[rsx]

what kind of plants are those, long stalks / big canopy?

[Tacoyaki]

Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red')

[rsx]

Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red')

I meant the green ones though

[viet604778]

Those would Vals

[Cman333]

The long Grass looking one I think is Vallisneria

The leafy green one at the top looks likea type of Java Fern.

[Tacoyaki]

Oh those, the long green grass is some sort of vallisneria, never really got the name of it. I've had Vallisneria too and they're not exactly the same. The green things are java fern "windelov"

[- kT]

Holy crap, didn't know there was lots of bca members on rs.

Heres some pics from the past.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8295628345_11b8b2beef_c.jpg


:ahwow:

[JKam]

I remember back when I signed up for BCA, it asked me where I found the site from and one of the options was RS.

[xilley]

I remember back when I signed up for BCA, it asked me where I found the site from and one of the options was RS.

becasue the owner was a member of RS and he posts quite frequently in this thread. :fullofwin:

[Cman333]

becasue the owner was a member of RS and he posts quite frequently in this thread. :fullofwin:

Old owner :p

I sold site.

Still Admin though. And apparently Xilley is a bit of a trouble maker on BCA :p

[GLOW]

anyone here use acrylic tanks or is glass the way to go?

[hi-revs]

anyone looking for some silvertip bristle nose plecos?
Ive got LOTS ranging from 1-2"
Shoot me a pm if interested and we can work out a deal depending on how many you want.
Still too young to sex atm.

Great sized plecos that max out at ~5"

[viet604778]

Is anyone from here breeding CRS? Chrystal red shrimp or Blacks?

[Obsideon]

anyone here use acrylic tanks or is glass the way to go?

Had my 35gallon glass tank crack on me while I was at work ... dozens of towels later and a quick drive to rent a shop vac from Safeway plus 2 days of running multiple fans over the carpet ... yeah ... :( ... thinking about acrylic now ... :pokerface:

[Marshall Placid]

2 year old, 140G, Mostly Tangs, with 2 Clownfish, 1 Trigger, soft corals, purple lobster, 3 sea cucumbers, snails (a lot of them).

The foxface pictured in here died a short while ago.

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r491/Marshall_Placid/September16-2013-fishtank_zps6997ea18.jpg

[digitalgirl]

by any chance does anyone here have a 55 gal tank they're looking to get rid of??

[hi-revs]

Anyone interested in a 71 gallon tank, stand, lid, lights package?

[falcon]

I guess you could say I'm a fish hobbyist. I catch them, then eat them.

[zilley]

I have a 50 gal tank set up with black stand and glass lids in near perfect condition, if anyones interested pm me.

its a 3 feet 50 gallon.

[Lomac]

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now. I moved into a new place and the previous owner left an aquarium here with a bunch of live fish still in it (not sure what they are, but it's a fresh water tank). The tank is down about 1/3 water and apparently the pump hasn't been run in weeks. From the sounds of it, the fish haven't been fed in a while too. Luckily in some of my storage boxes I had some fish feed from when I had a bunch of Betta fish, so I've started feeding them that stuff. Surprisingly the live plants look healthy, there's virtually no algae on the glass, and the rocks look pretty clean.

However, would it be worthwhile buying a new pump and other stuff in order to keep these fish alive? Also, how would I go about refilling the tank with that much water while keeping the water quality livable? I don't have a big enough bowl or spare tank to dump the fish into while doing cleaning the main tank... not to mention I've no idea what's required to clean a large(ish) tank. I'm used to Betta fish, where I could literally dump them into a pint glass for the 10 minutes it took to refresh their water. :lol

Suggestions? What should I buy?

[hi-revs]

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now. I moved into a new place and the previous owner left an aquarium here with a bunch of live fish still in it (not sure what they are, but it's a fresh water tank). The tank is down about 1/3 water and apparently the pump hasn't been run in weeks. From the sounds of it, the fish haven't been fed in a while too. Luckily in some of my storage boxes I had some fish feed from when I had a bunch of Betta fish, so I've started feeding them that stuff. Surprisingly the live plants look healthy, there's virtually no algae on the glass, and the rocks look pretty clean.

However, would it be worthwhile buying a new pump and other stuff in order to keep these fish alive? Also, how would I go about refilling the tank with that much water while keeping the water quality livable? I don't have a big enough bowl or spare tank to dump the fish into while doing cleaning the main tank... not to mention I've no idea what's required to clean a large(ish) tank. I'm used to Betta fish, where I could literally dump them into a pint glass for the 10 minutes it took to refresh their water. :lol

Suggestions? What should I buy?

