# First planted tank - muddy water?



## mojie

Hi guys! I set up my first planted tank last week (seeded the filter) using the Fluval Stratum substrate and some vals. It's a little one, just a two gallon betta tank with a small canister filter. 
When I set the tank up, there was a LOT of cloudiness, but it settled down after a few hours, although the water still had a bit of a tinge.
I just did my first major water change (I don't have a hose/vacuum, so it was pretty much just scooping the water up by hand and then pouring out the gunky remains). and upon refilling the tank was horrified to find it even murkier than the first time. It's been a few hours and it is starting to clear but is this something that is going to happen every time I do a change? If so I might abandon the planted idea altogether - I have to leave the tank with a friend over the summer and want to make sure it's low maintenance. I've rinsed the filter media twice in the last hour and both times it has been blackish. 
I haven't but the betta back in yet, because it's still pretty mucky looking. Is that the right thing to do, or is the water safe for him?
Thanks so much!


----------



## TankCla

I don't understand, you scooped the poop out of the tank with your hand?

If I were you, I would read the Beginner's Circle. There is a lot of info about new tanks. Cloud water is normal at the beginning. You tank is not cycled until you have crystal clear water or until tests tell you it is. 

Buy a 3$ air tube from LFS and use that to drain your unwanted stuff from the tank. Don't change more than 25%. How much did you change today?


----------



## mojie

Haha no! I used a measuring jug - I just meant that I didn't have a python. I'm not actually new to fishkeeping, this is just my first time using a substrate besides gravel and I didn't know what to expect. I know that cloudy water is to be expected, but this is MUDDY - like almost opaque and brown. 
I did about a 50% change.


----------



## TankCla

If you are asking me, 50% is too much. The muddy color is from fluval stratum, and it will be like this every time you disturb it. I had fluval and netlea, and both do the same muddy water when disturbed. You don't need something fancy to vacuum your tank. Just use the cheap air tube.
You don't want to disturb too much that gravel, because you will have no2/no3 spikes. Probably is not the best for your betta to put him back in the tank yet.


----------



## xriddler

Hi i think you are disturbing the substrate and kicking up the muddy water from there when you do water changes. Try to diffuse to flow of water when pouring it into the tank so it does not disturb your stratum. I think Tankcla's airtubing suggestion is spot on as thats how i clean my 48 gallon tank too. You might want to find a mini plant too as vals grow very very long and in a 2g tank i think might look weird. 

Please also tell me what canister filter you use? how did you fit it to the 2g tank? bettas dont like strong flow either have a considered a 5g for your betta, it might feel more comfortable too. Gdluck!


----------



## GAT

Maybe the substrate is not very clean? if thats the case then few water changes will clear that up or you can just quickly clean the substrate and put it back again.


----------



## mojie

Hey guys! Thanks for all the info, I'll definitely pick up some tubing! The canister came with the tank and is itty bitty. It's a bit weird, but seems to be working well and the current is quite low. I'd love to get him into a 5 gallon, but I don't think that'll be feasible until after the summer when I'm back at school as the little dude has to be fairly mobile. He is a rescue (pet store gave me him for free because he was obviously in distress) so I really hadn't planned this all out very well. That being said, I want to make sure I give him the best quality of life I can. With the substrate,is there another type that you would recommend instead, that is less prone to this, or is it a fact of like with planted tanks? 
I hadn't even thought about the N02 spikes - yikes! I'll be more careful in the future.


----------



## pyrrolin

I often use potting soil and then I top it off with gravel to help keep the dirt down.

I use airline tubing to drain and refill my 5.5 gal betta tank that is dirt and planted. Its slow but doesn't disturb anything


----------



## mojie

That's a good idea pyrrolin! I really appreciate all the help and input from you guys!


----------



## Fishfur

Next time you add water, try placing a saucer or similar item under the flow of water. It will disperse it and stop the stream hitting bottom, and thus cause much less disturbance of the substrate. Once you have some plants established, their roots will stabilize the substrate to some degree, though the cloudiness might continue. I have not used this substrate, so have no experience with it personally.

