Random Questions About Bettas and Tanks

[missketie]

I have a half-moon Betta, had him for exactly 10 days now. He seems healthy he swims a lot for a fish in a 1 gallon tank, and I don't really have any problems with him. I'm just curious about a few things.

1. What are airstones for? Do I need it for a 1 gallon tank since I don't have a filter?
2. What are mossballs for? I see them in cups with the Bettas at Petsmart but what are they for? Do the Bettas eat the moss?
3. How will I know the difference of whether or not he's sleeping a lot or if he's sick?
4. What kind of real plants are ideal to keep in a tank? I have some sort of fern in my tank but it gets yellow too fast.
5. I have a lightbulb on my tank, is it okay to leave it on for the night? I read some Bettas like dark or dim tanks, but my Betta seemed more energetic after I installed a lightbulb.
6. What do oak leaves do for the Bettas? I've read a lot of posts on this forum telling other Betta owners to put oak leaves in their tanks. What is it for? Should I find oak leaves for my Betta too?
7. I saw a video on Youtube where one owner taught his Betta to swim through a hoop. How do I begin to train my Betta to do that? How do I tell him to swim through the hoop? LOL.
8. How much pellets is really ideal to feed your Betta? I feed mine 3 pellets. 2 in the morning and 1 at night. But I read other people feed theirs more, am I underfeeding my Betta?
9. I skipped feeding him yesterday because I read that it's good to skip a day so they don't get bloated and constipated. Then this afternoon his poop was beige/kind of white. Instead of the usual dark brown, is that normal when you skip a day?

That's all I have for now. LOL. Thansk to anyone who replies.

[Hallyx]

Originally Posted by missketie

I have a half-moon Betta, had him for exactly 10 days now. He seems healthy he swims a lot for a fish in a 1 gallon tank, and I don't really have any problems with him. I'm just curious about a few things.

1. What are airstones for? Do I need it for a 1 gallon tank since I don't have a filter?
2. What are mossballs for? I see them in cups with the Bettas at Petsmart but what are they for? Do the Bettas eat the moss?
3. How will I know the difference of whether or not he's sleeping a lot or if he's sick?
4. What kind of real plants are ideal to keep in a tank? I have some sort of fern in my tank but it gets yellow too fast.
5. I have a lightbulb on my tank, is it okay to leave it on for the night? I read some Bettas like dark or dim tanks, but my Betta seemed more energetic after I installed a lightbulb.
6. What do oak leaves do for the Bettas? I've read a lot of posts on this forum telling other Betta owners to put oak leaves in their tanks. What is it for? Should I find oak leaves for my Betta too?
7. I saw a video on Youtube where one owner taught his Betta to swim through a hoop. How do I begin to train my Betta to do that? How do I tell him to swim through the hoop? LOL.
8. How much pellets is really ideal to feed your Betta? I feed mine 3 pellets. 2 in the morning and 1 at night. But I read other people feed theirs more, am I underfeeding my Betta?
9. I skipped feeding him yesterday because I read that it's good to skip a day so they don't get bloated and constipated. Then this afternoon his poop was beige/kind of white. Instead of the usual dark brown, is that normal when you skip a day?

That's all I have for now. LOL. Thansk to anyone who replies.

1 Airstones are not needed. Beeta sip air at the surface whenever they want.

2 Mossballs are fun plants to have. Nearly maintenance free. Betta don't eat them or any plant.

3 If sleeping, when you wake him up he'll become active.

4 Java moss, Java fern, Anubias, Wisteria are good low-light beginner plants.

5 Turn the light off at night Betta like a day/night cycle just like other animals.

6 Oak leaf tannins darken the water. Some keepers use it to calm their fish down or treat injuries.

7 Teach him to follow your finger with food on it. Expand from there.

8 2 pellets 2x/day is about right. Break it up with frozen bloodworms as a treat 2x/week.

9 Some keepers fast their fish, some don't.

Answers to questions you didn't ask:

Change his water 3x/week

Use dechlorinator/conditioner always

Use a heater and thermometer to keep the tank temp around 78*/82*

Cover the tank to provide warm moist air at the surface to breath and to prevent jumping out.