Ive owned a few bettas in my life but i gave up for a year. so i was going through petco: obviously not looking for bettas;-) and i saw the coolest looking betta evvvver! its a halfmoon tail male. its ot a whitish body and red fins with white towards the tips.
First - should i get this betta
Second i was thinking of getting a new tank. Around 10 gallons i think would be good. SO if i did get a tank like this, can i get a filter? and if i do how long does it need to cycle and what to do to have a perfect betta home- and how often do i have to clean and everything
too much info is actually a good thing in this situation so dont be afraid to cram everything into a message,
thanks
Get him if you'll be committed! 10 gallons, for one betta? Perfect! He'll love you forever! Yes, a filter is a must! I honestly never cycle my tanks and guess what? NOTHING has happened... lol. Anyways, I'd do a 50+% every 2 weeks. I prefer real plants over fake ones, because they make the water condition better adn they just look nicer. Bettas love hiding places so a cave or two would be nice. You can buy a tiny terra cotta pot at craft stores and home depot Thats my 2 cents. It's not rule for rule like some people think it should be, but i usually go by my own rules and.... NOTHING bad has happened. Only good things have occurred. Ah, i'm rambling now...
Thanks cupid
Ill go buy him tommorow.
Now i do have a question on the plants. i used fake ones only because the real ones use to dirty up the tank
I also have water conditioner and aquarim salts. should i use em?
Actually, you should be doing water changes weekly- as going a good time (that includes 2 weeks) without a water change and doing a larger one (such as a 50%) is risking the life/health of your fish. They can easily go into os shock by doing so. Best to always do weekly water changes to avoid that.
In a 10 gallon filtered with 1 betta I would recommend 30-40% water change per week with fake plants- with regular vacuuming.
In a 10 gallon filtered with 1 betta and live plants I would recommend weekly 25% with siphoning once or twice a month.
Use only the water conditioner- the salt should only be used for specific treatments, for specific length of time and specific dose.
Don't forget a heater.
Cycling with your fish in can be dangerous- you should actually test your water while doing so as new tanks like that can and do have spikes which could kill your fish. Just because some don't cycle, doesn't mean it's safe to do. Bettas are hardy and can adapt pretty well- but you never know.
Fake plants aren't bad so feel free to use them! I, personally, haven't had any issues with plants dirtying up the water. Did you rinse the roots and pluck the dead leaves before you put them in? If you don't put water conditioner in, the betta will die. The conditioner removes the fluoride and chemicals that are put in there for us. Read the directions and put the proper amount in for each gallon. Now for Aquarium Salt. I LOVE AQ salt! I put some in every time i change their water! Overall it makes them more colorful and healthy~ i just sprinkle some in usually, but for a betta moving to a new home, it'll be stressful so put in 8-9 teaspoons of AQ salt You can also buy bacteria supplements that will make the water better, but that's just optional.
Thats just my opinion... Not perfect, but it's what i would do.
I HIGHLY suggest DON'T use AQ salt regularly, and if needed I can get most people here to help you in that regards-
Using AQ salt regularly is, in a sense (and easier to explain this way) dehydrating them. Over use, over exposure can and do cause kidney and liver failures, as well as bacteria and the fish can become resistant to the beneficial properties the salt has when treating for an illness- so the salt will become less effective, or none at all when it is actually needed.
Please, I ask not to use AQ salt on a regular basis as it it will catch up to them and can cause harm/death very easily. Bettas are freshwater fish, not brackish- so having them in salt only damages them and adds no benefits.
It does not soothe them, it does not prevent illnesses, it does not help keep them healthy, it has no affect on their coloration- good protein enriched food, warm water, weekly water changes will keep sickness away, make them happy and healthy and brighten their colors. Using something dangerous such as salt to make up for lack of proper water changes, nutrition, etc is doing more harm then good, I'm sorry.
Also, don't use bacterial supplements unless you are cycling and understand what they do- I've only seen them do more harm then good when just tossed in. Your tank will build up it's own beneficial bacteria on it's own.
Hmm. okay then. Im going with fake plants most likely.
But the one person said id have to do more water changes with fake one and less with live. doesnt make sense to me
Live plants will help keep some of the ammonia/nitrate/ites in check- it's hard to explain, but it reuses it in a sense.. so yes, you in turn don't do as large of a water change since the plants will help keep the bad stuff down.
But you would still need to clean it out weekly- there is nothing that removes proper care for an aquarium.
