Caryl

Anyone want some Java moss? It posts well in a ziplog bag within an envelope so you would get however much I could fit in a business envelope. It squishes well so you can get a good handful. $5.00

This is a common problem with stem plants like this and ambulia is good at it. Most likely lack of light as the bushy tops cut off the light to the bottom half. Try thinning it out a bit, if it is too thick.

Here's hoping you have more luck with Raindrop.

Fish are opportunist feeders so would eat anything that came their way. NZ brown trout feed on all sorts of arthropods like koura (native crayfish) as well as small fish, frogs and even mice if the opportunity arises.

If you have successfully kept your current fish alive and healthy for 12 months and you haven't got an algae outbreak, and your water test results are excellent, then you are ready to try a more difficult species. Difficult doesn't always mean hard though as it may mean something like the fish has specific requirements not able to be given in a community aquarium.

When I had Java fern the leaves were often edged in black.

Possibly the start of black beard algae (BBA) and common on slow growing plants like Java fern. Very difficult to get rid of. It may be caused by too much light, and/or water pollutants. It could have already been on the plant when it was bought. Bear in mind, Java ferns also reproduce by growing tiny plantlets off the edges of the wide leaves. Sometimes this makes the edges look weird. Make sure you have plenty of water movement and excellent water conditions. The internet has plenty of detailed info on BBA.

If they are pellets designed specifically for Bettas - yes. You can also feed frozen blood worms etc but be very careful handling the blood worms as many (me included) get an allergic reaction to them. Wear gloves or use utensils so you don't actually touch them.

A Betta only lives 2 - 3 years so if you choose the biggest in the display, it is also possibly the oldest and may already be 12 months or more old. How do you know it was over-feeding that killed the last one? Bettas need a diet high in protein so live food is good or specially formulated fish food for bettas. Here is a really good article about how much to feed your betta that should help you... https://www.myaquariumclub.com/skinny-bettas-underfeeding-might-be-worse-than-overfeeding-19292.html

Easily. When you consider most of the fish is only fins there is not much body. 3 bristlenoses could easily eat all the evidence overnight. They are nocturnal so do their food foraging at night. Sorry you lost the fish but, as said in the other post, have you been testing your aquarium water?

Sorry to hear that but without more detail, it is not easy to offer suggestions. One of the first things you should always do is test the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, along with pH. Betta are very sensitive to water conditions and need top quality water.

Unless a male Betta has something to compete against (another male or to impress a female) they tend to hang about like this. Try putting a mirror in there and see if you get a reaction.

Do you have a test kit? Frankly, if there was anything wrong with the water quality, the betta would get sick first 😉

Stop looking so hard at the fish! She looks fine and their fins look different depending on how much they have flared them. They can get a bit roughed up by the males or from scraping them as they zip into their hidey holes. Unless she develops red streaks down her fins she is likely fine. The landscaping of your tank looks fine and there isn't anything particularly sharp that could damage the fishes too mush. More important is to check the water parameters - nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and pH. Do you have any other fish in the tank apart from the 2 bristlenoses and the Betta?

Hard to tell from the photos but I suspect nothing is wrong with him. Their natural colouring is brown and, depending on genetics, it may be a result of him reverting, or partially so, to his natural colour - like goldfish change colour as they age. It may stay like that or the dark colour may spread. If there is no redness or extra raggedness to the fin I would say he's fine. Their pectorals can get a bit tatty anyway as they dart in and out of tight places. I am interested in the wide red patch on top. One of mine has that too and I figured it was a result of him ramming himself into a tight hole and scaping the top of his body but perhaps it is normal. It comes and goes on mine and doesn't seem to affect him health-wise anyway.