Friend gave me a Betta because of a tragic event.

[schell0385]

Hello everyone, it is a pleasure to be here.

My friend gave me a Betta thinking it would help me thru a severe tragedy. My first thought was, "Oh, crap. If this fish dies I will go over the edge." My Betta seems to be of the fighting variety - I looked at a bunches of pictures. I think of him as a boy, but have not looked. He was given to me in a cute glass pitcher which just seems too small to me, but I guess it is 1.5 gallons of water. It has one ugly plastic plant in it. I was also given pellets, which my poor fish spit out after one taste.

I have fallen in love with this little fish so quickly. As I walk past his pitiful (but cute) bowl I always say, "I see you in there." So that is the name I have given him.

I want to take the best care of my little fish - have found my friend does not know how to take care of theirs properly, which gave me the itch to start researching. Hence, my path to you folks. I have spoken to workers at pet stores - am astounded at their lack of knowledge. I have read all of the stickies on this site and they have been great! But this is just the beginning for me since I am starting with zero personal knowledge about Betta's.

What I would like to do is get my fish a proper tank and have read that 2.5 to 5 ga. would be fine. My space is limited!!!! so the best smaller tank with filters, etc. would work best. In my area - supplies for fish are ExTrEmElY - did I say extremely - limited.

1) who makes quality products that are a good value?
2) is there an online site to purchase from?
3) is there a small book filled with wisdom?
4) i would like a second Betta - half moon possibly - which I think means having two (2) tanks.
5) i want all of the salts and treatments and such to have on hand, as well as a variety of foods. the several pets store in my vicinity do not carry such things.

I love sitting in front of his bowl and having fishy chats with I See You In There. I even think he gets excited. I now give him blood worms and he loves them, taking them directly from my fingers. One time he even came up out of the water and bit my fingernail. I was happy he is a betta and not a piranha or shark. But I think these little beautiful fish have personalities.

I am still reading thru posts and will continue to value and take in knowledge about my little fish.

Thank you, and I am delighted to be here.

Schell

[babystarz]

Originally Posted by schell0385

1) who makes quality products that are a good value?
2) is there an online site to purchase from?
3) is there a small book filled with wisdom?
4) i would like a second Betta - half moon possibly - which I think means having two (2) tanks.
5) i want all of the salts and treatments and such to have on hand, as well as a variety of foods. the several pets store in my vicinity do not carry such things.

Glad to hear you've fallen in love with your little guy :) Most people agree that the minimum sized tank for a happy betta is at least 3 gallons, with a filter, adjustable heater, thermometer and several hiding spots like caves and plants.

1) Seachem products are all top of the line. For food, New Life Spectrum pellets (available at Petco) and Omega One Betta Buffet pellets (Available at Petco and Petsmart) are the most highly recommended brands. Also any frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms etc. at your pet store are great treats.
2) For tanks and aquarium equipment, usually I find the best deals at Amazon. For fish and plants, eBay and Aquabid.
3) Yes there are plenty available, but you can find all the information in them and more for free here.
4) Correct. Male bettas need their own space and can't be housed together.
5) I will leave this one to someone who keeps medicines on hand. I just have aquarium salt and Indian almond leaves.

And yes, I agree that these fish are full of personality! I just love going into my room and saying hi to each of my fishies :)

[ChoclateBetta]

Live plants to silk plants heated water clean water with a lot of extra care 2.5 is possible 5 is better varied diets are good on Betta pellets some sort of meat has to be the first ingredient using as many different brands helps. If I were you I would wait a while to situate the first fish. As big a tank you can heat filter hiding spots are very important remember be careful with plastic plants they can damage fins in a 10 gallon certain limited tank mates.

[ZergyMonster]

Originally Posted by schell0385

1) who makes quality products that are a good value?
2) is there an online site to purchase from?
3) is there a small book filled with wisdom?
4) i would like a second Betta - half moon possibly - which I think means having two (2) tanks.
5) i want all of the salts and treatments and such to have on hand, as well as a variety of foods. the several pets store in my vicinity do not carry such things.