What I have learned, personally, that with live plants, the water condition is better because plants add oxygen into the water, soak up ammonia and lower nitrates... I use AQ salt regularly and i have NEVER ever had any health issues with my bettas! No ich, no depression, no bloating, nothing. Fake plants are easier, but you risk the potential for ripped fins. Also if you don't properly treat the fake decor, chemicals and harmful particles can leech into the water, causing more problems than real plants would.
I see what cupid could be saying about the aquarium salt
Its like how a person can take a multivitamin it helps keep you in good health so you dont get sickness
I see what cupid could be saying about the aquarium salt
Its like how a person can take a multivitamin it helps keep you in good health so you dont get sickness
Incorrect- the bacteria that would harm the betta, and the betta itself will become resistant to the benefits of the AQ salt and in turn, pretty much causing them to become immune to the healing of the salt. BUT it does not stop them from literally dehydrating their internal organs and causing failure of the kidneys and liver, which salt affects.
Think of our bodies- we should not be eating a lot of salt- imagine what it would do to us living in it?
It takes a bit to affect them- but that is your choice if you want to. I go by my experience, the experiences of vets and members who have been breeding/raising for 40+ years. It's your choice, but I will strongly urge someone not to do it for the health of their fish, as it can lower their life span significantly. I have never used AQ salt on a regular basis and over the last 17 years with bettas on and off, and the ones I have now- never had an illness (bloating is internal organs and usually food related, fish don't become depressed- they don't have feelings and thoughts such as us. They can become bored and lethargic, but depression is something they can not literally feel) and all have lived to the max of their life span.. so having no AQ salt continuously in their tanks have no adverse reactions. Bettas are hardy fish and can adapt to unfavorable conditions, and can live that way for a while- but it doesn't mean it is safe, and it doesn't mean that they won't be affected by it.
I'm not trying to be rude- you do as you wish- but I will make sure the OP understands the dangers of adding in AQ salt regularly to the tank, and how it can easily kill/harm his fish.
You only need hot water to clean off fake plants- silk plants won't harm their fins and are safe to use- plastic plants make sure there are no points or sharp edges.
Well, I've seen Myates around the forum and i respect their opinion, so if AQ salt has the potential to harm, then don't add it, and if all you need to do is wash off fake plants then do so. I had no intention for starting a big disagreement/rant thread. My apologies. I'm sorry if i confused you...
Adding that much AQ salt that was recommended will also kill off/harm live plants. It's not a vitamin of any sort, it's not going to keep things at bay, and it won't do your fish any good adding it in.
It only works when treating something specific, with daily 100% water changes.
Overdoing on aquarium salt is a leading cause of dropsy/kidney failure.. and the local forum vet will say the same thing- wise not to use it unless it's absolutely needed.
It's your choice, but adding it in, and adding it in with live plants can in turn cause more harm and damage then any good that will come from it.
That is just my 2 cents. I'm sorry if I came off rude or mean sounding- but when I see something that can be potentially harmful/deadly if not careful I will speak up. You do what works best for you and what you wish- I just want to make sure that the OP knows what the risks were.
Halfmoons are notorious for biting off their own fins- especially when they first arrive into a larger tank, since their fins will cause drag and feel heavy for them. So I would make sure the filter isn't too strong, and to baffle it to lessen the current to make it easier for him to swim. Depending upon the filter, you could probably use just an aquarium sponge in the outflow section, or the bottom of panty hose over the intake section, with a clean rubber band to hold it into place on either end.
Other then that- it looks good. If you go for live plants, make sure you know which ones you will be getting, get the appropriate soil/fert as well.. the link I posted will help you in that regards.
All long finned bettas have the same problem- but the larger the fins, the more of a chance of it happening usually. He may never bite his tail, I'm just throwing it out since most males spend very little time in a larger tank- normally at a very young age they will go into jars at the breeders, then into the cups so their muscles may not have developed fully to swim with such large tails easily.
And sometimes they do it out of stress..
So just wanted to throw it out to baffle the filter, as you should with any filter and long finned male betta to help prevent it from happening.
Always- even when they grow stronger, a current will make it difficult for them to swim and too much current at the surface will make it harder for them to get air.
Darn. kinda dont want pantyhose floating in my tank XD lol
So i just put one of those blue aquarium sponges into the intake part? a tiny one right?
Do you think i can use it to clean the tank too?
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