Letters of a Betta Addict

When I got my new 32 gal tank I did have a few issues with the canister filter. The water just seems to dribble out of the spray bar. I figured that it’s just because I’ve got too much media in it but I didn’t want to disturb it till after the tetra safestard had finished working. So that tank has been running for a little more then two weeks now. It is planted and the only fish in the tank were Red my RTS and Oscar. Both less then 4 inches long. I started the tank with tetra safestart and everyone was looking very happy.

Well I went home over reading week and when I came back Oscar was floating dead at the top of the tank. I don’t know how long he was there and I don’t know how he died but he must have been there for a few days. I opened up the tank and it just STUNK! I almost gagged on the smell as I fished poor Oscar out to send to the porcline graveyard. I did a 50% water change but it’s been two days and the smell on only now starting to go.

I think that the problem is with the canister filter so I added a home-made filter (mature filter floss wrapped around an airstone and put in an upside down terricotta pot) the smell seems to have started going since. So I’ll do a water test later tonight and go from there.

The moral of this tale is that since I don’t have the $$$ for a new canister I’ve been looking into other options. It’s hard to use any other type of filter since this tank was designed to work around a canister filter. Which means I’ve been looking into DIY options. I’ll make a DIY page to start liking some idea’s up to.

Till later,

A betta addict.