Betta Fish and Betta Fish Care
Your source for betta fish information and supplies.
Discuss other aquarium fish.
Why Betta Fish
Betta fish are some of the most beautiful freshwater fish around. They come in many colors and have long, flowing tails. Relative to other fish, they require very little in order to survive and thrive. Whereas most fish may require elaborate setups with filters, skimmers, heaters and more to survive, the betta is typically fine in a small bowl without any equipment. No fish store would be complete without a collection of betta splendens ready and waiting for new homes. The betta has been referred to as the "gateway fish" because unsuspecting purchasers often start with small betta fish bowls and find themselves with full scale fish tanks before long!
The Siamese Fighting Fish Needs Space
There is some debate about whether the betta fish needs or would prefer more room, but they certainly can live in small aquariums.
Betta fish come in many varieties. There are regular bettas, crown tail bettas, twin tail bettas, and more. There are show bettas and bettas that are caught in the wild and of great value because they refresh the betta gene pool. Betta fish have been found to live for up to three years in the right conditions, but few in home aquariums will live anywhere near this long. You may have heard betta fish referred to as "Siamese Fighting Fish." This is because male bettas are extremely aggresive towards one another and will fight. They have been known to flare up upon seeing their own reflections so as to intimidate what they perceive as another betta. Female betta fish are not quite that aggressive towards each other, though it is recommended that there be many hiding places inside a tank if several female betta fish are to be kept together. Keeping two male betta fish together will almost certainly result in one dying.
Responsible Fish Keeping
Many people first become interested in keeping betta fish and fish in general because of their ease of care relative to other pets. Betta fish are easy to keep as compared to turtles with their special lighting and heating requirements. Like any living creature, though, these fish have needs. You should not bring a betta fish into your home unless you are willing to spend the time feeding it each day and doing water changes when necessary.
Hardiness
This is a hardy fish. Some consider it too hardy for its own good, as its reputation for being able to tolerate poor water conditions often results in it being kept in such conditions. The difference between surviving and flourishing cannot be stressed enough. Please be sure to give your betta a proper habitat and change its water regularly.
Betta Fish Colors
Betta fish have been discovered to come in all sorts of colors. While reds, blues, and greens are most common, they are also found to come in combinations of these colors which result in very unique coloration.
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I've read how to tell which is a healthy fish at the pet store before you buy it for goldfish, but how do select a healthy betta fish?
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This is what I was told - Make sure that they have vibrant colors (of course all betta fishs vary in color but you don't want a dull fish because sick fish tend to lose color), make sure there are no white, brown, or black growths on the fish, make sure that the fins are intact and none are ripped...of course if you want to 'rescue' a sick fish that would be noble of you, but a lot more work.
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Also, look for one that is active and responsive. If it barely moves when you pick it up, put him back. If he tries to kill you through the wall of his little cup, there's your guy!
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Skittles was really active in his "cup" at Petco and he is swimming all around his 10G tank and is really active and healthy. As everyone said, make sure their fins are not torn, they have no gray bumps or look pale and sickly etc. Get the brightest, most active one.
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And unless you are into the rescuing thing (which just makes them more money and encourages them to mistreat their animals), if most of the betta fishs look like crap then don't buy the one that doesn't. Complain and walk out.
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| Personally, I'd buy one online direct from the breeder. I don't like to support places like Petco in their betta fish cruelty. The ones you get from a reputable breeder will be prettier, healthier and younger, which means they'll live longer. I often browse around aquabid for the USA breeders. |
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Ok. I am getting really fed up with worrying about my betta fish so I figure I might as well ask. When I bought (rescued) my male betta fish from the fish store he had a blackish edge on his tail fin. Just that one and no others, although he did have a hole in his bottom fin. The hole ended up splitting all of the way down, but is now almost completely healed. The black edge however seemed to get a little larger (more inward on his fin). I figured it was fin rot and tried treating him with melafix. It is supposed to be all natural so I figured that I should try the least aggressive treatment first. It did not make the black area go away, although I couldn't tell if it got any larger. So, I ordered some Maracyn TC (tetracycline), and used this. I did two treatments and the spot did not grow, but it did not seem to go away either, so I figured that I should do some more research because I did not want to kill my fish with too much medication. Well, I haven't found anything. I may be just obsessing, but it seems as if the fin has gotten a little more ragged. Again, it is really hard to tell. This has not affected him in any way but I did notice recently that he has not been blowing bubble nests. I'll skip the whole story, but I found out that there was a ceramic pot in my tank that was causing the pH to increase (7.6 and my water is usually acidic). I took the pot out and am slowly trying to bring the pH back to normal. I don't think that this is the problem with his fin though because the pH must only have increased recently when I went back to my once a week water change schedule (I was doing more frequent changes when he was on the medication). Please help if you know what may be causing the discoloration on his fin, as I really want him to be healthy and happy, especially so because I don't want to have to do medications after he is moved into his new 15 gallon planted tank. Thank you.