I'd say keep it if the tank and stand looks good.
You Can always trade the current fish into a store and get some of your liking.

As for water change, you'll want one of these. Go to a home plumbing store and get an adapter that'll fit your current sink tap. No more carrying buckets and never a spill.
Amazon.com: 25 Foot - Python No Spill Clean and Fill Aquarium Maintenance System: Pet Supplies (http://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Python-Aquarium-Maintenance/dp/B000255NXC)
You can always get the "tap/switch connector locally and go to Home Depot to buy the hose for the length you need.

Good luck

[ecchiecchi]

Pics so we can give better advice. ww

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now. I moved into a new place and the previous owner left an aquarium here with a bunch of live fish still in it (not sure what they are, but it's a fresh water tank). The tank is down about 1/3 water and apparently the pump hasn't been run in weeks. From the sounds of it, the fish haven't been fed in a while too. Luckily in some of my storage boxes I had some fish feed from when I had a bunch of Betta fish, so I've started feeding them that stuff. Surprisingly the live plants look healthy, there's virtually no algae on the glass, and the rocks look pretty clean.

However, would it be worthwhile buying a new pump and other stuff in order to keep these fish alive? Also, how would I go about refilling the tank with that much water while keeping the water quality livable? I don't have a big enough bowl or spare tank to dump the fish into while doing cleaning the main tank... not to mention I've no idea what's required to clean a large(ish) tank. I'm used to Betta fish, where I could literally dump them into a pint glass for the 10 minutes it took to refresh their water. :lol

Suggestions? What should I buy?

[Cman333]

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now. I moved into a new place and the previous owner left an aquarium here with a bunch of live fish still in it (not sure what they are, but it's a fresh water tank). The tank is down about 1/3 water and apparently the pump hasn't been run in weeks. From the sounds of it, the fish haven't been fed in a while too. Luckily in some of my storage boxes I had some fish feed from when I had a bunch of Betta fish, so I've started feeding them that stuff. Surprisingly the live plants look healthy, there's virtually no algae on the glass, and the rocks look pretty clean.

However, would it be worthwhile buying a new pump and other stuff in order to keep these fish alive? Also, how would I go about refilling the tank with that much water while keeping the water quality livable? I don't have a big enough bowl or spare tank to dump the fish into while doing cleaning the main tank... not to mention I've no idea what's required to clean a large(ish) tank. I'm used to Betta fish, where I could literally dump them into a pint glass for the 10 minutes it took to refresh their water. :lol

Suggestions? What should I buy?

Shitty someone just left their tank, but good in a sense for you. lol

I think we'd need more info on the setup (or pics) to help you out. Is there currently a heater and filter running?

Need to get filtration and heating in asap or the fish will likely die (if they're tropical).

[zilley]

Water change, prime + python.

Nothing else needed.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

yeah lomac u should post some pics... with detailed pics of the diff types of plants and diff types of fish inside of course.

I'm thinking of starting a crystal red shrimp tank... maybe.

[Lomac]

They also left a CRT tv behind. Guess that means I can now actually play Duck Hunt on my NES!

:fullofwin:

Anyway, shitty cellphone photo.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1/1901244_10153861175900080_1826599550_n.jpg

I've no idea what the fuck all that white stuff is on the cover or wall. My best guess is someone had a really fun last night before leaving.

There's currently two goldfish and one long, skinny white/black fish. The filter is a Walmart special - Aquatech 20-40. I cleaned it out and replaced the filter. It had obviously not been run in quite some time because the water inside the filter enclosure was so brown and gunky it looked like mud. I also topped up the tank and put in some water conditioner (just enough for a water change, since it's already an established aquarium). Still need to buy a water heater, but the cheapo thermostat on the side of the tank says it's around 24* C, so I'm not sure if it needs one or not.

As for the plants, I thought they were real but apparently not. Amazing what plastic can look like, these days :lol

[viet604778]

^^ if you do it now... theres some deals for only 1 week

1 week Shrimp special (http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/ebi-ken-studio-83/1-week-shrimp-special-83626/#post625553)

^
For gold fish no need for heater as they are considered a cold water fish.

