New Betta Owner

[hotrodprincess]

My daughter fell in love with a little betta today. I let her get it as part of our homeschool this year. Its currently in what I call a bowl its got a colored vented lid on it hold maybe 2 cups of water. we have no idea if its male or female but its got purple and blue looking tail and fens are sort of spike. the lady at the pet store says we can keep it in the little container we got it in. But we have a 1.5 gallon hexagon tank that has been sitting empty for over a year. I think it would be much happier in it than this little cup thing so I would like to put some water in it so we could introduce it to the tank in a few days. (we are on a well and the Ph is neutral at least that's what the pet store said.) We plan to get some little plants next time we go to the store. I guess my big question is: I have a Tetra Whisper 1-10gal Power Filter is this ok to use for the betta if I put the spout where the water comes out level with the top of the water so it doesn't have any falling motion to stir the water around I know they like still water. Any other tips or cool facts would be great.

[aokashi]

A few things that are more important than the water current.
one is to make sure the intake tube cannot suck the fish or its fins in.
If you baffle the intake well, the current will be reduced too.
you will also need a heater for your new tank.
a 25w adjustable would be the way to go.

[teeneythebetta]

Originally Posted by hotrodprincess

My daughter fell in love with a little betta today. I let her get it as part of our homeschool this year. Its currently in what I call a bowl its got a colored vented lid on it hold maybe 2 cups of water. we have no idea if its male or female but its got purple and blue looking tail and fens are sort of spike. the lady at the pet store says we can keep it in the little container we got it in. But we have a 1.5 gallon hexagon tank that has been sitting empty for over a year. I think it would be much happier in it than this little cup thing so I would like to put some water in it so we could introduce it to the tank in a few days. (we are on a well and the Ph is neutral at least that's what the pet store said.) We plan to get some little plants next time we go to the store. I guess my big question is: I have a Tetra Whisper 1-10gal Power Filter is this ok to use for the betta if I put the spout where the water comes out level with the top of the water so it doesn't have any falling motion to stir the water around I know they like still water. Any other tips or cool facts would be great.

Hello! First of all, welcome to the forum. It is a great community to be a part of and I'm sure you will learn a lot about these beautiful fish, as we all do!

Typically females have shorter fins than males do. They come in many different tail types. You say they look spikey? Maybe you have a crown tail? Here are pictures of crowntails...

This one is a male crown tail betta



and here is a female crown tail betta..






Im sure your betta would appreciate a tank much much more than the bowl. Bowls are a little dangerous for bettas because they are known to jump out due to there being no cover. there is also no reliable way to heat a bowl usually. Did you say youre keeping it in the cup you bought it in? PLEASE never listen to advice from a pet store employee, they give awful awful advice and keeping it in that cup is a good way to lead it to a slow death. :( Most defenitely move him into the tank.

There may be a way to baffle the filter, I dont know of a way to baffle your specific filter though. To be honest it might be best to just not have a filter in a 1.5 gallon because of how small the tank is. If the tank were a bit larger, a filter would be great.

What temperature is his water? If you dont have a thermometer- what temperature is your house set on? Bettas are tropical fish and need at least 76 degrees Farenheit water, preferably 78-82 * F. The tank water is typically a few degrees cooler than the air, so keep that in mind.

Are you using water conditioner to treat the water? Also, keep in mind that when doing water changes, to have the new water the same temperature as the water he is in. They can go through temperature shock if you dont take caution with that. With a 1.5 gallon tank, your best bet would be to do 3 water changes per week. You can do 2 50% changes and 1 100% changes.

If you have any more questions let me know!

[hotrodprincess]

thanks for the pictures It looks like a crown tail betta to me its tail and fins are defiantly longer than those of the picture of the female betta. So i am betting its a male. My daughter wants to name it princess because its purple and blue do u think i should tell her its a boy fish lol. We are defiantly planning on putting it in in the 1.5 gallon tank. we do have a 3 gallon eclipse tank but no place to put it at the moment. When we get moved we will most likely upgrade to the 3 gallon tank. But for now I think the 1.5 gal tank will be ok. If i remember correctly the tetra whisper filter did not have a strong intake but Im not sure so I wanted to ask and see if anyone had used one with a betta I dont want to hurt the little guy. How can i tell if its too strong of an intake? we have a heater but Its older and I dont think its very reliable I hope to get a new smaller one before the weather turns colder. Currently our house stays in the 70's Do I need to use a water conditioner? Its untreated well water so there is not chlorine or anything added to it. Iv had it tested at the pet store before and they said it was good water. I hope to put water in the 1.5 gal tank tonight so it can sit over night to become the same temp as the water its in now. the water looks yucky and Id like to get it in to something cleaner tomorrow. I also have some fresh water salt that I used for some other fish i had. Do Bettas need this? if so how much for a 1.5 gal tank

