmart, this filter, paired with this air pump, and this connector tube. It will run you about $20, and can hold for a while!

Long Term: Buy a 5.5 standalone aquarium tank from Petsmart (only $14.99) and a little pack of gravel, and some live plants of your choice! Check our r/aquaswap for some cheap plants from other Reddit users. Just move over the filter and heater, and you have the perfect set up! There are also some cheap lighting solutions that you can buy to help your plants grow!

Everyone gets tricked in the beginning, but making steps towards helping your betta will enhance his life so much! The whole set up, the filter/air pump/tubing and tank from petsmart, will cost you $27.48 since you've already got the heater!

If your heater is too small, I've got the link to a $6 one (which is $10 less than the cheapest at any pet store I've been to) on amazon that works perfectly and is recommended all the time on this sub.

hiya, don't feel too bad, it's hard to get it right from the start with so much bad information everywhere.

A 2 gallon tank is a massive upgrade, so well done! I wouldn't mess around with the pH too much, unless it's very high. Stable pH is often better than a somewhat low or high pH.

As for filters, in my experience, a small sponge filter (1, 2), powered by a good airpump (like this one) is a good option for smaller tanks on a budget. You can also see if you can attach it to the air-thing aleardy in the tank. Be sure to also get a check valve and a regulator valve. With the regulator valve, you can decrease the amount of bubbles.

A great air pump is $4.19 right now:

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/

Thanks to /u/happuning for pointing that out to me!

That is most likely a snowball pleco, which are nice little guys that are pretty hardy, good omnivores, and get to be about 4-6 inches. There are quite a few babies like this currently available in my LFSs, and I have a few that have done quite well in a community tank.

I agree with the other commenters that you are getting an ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spike from the addition of new fish. I recommend Seachem products to help (not affiliated, just long-time freshwater and saltwater tank hobbyist). First, use Seachem Prime as a water conditioner to help - after doing a water change. Your tank will need to do a mini-cycle to recalibrate the bacterial load for the addition of new fish. You will likely need to do frequent water changes until the cycle ends. Test with something like API master test kit to track the rise and fall of ammonia/nitrites/nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite spikes kill fish very quickly, while high nitrates shorten the lifespans of the fish by more slowly harming their organs (regular water changes help keep nitrates down long term). Add a bubbler to the tank to help with the stress by making sure there's not additional stress from low O2. For the fin rot, clean water can cure it. You likely will need to treat the fish as well with something stronger. Seachem makes paraguard, which I use all the time for quarantine and mildly ill fish. You can add an antibiotic like Seachem kanaplex to ParaGuard or treat separately with kanaplex to help with fin rot. Both medications work by being added to the water (rather than feeding to the fish). The best thing about Seachem products is that they affect the pH much less than any other products I have tried. Note the additional oxygen is usually necessary when treating with medications. Seachem Stress Guard can also help transition fish to a new tank. All these products are available on Amazon and usually are at Petco/Petsmart/LFS.

For future fish additions, I recommend 1) adding only 1-2 fish at a time to limit the cycling problem and 2) QUARANTINE your new fish, so you can treat any diseases they may have before adding them to your community tank. Even a small tank with just a bubbler can work as a quarantine for a small fish for a couple weeks, and can be a literal lifesaver for your other fish.

Also - there are a lot of great online communities for different types of fish that you can check out to learn more about these things. For plecos, start with this one. :) Good luck with your new guy!

• As for filters, you have a plethora of options. The easiest to maintain are either sponge filters powered by an air pump. If you choose to go with a sponge filter you will need a ball valve to regulate the flow and control the amount of current in the tank (bettas generally live in and prefer very calm water with little to no surface agitation). OOOOR my favorite route, a hang-on-back filter. Aquaclear makes an excellent filter. The benefit to a hang-on-back filter over a sponge is that you have control over what type of media you choose to use inside of it. This allows for a ton of more advanced options down the line to control chemical levels and water purity. The average size of a filter speaks volumes to the necessity of a 5 to 10 gallon tank.
  
  
• You will want to replace your plastic plants with ones made of silk. The best way to figure out if a decor item is safe for your fish is by dragging a pair of panty hoes (don’t know if I spelt that right) across the decoration. If the panty hoes tear at all then the item is not safe for your fish's fins. Once you are a bit deeper into the hobby, live plants are an excellent addition to any tank as they provide a type of "buffer" for your tank as they absorb harmful chemicals. That being said they can be quite a bit of work depending on what you want to grow.
  
  
• API makes the best hobbyist level water test kit on the market. That being said, I hate the rest of their products for the most part. They are just simply inferior to other options. When you can, all you need to buy is some Seachem Prime for your water condition. It is the crème de la crème of water conditions and while the price tag is higher than others up front it is MUCH cheaper in the long run as it literally only takes 1 ml / 10 gallons to make your water safe for your fish. It also nullifies harmful ammonia and nitrite through a proprietary formula. To add to the awesomeness, you can safely overdose it at up to 5x the concentration safely, and that is even recommended for particularly harmful situations such as cycle crashes or fish-in cycles.
  
  
• Due to the size of the tank he was in, water changes are a bit irrelevant. With such a small body of water and no filter, to keep him safe you would need to be performing 25-50% water changes a few times a day (not exaggerating) this leads back to my previous point about larger bodies of water being much easier to maintain. Once you have upgraded to a larger setup a standard water change schedule is usually ~30% once a week. In the event your water parameters are way out of whack and you need to change a lot of the water out, it is ALWAYS better to perform many small scale water changes as opposed to one large one. Large water changes cause violent shifts in PH, water hardness, temperature, and other parameters. These all stress the hell out of our little buddies. To add to this, established tanks do not need to be "cleaned" ever. All that is necessary is a vacuuming of the substrate to clean up any leftover food (we are gonna get to avoiding leftovers altogether shortly) or waste.
  
  
• After hearing about his living conditions, his condition upon death is less and less relevant. Unfortunately due to the nature of his home, he was going to pass quickly regardless of the cause.
  
  
• Food! In the wild meals for bettas are sometimes very scarce! They primarily live off of mosquitos and mosquito larva. They will sometimes go up to two weeks without finding a meal. Because of this, they have no mechanism in their anatomy to signal when they are full. They gorge themselves on whatever they can as they may not have another meal for a very long time. It is always better to error on the side of caution of underfeeding rather than overfeeding. A good rule of thumb is that their stomachs are about the size of their eyeballs. For reference, my fully grown betta gets about 3-4 pellets twice a day. That being said he is quite large and feeding schedules vary from fish to fish. If you watch them while they eat you can actually see their tummies plumping up a bit right after they eat. Plump is good, too plump is not. Another safety measure that many people utilize is a fasting day once a week. Many folks will feed a bit heavier on a Saturday and give treats like blood worms and then will starve them the next day. This helps clean out their digestive systems that are very susceptible to blockages and bloating.
  