You won't need a Python for such a small tank.. but they can sure be helpful for larger ones. Even though I have something similar I don't use it for the little tanks.. I use a pitcher to add water. For removal, a small diameter tube used as a siphon will take out water or gather any mess off the substrate. You can buy some quarter or 3/8 inch tubing at Canadian Tire or Rona by the foot, and get a length that suits you, probably cheaper than one at a fish store. The narrower the inside diameter of the tube, the slower it will run. A half inch siphon tube runs so quickly, you can accidentally suck up a fish if you are distracted. An easy way to start the siphon is to fill it with water at the tap. Hold the ends even as you carry it to the tank. Cap one end with a finger and dip it in then tank, let other end down into container and it'll be running right away. No need to suck on it to start it. Or you can scoop water out in a cup as you have been doing, that works too.

You don't say if you have a light source. If you want to grow plants, you'll need some source of light. Even the lowest light plants need light to grow. Should be on for 6 - 8 hours daily. A bright window might suffice if you're doing low light plants, if it's not going to get so sunny it cooks the tank. You don't want the tank getting too warm.. 75 F is plenty warm enough for a Betta.

Otherwise you'll need a fixture of some kind. If you have a desk lamp that will take a screw in bulb, you can get 'Daylight' type, 6500 K compact spiral flourescent bulbs. They're made by Phillips, available at Home Depot, and they work nicely. 9 watts would be sufficient for a little tank. Higher wattages are available but will probably overheat and overlight this size tank. They are inexpensive and last a long time. You do need to watch so that the lamp doesn't overheat the tank. A small fan might be needed in hot weather to help control temperatures. You can get a timer and plug both a fan and light into it, so that it's automatic.

As for making it simple to care for, many Betta fish are kept without any filtration at all. Instead of rinsing or changing filter media to keep the water clean, instead you do regular water changes, every 3 days or so, and it works quite well. The changes remove the built up toxins like ammonia before they are enough to harm the fish. Plants of course will use up some of the ammonia as food, which may reduce the number or size of water changes needed. Just be sure the new water has been conditioned to remove chlorine and is the same temperature as the tank, or as close as you can get to that.

If the Betta is not feeling well just now, try adding some aquarium salt, kosher salt or pure sea salt to his water. Just not table salt ! A good size pinch is enough for 2.5 G. Top up with unsalted water, but use salted for changes when you do them. He might also appreciate a clean dry oak or Indian Almond leaf in his tank. The Almond leaves have antibiotic properties, which might be helpful if the fish is feeling poorly. Or you can soak a couple of Almond leaves in a gallon of water for a couple of days, then use a cupful of this 'tea' at each water change, and for topups also. It will turn the water tea coloured but the fish will like that and it's good for him, if he's not feeling well.


----------



## pyrrolin

you could probably have a betta in a 5 gallon planted tank without a filter without constant water changes, but you still need to have some water movement, I guess an air stone would work. My 5.5 betta tank has an AC 20 on it on lowest setting. I had to fine tune its placement on the back of the tank to have the water circulate properly, I was having problems with very dead spots with the low flow setting. The betta is very happy in his home.


----------



## splur

Also I find some substrates give off a bit of color as well, some ADA I bought a while back gave a yellow tinge that I couldn't get rid of no matter how much I changed the water. I think it's something to do with the humic or something that's in there. If I wanted a natural tank... maybe I would've kept the substrate.


----------



## xriddler

yea my soil and driftwood gives off tannins after 3 weeks without water change can really tell the difference but its very nice to look at nothing like tea dark coloured just a little bit on the yellow side. its quite nice.


----------



## mojie

I appreciate all the input! I think I should be okay on lighting - the tank has an LED and it gets natural light for a few hours in the morning. I'm happy to report that the little dude seems to be doing quite well! I think he just had a nasty case of "sitting in foul, blue cup water." He has a teeny bit of red streaking in his tail, which I assume is from the ammonia, but he doesn't seem to mind. He even made a bubble nest today! I'm going to keep an extra close eye on him of course, but he's turning into a handsome lively fellow!
I've been keeping ranchus who are foul little fellows that need an overfiltered tank, so this betta business is all pretty new!


----------



## Fishfur

Red streaks in a tail fin aren't ammonia related. It's just some colour he has in his tail. 

Red streaking on the body anywhere that's not part of the fish colour, that's much more worrisome.

But ammonia damage to fish starts with the gills. It burns them, and the fish will be gasping and the gills very red, wide open. Unless you're seeing that, he's probably not suffering from ammonia damage. Thankfully so. The fact he made a bubble nest is a decent indication he is feeling ok.


----------



## pyrrolin

If he is making bubbles, that is a sign of being happy


----------

