# Hiya from Illinois!



## zomblue

Hi everyone!
I'm a new aquarium owner - and I came to forums to learn.
I had some questions & found most of the answers right here.
Ty for all your info & posts.

1. Size of aquarium (10 gallons)
2. Freshwater
3. Aquarium has been set up 3 months
4. Mini Albino Placostamus, Shrimp, 2 Kuhli Loaches, Male Betta, Male Dwarf Gauramie, Guppy Pair, 1 Male Pink Platy, 2 Snails, Zebra Danio, Red Eye Tetra, 2 Mollies & a Glass Cat.
5. No live plants
6. Water Temp 78
7. Aqua Tech Power Filter 5-15
8. No CO2 Unit - air pump for bubbles.
9. Aquarium receives some indirect natural sunlight.
10. Last water change 9-2-09 about 50% changed out.
11. Change water once every two weeks.
12. Feed TetraMin Tropical Flakes 1-2 times a day(I work long & double shifts) & Algae wafers every other night,sometimes a coupla beta balls.
13. 2 bulb tank top on for a few hours daily & a few in evening.
14. Came to Fish Forums to find help for various questions I have.
15. Ph tested safe except nitrates a little high.
16. Use Jungle test strips from Walmart.


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## Joey

Welcome to the i hope you enjoy you stay here good luck on your 10g


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## Chickadee

Well I want to welcome you and thank you for joining and then I am duty bound to let you know that the betta is going to be in trouble in that tank.

Sorry to say that they cannot be in with Gouramis as they are related and it is like having two bettas in the same tank..like the Hatfields and McCoys. The shrimp will be lunch for him as soon as it loses its shell to molt as shrimp was the bettas first food and it will not know that it should not eat a friend. The tetras have the potential to nip the bettas fins as do the Danios. The Platy will be mistaken for a female betta. The Mollies with their long and flowing fins can be mistaken by him for another betta. So see even if the betta is not attacking the others it is likely to be hassled by the ones that it does not see as threats. I am sorry but it is part of what I do to try to keep folks from having trouble. I will say that all these problems could be avoided by getting a seperate tank for the betta and letting the rest of them alone. 

Again welcome and I promise not to give you a hard time again for this.

Rose


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## susankat

Welcome to the site. And I agree with what Rose said.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Welcome, Schaumburg area here.


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## Shotgun

Good to talk to you again zomblue. You must have gotten my PM.  With over 3,000 members, this site really is one of the best places that I know of to get quality aquarium and aquatic information of all kinds. We have some really knowledgeable people here who really know there stuff. If you have any questions about anything about the site. Please ask me!

Shotgun, New Members Manager


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Welcome, where in this corrupted cess pool are you?

I am in the FAR NEAR NW burbs of chicago.


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## petlover516

Welcome to the site! i Agree with rise, too.


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## mielikki

*w2 to the site.
I, too have found lots of answer's here.
Rose's point about the Betta is a valid one. I chose to take mine, and put them in a smaller tank, with an oto, and it was the best thing I could have done for them. They are doing very well.
Your tank sounds like it has some really fun fish in it!


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## AlexisPets

Welcome to the site. I found answers here too that's why I keep coming back. And I am about, I'd say probably 45 minutes, give or take from Schaumburg. Anyway, WELCOME!!!  And yes, Rose is knowledgeable on Bettas.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Alexis, where at?

I am trying to get a society going in our area as we dont really have one that does much if anything anymore.


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## zomblue

Hi all! 
I am about an hour (give or take) West of Chicago - Dixon, Illinois.
In the middle of the cornfields lol...

As for the Betta info, I'm sure you guys know what you're talking about & I DO appreciate the input!

I watch the tank avidly & have seen nothing more than him flare at the gourami, I HAVE taken him out (do to another poster's request). Draco (my Betta) seemed to get very depressed on his own. There was a marked change in his attitude & Demeanor. I researched his private tank & had it set up as directed. He grew listless within minutes & I checked on him regularly, he just sorta hung there & turned his back whenever I got close (in the other tank he was very sociable with me). I finally returned him to his home tank & he literally swam circles of joy & perked right up. - so I have a dilemma here. He's been in this tank since day one w/the others & seems quite happy. As for the shrimp she has shedded a coupla times & is doin good so far. Will consider all your advice though and consider taking him back out - he just seemed so unhappy on his own?


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## mielikki

well, no one knows your fish like you do. It could be he is one laid back, tolerant Betta. I'd do what makes him happy. I think it's great that he likes the big tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Dixon isnt far from me at all.... go thru there alot to get to hunting and fishing locations.


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## Chickadee

Thing about bettas is that they are all different but the problem is not all with the betta but what can be done TO the betta as well. If you start to see shortened fins and/or holes in them you will see that he is being nibbled on. Just watch and you know what to keep any eye out for. I do not want him to be unhappy but if he gets picked on a new tank with some peaceful mild mannered tank mates will probably be to his liking. But it is always a person's right and priviledge to do what they think is best.

Rose


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## JIM

**w2* *to the Forum *zomblue, *Nice pics you posted in our gallery, thanks, and i hope you're enjoying the site.*


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## AlexisPets

I am about an hour to the North of Chicago. And it would be cool to start or get a society going. Let me know what I can do to help, and I will, if I can.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

An hour north of chicago is kenosha sometimes milwaukee depending on how I drive....ZING!


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## MediaHound

Welcome aboard, you are more than welcome, we are all happy to help. Make yourself at home and please enjoy your stay.


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## zomblue

Thanks for your advice Chickadee- I plan on getting more tanks (as I can) & will definitely move him into the first one! He's ok for now I think, pretty much rules the roost - but he doesn't seem aggressive. He's always front & center though, very sociable. I'd hate for anything to happen to him, have had him 3 months. We had a very rocky start & I'm so attached to him.

When I got him - it was at Walmart (I saved him) most of the others were dead.
I had him in my cart along w/some groceries (not a smart move) & as I turned something fell onto his little plastic container. Water shot out everywhere! The container was cracked, but had not collapsed. I was at the TOTAL other end of Walmart & RAN all the way to the back cradling the container with him tilted into the last remaining drops of water ( I was sayin "oh - live live live little guy" all the way). When I got back there another customer was cussing out Walmart & the fish abuse (she had turned them in 3x) - & saw me & yelled "FISH 911 - Fish 911" !! She grabbed a bag & put water in it & we saved him!!! SO... needless to say, he has a special spot in my heart.


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## reefcrazy

*w2*w2*w2 Enjoy the site.. And thank you for joining *n1


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## drhank

:welcome:


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