  
• Removing leftover food is important. A helpful tool for this is a turkey baster. Any leftover food will breakdown into Ammonia. This is one reason many people like to keep shrimp or snails as tank companions as they will clean up the leftovers. If you aren't ready for that yet, just make sure you clean out the leftover food.
  
  
• Omega one betta buffet is great food. Freeze dried bloodworms are awesome too. I generally save the bloodworms as a treat since they are so messy and difficult to clean up what they don't eat.
  
  
• In reference to the buggy eyes, with a 1 gallon tank, no filter and no heater, there could have been numerous causes for his condition.
  
  I like to end posts like this with shots of my tanks. I do this because I just want to remind you 1 more time that my first 5 gallon tank was an absolute death trap for any fish that was unfortunate enough to land in it. I hope this helps!!!
  
  
• http://i.imgur.com/lYu70ZW.jpg
  
  
• http://i.imgur.com/qP7LmqU.jpg
  
  
• http://i.imgur.com/lL2M7xw.jpg
  
  
• http://i.imgur.com/Gkkywcv.jpg
  
  
• http://i.imgur.com/MTDRF2N.jpg
  

Necessities

api liquid test kit

sponge filter

airline tubing for sponge filter

air pump for sponge filter

thermometer

fluval spec v kit. Comes with filter, decent light that can grow some lowlight plants, idk what else but I hear it's pretty good, I would look around on other sites to find it cheaper

dechlorinator if you don't already have it

heater, I happen to live somewhere where the temperature of my tank floats right in the bettas range, but if this isn't the case for you then you'll need a heater

You'll need something for a lid, can't find anything on amazon but you have a few options: going to a petstore and looking for a 5 gallon lid, going to other websites to look, or making a DIY lid, which can be done with greenhouse panels, or even wood if you don't mind cutting.

Substrate is optional, but if you want it you can either get pool filter sand, which you can find at your local Home Depot or lowes (assuming you're in the US), you'll have to rinse it first but it's really cheap, $8 for 50lb which is more than enough.

I would buy the tank in person at a store or on some site like Craigslist where you can find used tanks for cheap

Also, don't forget to cycle your tank, if you don't know what that is I would do some research on it, it's possibly the most important thing in keeping any aquatic creature

Off the top of my head, will continue to edit to add stuff

A lot of it is cheaper if you can find it used! If you're in the wisconsin area pm me and I can even give you some of my old stuff.

Otherwise I can help you try and look around for the cheapest options for stuff. A large plastic tote will work as a tank temporarily. Craft mesh makes a good lid.

This heater is like $10 and pretty good.

This sponge filter is $5.69. You can get airline tubing at the pet store for like $2-3, and here's a cheap airpump for the filter.

Then a tiny bottle of seachem prime in stores is I believe $5-6. It's very concentrated so you wont need a ton.

Add that up with the testing kit, and I think that comes to around $58 for the basic setup if you do everything really cheap. Again, if you search around craigslist, you can probably find a lot of stuff used for cheaper.

Here's the air pump that I bought

Tetra 77851 Whisper Air Pump, 10-Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lSQxybNT7AE1N

And the filter

Bio Fish Aquarium Mini Cylinder Soft Sponge Water Filter, Black by XINYOU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009V3KUOS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tTQxybTDESDSD


I think I accidentally ordered the filter a size up. Mine takes up a bit of room but it should have the same effect as this one that won't take up as much. I think it's more about the air flow than the size of the sponge.


I also got some check valves to protect the pump in the case of a power outage. They're super cheap, and I got mine at a petco nearby. If you want a little bit more control over the air flow, I got an air control valve there too.


Like these

Plastic Aquarium 2 Way Air Line Tubing Flow Control Valve 3mm Dia 5pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WW6LSWY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p5Qxyb33GC6V2

Uniclife Aquarium Air pump Accessories Set for Fish Tank, 2 Air Stones, 2 Check Valves, 4 Connectors and 6 Suction Cups https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4AZKNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_M7Qxyb9GZRACN

And some airline tubing.

Many of these things were actually cheaper at a petco than on Amazon besides the filter and air pump

The whisper air pump is the quietest I have ever owned. I have three running in my room right now.

Looks great, good work. If you want to speed up growth, buy a small aquarium air pump, and a cheap airstone. They have a lot of combo's on amazon for under $15.

I too started because of Jeb, humorously enough and now I have 5 foot tall plants in my man cave. Grow for the stars.

The only noise from a DWC would be the air pump. If you look specifically for a pump that bills itself as silent you can keep the noise reduced to a very quiet hum which should be all but unnoticeable against outdoor background noise. I have a small DWC unit on my desk at work which uses this guy and my cubicle neighbors can't hear it.

You won't need to change it ever, just clean it/rinse it with used (non-chlorinated!) tank water while you're doing tank maintenance every so often. (I clean my betta's sponge filter real good once or twice a month by giving it a few good squeezes in a bucket of used water before I throw it out.)

Basically you'll want a small air pump like this along with a tank-size appropriate sponge filter. I recommend one like this *and some airline tubing to connect them :)

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 :)

Also I recommend getting a 10g since they are probably cheaper and more stable since you have a larger volume of water. And stable water means a higher survival rate of your shrimp.

For example here:
10 Gallon tank for 14,99 http://www.petsmart.com/fish/supplies/aquariums-and-stands/aquariums/grreat-choice-10-gallon-glass-aquarium-2831264.html

A double sponge filter which is good for twice the aquarium volume (cleaner water double sponge is double bacteria). for 3,99
https://www.amazon.com/XY-2822-Double-Sponge-Filter-Aquarium/dp/B005VAFGKI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1478978662&sr=8-5&keywords=sponge+filter

An air pump for 5,59
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=pd_sim_199_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CWY7AKPMJBQJY3AXT7X2

25 feet tubing 3.23
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563MW/ref=pd_sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CWY7AKPMJBQJY3AXT7X2

14,49 for a heater
https://www.amazon.com/Submersible-Aquarium-Heater-Freshwater-Saltwater/dp/B017UK0ZUW/ref=sr_1_25?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1478978931&sr=1-25-spons&keywords=10+g+heater&psc=1

That's twice the size for 42,40. You will only need to buy a light and those can be as cheap or expensive as you want but this not required and purely aesthetic again.