PS: Right now he is in a filtered, heated, 5.5 gallon tank with a cover, gravel, and some artificial plants. pH is 7.6 (I am trying to bring it down now that I got rid of the problomatic pot) and ammonia is 0. I will post pictures of his fin when I can get them on the computer.
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If the antibiotic didn't work maybe try a fungus eliminator.
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Do the fake plants have rough or spiky edges? Those might be the cause of the raggedness. as for the discoloration I'm not sure what could have caused that. you might want to try adding a very small amount of fresh water aquarium salt to his tank. i did this with my green female betta fish and her color came back rapidly. might be able to help yours too, he might just be getting stressed out because of the high ph and the salt helps to reduce stress.
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| No, the plants are silk, and I chose them specifically because they had no rough edges. The gravel is also smooth. I will try a little salt though and see if that helps. Thank you. |
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Hello. I have a Betta Fish fish, Chris, in a 2 gallon tank, no filter. I picked up "Chris", my betta fish, at PetCo last week, and he seems to be doing fine, very active.
Last night, I changed 50% of the water with a tube siphon. I noticed when I was siphoning the water off the gravel at the bottom that there was uneaten food and other particles mixed into the gravel. I managed to get some, but not all, of the particles out with the tube siphon.
My question is should I take all of the gravel out and wash it, or would this kill the "beneficial bacteria" which are supposed to grow in the gravel?
I'm thinking that in addition to a 50% water change with the tube siphon twice a week, perhaps once or twice a month I should take Chris out of the tank, put him in a small bowl, do a 50% water change, and wash all the gravel in a strainer under warm water to remove all the debris. Then return the same gravel to the betta fish tank after cleaning.
Does this sound llike a good idea? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Most tube siphons have a 'gravel wash' function which allows you to use the siphon to wash off the gravel without removing it from the tank- the gravel gets sucked up in the siphon and the debris comes out of the gravel and down the siphon tube into the bucket but the gravel does not go down the tube, it stays in the tank. That way you don't lose the good bacteria. If you had a filter you wouldn't have to wash the gravel as much.
With a small tank you shold be okay without a filter as long as you do proper maintenance, but you really need a heater. You can find eaters small enough for a 2 gallon tank and they are very cheap.
Also, with that small of a tank, you should probably do partial water changes more than twice a week especially if you don't have a filter. Of course make sure you use water conditioner, you probably do that already but just in case I thought I'd mention it.
And make sure the betta fish has plenty of hiding places but with no rough edges, and they also like silk plants, some plastic ones can rip their fins...even though your tank is on the smallish side you can find specially made betta fish bowl decorations that are small enough.
Good luck with your new friend!
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OK thanks.. I think I'll start looking for a slightly bigger tank with a filter and heater for the fall and winter. In the meantime I'll leave the gravel in when I do my water changes, and try to do the siphon with the attachment. (Last night I didn't use the attachment, just used the tube by itself),
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| Several companies make 3 gallon tank kits that come with everything you need except the heater. Search the web to see who has the best prices, that way you're not limited by what brand your local pet store chooses to carry. |
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Hi this morning when I woke up my Betta Fish fish was on the botoom of my 1G tank. He hasd been there since then . He is moving at the minimum. I also changed the water and checked the temp. Please advice me what should I do?????
