What should i have on hand

[MaggieLynn]

I have been a betta owner for 8 years now having atleast 6 in this time frame, i have never seemed to have any issues with health, but after reading posts on here i realized i have nothing to treat my little Fred with in case something happened. What are good medications to have on hand in the event of an emergancy???

[DarkMoon17]

Hi there, welcome to the forum :)
At some point you will probably need:
Aquarium Salt
Epsom Salt
Quarantine Tank (aka small container to put your betta in if he gets sick that would make water changes easier...)
I like to keep API Stress Coat and Indian Almond Leaves around as basic stress relievers as well.

To prevent ever having to use those things, make sure you perform your weekly water changes, keep your betta in a 2.5+gal, heated tank and feed him a varied diet. Prevention is the best medicine :)

[PewPewPew]

^Agreed! Also consider getting a dry measure for the salts, in Tsp size for easy dosing. :) I like to have one just for the salts to not cross with any food stuffs.

[MaggieLynn]

Thanks so much, i do already have the stress coat, and fred is in a 5 gallon tank with a filter, how often would you recommend changing the water? i have a small tank to. Thanks for the help!

[Jrf456]

First off, make sure you have a filter.
Refresh the water 10% every 5 days.

Requirements
- Epsom salt
- Frozen peas
- Aquarium salt
- Aquarium solution

Use as directed as many have said before!

Good luck!

[MaggieLynn]

frozen peas? and i do have a filter but its too strong of a current so i need to get a different one, right now i dont have it on but i just moved him from a 1 gallon to a 5 gallon tank today so the water is pretty fresh

[MaggieLynn]

also when i got fred i had bought a female (ethel) but after about a week she died, and the night she went there was a weird film thing across her water. Does anyone konw how that came about?

[PewPewPew]

I dont recommend the peas.. They can be used for bloat, but thats what epsom is for. Its risky to use the peas.

[DarkMoon17]

Originally Posted by MaggieLynn

frozen peas? and i do have a filter but its too strong of a current so i need to get a different one, right now i dont have it on but i just moved him from a 1 gallon to a 5 gallon tank today so the water is pretty fresh

It isn't advisable to use peas with bettas. Epsom salt is for constipation and is much safer than peas. For a 5 gal tank, you should do a 50% water change every week.

Sorry about your girl :( The "film" you saw is protein. There isn't much you can do about it except use something like a bubbler or a filter to disturb the surface of the water. It isn't particularly bad or unhealthy and it just depends on the water you use. I don't believe there is a specific cause, it just builds up in stagnate water...

[MaggieLynn]

Thanks! I got aquarium salt and some testing strips today, still working on the epsom, didnt bring enough cash with me, i also got a heater and a smaller filter, its meant for a one gallon tank but its doing a good job moving the water around and my Fred can still swim. Thanks for all your help!