[SoNaRWaVe]

i may be wrong, but the white stuff on the wall is probably from the tank. it can be easily wiped with a damp cloth, but i believe it will return. not sure why or how though =|

[Akinari]

Awesome, BCA guys on here :thumbs:

Been a long-time lurker on there but I have a tank journal that I haven't updated since I started my new 10g planted tank :derp:

[zilley]

thats a big tank..?

[ecchiecchi]

Looks like a 20 gallon... 30 at best.. I wonder if the black thing is a tetra.

[zilley]

looks like a 10 gallon to me, and it looks like comet goldfish and zebra danios.

[jing]

I've never seen any 10 gals that tall, lol. My guess is 20-25.

[Akinari]

Just bought $40 worth of plants and some more black Flourite as my existing sand is not enough for the new layout I want. Now for the lengthy wait for the dust to settle down :badpokerface:

[GLOW]

i heard bigger the tank=less water changes, but would you guys say a 3 gallon is noob friendly and fairly easy to maintain?

[ecchiecchi]

i heard bigger the tank=less water changes, but would you guys say a 3 gallon is noob friendly and fairly easy to maintain?

3 gallon is painful to maintain. Small mistakes on water change can wipe out your whole stock if they're not hardy.

I suggest to go with 10 gallon at the very least if you're just starting out. Smaller tanks are usually for experts who are well versed in treating water.

What kind of stock are you thinking of getting?

[GLOW]

Tetras or white cloud minnows or a beta. Something that is newb friendly. I might get a free 10 gallon but space might be an issue which is why I'm looking at 3 gallon
Posted via RS Mobile

[ecchiecchi]

Tetras or white cloud minnows or a beta. Something that is newb friendly. I might get a free 10 gallon but space might be an issue which is why I'm looking at 3 gallon
Posted via RS Mobile

Three gallon is ok for Betta. Those are really hardy. Neons are not worth it in small space, they need to be in a school and usually will die without one. Minnows are pretty hardy too if you wanna try. Those ones are schooling fish too. :)

The good thing with minnows is that it's cheap. You could try to see if it could work in a 3 gallon. For neon tetra,s i suggest atleast 5 gallon. I've seen them work well in nano setups.

[yray]

^my tank has one neon :troll:

his school died off :okay:

[Akinari]

Got all my plants in and neon tetras back into the tank. Still need one val and one more amazon sword to fill up the empty spaces.

Really getting bored of neon tetras, anyone want to buy my 10 for $10? :badpokerface: want some more rare and exotic tetras.

[SpeedStars]

If only you posted that yesterday :ahwow:, went to get my 6 gal tank set up as a nano planted tank in my room. Got a few tetras, and today...when I got home...one of them got sucked into the filter...felt sad for the little guy

[Akinari]

I find the problem with Neons is, though they're easily one of the hardiest fish, the quality of them from the LFS is not always top notch. It's not hard to get a crappy batch and have them die within a week.

My last batch lasted about a year and a half, and my new batch is 5 months in and still going very strong.

But like I said, getting bored of them, need something rare. Maybe galaxy rasboras if they weren't so expensive. The only store that carries galaxy rasboras has them priced much too high for my wallet.

[yray]

10$ x10

:fuckthatshit: I can only afford 39 cent fish

[OTG-ZR2]

I'll pick them up from you in 2 weeks. Just setting up a brand new 29 gallon this weekend.

Photos to come.
Posted via RS Mobile

[ecchiecchi]

I took down my 40g long setup to reseal it. Finally got to resealing it today and did a botched job lol. Gonna clean it up in a few hours and test for leaks.

[Cman333]

Looks like this thread is coming back to life :p

[Akinari]

My new setup is growing like mad. No algae so far, just some diatoms as with every new tank setup (basically redid my old tank with existing filter elements).

My otos keep dying off, have had no real success with them even though there's plenty of algae and diatoms in my tank in the past. The blanched vegetables I've thrown into my tank, my otos have never eaten them.

Anyone have experience with otos?

[maxxxboost]

Galaxy Rasboras at Fantasy Aquatics by Slocan and Kingsway if anyone is looking.

I think it was $6 each or 6 for $30.

[Cman333]

I think Aprils had some Galaxies also.

[Cman333]

My new setup is growing like mad. No algae so far, just some diatoms as with every new tank setup (basically redid my old tank with existing filter elements).

My otos keep dying off, have had no real success with them even though there's plenty of algae and diatoms in my tank in the past. The blanched vegetables I've thrown into my tank, my otos have never eaten them.