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My experience as well as the experience of others here is that many betta fishs just don't do well in tanks smaller than 2.5 gallons because it's hard to find a heater and good filter that fits a small tank, plus you have to do partial water changes all the time and this messes up the bacteria balance and your tank can never cycle.
What are your water parameters (by that I mean ammonia levels, nitrate, nitrite, pH - if you don't have a test kit that measures these get one ASAP, test the water, and post your results). I have recently learned that test strips are not good, only use liquid test kits. Then we can help you a lot more...for example if the ammonia level is high that could be making your fish lethargic and very sick.
Also what is your water change schedule? And are you changing all the water at once? You should never change all of the water at once, that's bad for the fish.
Are you using water conditioner when you change the water? If not there could be harmful chemicals like chlorine in the water that are poisoning him.
Do you have any sort of heater for your tank? Betta Fishs need water in the 78-80 degree range all the time. If the temp. gets too low they can become inactive and get sick, also if the temperature of the water changes drastically (for example at night in your house when the lights are off the water gets real cold) then your fish could become shocked.
Once we know the answers to the above questions somebody here can hopefully help you diagnose your betta fish! When I first got mine he did the same thing and I came here and learned that betta fishs need all the same equipment as any fish (despite what pet stores tell you) and I bought Marley a heated, filtered, 5 gallon aquarium and he's been healthy ever since. |
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My mom wants to get a betta fish fish and i was going to check online for her to see if there was anything telling us how to care for it.
How big does the bowl/tank need to be? Are they happier in a larger tank?
Do we need a lid? If we got a bowl how would we put a lid on it?
Do we need heater, filter, or anything? Again, my mom wanted to use a fish bowl that we have. How would we put that stuff on it?
I've seen bowls made for betta fish fish without covers, filters, or heaters, i think. Are those okay?
What should we feed the betta fish?
My mom wants to put live plants in the bowl. She heard that you can just put in live plants and the fish will eat the roots, that you won't have to feed it anything else.
What types of plants are best?
Am I missing anything? What else do wneed?
:?:
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I just have mine in a 2.5 gallon fish bowl, feed it twice a day and change its water once a week,
im not to sure on the plant thing though
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hi :D, i will try my best to cover all the information (other members please correct me and add anything on :D)
The tank needs to be at least 2.5 gallons, the bigger though the betta fish, i would really invest in a 2.5 - 5 gallon aquarium which has everything in it.
a heater is a must as betta fish's like warm temperatures 78 degrees and above (not to high though) so it the water has to be at least 78 degrees and the heater will make sure there are no fluctuations in the water which can harm your betta fish.
A lid for a betta fish is a good idea, as betta fish's have been known to jump out of there tanks, so again if you can find a nice size tank, it should come with a lid.
You can have a filter and it helps to keep the water clean, however the current cant be to strong as betta fish's don't like strong currents. Even if you have a filter you still need to be doing 25%- 50% water changes weekly, if you are going with a 2.5 gallon tank then i would recommend a turkey baster (to suck up uneaten food etc from the gravel). also use water conditioner when adding any water to the bowl/tank as it takes out the harmful chemicals in the water (you can get this at any petshop selling fish and fish supplies)
There is one member here who keeps her two betta fish's in bowls (separate bowls as betta fishs shouldn't be mixed as they can harm each other), and they use a filter and a heater, and both bowls look just as nice as a tank.
Betta Fish's can be feed betta fish's pellets, and tropical fish flakes (some betta fish's don't take to the flakes though), live/frozen food can be given but some live/frozen foods (for example blood worms) can cause a betta fish to bloat.
If you want to keep live plants, it helps to have a florescent light (usually comes with a tank that has a filter, heater etc with it), and you also have to make sure that the plants are fully aquatic, as plants that cant be fully submerged can eventually rot and cause you water quality to fluctuate. It is a misconception that the betta fish will eat the roots of a plant and you don't need to feed it, it will eventually kill your betta fish, so i don't advise you do this.
The best plants would be something like java moss which doesn't need high lighting and can be tied with nylon thread to decorations, also try and avoid floating plants that cover a lot of the surface area at the top (e.g duckweed) as betta fish's have an organ which enables them to breath oxygen from the surface.
