An admittedly bad betta keeper...

[Jaae]

Hello everyone! I'm Jaae (juh-eye-ay). I admit I'm not the best betta owner ever but I'm trying to change that. I got my betta, named Tristan, about a year and a half ago at this crappy pet store in the mall near my dorm (I'm a poor college student...) He currently lives in an unheated, unfiltered animal cracker container with a few plants and a shark cake. He gets fed betta pellets daily and peas on occasion and his water is changed every weak. I think he's happy. He always flares up when you get close to his tank and he can either be found swimming around, chilling in his shark, or laying on a plant. I'm in the process of getting him a 10g tank with filter and heater so don't hate too hard!







Sorry for the bad pictures. He never seems to sit still when I need him to...

[eatmice2010]

I'm not going to be mean.
1. is the lid screwed on if so you need to take it of so he can breath
2. until you get a 10g please upgrade him to a LARGE vase ( you can get them cheap at a thrift store or dollar store)

[pittipuppylove]

Welcome to the forum! Hey, many of the people here started out in the same boat you're in - as long as you're learning and working to improve your betta's quality of life, we can't complain too much Lots of other college students (myself included) here too, so we can usually understand the trials of fishkeeping in a dorm.

[Jaae]

The lid has big pieces taken out. They're too small for him to jump through but they let in air plus I leave an inch or two of space from the top for air. I figured joining up would be the est way to help him :3

[waterdog]

Welcome to Bettas R Us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, being a good betta parent isn't about having the most expensive equipment, it's about how you care for your pet.
I bet you take great care of him and keep his water clean. That's what really counts! Beats the heck out of those little cups he came in.

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of Betta keeping....

Nice to meet you....

Lots of different ways to keep, breed and rear fry successfully-its finding what works for you, your breeders and what you have on hand....

Be sure and post questions in the proper section for best response-We have lots of members ready and willing to help....(We encourage lots of questions so don't hesitate to ask and start new threads)

Enjoy your stay....

[Lyshymo]

Hey! No hating from my side. I lived in a dorm for a year and our dorms felt like a prison cell (not a lot of space for large tanks). I owned 4 Bettas (2 Crowntail Males, 1 Veintail Male and 1 (Unknown Breed) Female) each in one gallon tanks without filtration or heaters, but each one of them survived and seemed rather content (until my mother decided my cousins each needed a Betta and they didn't survive a month outside of my care -.-).

But welcome to the site! I've recently came on here as well and it has been extremely helpful and beneficial!(:
And I also agree with waterdog, I bet you take exceptionally good care of Tristan and that's what counts!(:

[flyingpony22]

I'm sorry, but I have to laugh. When you said animal cracker container I didn't know you literally meant animal cracker container. Lmfao. But he looks well taken care of. As long as the warm is warm I don't see it as being too much of a problem, but I'm happy you're getting him a bigger tank.

[Hadoken Kitty]

I agree with flyingpony, I laughed too! IN A GOOD WAY! You shouldn't be hearing any hate. There is a difference between: "I know I'm doing a boo-boo, but I'm doing the best I can in my situation and it'll be fixed" and "I'm the best betta keeper ever! (betta in a .5g with nothing and dirty water)". He looks happy! If it were socially acceptable, I might take my betta around with me to public places like that during the summer.

[veggiegirl]

Hey there,

Your boys fins are rather clamped which is a sign that he is not happy however I can understand your situation and am so glad that your are getting him a 10 gallon tank with a heater and filter. Apart from water quality the main other problem associated with small tanks is being able to heat them. As long as you keep his water nice and clean and keep him as warm as possible (Maybe you can wrap his Jar in a blanket at night to help insulate him) them I am sure he will be fine until you can get him a more suitable home.

Don't feel bad and you are doing your best for him right now and the most important thing is that you are working towards getting him in better conditions with a lovely new tank.

Most of us start out keeping bettas in far less than ideal conditions due to lack of knowledge or being fed incorrect information, this forum is a great way to learn about successful betta keeping. You should not have to worry about people feeling hate towards you, you are working towards giving your boy a better life and that is something to be proud of..... we all have to start somewhere and joining a forum like this is a great way to learn about correct betta care.

Keep us updated on your lovely boy and when you do buy your 10 gallon and get it all set up be sure to post some pics on here we would love to see it