Anyone have experience with otos?

Yeah they're very sensitive fish. I basically buy double of what I want in my tank. But in the end they still die off over the next few months.

Only thing I suggest is buying from a source that's had them in an established tank for awhile. I usually just fed mine wafers.

[Ferra]

Got all my plants in and neon tetras back into the tank. Still need one val and one more amazon sword to fill up the empty spaces.

Really getting bored of neon tetras, anyone want to buy my 10 for $10? :badpokerface: want some more rare and exotic tetras.
ember tetra?
i love them when i used to keep planted tank...
the simple colour gives a really nice contrast with the plants
also they are even smaller than neon so if you have a small tank they are great.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/custom/images/medium/4d87323653157.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img62/8499/embertetra5.jpg

[GLOW]

are those tetras translucent? reminds me of ghost shrimp

[Akinari]

ember tetra?
i love them when i used to keep planted tank...
the simple colour gives a really nice contrast with the plants
also they are even smaller than neon so if you have a small tank they are great.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/custom/images/medium/4d87323653157.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img62/8499/embertetra5.jpg
I could, but I'm a bigger fan of galaxy rasboras, but it doesn't help that they cost so much :derp:

Galaxy Rasboras at Fantasy Aquatics by Slocan and Kingsway if anyone is looking.

I think it was $6 each or 6 for $30.

Fantasy Aquatics is my main fish and plant source. Kerry and Mike are both very knowledgeable and friendly people :thumbs:

Yeah they're very sensitive fish. I basically buy double of what I want in my tank. But in the end they still die off over the next few months.

Only thing I suggest is buying from a source that's had them in an established tank for awhile. I usually just fed mine wafers.

I'll give the wafers a try.

[dhawes]

Been in the hobby for about 2 months now. Here is my mixed cichlid tank. I swear it's nickel & diming me to death haha.

I'm currently debating whether or not to attempt putting plants in.

95% african 5% south american cichlid tank 45g - YouTube


Really interested in aquascaping, anyone do that?

[Akinari]

Pretty to get a sense of aquascaping and DIY. Essentially it's tall plants in the rear, various crypts and other things in the middle, and foreground carpet. That's the ideal setup, though there's not really a distinct set-in-stone setup that people must comply to. Check out ADA tanks.

[ecchiecchi]

Been in the hobby for about 2 months now. Here is my mixed cichlid tank. I swear it's nickel & diming me to death haha.

I'm currently debating whether or not to attempt putting plants in.

95% african 5% south american cichlid tank 45g - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q6awGQD5Hs)


Really interested in aquascaping, anyone do that?

Cichlids are a nightmare for aquascaping with plants. Cichlids usually dig and destroy plants. Recommend a less aggressive nature if you wanna do aqauscape.

That or you can try an iwagumi style setup?

[Lowered_Klass]

Cichlids are a nightmare for aquascaping with plants. Cichlids usually dig and destroy plants. Recommend a less aggressive nature if you wanna do aqauscape.

That or you can try an iwagumi style setup?

Agreed. Cichlids + plants = not a good idea.

I've had a few Cichlid tanks over the years, and anytime I've tried plants, they always end up either ripped up, or dug up.

dhawes, your tank is off to a good start, however I would add a fair bit more gravel/sand. Cichlids love to dig, and I always loved it when they did. They sort of aquascape the tank for you lol. Plus, it's fun to watch. Perhaps add some ironwood/spider-wood to the tank, to help fill the mid-to-top section of the tank.

[dhawes]

Yeah I've heard cichlid tank = no plants. But part of me is determined to try and make it work. That's a good point regarding the sand. In my old tank I had way more sand that was "aquascaped" by my blue zebra. Everyday I would come home to a new mountain of sand somewhere haha. I will do that today.

Do you have any recommendations where to get that wood?

I'm also concerned about my 2 jewels. Had them for a week now and they haven't eaten / shown interest until yesterday when I bought/tried bloodworms as an alternative from flakes.

Problem with bloodworms is all the other cichlids are so greedy, it's hard to sprinkle them to get the jewels fed without fearing overfeeding everyone else.

[yray]

Cichlid fighting is awesome :fullofwin: But when they mate :fuckthatshit: Got 3 generations of white cichlids with red eyes, inbreeding yo.

