New betta owner!

[Bettasrox]

Hey im glad to now be a proud new owner of a new betta fish!!! I just got him and already have a few questions! here they are:
1. My fish has rather long tai land looks almost tattered/jagged ends. is this normal???
2. Also, my tank is a 2 gallon for only one fish and consists of rocks that i have collected and washed and boiled all the germs off them, are they safe now? and also i need a small cave/tank decoration that is small and cheap, does any one know of some good ones?
3. Any good name suggestions? He is dark blue and has the longest fins you could imagine! i'll try to post a pic also!

[teeneythebetta]

Is that a picture of his "tank"? Isn't that a bowl?

He may be sluggish if he is cold and more prone to illness. Do you have a heater for his tank? Bettas are tropical fish & thrive in 78-80 degrees F water. :)

[Bettasrox]

Originally Posted by teeneythebetta

Is that a picture of his "tank"? Isn't that a bowl?

He may be sluggish if he is cold and more prone to illness. Do you have a heater for his tank? Bettas are tropical fish & thrive in 78-80 degrees F water. :)

He doesnt have a tank, i just zoomed nto my traditional fish bowl, its abot 2 gallons, and tomorrow im going out to get him a heater but im currently monitoring the temperature!

[DragonFish]

Welcome to the forum and wonderful world of betta keeping!! :)

Its very difficult to see much from the picture, but I don't see any serious tattering....so its hard to say if its the normal shape of your fishes tail, perhaps some regrowth from old fin damage, or actual recent fin damage. Any chance you can get a better picture of what you think might be tattered?

I've seen bowls like that before, and I've never seen one thats 2 gallons.....they're generally either 1/2 a gallon or 1 gallon. Are you completely sure its 2 gallons?
It sounds like you cleaned the rocks well enough, but keep an eye out and make sure your fish doesn't get too curious and get stuck under one of the larger rocks.
GREAT cheap caves are those little clay flower pots at the craft store; they're under a dollar a piece. I love them. <3 Your fish will also appreciate a couple of sift silk plants to swim around as well though. You can look at Walmart and see if they have a few, though I personally like the prices and quality of the ones at Petco.

I'm afraid I'm useless with names....lol. I just name mine after characters xD But good luck with that!!

[Bettasrox]

well i think/hope i just posted a better picture where you can see the tail/fins better:P And I'm pretty sure its 2 gal but might be 1, but i hope not :/ and flower pots sounds great! I wanted to get a cocoanut cave but they dont sell cocoanuts around where i live :( and i will try and find some silk plants but there were none where i bought my betta :( and thats ok! i was thinking of Jude or Tango for his name :P

[teeneythebetta]

You really need to figure out the size of the tank so you know how often to do water changes. Smaller bowls will accumulate ammonia quicker than larger bowls- meaning smaller ones need more water changes.

Next time you clean the tank, get a milk jug that has been thoroughly rinsed and measure out hoe much the bowl fills to. It's not something you should guess on.

You'll need two water changes per week- 1 50% change and 1 100% change for a 2 gal. If it's 1 gal- do water changes 3 times a week.

[Bettasrox]

Originally Posted by teeneythebetta

You really need to figure out the size of the tank so you know how often to do water changes. Smaller bowls will accumulate ammonia quicker than larger bowls- meaning smaller ones need more water changes.

Next time you clean the tank, get a milk jug that has been thoroughly rinsed and measure out hoe much the bowl fills to. It's not something you should guess on.

You'll need two water changes per week- 1 50% change and 1 100% change for a 2 gal. If it's 1 gal- do water changes 3 times a week.

Ok thank you, i will do a 3 water change just to be on the safe side :)!

[DragonFish]

I agree, you'll want to find out for sure exactly how big your bowl is. Like teeneythebetta said, its really not something you should guess on or assume. If its a gallon thats alright; 1 gallon is the minimum recommended size for a long-term home(though in my personal opinion its a bit small for long-term)and so long as you have your heater and keep up with your water changes you should be fine.
If its less then a gallon though, then you'll definitely want to upgrade. Anything smaller is just too small for anything other then a temporary container or Quarantine.

Anywho, your boys fins look just fine. That little bit of spiking is normal ;)
Where did you purchase him...? Do you have a Walmart/Petsmart/Petco/or local pet store with fish you can get to? Any of those places should have silk plants....
Another option is shopping online at Petco.com or Petsmart.com if you can't find anything you like around you and you don't have a Petco or Petsmart you can get to.