Other things you would need is a fish net, liquid test kits (to test the water parameters e.g ammonia, ph, nitrates and nitrites), turkey baster or syphon tube (cleans the gravel).
Also read the betta fish FAQ in this forum :
here is the link
Link
it will cover anything i've missed and most probably give better information lol :D
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Hi there.
I hope Southafrica's post was helpful to you. There is also a Sticky right here in the Betta Fish section on how to care for a Betta Fish Fish. Also, note, however, that a more experienced member has updated some of the information in the sticky. It hasn't made it in there yet, though. Here's the link to the other thread, where Betta FishBaby posted some corrections.
http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18504
I've had Betta Fishs myself before and they can be very enjoyable fish, but do require care like any other fish (or pet) that you own. I had one of mine in a 2 gallon open topped fish tank, but I made a simple lid for it out of black screen material (the plasic kind) for fixing window screens. I cut a round piece larger than the top of the bowl and secured it with a rubber band. It worked great and I didn't have to worry about my beloved Betta Fish jumping out. They have amazing accuracy when jumping, even through small openings.
Good luck!
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I had Bob(male) for 3 years in a 10 gallon tank without a heater, light, etc.
Melon(female) lives in a 2 gallon bowl and she is 2 years old and still alive.
I guess it just depends on where you have the betta fish fish and the betta fish fish.
But, I would definitively get a heater from your betta fish to be on the safe side.
I feed my betta fish fish Betta Fish Bites(pellets) every other day and they seem to like it.
You will need to buy betta fish drops to get all the bad stuff out of your tap water.
You will need to get gravel and decorations and stuff for your betta fish to hide in.
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| thanks for the other link, the corrections really should be made into another sticky where it is easy to see :D |
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I have been a little sad lately since Bob, my male betta fish fish who I had for 3 years and Stripe-a-dee, my female betta fish fish who I had for 2 years died. Bob died 3 weeks ago and Stripe-a-dee died yesterday. Bob just died of old age but, they did not have betta fish fish drops when I went to the store so I bought Aquasafe and used it. The next day Stripe-a-dee was dead. I think that what may have killed her. Also, my male betta fish fish Blueberry died 2 weeks ago. He was genetically messed up. He was very sickly and only lived for one year.
I got them all at petco and they were a different color when I got them, then after a few days of having them they turned really bright and beautiful. Their colors were not dull anymore. I thought Melon was pink but really she is dark red.
I still have Melon though. She is a red female betta fish fish and is 2 years old. She only has one eye because a few months after I got her she developed a white bubble over her eye and her eye popped. She is very happy and healthy though. She swims all around her bowl and her color is bright and pretty.
Bob lived in a 10 gallon tank, Stripe-a-dee lived in a 3 gallon tank, Melon lives in a 2 gallon tank, and Blueberry lived in a 2 gallon tank.
Bob was a dark blue, dark purple and dark red veiltail betta fish fish. He was the first betta fish fish I had ever owned and was very special.
Stripe-a-dee was a dark blue and light blue betta fish fish. She got her name because whenever I got her she had stripes and then they went away. When she gets stressed or when I cleaned her bowl she would have brown stripes.
Blueberry was a ice blue crowntail betta fish fish. His coloring was beautiful but poor guy, was the ugliest betta fish fish I had ever seen.
Anyways, sometime this week My Mom is going to take me to get a new male betta fish fish who will live in Bob's 10 gallon tank.
Anything that I could do different to help my new betta fish fish when I get him?
What is the average age that male and female betta fish fish live for?
Melon would not stay still very long so these are not very good pictures of her, but here she is! She is much darker in person. She was not very happy I was taking pictures of her. Also, What type of betta fish fish is she?
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im sorry to hear about all your loss
but you have a beutiful red girl
i would just recomend getting a heater (5 watts per gallon) for all your betta fishs. they are tropical fish and need 78 degrees constantly. also this goes for all of the fish, just be sure to have a good enviorment for them including substrate (like gravel), lots of hiding places, as said heated water, and it helps to have it filtered.
for more info i recomend checking out the betta fish care sticky at the top of the betta fish fish forum.
welcome and good luck
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Thank you for the information and the compliments! :D
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I will have to get a heater for the 10 gallon tank because I have everything else!