[Lowered_Klass]

Yeah I've heard cichlid tank = no plants. But part of me is determined to try and make it work. That's a good point regarding the sand. In my old tank I had way more sand that was "aquascaped" by my blue zebra. Everyday I would come home to a new mountain of sand somewhere haha. I will do that today.

Do you have any recommendations where to get that wood?

I'm also concerned about my 2 jewels. Had them for a week now and they haven't eaten / shown interest until yesterday when I bought/tried bloodworms as an alternative from flakes.

Problem with bloodworms is all the other cichlids are so greedy, it's hard to sprinkle them to get the jewels fed without fearing overfeeding everyone else.

Hmmm. Trying to remember the last place I bought that wood. Most fish stores should have a decent selection. Keep in mind some places sell the wood by weight, so if you don't see a price, ask them how much it will be.

Good call on adding more sand :thumbsup:

I always had a variety of food for my cichlids. If I fed them flake food, I would always throw in some sinking tablets of some kind. Gives the non-pigs a chance to eat, while the hogs are at the trough :D

My standby was -and still is- tubifex worms (namely the freeze dried ones). Fish go apeshit for them, especially cichlids. One thing I usually do, instead of sticking peices to the side of the glass, I would hold a peice in my fingers (sometimes the fish would eat from my fingers, which was cool) until it dissolved more or less. This keeps one fish from swimming away with one big chunk. Instead it's more of a free-for-all lol.

[viet604778]

For wood, I would say your best bet would usually be kingeds pet or island pet unlimited. It really depends on what style of wood you are looking for. If you want manzanita wood, it will usually go for $20-$40 a piece.

[dhawes]

Hmm I'll have to look into those sinking tablets. Right now I'm having to sprinkle the majority of the food at the opposite side of the jewels then try to hand feed the timid thing a few worms.

Yeah my fish are pretty "tame" from me sticking my hands in the tank all the time lol. If they're not following my hands for food, they're biting it.

I've been to island pets & all the chain pet stores, will have to check out Kingeds. I really like spoon_fed's suggestion of spiderwood. Something long & skinny. Only seen big chunks of wood so far. Manzanita looks good too.

[OTG-ZR2]

King eds my go-to for aquarium needs. Got my latest tank from them.
Posted via RS Mobile

[- kT]

^ this, king ed's is great, hard to beat prices on livestock too. customer service isn't the greatest though

[dhawes]

I have a female pink convict for free. If anyone wants pickup in Richmond. Taking take in a new direction so she's gotta go. Around 3/4 inches in size, tails a bit chewed but healthy.

[Cman333]

^ this, king ed's is great, hard to beat prices on livestock too. customer service isn't the greatest though

I find their livestock quality not in the healthiest conditions.

Often better to pay more for a healthy fish, than pay the cheapest and buy like 10 and have more than half die off.

If I'm getting more expensive types of fish that are sensitive (ie. Clown Loaches) I usually go to Rogers Pets in Surrey because they REALLY take care of all their tanks.

I remember I bought some loaches from a "cheaper" store, and they all died within a week.

I got some from Rogers and not an issue, they lived a long time and grew big.

Same happened when I bought Galaxy Rasbora's.

All in all, buying cheapest never good. Should always ask how long the fish have been in the tank for. Lots of stores sell their new stock right when it arrives without proper acclimation and/or quarantine.

[Cman333]

Where does everyone usually shop for their fish nowadays?

Myself I usually buy from Island Pets, Rogers Pets, Canadian Aquatics and Aprils Aquarium.

[guurl]

anybody here know where i can find flower horn fish? and how much?
i'm looking to get two

[zilley]

anybody here know where i can find flower horn fish? and how much?
i'm looking to get two

depends on the quality you want, I know an importer but his prices are atleast 300 each.

and you putting them in the same tank with dividers?

[guurl]

depends on the quality you want, I know an importer but his prices are atleast 300 each.

and you putting them in the same tank with dividers?
not sure, its for my boyfriends dad
he said didnt matter for the quality he just wanted a pair of those fishies

[guurl]

depends on the quality you want, I know an importer but his prices are atleast 300 each.

and you putting them in the same tank with dividers?
not sure, its for my boyfriends dad
he said didnt matter for the quality he just wanted a pair of those fishies.

oops double post

[viet604778]

^ You can't have 2 together unless in seperated tanks or a divider in the middle. You can buy them from King Eds or Island pets, but if you want a nice one get it imported. Heres a pic of my brother's
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7296/13834469613_ef524473ee.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/n5vgQa)_MG_1890 (https://flic.kr/p/n5vgQa) by BlurryRN (https://www.flickr.com/people/96177328@N07/), on Flickr

[GLOW]

noob here. so i had a betta for a few months and he got sick (fin rot, lethargic) and died recently. do i need to dump all the water out and fill with new again before starting over? i'm thinking of just getting a couple ghost shrimp in there since it's only a 3 gallon and i'm not sure why things went south (all in the span of a few days) he was happy the rest of the time.