Welcome to Betta Fish, there are plenty and I mean PLENTY of opinions on this forum. Please take from everyone what you think is best that to use their knowledge to expand yours. With that said I'll answer some of your questions on what I think is best.

1) Brands for food are not as important as their content. For bettas you should look for higher protein foods usually in the 50%-60% range. Always check the ingredients for key words like 'Whole' and actual names of ingredients not chemicals. You will find chemicals to keep the food preserved but they should be listed last.
All water conditioners work but one of the best is Seachem's Prime; it detoxifies heavy metals and ammonia as well as getting rid of chlorine and chloramine like a regular conditioner.

2) Several chain stores have a website where you can purchase their wares such as: Petco, PetSmart, and Walmart. These are usually your more expensive options but they have decent quality. Places like amazon (distribution website) will provide you will great deals that change almost every day so keep a look out and you can find good stuff for cheap.

3) There are several books that can give more specific information on every type of fish but if you're looking just for betta information you can find everything you need to know here.

4) You can have multiple bettas in a tank but requires a divider, you can either purchase one or create your own like: this one. Of course you will be increasing the bioload of your tank by double so it is recommended that you have at least a 5 gallon tank if you're going to be dividing it.

5) For salts I keep epsom salt and aquarium salt, epsom salt helps with bloat and aquarium salt is used for eternal injuries such as fin rot and ripped fins. You should only have to use 1tsp per gallon. DO NOT get marine salt because this is the salt used for salt water tanks.

[Romad]

Hello Schell

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you found a new buddy - I love his name LOL.

You've already rec'd some good information in this thread so after you've had your fill of reading up on betta care, we'll be here to help with questions.

And since you're in the US, buying online will not be a problem.

[schell0385]

Thank you for the nice welcome. I have decided to purchase a 10 gallon tank. I am searching for the nicest quality that I can afford - I definitely want glass. I saw a Fluval Chi 6 ga. tank that looked nice, but did not notice if the top was uncovered or covered with glass (i read Bettas need air).

So I am on the search and hope I find a deluxe kit with everything I need (or most of what I need) in the kit.

Schell

[schell0385]

OH - and vitamins.....do they make such a thing for Betta's? I would like mine to be healthy inside and out and have a beautiful flowing tail.

you folks are great! I am going to have so much fun with all of this.

Schell

[teeneythebetta]

Walmart sells an aquaculture 10 gallon kit- includes the glass tank, hood with light & filter for $30 in store (or $37 online)
As for heaters- I reccomend via aqua heaters, they are adjustable and have a thermostat, keeping the desired temperature. They're also really cheap! http://www.amazon.com/ViaAqua-50-Wat.../dp/B005440HLO

The best way to have a healthy betta is to provide a nice clean warm environment and a quality food.
Have your tank at a constant 78-82 degrees F.
I suggest you read the stickies on how to cycle fish-in.. Like this one- http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=107771 A 10 gallon tank will do good with a once weekly water change. If you cycle your tank you can do a 25-50% weekly water change- BUT if you don't cycle your tank, you need to do 100% water changes to rid of ammonia, which would be difficult with a 10 gallon tank, so I highly reccomend cycling

And a good diet of new life spectrum betta pellets (available online or at petco) or second best, omega one betta buffet pellets available at petco and petsmart.

[eaturbyfill]

Welcome to the forum!

[Leafygreens]

I bought almost all my fish gear online, and the best values and quality were found at:
Drsfostersmith.com
Amazon.com
Petco.com

I liked this book about bettas, and you can buy it used dirt cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/Betta-Your-Hap...dp/0471793809/
The only beef I have with it is that the guy suggests feeding as much as your betta will eat in some outrageous amount of time like 10 minutes, I forget exactly. Most people will tell you not to feed more than they can eat in 2 minutes, or to feed about the size of the fish's eyeball. Other than that, he packs a remarkable amount of good and varied info into that little book.

I'm so sorry you lost your service dog and hope having a happy little betta swimming around will help ease the pain a little.