Hmm odd that the water fizzed up. Did you rinse out the tank and rinse off the carbon and decorations before putting them in? The fact that you can smell chlorine is probably a good indicator you are best of to switch to a different water conditioner. (I like Seachem Prime.) Betta's like a low flow filter so just keep an eye on the filter or even switch to a sponge filter, or filter with a sponge over the intake, etc. Remeber to test your tap water too! I will link some products I have used or similar to those I have used in the past and had success with. (It may be a good idea to compare prices at your LFS store to Amazon, as I know my local Petsmart/Petco charges a fortune for a lot of aquarium items without much selection.)

API Freshwater Test Kit (Amazon wow $19.99 right now!) or at your LFS -Don't buy the test strips.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NCI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

SeaChem Prime ($4-$13 depending on size from Amazon or at your LFS. I swear by Prime.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002568S6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

A thermometer is a good idea to make sure your heater does not create a major issue. I do not use this exact one but figured I would add it to the list with a link ($2)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQITK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Here I will just attach a link for a sponge filter I use in a 10 gallon (~$12). You will need some airline hosing and an air pump (tetra air pump works) if you get it, though I think it may be a little big for a 4 gallon. Also, an aquaclear is by far my favorite HOB filter if you go that route. Hopefully, your filter will workout!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXRDZPO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A316L92SV4DH0Y&psc=1
Tetra Air pump (~$7)
https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1506349229&sr=1-1&keywords=tetra%2Bair%2Bpump&th=1
Aquaclear 20 (110V ~$25): This may be a little big for your 4 gallon, not sure as I have the Aquaclear 50 on my 30 gallon but I will add it along just in case.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000260FVG/ref=twister_B00MO35VD2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Airline Tubing (a few dollars, great to have)

Household Ammonia without surfactant (to do your fishless cycle) see link http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm

If you decide to go with silk aquarium plants, they have few fun options online. I would also suggest really plants as they will help reduce nitrates in the future. Some good low-tech plants would be anubias, or java fern (and some others). These can be tied to a rock or driftwood as don't need to be placed in the gravel/sand/soil itself. (A small clip-on LED for an aquarium should work
if you go this route.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/plantsetc

I would provide food options, but r/bettafish has done a great job!
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/food

Here are a few they have mentioned:

Ocean Nutrition Atison's Betta Food (~12)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/huc/view.html?ie=UTF8&newItems=C38WET63RPACA8%2C1

New Life Spectrum Betta Formula (~$10)
https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Formula-Semi-Float/dp/B0038JTL1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1506350883&sr=1-1&keywords=New+Life+Spectrum+Betta+Pellets

Hikari Betta Bio-Gold (~$13)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013EXTU7S/ref=twister_B00ZJZMXIS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You should be able to find frozen daphnia, and frozen brine shrimp at Petco/Petsmart, and live brine shrimp at your LFS.

Will add on later! Happy cycling and keep us posted!

Bubbles are great for both playing and helping a little bit with oxygenation in your tank (but not a whole lot). My oranda loves to play in them. You really can't go wrong by adding one I don't think, unless you find down the line your fish likes to eat bubbles.

I use Tetra Whispers. I have a 10g one and the 40g one - what you're seeing in the pictures is the 40g on a split air line, full blast. They're not that noisy - not that much if at all noiser than the filter you use at least. I have one on a non-slip pad and the other on a hand towel and they're quiet. The air stone is just a generic one I got offline, it's circular.

something like this:
pump
sponge
air tube

I've kept Bettas on a budget before- there are some things that you really do need, and some things you can do ugly and cheap. The trouble is that you're starting with two and have limited space, a bad combination. I'd suggest you really try hard to rehome at least one, but proceeding on the idea that you're absolutely determined to keep both, I'll lay out the least expensive way to get things done in my experience.

To pick up now:

-Dechlorinater/water conditioner: In your grandma's days, there were fewer additives in water than they are now, and not all of them gas off when left to sit out. If you absolutely can't afford even a tiny container of prime, which can really help in small tank situations because it temporarily neutralizes ammonia- then pick up a cheaper water treatment. Most pet stores carry generic ones, or API is $4 and change on amazon. Can't emphasize enough how much better prime would be though. The smallest bottle should last you for a couple months, so don't worry too much about volume.

-If you can do it, Petco's dollar/gallon sale is the best value you're likely to get on a 10G, as mentioned. Failing that, check your local thrift stores. I think a 10G would be ideal for you if you can make it work- it'll be cheapest and the least amount of maintenance, if you use dividers. Here's a way to make mesh dividers for it yourself from things you can pick up at any craft store, for a couple bucks total (you can also make lids out of the same material). I've made these before and as long as you measure them right, they work fine. If you absolutely can't get or fit a 10g, you bare minimum need about 3g per betta in separate containers or you'll be courting ammonia burns and finrot super quickly. Bowls aren't ideal, but if you're doing a temporary setup they may be easier to find. Be creative if you have to- you want something with horizontal swimming space, rather than vertical (avoid anything taller than it is long), but there are all kinds of odd glass vessels at your average salvation army. A ~3.5 gallon spherical bowl is going to be 12" in diameter. Anything with flat sides, measure and calculate the rough volume in cubic inches, then convert to gallons. Whatever you get, clean it thoroughly. If you use bleach, let it sit out in the sun for a few hours before filling it with water.

-Hides: Cheapest part. In college I had a Betta setup with a half-buried coffee mug and some silk plants from Michaels in it. Grab a couple mugs at the thrift store or throw in your least favorites. You want ceramic not plastic or metal, minimal or no paint if possible. Bury them halfway in the substrate. Craft store silk plants are inexpensive and are fine in a pinch, just boil them first. You want at least some that reach up to the top of the tank, to give them cover at all levels.

-Substrate: Whatever's cheapest is fine. A 5lb bag of imaginarium sand will run you $5 or so at petsmart. If you have a local fish store, they may sell gravel or sand in bulk for cents to the pound, so you could call around and ask. Whatever you use give it a quick rinse before adding it.

-Here's a $10 adjustable amazon heater. If you're doing two 5 gallons, get two 25 watts. A 10 gallon divided, get the 50 watt. A heater goes a long long way to keeping your fish healthy- once you need to start buying medicine your budget is blown. You won't see many non-adjustable ones for much less than this, and they're less reliable since they heat at a constant rate regardless of water temp. Get a cheap glass thermometer with it, they're in any big-box pet store.

