Beginners Questions and dilemmas

Question
Hello Ms. Worman,

LIVING CONDITION:
I have a "tiny" Marina Betta Kit for 4 weeks now. No filter and lighting system. The climate where I live is round 20-24celcius. I clean the tank once a week (1/3 new a water) and feed the fish 2 times a day.

PROBLEM:
I just noticed that my betta has a small white spot on the tip of his fin. On the other fin, it look like blood "cloat", but I am not sure if it is natural color or something is wrong...What would be the best and quick cure?

ANOTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEM:
Oh, and after reading all the quetions on bettas, I realized that when I clean my fish tank. There's no "feces" in tank. Is that normal? My fish does not seemed to have a bloating tummy...

The petshop gave us a small snail to put in the tank. Is that OK? Only the top layer if water is slimmy by the end of the week and of which I do clean every week.

I realized that this mini kit is too small for my fish and "cruel" and will get a 10GL tank and get a few more "friends" for my betta. Any suggestions on type of fish and how many should I get? And in which interval should I put them in? Tetras, guppies and algea eater?

Giving the lack of experience in fish caring, I do want to do things right before investing in a bigger tank. So I am getting a used tank for now. It is sold with live plants. Any suggestions on what to look for?

Your answer will be appreciated. Sorry fo the spelling mistake... I am more French!  

Answer
Hello Sue-

First off, the white spot on the betta's fin is probably a small bacterial infection of some kind. I would recommend adding a dosage of aquarium salt (not table salt) to the tank, and also a dose of QuickCure (found at WalMart or any petstore.) The red splotch - does it look like it is under the skin of the fish, like a blood vessel burst? I don't know exactly what it is, but one of my fish has had it before. I just added some salt and a dose of Melafix, and he was healed after a few days.

Once you get the new tank, you'll need to cycle it. The best way to do this, after rinsing everything with hot water and scrubbing it out (including the gravel,) is to add clear, warm water. Get a heater and plug it in and allow it to run for a few hours before adding any fish. Then, you should add some Cycle (available at pet stores.) This stuff is essential for setting up new tanks.

Let the tank set for the rest of the day, then add a few inexpensive fish (neons or danios.) Allow the tank to remain in this setup for at least 2 weeks (until the tank finishes the "cloudy" phase.) Now, you can add the rest of your fish, one per day, until you have them all. Be sure to allow them to gt used to the new water conditions by floating them in a cup or bag for 20 minutes.

You can ask any further questions at abworman@purdue.edu
Hope this is helpful!
-Amber Worman