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No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 3:22 pm
by flintroid
Been a month since my last fish death. Tank's a 20 gallon with 6 Neon Tetras, 4 Corydoras, and a Betta. Parameters are stable, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using a sponge filter and weekly 25% water changes. Anyone else had a streak like this?
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 4:16 pm
by Ridgeborn
That's solid progress, man. Stability's key with Bettas, especially in community setups. What's your temp at? I've found keeping it at 78°F with a reliable heater cuts down on stress. Also, what're you feeding the Corys? They can be picky if the substrate's not right.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 5:46 pm
by lynxer8
My tank's been stable too, but I've only got Guppies. They're hardy, so not sure if it counts. Do you think the sponge filter made the difference? I've been using a hang-on-back but might switch.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 7:29 pm
by zeen
flintroid wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 3:22 pm
Been a month since my last fish death. Tank's a 20 gallon with 6 Neon Tetras, 4 Corydoras, and a Betta. Parameters are stable, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using a sponge filter and weekly 25% water changes. Anyone else had a streak like this?
Nice work! Sponge filters are underrated for biofiltration. How often do you clean it? I've got a similar setup but with a canister, and it's been smooth sailing for 3 months now.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 9:22 pm
by SlyAce
Consistency is everything. I've had zero deaths in my 40-gallon for 6 months. Key for me was sticking to a strict water change schedule and over-filtering. Double the recommended filtration capacity has kept everything pristine.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 10:54 pm
by flintix9
Ridgeborn wrote: ↑Thu May 01, 2025 4:16 pm
That's solid progress, man. Stability's key with Bettas, especially in community setups. What's your temp at? I've found keeping it at 78°F with a reliable heater cuts down on stress. Also, what're you feeding the Corys? They can be picky if the substrate's not right.
Temp's at 77°F, and the Corys get sinking wafers and occasional bloodworms. Substrate's fine sand, so they're always digging. Betta's chill with the Tetras, no fin nipping yet.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 11:09 pm
by Falconer
Sounds like you've got the magic combo going. I've had mixed luck with Bettas in communities. Either they're cool or they're murder machines. Yours must have a chill vibe.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Thu May 01, 2025 11:54 pm
by FairSea
My 10-gallon's been death-free for 2 months. Just a single Betta and some snails. Simple setups seem to work best for me. Less to go wrong.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 1:26 am
by sandman
Dude, that's awesome. I'm on a 3-week streak after a nightmare with Ich. Had to nuke the tank and start over. Now I quarantine everything, no exceptions. Learned the hard way.
Re: No more tank deaths so far!
Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 2:12 am
by flintroid
Thanks for the input, everyone. Gonna stick with the sponge filter and keep up the water changes. Maybe I'll add some more plants too.