u/thisisntgraces

Hi everyone! I just set up my very first fish tank and I’m really excited but I have some general questions :)

To preface, I have a 10 gallon tank. The base layer is that aquatic plant substrate and then sand on top. I’ve got two pieces of driftwood or mopani wood I’m not actually sure, and the whole tank is littered with plants there’s probably around 20 plants and then on the top of the water there’s Indian almond leaves and what I believe is frogbit. I’ve got a preset heater in there and a sponge filter for low flow. I’ve been letting it run since last Friday and letting it cycle which I know will take a while.

My first question is: there’s no such thing as too much tannins is there? I think I may have gone overboard with the tannins because the tank isn’t just tea colored it’s damn near opaque. Should I take the almond leaves out? If it’s still super dark when I eventually put the betta in will that much tannin be okay? I know it’s good for them but idk if there’s like a limit or something.

My other question is about food. I know bettas need a variety and I have been following the betta care guide but I’ve gotten pretty mixed information about food. Once I get her I’d probably do mainly frozen bloodworms and then high quality pellets and brine shrimp but what are the best pellets to feed? And how often should I feed her? On the care guide (I’ll attach to this post) it says twice daily but everyone at the pet store I work at says no more than 3 pellets every other day or their swim bladder will swell and they’ll die.

Ive never had a fish before and I want to do this right. I’ve grown rather attached to this fish and don’t want her to die because of some silly mistake, it would just eat me alive. I want to make sure I do everything right so when I finally get her she will live a long and happy life.

Aside from my general questions I’m open to any advice or words of wisdom from those who want to impart their knowledge on beginners. Thank you! :)

Pinkie says hello

beginner questions