Originally Posted by
beaslbob
http:///forum/post/3202250
Hopefully you god son is not sleeping in a 55 degree F room.
hmmmmmmmmmmm
Let me give you my personal step by step on FW tank. Usually 10g.
1) put in 1" spagham peat moss ($10 per bale home depot) and fill the moss with water.
2) clean and level the wet moss
3) add 1" play sand ($3 for 50 pounds from home depot Again wet, level, clean.
4) add 1" pc select ($8/50 pounds local landscaping firm) (pro choice select) or small aquarium gravel. Again wet clean level.
5) add 6-10 anacharis bunches (back of tank) 6 vals (back and sides), 4 small potted type plants (left righ of center) amazon sword (center)
6) fill tank with water poured over a dish.
7) wait a week
8) add a single male platty.
9) wait a week with no food being added.
10) add 2 female platties
11) feed a single flake per day for a few weeks.
Just to be clear, no filter, no circulation. Just replace the evaporative water with straight untreated tap water from a common cold faucet.
result: In 6 months you have a tank full of plattys and for years you have a stable population of plattys. If you get algae or cloudiness kill the lights for a few days then resume with less lighting.
I have done that with neon tetras and glo fish as well. The peat moss IME is required with this process for neons.
After a few weeks you can add the betta which may prevent the platty population for being as large.
my .02
His room is quite cold...as there is zero heat in there!!
This seems like a lot of work for a small 10 gallon and a 5 year old. His mother doesn't like to take care of things either