To pick up soon:

-Filters and pumps: Sponge filters are the way to go in small betta setups for sure, and they are extremely cheap online. Here's one for $2 for a 10G; here's the one I use in my 7G for $4. Make sure to carefully read the guide on cycling before you put a filter in, because things will get less stable before they get more stable, which is why in your situation I'd be vigilant about water changes (see the caresheet for frequency) and put off the filter til you can afford an API test kit. Because things can spike so so fast, it's really not advisable to run through a fish-in cycle blind in any small tank. You'll pair it with an air pump, this one's $7.

-API master test kit: This is the most expensive thing on the list, which is the only reason it's under later. API also makes test strips, but they're $10 for a pack of 25, wheras the master test kit has far far more uses in it for $20 and is much more accurate. Knowing your water parameters is good any day, but essential once you introduce any kind of filter.

Altogether I think you could get this kind of absolute barebones setup done for around $30 up front and $30 later if you play your cards right, less if you find a home for one fish. It'll still require elbow grease to put together, though.

Tank: I would suggest a 10G tank if you want tankmates other than ghost shrimps and snails. Petco $1 per Gallon sale is here until April 12. So a 10G would be $10. A 5G isn't part of the sale so the price of that is around $14. Cheaper to get a 10G!

Once of you an appropriate sized tank, some tetras would work or an ADF would work. What kind of tetras are you thinking of getting? Keep in mind that there are quite a few tetras that won't work with Bettas because they nip the long fins of the Betta.



Filter: I would suggest a sponge filter/air pump. That's what I use in my betta tank. It filters the water but don't create a current so the betta won't get pushed around and stressed.

What you'd need for a sponge filter:

• Sponge filter
  
  
• Air pump
  
  
• [Airline tubing] (http://www.amazon.com/Lees-Airline-Tubing-25-Foot-Standard/dp/B0002APXOQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396795175&sr=8-2&keywords=airline+tubing)
  
  
  
  Heater: I haven't used enough heaters to really recommend a brand but adjustable ones would work the best and you can control the temperature better.
  
  I hope this helps!
  

If it was me, I'd start by doing this:

• Upgrade his tank to something larger, at least 3 gallons, although something like 5 is more preferable. Despite the common misconception that bettas need a minuscule amount of space to swim around, they actually prefer larger areas. It's like keeping a horse exclusively in its stable. ...Except underwater.
  
  
• Invest in a filter (this filter requires a separate air pump but it's worth the extra cost) and a heater. Filtration and heating are necessities for bettas, and poor water quality is detrimental. Buying a water test kit will tell you everything you need to know about your fish's quality of water. If you can't afford the kit, your local fish store might be able to test the water for you if you bring a sample of it to them.
  
  
• Make sure your plastic plant is soft enough that it can't rip his fins. A good way to check is to run pantyhose over the plant, and if the pantyhose rips, the plastic is too hard. Live or silk plants are normally the way to go.
  
  I hope this helps! I know it can get a little pricey but it's more than worth it to ensure Flameo's healthy and happy.

whats the difference between this two tetra pumps?
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000GZ1EX6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1


https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

and to clean the sponge filter?

You're looking at my basic setup as is, but here's my whole setup, as I said in another thread

>I use a Tetra Whisper 10-Gallon air pump, with one check valve to prevent back flow, going into a 4-way gang valve, hooked up to three mini cyclinder sponge filters. The 4th output on the gang valve is closed.

I have 3 large bowls, so you obviously wouldn't need a 4 way gang valve, but it wouldn't hurt you. Just keep 3 closed and use the 4th to adjust the amount of air you want coming through. You could also run 2 smaller filters in opposite corners if you want. I'm probably going to run smaller filters down the road, because the one's I bought are quite large, and look giant because they're magnified by the shape of my bowls. The one you linked to is a little smaller than mine, so I wish I'd purchased those. Haha.

As far as algae, it's not a problem I've ever had. I've only been running filters for less than 2 months though, so I wouldn't attribute my lack of algae to my filter setup.

Lots of great comments here, I'm just going to add my experience. I dunno if they're the best practices, but it works for me for now.

I mix 5 gal at a time and that lasts about a week, maybe 10 days depending on how much runoff and when in the grow it is. I just add more water when it's low or empty and only wash it at the end of the grow, and it hasn't been bad at all (2 grows finished like this). I have a black reservoir with a 4" airstone disc and this quiet pump. I water 2x per day with a little runoff to waste after the 4th or 5th nodes come in. Sometimes it'll go a few days with no runoff if I get careless though. In the reservoir there are some bubbles or foam on top, but its over the airstone and doesn't get more than about 2" thick.

I use gen hydro flora series, armor si, gen hydro cal mag, liquid kool bloom (relatively new for me), epsom salt sometimes, recharge, and mammoth P (been out for a few weeks though). I pH the water to 5.2-5.9 and over a few days it will rise to around 6.0-6.8 or maybe up to 7 a couple times. Before I was using recharge I saw a similar rise, maybe not quite as much but I don't remember exactly. With recharge, once pH rises over time it takes a lot of pH down to lower it, much more than a fresh batch pre recharge, so I don't like to try to lower it after the fact. I wonder what reactions are happening to use up the acid and how that's affecting the nutrient availability. I may be way overthinking things though, haha

With the recharge even when the water was up to 7 the plants haven't looked bad, I was really surprised the first time I found it that high. I think the recharge helps increase the acceptable pH range, partly because it is causing the change. I could be wrong though, just guessing, and it may do less than I think. I dunno if it's good to keep recharge bubbling that long, I emailed the company but they didn't respond. I've had great results and it's really easy, so I'm gonna keep going!

They are weak but here they are.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You need some airline tubing, a check valve, and an air pump to make this work. I listed the links for those below. Other than its size I think it will be okay for a 10 gallon tank. for the 29g tank it depends on what youre stocking. If you want to keep things like shrimp or fry then a sponge filter is probably best because its gentle. If youre keeping adult fish then go with a hob. I recommend an aquaclear 50.

Airline kit with accessories:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0IC9JA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Air pump:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

HOB:
https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-70-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1506690345&sr=1-3&keywords=aquaclear&th=1

You could try this pump out, looks great!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00511P8CS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=A39G1UAOFK1OOE&psc=1

Be sure to also pick up the air pump;

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0009YJ4N6&pd_rd_r=QYZDEBFVK4HDGMKK5HE2&pd_rd_w=wYWS0&pd_rd_wg=hoOdK&psc=1&refRID=QYZDEBFVK4HDGMKK5HE2&dpID=51PhS3RJRSL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

and tubing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L4BV1E2/ref=twister_B01L4BV1VK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought a 8 gal long from a local store last week, it cost me 30 bucks, 5 gal long was 25. I'm (Canadian) in Korea atm. That being said, you can get a 5 gal for 20~30 bucks shipped to you. Petsmart has a 10gal for 15 bucks That being said, mine came with a lid, I don't know if yours will, but you can make a cheap wire mesh/plexi lid for ~5 bucks at home depot, I'm not a fan of glass lids since I'm a clutz.

