Hi everyone!
First of all, I'd like to say thank you to this forum as it really was my "go-to" for all things betta . My boyfriend's mom received a betta for her birthday and I decided I would like one as well so I began researching exactly what I would need. I had no idea they couldn't survive in a small bowl as thats what a lot of people keep them in. I'm happy to say that my betta is spoiled compared to those other fish
So some background on what I currently have...
I decided to go with a 5 gallon Marineland aquarium, a heater, and some tank accessories. I also got an Indian almond leaf to put in the tank.
As far as conditions go -
Temperature: 78-79 F
Water changes: 1 - 50% water change/week (I only use dechlorinator in the water)
Feeding: 4 pellets of Hikari Tropical Betta Bio-Gold 2/day (they are "baby pellets")
Lighting: I keep the light on for 9 hours/day (mostly for the real plants that I have in the tank)
Water params
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Nitrite: <0.5 ppm
hardness: fluctuates between 120-250 ppm
pH: ~7.6
Now... for the good part! I have 3 questions for you all.
I've had my betta, Petey, for 3 weeks now. He seems to be swimming around a lot and he loves all the things in his tank. However, he hasn't made a bubble nest. How common is it for bettas to make a bubble nest? I'm not sure if its because he still looks kind of young (hes grown a little since I've had him) or if I'm doing something wrong.
That leads me to question 2 and 3. I linked the tank I have because it has the filter details on their site. The filter creates a current (a small one, but its a current nonetheless) and I wasn't sure if this was okay. I know they live in areas where there is generally no current but I wasn't sure how much of one I could get away with. Would this have anything to do with no bubble nest? If there should be no current, how would I go about decreasing it? Currently, the water in the tank is below the water returning from the filter so it looks like a waterfall. I had tried increasing the water level so it was above the water return level, but that seemed to create a much stronger current. I'm sure I can come up with my own little "step down" system so the water gradually moves into the tank as opposed to it looking more like a waterfall.
Lastly, (thanks for hanging in there!) I'm not exactly sure if I'm feeding him enough or too much. The package says to feed 2-4 pellets 2-3 times a day. I currently feed him 8 pellets a day, which is inside their range of 4-12 pellets a day. He eats all the pellets within seconds of them hitting the water and he seems to look up, scouting for more. I'm not sure if my fish is just being a fatty lol or if he really isn't getting enough to eat. I don't want to overfeed him as I've heard thats easy to do.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!
First of all, I'd like to say thank you to this forum as it really was my "go-to" for all things betta . My boyfriend's mom received a betta for her birthday and I decided I would like one as well so I began researching exactly what I would need. I had no idea they couldn't survive in a small bowl as thats what a lot of people keep them in. I'm happy to say that my betta is spoiled compared to those other fish
So some background on what I currently have...
I decided to go with a 5 gallon Marineland aquarium, a heater, and some tank accessories. I also got an Indian almond leaf to put in the tank.
As far as conditions go -
Temperature: 78-79 F
Water changes: 1 - 50% water change/week (I only use dechlorinator in the water)
Feeding: 4 pellets of Hikari Tropical Betta Bio-Gold 2/day (they are "baby pellets")
Lighting: I keep the light on for 9 hours/day (mostly for the real plants that I have in the tank)
Water params
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Nitrite: <0.5 ppm
hardness: fluctuates between 120-250 ppm
pH: ~7.6
Now... for the good part! I have 3 questions for you all.
I've had my betta, Petey, for 3 weeks now. He seems to be swimming around a lot and he loves all the things in his tank. However, he hasn't made a bubble nest. How common is it for bettas to make a bubble nest? I'm not sure if its because he still looks kind of young (hes grown a little since I've had him) or if I'm doing something wrong.
That leads me to question 2 and 3. I linked the tank I have because it has the filter details on their site. The filter creates a current (a small one, but its a current nonetheless) and I wasn't sure if this was okay. I know they live in areas where there is generally no current but I wasn't sure how much of one I could get away with. Would this have anything to do with no bubble nest? If there should be no current, how would I go about decreasing it? Currently, the water in the tank is below the water returning from the filter so it looks like a waterfall. I had tried increasing the water level so it was above the water return level, but that seemed to create a much stronger current. I'm sure I can come up with my own little "step down" system so the water gradually moves into the tank as opposed to it looking more like a waterfall.
Lastly, (thanks for hanging in there!) I'm not exactly sure if I'm feeding him enough or too much. The package says to feed 2-4 pellets 2-3 times a day. I currently feed him 8 pellets a day, which is inside their range of 4-12 pellets a day. He eats all the pellets within seconds of them hitting the water and he seems to look up, scouting for more. I'm not sure if my fish is just being a fatty lol or if he really isn't getting enough to eat. I don't want to overfeed him as I've heard thats easy to do.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!