[teeneythebetta]

Well, there's nothing wrong with a boy named Princess ;) lol.*

Sorry I've personally never used that filter, but if the intake looks to be pulling him close to it, you can tie a piece of pantyhose (womens tights) around the intake. Or you could just do it ahead of time to prevent any mishaps. ;)

You will probably need a heater ASAP, to maintain at very minimum 76 degrees. Water Colder than that makes them more prone to illness and disease, and can make their fins clamped. (it will look like they're closing their fins)

Honestly idk about using well water with fish but it defenitely won't hurt to add some in just in case.

The only time salt should be used for a betta is when you're treating a specific illness (we have instructions on which type of salt to use an how much for how long) but in general, don't use salt in his tank. Aquarium salt will damage the organs if used for extended periods of time, so I wouldn't use the salt at all ;)

1.5 gallons is an ok size as long as you do the 3 weekly water changes I suggested. I'm glad to hear that you eventually will be upgrading to a 3 gal tank. He will really love that! with a 3 gallon tank you can do 2 water changes per week- 1 50% change and 1 100% change.

[hotrodprincess]

I showed her the pictures so she could see the difference between a male and female she said well mine is a boy I knew I should have gotten the blue one I think it was a girl lol. now she is mad she didnt get the blue one she got the purple n blue i guess because she thought it was girl because of the color. well put some pantyhose on the intake just to be sure. The tank has a light on it and it keeps the water nice and warm. but we will get a small heater next time we get into town. We do have a thermometer and we just put water in the 1.5 gal tank so it can warm up over night and be the same temp as the little tub. Ill get it a plant or something too. and may be one of the floating betta leaves we saw I read they like them.

[teeneythebetta]

Aww I'm sorry to hear that she's upset. If I were you, I'd tell her that he is very happy to have a good home with her where he will be taken good care of and he won't mind being named Princess.

As for the light, bettas do not sleep but they do need darkness to rest. You can leave the light on during the day but at night it needs to be off. A betta with lack of rest will be stressed. You can leave the light on for at most 12 hours per day, but less than that is fine. :)

Bettas have very delicate fins, so I wouldn't pick up a plastic plant. Most plastic plants will rip a bettas fins if he brushes against it. A good plant would be a silk one, or a live one. A good hardy live plant is the java fern.*
In case you see any type of bamboo at the pet store- just know that it is NOT fully aquatic and will rot if submerged in water. :)
He might also like a place to hide. Like an old clean coffee cup turned sideways, or a cave from the pet store that is not rough, and doesn't have small holes that he could get stuck in.*

I wouldn't get the zoo med leaf hammock (if that's what you're talking about?) because it had a metal rod that will rust which is harmful for the fish.
Here's a tutorial for making a DIY leaf hammock:*http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=114565

[shi]

A nice leafy live plant can solve a lot of problems, namely shelter/resting spot/water maintainer :D

Here, I will spout my love for water wisteria (Hygrophila difformis). It grows easily, and it can develop differently depending on whether you let it float or plant in the gravel ouo
And if you want more, just nip a piece off your existing plant and voila~ You have another one!

[hotrodprincess]

we will defiantly look for a silk plant then. we may do a live plant when we switch to the 3 gal tank after the move. may be I have an old coffee cup We could use for him to hide in. we have a fake fish that's super cute but its mouth is too small for this guy. we did see bamboo at the pet store had a betta swimming around it but I knew bamboo could not live in water like that.

[hotrodprincess]

OK last rookie question for the night. I have stress Zyme I used it in my other tank to keep the good bacteria going. Do i need to put some in my 1.5 gal tank before i put betta in and how long do i need to wait before i put him in.?