Heaters will also run you about 20~30 dollars for a good one, but you can get them cheap for about 10 bucks or so. Adjustable ones are great because they shut off if it gets too hot in the summer.

Lights: don't think too much on it. You don't have to get one that fits perfectly, and you don't need a professional aquarium lamp from the get go. You can pick a reptile lamp for under 10 bucks if you get them on sale. Unless you're going for a planted tank you don't need to spend 60+ bucks on lights and you don't need Co2. Hell, a desk lamp suffices.

Filter: bettas love slow water, I'd get a sponge filter like drysider said. pump is about 10 bucks, filter is 10~30 bucks depending on brand. air pump example Sponge filter example

Petco currently has a $1 per gallon sale up to 29 gallons, I believe. If you wanted a bigger aquarium now'd be a good time to get a bigger aquarium. Your choice of fish is very limited with a 5 gallon. You can either get a betta or some shrimps.

Take your time and do research. No need to rush. It's always better to do your research and go to a pet store knowing what you want rather than impulsively buying anything. Most pet store staff also generally don't know much more than the average person about fish so take anything they say with a grain of salt.

EDIT: You need an airpump, not an air stone for the sponge filter! That's a really big mistake I made.

These are what I ordered for my 20 gallon aquarium, the size of the air pump is what matters so get a 10 gallon air pump for your 5 gallon aquarium unless you decide to upgrade. I'm also on a budget so these seem to be the best items for those on a budget

Sponge filter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051XIN78/ref=psdcmw_2975472011_t2_B005VAFGKI

Air pump:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YJ4N6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I35X82DPLWBEQ2&colid=74EPT83Y85GU&th=1&psc=1

Air tubing:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002563MW/ref=pd_aw_fbt_199_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C7MX7DQQ39GFPW8XDMM3

I have a 5 gallon I’m selling with a light, heater, and HOB filter for $60 so definitely put your zip code! But before I upgraded my tank I had a simple sponge filter with air pump from amazon, a Nicrew light, and driftwood from a local store that cost me $10... in total my first set up was... air pump , sponge filter , Nicrew light (that was $14 when I got it...) and the tank $10, lid $10, driftwood $10= about $8”:) or you can do this HOB heater

Oh and for plants in this sub, there’s tons of people that sell good, tons of plants, good priced! I got TONS OF PLANTS for $20-$30 from bquad. But he isn’t the only one

Keep it until it's falling apart - same as the sponge. It should take a long time, perhaps years. Just clean them periodically. The only things you need to replace regularly are the optional filter components: carbon every 3-4 weeks and loose filter floss as needed.

I've been running the Aquaclear 30 on a tank for 16 months and the sponges and ceramic are still in great shape. I keep two sponges at the bottom and two bags of ceramic on top. No carbon. I've replaced the prefilter once.

Doubling up on the media is beneficial in a couple ways. First, it's extra room for bacteria to grow. Second, once it's seeded you can take some if you need it for a new, hospital, or QT tank.

For instance: Last month I set up a small QT tank and instantly cycled it by taking some of the Aquaclear 30's media. I used this $5 filter with this $7 air pump plus some airline and the tank was up and running. I replaced what I took from the 30 with fresh media and the next time I need another tank I'll repeat the process. 😀

Things you'll need:

Filter

Heater

You'll need this for the filter

Substrate

lamp i bought mine at a supercenter for 7.99; this link is to let you know what it looks like

light

I personally use everything on this list; they're cheap and reliable. To maintain the sponge filter all you have to do is rinse it in a bucket filled with tank water, after a water change for example, every 2 weeks.

Go to r/plantedtank for info on plants, but i will give you some quick tips

1. Plants are living organisms; they need nutrients just as we humans need nutrients. They definitely get malnurish and it shows. To prevent malnourishment aka nutrient deficiency you need to dose nutrients. I reccomend seachem flousrish, seachem excel, and seachem potassium. If you only want like 1 or 2 plants then you might be able to get away with only dosing flourish, but if you want a good amount of plants you will eventually need every nutrient including nitrogen(depending on how many fish you have), iron, and phosphorus. If you don't dose nutrients your plants may die and you may also get an algae farm; once algae gets established it can be hard to remove so it's better to prevent it. You could also dose co2, but that's later on; you'll need experience with plants first.
   
   
2. In the planted tank community fish tanks are distinguished by low tech setups and high tech setups. I'm not gonna explain the difference, look it up yourself, but you will start out with a low tech setup. Since you'll have a low tech setup look up low tech plants on google or whatever search engine you use. The most common are moss, wisteria, anubias and so on.
   
   This is everything i can think of on the fly, but do a lot of research on your own. Having a planted tank isn't as easy as just plopping in some plants and watch as they flourish.

https://smile.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Sponge-Filter-Aquarium-XY-2831/dp/B06XZZ2BXY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=sponge+filter&qid=1567390654&s=gateway&sr=8-5

I use these filters and this pump

https://smile.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17VOB87VMMJW7&keywords=tetra+whisper+air+pump&qid=1567390717&s=gateway&sprefix=tetra+whisper+%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1

I also recommend using a check valve

https://smile.amazon.com/Patelai-Pieces-Valves-Device-Aquarium/dp/B07H33NN41/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=check+valve+airline+tubing&qid=1567390757&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Main expenses in a small tank will be coral frags. Maybe you can get them cheap at local aquarium club, in the reef store if they offer single head frags for $5-10 each, on on AquaBids or AquaSwap here. If online, shipping could cost more that few corals, it should be fast or animals could die.

Don't start with xenia or gsp, add them a lot later. LPS are a safe bet, with few exceptions, but they need feeding.

Before starting, get familiar with small scale reef keeping, if has different rules than keeping 5-300 gal reef tanks. EcoReef Zero is as simple as it could get. Another version of it. Caveat: this large coral costs a lot, but you could use single head frag (piece of coral, as a plant cutting for plants) of neon green candycane as well, or rescue open brain (not trachyphillia or scolymia, see images online, cynarina or doughnut coral are OK if mouth is not open and there are no rotten flesh). If small biomass coral, keep some biomedia in the tank, from piece of live rock to Seachem Matrix in the filter, or both.

