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Hello from a new owner!

2K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  jaela 
#1 ·
Hey there friends! My name is Jami Jo, currently attending school in Santa Barbara, CA, and I recently got a betta to keep me company in my lonely little room in the residence hall. =']

She is, I think, a female plakat -- or else a very short-finned male. Pretty sure she's a girl, though, and I've named her Ann.

She is in a 2-gallon tank all to herself at the moment with some fake plants and a little rock cave, but I'm planning to buy a larger tank for her this weekend so that I can maybe add tankmates later -- I'm thinking maybe otocinclus because I've had some experience caring for them and like them a lot.

Ann's my first betta, and I'm absolutely delighted at how active and responsive she is! I've never had a fish who was quite so fun to have around and interact with, so I may just be hooked for life!

Anyway, I've been lurking here and reading threads for a while, so I thought I'd go ahead and join up. Looking forward to getting to know all of you!
 
#3 · (Edited)
Sure thing, I'll add a picture or two to the first post! =]

What friends are you thinking of for your guy?

[edit]
Never mind, looks like I can't edit the other post, bother. Here are a couple pictures of my girl at home:



I don't think you can see it here, but she looks like she has a little smile on her face when viewed from the side! Which was why I chose her. I actually went in there expecting to get a male betta, but I fell in love with her instead. <3
 
#6 ·
Looking at your pictures, she's a female veiltail. Also, I hope you're doing routive half water changes a week with that small a home for her. ;)

Bettas can be harder than other fish to take care of, and there are a lot of myths out there about proper care. They like big homes, of course, and any tankmates should be chosen carefully. Make sure you research and don't overcrowd just because it's a larger tank.
 
#7 ·
Oh, thanks so much! Glad to have that confirmed.

I'm doing 50% water changes once a week, yes -- and since it's such a small tank, I'm going to pick up a bigger one for her today, and she'll be moved in there once I cycle it. I've heard good things about homing bettas and otos together (mainly that a betta will mostly ignore the otos, which is what I'm hpoing for!) but I'll be sure to be really careful about moving anything in there with her especially because she's a little aggressive.

Until I'm sure about the tankmate thing, she'll have a 15 gallon tank all to herself, so hopefully she'll be quite happy in there!
 
#12 ·
Welcome to the forum! I actually got into bettas when I went to college, too. I'd been keeping fish for a while, and missed them. The largest size tank my dorm allowed was 5 gal, so I researched and found bettas to be the perfect fit.

I would say lucky break, but I really don't think it applies. Either way it's great that you can have the tank you want!
 
#13 ·
15 gallons what a lucky gal. I do have to say though that I don't believe the bettas like larger homes. I think it depends on the fish. I think if they can handle space then go for it. I believe in one gallon min, but on here you will find there are many different opinions to choose from. I keep my one guy in a one gallon because his fins are so long that he can't do anything over that. His one gallon has places for him to lay at the top of the water. Or maybe he's just lazy:dunno:. But my others are hyperactive and need to swim. I love the whole idea of a 15 gallon though. Thats really nice and I bet you could have loads of fun decorating that.

p.s. loads of us on here including me have anxiety issues and I found that fish help that a lot. Even the cleaning dirty work is relaxing.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Nothing wrong with a one gallon as long as you keep him warm and do the necessary water changes nost recommend one 50 and one 100 every week. Honestly I do one 100 percent change and my fish are active and healthy in their one gallons. I do in between changes if they are extra messy that week. Its all about opinion. You have to chose what is right for you and your fishy.
 
#16 ·
Shirleythebetta -- My girl's really active, and since she's a female she's got much shorter fins. She's in a 2 gallon right now and it seems a little small for her, which is why I decided to get a bigger one -- it will be a really drastic size in change for her, though, so I suppose we'll see how she does! If it ends up being too much for her, I can always put in a divider or move her back to the smaller tank. I am really excited about decorating it! For one thing I'll be getting live plants, which I'm excited about -- Ann only has fake ones in her little home right now.
She really does help with the anxiety, she's been such a good little roommate so far! And there is something very therapeutic about having someone to care for, feed, clean the tank for etc...

Termato -- As long as your guy is happy and healthy I think it's fine! 1 gallon is much better than how a lot of people unfortunately keep bettas. The two girls in the room next to mine have a beautiful blue male crowntail in one of those littlelittle bowls and I feel so bad for him.
 
#18 ·
I really enjoy people that give their bettas so much room. I am sure she will do incredible and I look forward to hear how she does. From my experience (i have a sorority) the girls are a little more active. I think she will be perfect and I am glad to see she is spoiled rotten! :-D
 
#20 ·
Thanks guys! I'm really looking forward to picking out plants and things and making her new home really great for her.

Here's the new tank, just got back with it:

Sitting on my bed for now, until I can set up a space for it within reach of the outlets. It's a little old but in good condition, and the sealant has been reinforced. I need to change out the light because it's shot, but I brought this home for $15 so I feel pretty great about it. =D
 
#25 ·
Otos are found in South America living in the Amazon river. So it isn't hard to create a tank environment that they will like. If you want them to truly thrive and be happiest however, you should keep them between 75F and 82F. PH between 5 and 7.8 (though if you want them to breed, keep it below 6.8), with soft acid water.They LOVE currents and fast moving water, currents as this helps keep the oxygen-rich water they prefer. They also seem to like hanging out directly under the filter where the current is strongest for part of the day, when first introduced to your tank.

Be sure to include lots of hiding places, as otos are easily startled. The females especially I have found will dart away at the slightest hint of movement towards them. They also LOVE live plants. While you can have them in a tank without plants, they will be much happier with them. And of course if you wish to breed them, you lose almost all chance of this happening unless you have plants.

As well, if you house otos in non-planted tanks, you will need to feed them suppliments more often as the tank will not have the algae growth needed to keep them healthy.
 
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