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its so pretty! i love the stripes. i've never seen one like that.
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I just noticed that she has yellow stripes in those pictures! She is solid dark red in person. Weird!
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| Well My Mom found a really pretty red male veiltail betta fish fish at Petco and bought it for me! She said he looks healthy and is active. She has not come home with him yet so I have not seen him yet. We have his tank all ready for him so tomorrow after he gets settled I will take some pictures of him and post them on here! He is still a young betta fish so he is small. Bob grew to be a HUGE male betta fish fish but he was bigger than the other betta fishs at Petco when I got him. I think he was older than the others. I am not sure what I will name him yet but I really excited about him! |
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Hi, I'm new here. :D
I have not ever had a betta fish before, so I'm sure it'll be intresting to take up a new hobby without any experience.
I HAVE A NEW LIST. :D
Tomorrow I'm getting (for cycling):
1. the Aquarium (might be 5 gallons instead of 6; I've been checking out prices and 5 seems to be a better deal)
2. Gravel
3. Filter if I don't get the aquarium kit with the filter included
4. heater (5 watts per gallon)
5. Thermometer
6. Dechlorinator (without the term "neutralizes ammonia" or it'll screw with the testing)
7. Test kit
8. Pure ammonia (also called Clear ammonia; no ingredients other than ammonia and water)
9. Decorations, places to hide
10. Silk plants
And then after it cycles I'm getting:
1. Betta Fish food (suggestions would be nice)
2. Bloodworms or brine shrimp as treats
3. Tube siphon
4. Algea scraper (would be handy)
5. FISH!
Okay, moving onto daily/weekly scheduling:
1. Feed twice daily, around 3-4 pellets of food.
2. Twice a week, feed bloodworms or brine shrimp instead of the pellets.
3. Once a week, do the 25% water change with the siphon-ing.
4. BE HAPPY WITH FISH. :D
Is there anything wrong with my schedule/my list? If so, TELL ME. Can't do it on my own. :P
Please and thank you,
Aequilo
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Welcome to FishForum! I'm glad to see you're properly researching your betta fish before getting him, I'm sure he'll be one very happy fish!
1. Artificial plants are fine, and your fish will appreciate the hiding/resting places. Just make sure they're silk, not plastic, as the plastic is too rough and can cut his fins.
2. I'm not sure about the water flow of the Eclipse, but many have an adjustable water flow. You'll want to look for a longer, shorter tank versus a tall one, as betta fishs are top dwelling fish and will prefer space in that direction.
3. A tank needs to build up the bacteria that breaks down fish waste. This is what keeps toxins from building up in between water changes. We call this the nitrogen cycle or "cycling". Here's a link to some more info: http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=343
4. I'd also get a lid for the tank. Betta Fishs are known to be jumpers and don't swim very well on your rug!
5. One other thing I'd recommend looking up is "acclimating fish"- so that you don't shock the fish when you add him to your properly cycled tank. Also, you may want to look into types of betta fishs and where to get one. Most pet store betta fishs are mutts- not that they aren't cool, they can be great pets! But they aren't generally as beautiful as a properly bred one, and can often have a lot more health problems. There are some very reputable breeders on AquaBid.com, and these betta fishs are generally much younger than pet store betta fishs, which is nice.
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dont forget betta fish food. pellets or flakes.
and a turkey baster is probly the most handy tool i have for the aquarium. i recomend one of those too.
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Thank you very much.
I understand how to cycle now.
For the size fish tank I'm getting [6 gallons] I judge I will need to clean it 25% about three times a week. I get this from; a large fish tank [10 gallons+] needing once a week 10-15% and a bowl needing half every other day. BUT, I have another question; do I need a A Hose with a Debris Siphon, or am I fine with the filter and the changes? It's a smallish tank with one fish that will be properly cared for...so yeah. If I don't, less money for me to spend. :D If I do, ehh...it's fine.
I'm going to fishless cycle, I'm not much of a risktaker and I don't want my poor fishy to die :roll:
EDIT: I read up on acclimating fish. :D
EDIT AGAIN: I changed 20% to 25...I had a scatterbrained moment.