Next: you will need salt mix, AquaForest and Red Sea Coral Pro salt mixes seems to be gentler in small systems than all others, but Matritza reef vase (do search for this) uses the cheapest Instant Ocean salt mix (it has high alkalinity, harsh on corals IMHE). Bucket for mixing, and something to measure salinity. Refractometer with AccuraSea or other calibrating solution at 35 ppt salinity. Floating hydrometer is cheaper and accurate, but you will have to use high glass cylinder to be able to see from the side and use temperature related conversion table, unlike with refractometer.

Test kits: many are the same as for FW, ammonia, nitrite for cycling, KH for alkalinity, if you keep up with water changes, maybe you can live without nitrate and phosphate test kits. Find brandon429 and his subgallon pico and reef bowl, he used saltwater from LFS without testing at all.

Lights could be as Maritza reef vase uses, 12-24W ABI PAR38 LED, 2/3 blue, 1/3 white. In gooseneck mount or desktop arm lamp, shade removed. It has to be positioned high, 9-14" above water level.

Heater (50W Tetra or Aqueon preset at 78F are enough).

Source of water flow is tricky:
The cheap and good is noisy, as with Maritza reef vase or Reef bowl, air pump, witch airline tubing and check valve.

Or the smallest internal filter, like this, I'm using Tom Dive clean, with or without filter media cage.

Even smallest fountain pump will work, but, unlike Tom, it will heat water in the summer.

Now how difficult:

• You have to get or make saltwater, heat and aerate it.
  
  
• Prepare LR. LR, if not with a coral on it, was flying for days without water and will have some die-off with ammonia spike, killing anything alive, so change water frequently until die off stops. You can do that not in the tank, but in a jar or container with heater, flow and some light.
  
  
• Set tank (container with live rock, could be tank, plastic box or a punch bowl from thrift store, with no traces of soap), heater, piece of LR (at least fist sized), source of flow, light.
  
  
• Cycle it, the same as with FW.
  
  
• Do water change to reduce nitrates and start adding coral frags, one at a time, with few weeks interval between additions, to allow bacteria accommodate to the increased bioload.
  
  
• You will learn corals requirements. LPS are the easiest, in my experience. Soft corals need established tank to thrive and not all of them looks good, many are invasive and too big. Sps need pristine water, stronger light, higher flow, testing for KH and Ca, dosing alkalinity and calcium supplements (ESV B-ionic for example). Do not use bright NPS (non-photosynthetic corals), they are expensive to keep, feeding and cleaning/changing water.
  
  
• You have to feed tank, less for softies, target feeding for LPS. LPS pellets or even fish food with hight krill content will do. Frozen mysis and krill also could be used or frozen seafood for humans, but this pollutes water more than pellets.
  
  
• Problem starts if not all excess of food was removed and it is rotting somewhere, increasing phosphates in the tank, leading to a nuisance algae growth. This is a problem for the reef tank of any size. Finding the way to keep tank clean is a solution.
  
  
• Ways to deal with evaporations are shown in example setups.
  
  
• No fish in very small tanks, see example setups.
  
  This gives general idea about what you have to expect.

something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1524452550&sr=1-4&keywords=tetra+whisper+air+pump+10

The only real way of keeping it is to get a cheap air pump (http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=zg_bs_2975471011_1) an constantly have it running in the bucket.

Cool. Maybe getting a sponge filter is good since it's good to learn other filtering options. It seems like sponge filters need some air pump and airline (please correct me if I am mistaken).

Would the following, airline and pump, be the only additional things I need?
https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Aquariums-Flexible-Standard/dp/B0002563MW/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0V8RYSC7JNHZTRN6D913

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511318178&sr=8-3&keywords=air+pump+fish

Hydor slim heater

Small sponge filter

Suitable air pump that comes with an adjustable valve, so you can damped flow.

Air tubing plus check valve

Yes. You are basically running a reservoir. Throw in hydroguard and keep it cold. Below 70.

Also you will need to recirculate the water to keep it mixed.

Tetra 77851 Whisper Air Pump, 10-Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HjdiAb6WPFQNR

You will need airstone along with the air pump listed above.

Lastly. Keep it covered and in the dark.

Which pump did u get? I use this Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump for Aquariums (Non-UL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jaYlDbMBEJQNF , with a 3d printed nozzle and works great

So I just use the pump and the tubing from this filter because it sucked up my last betta and I still had the parts for it. But you can use this pump or anything that is the right size for your tank :)

Sponge filter!! I use these off Amazon in my 10G’s and my 5.5G and they’re great! Plus: you’ll have an extra sponge you can use if you need to set up a new cycled tank ASAP (like for a new buddy or a quarantine tank). Highly recommend! :D



Edit: you will need an air pump with it though. I use the standard Tetra Whisper also off Amazon. :)

Aquarium salts can help with fin rot. Macaryn Two is also a good choice. Be careful with aquarium salts though. Don't dose every time you do a water change like normal medication.

Also, I second the sponge filters. You can get one for a 10g one (which I'd recommend because the more filtration, the better) for like $5 on amazon. Plus you'd need an air pump which are also relatively cheap.

-Sponge Filter

-Air Pump

Air pump Air line Filter

Sponge filters really are the best when it comes to shrimp tanks. I would only do a betta if you added a fish, but you also run the risk of the betta eating the shrimp. Ghost shrimp or neocaridina would be great.

I'm setting up a 10 gallon walstad tank and just added plants + water last night. I'm running this sponge filter with the whisper 10 gallon air compressor. Do you guys think this is going to be enough flow to keep my water clean?

The tank will hold 1 sparkling gourami, 4 venezuelan pygmy cory, and 8 chili rasbora, which like slower moving water.

I'm guessing I need another sponge filter or a stronger air compressor, but this is my first time using either so I honestly have no clue.

I'm stoned so I decided to price out a DIY recirculating drip [single unit] for you with links!

• Waterfarm Plumbing Kit (amazon) - $12.28
  
  
• 10" net pot lid (amazon) - $8.54
  
  
• 5 Gallon Bucket (amazon) - $11.04
  
  
  $31.86 for a DIY recirculating drip bucket
  
  If you don't have an Air Pump you're looking at $38.86.

Something like this, maybe a little bit bigger depending on the size of your stock tank. They keep up the dissolved oxygen in the water for the fish to breathe. I do have to say that products like these don't work as good as a solid population of grasses and such things, but to keep your fish alive for a few hours it'd do the trick.

Its not too bad, you'll want to put a prefilter sponge over the intake though.

Another option (one I prefer!) for bettas and small tanks in particular is a sponge filter. Something like this -- you just hook it up with some airline tubing to a Whisper 10 air pump. You can also add a control valve in the tubing between the pump and the filter itself to further control how strong the current is. Cheap and easy.

