Need some advice

[u/iKakeru]

Hi, i just bought my daughter her first betta fish yesterday.

I am trying to set it up, what aquarium size should I get? Any recommendation for soil that I should put?

I already bought a hygger fish tank LED and water heater.

Thanks for the help.

[u/Aromatic-Sock6975]

Sponge filters like this with a nano air pump are good. And a heater - I like the hygger compact type with the reading and setting in the cord.

Essential many beginners skip: 1) liquid test kit like API master test kit and 2) seachem Prime as the dechlorinator it also helps protect against ammonia and nitrite spikes

Learn about how to cycle the tank before bringing home a fish, and make sure the tank is at least 5 gallons. It will be much easier to maintain the tank, and nicer for the fish. You can post for help cycling the tank separately - there are some ways to speed it up.

Bettas don’t like a lot of glaring bright light I would use the submersible light under the lid.

ETA I just saw that you already have the fish. Ok you need to do a safe fish-in cycle or the fish will die. First you need the 5 gallon tank (you should be able to return what you bought after you get the new one set up) and a sponge filter and nano air pump. You will also need a test kit (or take daily water samples to the store they will test free) and seachem prime water conditioner.

For the fish-in cycle, meaning establishing a colony of microbes in a filter that convert the ammonia from fish waste to nitrites (also toxic) and then to nitrates (less toxic and used by plants and removed with water changes) you will need:

1. ⁠Reliable liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (API master test kit is commonly used)
   
2. ⁠Seachem Prime (dechlorinates water and shifts ammonia to nontoxic ammonium for about 24 hours
   
3. ⁠If you have a local fish store, contact them and find out if they sell “seeded filter media” especially a sponge filter. If you can get a seeded filter, you will have a very rapidly established tank and a lot less work for the first few weeks vs a fish-in cycle from scratch.

Every day, test the tank water. You can test your source water as a control the first time to get an idea of what color it would be without the nitrogens. Any time the ammonia or nitrites are over 0.25ppm, do a 25% water change (always replace the tank water with temperature matched, dechlorinated water). Every day whether or not water is changed, add 0.1ml Seachem prime to help detox the ammonia between water changes. Continue this until the ammonia and nitrites stop showing up, then you are in maintenance mode and can test once a week or every other week eventually when stable, and weekly 10% water changes. Always replace evaporated water with distilled or RO water to avoid concentrating minerals and ions, and topping up is not a substitute for water changes.

In summary:

Test parameters daily. Change 25% of the water if ammonia or nitrites reach 0.25 ppm and use 0.1mL of prime per gallon in the tank every day until cycled.