EDIT AGAIN AGAIN (lots-o-edits): If it was required that I had a hose with a debris siphon, could I substitute a turky baster? Or would that just be cutting corners?
Thanks,
Aequilo
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For a six gallon tank with gravel, you'd need a siphon, but they are pretty cheap usually five bucks or so. Turkey basters are good for picking up larger pieces of debris (like uneaten food pellets) but the smaller pieces are easier to get at with a siphon...also you can use a siphon to empty water for water changes and it's easier than using a cup to scoop the water out.
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You can do 25% water changes three times a week, but it would definatly be overkill. That's asuming the tank is filtered and the betta fish is the only fish. I would do 25% once a week. If you add other fish you may want to do two 25% changes a week, but it depends.
I would definatly recommend the gravel siphon. It's easier than a turkey baster. If you're going to be doing a water change, you might as well spend the extra two minutes and vac the gravel, to remove uneaten food and waste. The water will stay cleaner for longer with all the junk removed during water changes.
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Thanks for the help. :D
So, I need a siphon. Right.
And 1 water change would be fine? I'm an extremely paranoid perfectionist type of person lol. Okay, I shall right that down.
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One 25% change a week is FINE for a single betta fish in a 6 gallon tank. If you add some other critters to your tank, you may consider upping the regimen a little, but with a good filter you should be fine even if there are a couple shrimp/snails as well.
In fact, you'd probably like adding a snail or a shrimp. Provided your betta fish doesn't want to kill it (which it might, it really depends on the individual betta fish), it will make the tank livelier and do a good job cleaning up any food your betta fish doesn't eat. A lot of snails, and particularly shrimp, are great algae eaters to boot (I'm into critters doing my work for me!). If you do add one of those critters, it's probably a good idea to add it before the betta fish. That way the betta fish will think of it as part of the tank, and not get all pissed when you suddenly add something to "his" territory.
Just to clarify, you're aware that cycling a tank is different than water changes, right?
Do you know what kind you want? Check out this halfmoon I've been eyeing- I need more tanks!:
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbetta fishshm&1215317763
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Heh. I'd never thought about getting him a snail-buddy. Could possibly look into it.
I understand what cycling is, and I intend to get the tank and everything that goes in it, plus the pure ammonia stuff before I get the fish and let it cycle. I don't want to hurt him.
I've actually thought either a half-moon or veiltail, depending on the variety there is for each when I'm ready to buy. I might get it off AquaBid, I might pick up a random fish at Petsmart, depending on how long it takes to cycle. :D
EDIT: I didn't click the link first, but that's a lovely shade of red. Beautiful Betta Fish.
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You can always just do a fishless cycle by tossing some fish food in and letting it decay and release ammonia. Less complicated.
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I'm doing a fishless cycle; I'm just opting to use ammonia rather than fish food. It's more structured. About 4 drops per gallon. With just kind of testing and trying it out, I'd be misreble trying to make it hit 4, where it's supposed to be. I'd freak out if it went over 5, as well. So, that's why I decided to use the pure ammonia things.
Oh, and I have a new list and a new schedule. (because I'm bored, it's the fourth of July, and I'm back from a party...and yeah, I got nothing to do.)
Tomorrow I'm getting (for cycling):
1. the Aquarium (might be 5 gallons instead of 6; I've been checking out prices and 5 seems to be a better deal)
2. Gravel
3. Filter if I don't get the aquarium kit with the filter included
4. Heater (5 watts per gallon)
5. Thermometer
6. Dechlorinator (without the term "neutralizes ammonia" or it'll screw with the testing)
7. Test kit
8. Pure ammonia (also called Clear ammonia; no ingredients other than ammonia and water)
9. Decorations, places to hide
10. Silk plants
And then after it cycles I'm getting:
1. Betta Fish food (suggestions would be nice)
2. Bloodworms or brine shrimp as treats
3. Tube siphon
4. Algea scraper (would be handy)
5. FISH!
Okay, moving onto daily/weekly scheduling:
1. Feed twice daily, around 3-4 pellets of food.
2. Twice a week, feed bloodworms or brine shrimp instead of the pellets.
3. Once a week, do the 25% water change with the siphon-ing.
4. BE HAPPY WITH FISH. :D
Is that schedule/list good? Do I need to add anything? Am I forgeting something important? If so, TELL ME. lol I can't figure it out completely on my own.