Super gentle, won't cause a bunch of surface disturbance, and no plastic parts or strong intakes to tear delicate fins -- and it provides one of the best surfaces for beneficial bacteria to grow and help keep your water quality stable.

http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449708568&sr=8-2&keywords=whisper+pump

What are you doing to cycle your tank? If you don't know the answer to this question, take a look at the Fishless Cycling Guide to understand the nitrogen cycle and how to properly prepare your tank for animals.

If you don't have a filter in your tank yet, you haven't really begun to prepare the tank for inhabitants until you do. For a sponge filter, you will need a sponge filter, airline tubing, and air pump. I also strongly recommend you purchase check valves and control valves to prevent the airline from becoming a siphon and draining your tank in the event of a power outage or air pump failure, and to control the airflow to your filter, respectively.

The ideal water quality results are 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrites, 20ppm or lower Nitrates. Your pH is fine for ADFs. A fully cycled tank should be able to convert 4ppm of added Ammonia to the tank completely to Nitrates within 24hrs. Once you test your water within 24hrs and find this result, it is ready for animals.

ADF names: Frogsby, Frogbert, and Fred.

You can actually get an air pump for much cheaper - only $5 with amazon prime.

Good! They'll definitely need filters though, and that may be part of the problem. As for what kind to get, I'd recommend looking into sponge filters.
They're super easy to clean, cheap, and very reliable. They also hold a lot of good beneficial bacteria for your tank, which is great for your fishs health.

All you need for one is the sponge filter itself, some airline tubing, and an air pump. The sponge filter can usually be bought at local fish stores, or online, and the rest can be bought even at bug retailers like walmart or meijer. I'll link some amazon listings for visual reference, and find the best price I can too.

https://www.amazon.com/SLSON-Aquarium-Biochemical-Filtering-Gallons/dp/B07PF7T1QZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_25?keywords=sponge+filter&qid=1572619104&sprefix=sponge+&sr=8-25

https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Aquariums-Flexible-Standard/dp/B0002563MW/ref=mp_s_a_1_26?keywords=air+pump+aquarium&qid=1572619157&sprefix=air+pump&sr=8-26

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=air+pump+aquarium&qid=1572619198&sprefix=air+pump&sr=8-4

To clean them, which you'll only need to do like maybe once or twice every few months, just fill up a clean bucket with your tank water while doing a water change, put sponge filter in the bucket, squeeze it out, put back in tank, done. No need to buy more cartridges either.

As for decor, I don't know what you've got, but if its artificial, plastic plants and hard decor with sharp points can also tear and rip your bettas fins. If you do artificial, I'd recommend soft silk or silicone plants. If I'm being honest though, I always recommend live plants over fake, but I know that's not much of a possibility for everyone.

If you do want to try live plants, some good beginner ones are anubias nana, anubias frazeri, and java fern. All of these plants do not get buried, and if they do, they will rot. They can be tied to surfaces, or can have a small rock tied to the bottom to make them sink, but they will root themselves.

Java moss is great for bettas, they'll love to sleep in it. Water lettuce is a really pretty floating plant too.

Lastly, I'd HIGHLY recommend doing some research on the nitrogen cycle. Since you're setting up brand new tanks and moving the bettas once they're set up, you'll be doing a fish in cycle. This process is crucial for fish keeping, and good knowledge to keep your animals happy, healthy, and safe. I'll try to give a quick run down for it though.

The nitrogen cycle is the process where your tanks build up beneficial bacteria that break down waste from your fish and fishs food into ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. The bacteria are needed to maintain a healthy tank and grow on surfaces such as gravel, decor, plants, heater, filter, tank glass, but they are not in the water itself. And a filter is necessary to keep beneficial bacteria because it circulates water, provides aeration, and has a ton of surface area for them to grow in.

Ammonia and nitrites are harmful and deadly to your fish. Nitrates are less deadly, and are what you're aiming to get to in the cycling process, but you still don't want a bug buildup of them either. The absolute most important thing for cycling your new betta tanks for the next few weeks is to be on top of your water change game to keep your bettas safe.

For the first 2 weeks, you will want to do 40-50% water changes every other day. After that, for another 2 weeks, water changes every 3 days at 40-50%. The next 2 weeks, water changes every 3-4 days at 30-40%. After the initial month and two weeks of water changes, you can move onto water changes once or twice a week at 30-40%. It sounds like a lot, but it will keep your fish safe from ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate spikes during the cycling process.

Some good things to keep on hand to help during cycling is some Seachem Prime, or Seachem Neutral Regulator. These are all in one water conditioners that remove chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, AND detoxifies ammonia and nitrites for 48 hours (not a replacement for water changes though. Those are still very much necessary)

https://www.amazon.com/Safe-250-g-8-8-oz/dp/B0002A5WOC/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=seachem+prime&qid=1572620732&sprefix=seachem+&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116030601-Neutral-Regulator-250gram/dp/B000255P9E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=seachem+neutral+regulator&qid=1572620778&sprefix=seachem+neu&sr=8-1#immersive-view_1572620800767

And a great way to kick start your bacteria bloom and speed up cycling is with some live nitrifying bacteria. I use topfin, and a big bottle is about $10. But api is great too.

https://www.amazon.com/API-Nitrifying-Aquarium-Maintains-Biological/dp/B006YG12F6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=top+fin+live+bacteria&qid=1572620840&sr=8-2

And, if you need more information on the cycling process, feel free to reach out, or look up "nitrogen cycle" in google, or check out a very helpful video by KGTropicals called "everything you need to know about the nitrogen cycle."

https://youtu.be/es7spyo5RJ4

Apologies for long post, but I hope this helps you and your little dudes! ☺️

I've seen a lot of people talk about the whisper pumps (good and a few bad). I think the one I use for the filter on my QT tank's a whisper and it's fine - This one's a bestseller on Amazon with plenty of good reviews to constitute 9 bucks.

I think it's a safe bet, and holy crap do people hate the Q5.

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1493391358&sr=8-5&keywords=aquarium+pump

https://www.amazon.com/Lees-Airline-Tubing-8-Foot-Standard/dp/B0002APXOG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493391424&sr=8-2&keywords=airline+tubing+for+aquariums

This is what I use!

Feeding lightly is a bad idea, thats how you end up with malnourished fish. Just feed them a reasonable amount, and don't overfeed. If you want fish that don't need a bubbler, take those fish back and get a pair of honey gouramis, they just need heavily planted aquariums though, assuming that is a 20 gal high you have right now.