[fliptuner]

Stumbled across these vids and had to share:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLIp0w_uWGc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwa3Upl9v04

[Inaii]

noob here. so i had a betta for a few months and he got sick (fin rot, lethargic) and died recently. do i need to dump all the water out and fill with new again before starting over? i'm thinking of just getting a couple ghost shrimp in there since it's only a 3 gallon and i'm not sure why things went south (all in the span of a few days) he was happy the rest of the time.

I would just in case it was something in the water that caused it. Maybe he wasn't getting enough air or something? Betta are notoriously finicky about how their water/tanks are kept apparently.

[snails]

bumping an old thread!

i recently moved and in the process broke my bettas tank (1gal)

so i decided a i was upsizing, i would also upsize his tank to a 5gal

current setup is a filter i had to actually stick some rocks in the filter to slow the flow as it was tossing my betta around

african dwarf frog just for fun, i actually put a small dish at the bottom to feed him in just to stop all the food from falling between the gravel. i got an eye dropper and hot glued a straw to the end so i could put the food directly into the dish

i also had a snail (forget type) but it didnt last long, my temps are good, water de-chlorinated and plenty of air/food in the tank so im considering another scavenger type like a fish or ghost shrimp

regarding my betta, as the tank is 5x larger hes alot more active but never seems to rest anymore and its a bit concerning, him and the frog often have stare offs and its pretty entertaining but they dont bother eachother

as for the frog, hes simple enough to feed but im concerned about the gravel, hes alot more clumsy than i expected so im considering something like sand but cleaning sand is a bit of a challenge.. ideas?

in regards to the snail, what do you guys think could have killed it so fast? i understand most are nocturnal so i made sure all lights were off during night so it could move around and it worked for a few days

and now onto scavenger creatures.. my concern is that the shrimp will harass the frog but from what i have read they are great as keeping gravel/sand clean

what about bottom feeders? how do they do with filtering remaining food from sand?

ill get some pics up when i get a chance and im open to advice as i think this is gunna be a fun little project, i am already considering a 10gal tank...

[GLOW]

if you're putting shrimp in after the betta it might get territorial with the shrimp. i had a few shrimp in my 3 gal before i added a beta and it scared the shrimp and they just hid under my bridge but the beta could get in there and i think did them all in. better get the shrimp some good cover and places to hide.

i currently have a few zebra danios in my tank. they wiped out the ghost shrimp too but the zebras are pigs and eat the food at the bottom pretty good. anyone have any suggestions on what to get to provide good cover for ghost shrimp?

[Obsideon]

The betta not resting shouldn't be a big deal, when I moved mine into a bigger tank it definitely got a lot more active and looked a lot happier. You could try lowering the filter pressure even more though as they don't like too much current in the water.

I've also heard that Betta's might pick on the shrimp and will definitely eat it's eggs if they decide to breed. But it would depend on your luck of finding the right Betta with the right temperament.
Regarding the snail, the Betta might have been nipping at the snail's tentacles when you're not looking which could have killed it.

If you do upgrade to a 10g, you could consider picking up a couple of Cory's, they are active and cute bottom scavengers.

[46_valentinor]

anyone interested in a rainbow shark?
my dad completely destroyed the fish tank by draining out all the water and washing the filters completely, in addition to leaving the entire tank with tap water overnight...Ill need to cycle the tank again which would take a couple weeks and I can foresee my dad doing this again in the future when I'm not around. The rainbow shark is around 3inches long and I had it for approximately 2 years.

[trip]

dude that sucks.

you can try posting on BCAquaria or even see if anyone is willing to help you speed cycle your tank with media from their own.

anyone interested in a rainbow shark?
my dad completely destroyed the fish tank by draining out all the water and washing the filters completely, in addition to leaving the entire tank with tap water overnight...Ill need to cycle the tank again which would take a couple weeks and I can foresee my dad doing this again in the future when I'm not around. The rainbow shark is around 3inches long and I had it for approximately 2 years.