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One more thing that kinda goes with #4....RELAX. This is supposed to be fun :)
Excellent list though :)
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lol I have issues with that sometimes. (breathe in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out.) ...Yes. I have an irrational fear (even thought I've nearly memorized this list) of forgetting things. Even if I have a list. EDIT: Oh, I am happy. I love making lists...and taking care of small animals.
I'm glad I have everything on the list. :D
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I feel that- you should see my lists planning my fish shelf! I'm sooo ADD so if I didn't make lists I would surely forget something important.
The list sounds very good. As for dechlorinators, I'd recommend Prime (made by Seachem). You should be able to pick it up just about anywhere as it's a pretty widely distributed brand. It removes heavy metals and chloramine as well as chlorine, which is important. It's also super concentrated so the 100 ML bottle will last you basically the life of your fish. |
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Hey Guys! :D
I've had betta fishs in the past, and I've always heard that the bigger the tank, the better the betta fish. Following this rule, I got my two betta fishs (Apollo and Ryan) each a 5 gallon tank with heaters, filters, pH tests, the whole 9 yards. They died in less than a year.
However, my autistic little brother wanted to be just like his big sister, so we let him have a betta fish as well (named Mac). He keeps that fish in a 1/2 gallon tank with no filters, no heaters, doesn't check pH level, none of that. All he does it feed him twice a day and cleans his tank once a week. That betta fish is now 4 years old!! :shock:
Now I'm thinking of getting another betta fish, but should I still go through what I did in the past? Or, should I just keep it simple like my brother?? :?: :?
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hey and welcome
i went through exactly what ur going through. both myself and sister have betta fishs and i keep mine the way you supposed to and she keeps her's in a cup. she is on her second betta fish while im on my fourth.
but since i figured what i think went wrong, my fourth is doing much better.
when i got my first and second betta fish i plopped them in a new 1/2 galon (this was years ago) without letting have time to build up benificial bacteria. when i got my third, i got a bigger 1 gallon but agian stuck him into an uncycled tank. but now that the 1 gallon is cycled i got my fourth. he is doing much better and i am yet again going to upgrade him to his 5 gallon (whenever it's done its cycle and the parameters are good)
so my advice to you, with my experience is to get at least a 2.5gallon with a little filter and heater let it cycle until the parameters read that the ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is under 20ppm, and ph is slightly acidic around 6.5 to 7.
hope this helps and good luck :D
and to make sure everything is right you should check out the betta fish care sticky at the top of the betta fishfish forum
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What was your water change schedule as opposed to his? It's also just plain possible you picked out older betta fishs.
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I would always clean the tank once a week, just like my brother... :)
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Did you clean the tank out 100% each time? It's a lot better to only change part of the water in a 5 gallon.
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Yeah, I actually would clean it 100% :oops:
Sometime next week, I'm thinking of getting a crowntail (soooo pretty! :D ) But, I got rid of those 5 gal. tanks years ago (thinking I wouldn't be doing this again..). I was looking more towards a 2 gal. bowl w/ a heater, but no filter....good or no good??
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Yeah, changing the water 100% is bad for any size tank, it destroys the good bacteria balance and can make the fish go into shock. It may be that this contributed to their early demises but you never know so don't feel guilty....could be they were sick when you got them.
If you use a 2 gallon bowl you should get a filter, it will help keep the water clean and ammonia free which is really important in smaller containers where ammonia can build up quick.
I'd suggest going one gallon higher and getting a 3 gallon bowl or tank, it's alot easier to find products for tanks 3 gallons and up based on what I've seen in pet stores. For example Tetra Whisper in tank filters start at 3 gallons. There are lots of 3 gallon kits that come with a tank, a filter, gravel, a hood, and a decoration - you'll need to buy the heater seperately. Just make sure it's not a power filter but that it's driven by an air pump.
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| Why not look on craigslist for a 10 gallon tank? You should be able to get one for pretty cheap. The larger the tank, the more stable the water, so it's harder to kill your fish. |
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