Pump is probably overkill depending on tank size, and its a cheap no name brand so it will be very loud. You'd want one of these https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6?keywords=tetra+whisper+pump&qid=1535934456&sr=8-11&ref=mp_s_a_1_11 appropriately sized to your tank (eg 20 gal tank get up to 20 gal). Probably pick up seachem prime and stability to get your bio filter going in the new filter too. Prime is the industry standard dechlorinator and ammonia remover, and stability is the same for bacteria.

Pump Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump for Aquariums (Non-UL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sNA3Bb6XD7XZS

I've used these before and they aren't loud.

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1538613259&sr=8-7&keywords=aquarium+pump

Will this one work or should I be looking at the one rated for 20-40 gallon aquariums?

To piggyback off of Betta fish, besides the tank you can get your filter, heater, and light for pretty cheap.
Here's what I have:

filter
Air pump
light
heater

Altogether it might not be the cheapest items, but they work fantastic for me and my Betta and shrimp tank. Plus it costs less to get good filters and supplies first than it is to buy a beginner set and upgrade everything over time like I did.

this is what it all looks like in my tank.

You've already gotten some answers but here's a little more info:

1. Either (or both) is fine, although shrimp might enjoy munching on driftwood as it slowly decays. Any aquarium driftwood is fine like you said. Shrimp do however go nuts for cholla wood. It decays over like 6 months to a year and in the meantime it provides a nice hiding and munching place. For rocks, you probably want something inert (unless you have a gH/kH you need to raise). Granite, quartzite, often sandstone (unless it's cemented with calcite), etc. If you know what to look for it's easy to go digging around in your local riverbanks or hillsides.
   
   
2. In my low tech tanks I have java moss, java fern, anubias, brazilian pennywort, crypts, and bacopa monnieri. I also have pothos and philodendron growing out of my tank (you just take a fresh cutting and stick the end in the water so it'll grow roots in the tank). Water sprite and water wisteria are a couple others that I haven't grown myself but I hear are easy.
   
   
3. My understanding is that shrimp stratum is aimed more for crystal red shrimp in that it gives you a lower pH. I would just double check that it creates conditions that are appropriate for whatever particular shrimps you want to keep.
   
   
4. You can start with a handful and you'll end up with hundreds.
   
   
5. I use a glass lid on my tank just because I don't like having to compensate for evaporation. My larger tank's lid came with a plastic back where you can cut out sections for the filter and cords and such. My smaller tank has a little indent on the corner of the rim so that cables can fit through.
   
   
6. If you're getting a sponge filter, you need to buy the sponge+pump+tubing. Other filters (internal filters, hang-on-backs, etc) are an all-in-one thing. Sponge filters are great for shrimp but you can use other filters too as long as there's no way for bebe shrimp to get sucked up (so like covering the intake with a bit of sponge if needed). If you want a sponge filter, something like A B C will work (haven't used any of these personally so I can't vet for them, just googled it).

so something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1404519448&sr=1-1&keywords=air+pump

might be everything i need?

You don't really need an air wand or stone in your tank. But if you need an airpump for whatever reason. I use the tetra whisper: https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77851-Whisper-Pump-10-Gallon/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467391938&sr=8-3&keywords=aquarium+air+pump and it is really quiet and does the job on all my sponge filters.

You already saw my other comment, but I'll add one more thing here: You might want to consider a small "sponge filter" for a 6.6 gallon tank instead of the hang-over-back filter. Most hang-over-back filters are for 10 gallons or more, so if you can't find a smaller one, just get these materials for a sponge filter:

• a small sponge filter. They look like this.
  
• a small air pump, like this.
  
• "airline" tubing to connect the pump to the filter. Like this.
  
• an airline valve. Like this. You'll need this to lower the amount of air being pumped to the filter. For a 6.6 gallon tank, you don't need much air to keep the tank filtered. Start out with the valve all the way open (lots and lots of bubbles, the tank will look like a hurricane is blowing through). Then, slowly close the valve until the water looks calm and the fishies don't look like they're fighting a current.
  
  The nice thing about sponge filters is you rarely need to clean them. I've run them for over a year without cleaning them and never had an issue. Super convenient.

I use this filter

And this pump for all of my tanks from 10gallon to a 3 gallon bowl

For my setup, I’ve used The Tetra Whisper Air Pump (link at botton). You put a check valve (see 2nd link) on the end of the tube attached to the pump. On the other side of the tube you put the air stone (also in 2nd link). Th air stone goes in the water and “bubbles”, thats why we call it a “bubbler”. It has dual benefits in that it is the most effective way to humidify your tank and the movement in the water keeps it fresh for longer.


https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=bubbler+pump&qid=1565723778&s=gateway&sr=8-3


https://www.amazon.com/Pawfly-Standard-Aquarium-Accessories-Connectors/dp/B07FZY71K6/ref=pd_aw_fbt_199_img_3/137-2577294-4867509?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07FZY71K6&pd_rd_r=1974bd54-ba73-425a-96f4-b27b02ebbe2f&pd_rd_w=7mVYj&pd_rd_wg=b8F1Q&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=VNHBEDMXVJNSW6SHZ0M4&psc=1&refRID=VNHBEDMXVJNSW6SHZ0M4

I use this cheap six-layer sponge filter and a Tetra Whisper air pump. There are several styles of sponge filter so it's really your preference. Round, corner, or with suction cups to stick on the side are all about the same and would be fine in a five gallon. I like the Tetra pumps because they're a good combination of cheap, quiet, and reliable. I've had the one I linked running 24/7 for over three years with no problem. You'll probably want to get a valve for the air line so you can adjust the air flow and a check valve if you put the pump lower than the aquarium.

Remember, you will have to do regular water changes as maintenance (I do 20% every other week). The cheapest and most economical way in the long run is:

1. Purchase a Reverse Osmosis kit from ebay. These are the best prices I've found recently.
   
   
2. Purchase salt. You can go with the cheaper grade if you're doing a FOWLR since you're not concerned with trace elements.
   
   
3. Mix it up at home. You will want to use an aerator to keep oxygen levels up to promote good mixing.
   
   I recommend against purchasing from the fish store, or taking it from the ocean.
   
   Have fun! You're starting a really nice hobby :)

You'll need the sponge some airline tubing and an air pump.
Then just hook it up. Different sponge being used by same concept

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Basic model, very little flow that mostly goes up.

Double spongy action, with an outlet that can be placed above the waterlevel (even less flow!).

Corner filter, has more room for other types of filtermedia, a bit harder to clean depending on what you stuff it with. Has a cute little outlet that prevents our idiots from getting stuck.

I really like this one, it's quiet and comes with a valve

tubing

valve

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