Brand New Betta Owner- How Am I Doing?

[Zoonoo]

Thank you for the suggestions, babystarz- I'll have to go back to see what I can find for cavelike decorations.

ChoclateBetta- The store I got everything from was actually specifically an aquarium store, and the owners had won a lot of awards for fish they had raised. They seemed really knowledgeable and were extremely helpful with everything, so I think it's safe to say they were trustworthy. Whatever the plant is, they had it in almost all of their tanks, so I'm going to assume it's safe and won't die. I'll look for a heater when I got back to the store for a cave. Thank you for your suggestions, I really appreciate it!

[ChoclateBetta]

I said most you have the rare store that knows what they are talking about. Hope your pets do well.

[Perseusmom]

Hi there your new guy is very pretty and he has a nice home ! Yeah I bet he would love a cave, mine loves his to swim around in and explore. Good luck with your pretty guy and naming him !!!

[ChoclateBetta]

Yeah that is a pretty Betta.

[zaylia]

Beautiful Betta! I am a new owner too :)

[registereduser]

He's very pretty. My advice is if he starts to act funny or unusual, do a water change. Maybe invest in an ammonia water test kit. I love that plant, if you can get the technical name for it I would be interested.

[Zoonoo]

I've done a little research on the best heaters but people's product reviews always psych me out a bit. What do you guys think would be the best heater for a 2-gallon tank?

I've also noticed that his tank is getting a little cloudy already... I'd guess the combined effect of it being a used tank (on a tight college budget here, haha) and possibly new and dusty gravel, but I'm not entirely sure. I'll try changing the water and cleaning everything out in a couple of days, because I don't want to stress him out by moving everything around again a day after his arrival.

For the plant, I did a little digging around on aquarium plant sites and the closest matches appearance-wise seem to be echinodorus tenellus (chain sword) or possibly some type of vallisneria.

Today I went out and got him a mug for a cave! I of course checked on what glaze was used to make sure it was safe, no lead or anything. He's been checking it out and hiding inside already. :)

[Zoonoo]

Also, the temperature of his tank went down from 85˚ to about 81˚ during the night, and it's stayed there ever since then. I'm happier with that temp but not so happy with the possibility of such large temperature fluctuations so I definitely agree that I need a heater. He's been a lot more active today as well... I'm wondering if that's because of the temperature drop or perhaps because he's getting more comfortable in his new home?

[babystarz]

Originally Posted by Zoonoo

I've done a little research on the best heaters but people's product reviews always psych me out a bit. What do you guys think would be the best heater for a 2-gallon tank?

I've also noticed that his tank is getting a little cloudy already... I'd guess the combined effect of it being a used tank (on a tight college budget here, haha) and possibly new and dusty gravel, but I'm not entirely sure. I'll try changing the water and cleaning everything out in a couple of days, because I don't want to stress him out by moving everything around again a day after his arrival.

For the plant, I did a little digging around on aquarium plant sites and the closest matches appearance-wise seem to be echinodorus tenellus (chain sword) or possibly some type of vallisneria.

Today I went out and got him a mug for a cave! I of course checked on what glaze was used to make sure it was safe, no lead or anything. He's been checking it out and hiding inside already. :)

Attachment 65201

You can't go wrong with this heater, it's adjustable and I have about 10 of them, none have malfunctioned yet: http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersi.../dp/B00106X8QG

It's normal for a new tank to have cloudy water, as you mentioned gravel dust can get kicked up. Water changes will help the water clear up.

I love the mug, it matches him really well haha! His heightened activity is probably from him getting used to his surroundings. Happy bettas like to explore and swim around :)

[Zoonoo]

Oh nice, that was the exact filter I was looking at, haha! I was nervous because of the amazon reviews though because some people complained of theirs exploding Weird!

One more question (for now): Should I feed him one pellet at a time spaced throughout the day, or all of the food at once? Does it matter?