New to all of this!

[sajames05]

Hey everyone. My names Aaron I'm 18 and a college student! We are only allowed to have fish in the dorms so I figured id buy some considering I love pets and might take the marine biology was of a career/major.

I got 2 veil tail bettas, before you freak yes there is a divider in the tank. Its 1/2 gallon tank. I changed the water on sunday to bottled distilled water and now the waters already kinda foggy. I think I might be over feeding but they aren't eating it all because it sits and I read to remove the extra food so I do after about 5 minutes...well I remove whats still on top of the water. Any reason it would be getting so foggy so quickly? My guess is since there are 2 fish it will get foggier quicker. (my dad had a betta and only had to change the water once a week so I'm basing off that)

Also how many pellets of food do they need? I give them about 4-5 twice a day. I did see online how to tell if they over eat...you can see the pelles around their gill area I think. They aren't showing signs of that so.

On a side note I just saw one flare its gill are because they both were along the divider and Iguess he could see the other betta.

So for the overload of normal questions. Im active on multiple auto forums and its frustrating when people ask the same questions over and over but hey I'm new (3 days in so far)

Thanks A TON!
-Aaron
My bettas


Rosey


Willie

[LizzyP]

Hi, Aaron. Welcome to the forum :)

First things first. That tank is too small for 2 bettas. I wouldn't even recommend it for 1 betta. If you want 2 fish, you can always get 2 tanks (2.5 gallons are good for long finned males) or get a 10 gallon and divide it. If you go for the 10 gallon route you will have to cycle it, but that's a totally different topic. If you went with the 2.5 gallon for both fish you would need to do 1 50% and 1 100% change per week to keep ammonia levels down. You will also need water conditioner to take away all the harmful chemicals of tap water. The top 2 conditioners on this site are Prime and API Stress Coat. I use API Stress Coat but Prime seems more for your money since it's about 1 drop per gallon. You can use tap water, but you might want to test the water from your dorms at your local fish store or pet store (they usually do it for free, or you can buy a liquid test kit for $25-$30) to make sure it can inhabit fish safely.

Also, betta fish are tropical fish. They thrive in temperatures of 76-82 degrees. To achieve these temps you need an adjustable heater. You can get wonderful heaters online on Amazon for cheap, or at a pet store if you have transportation.

Feed bettas flakes all the time is like us eating potato chips or french fries all the time. Not bad every once in a while, but not a staple diet. You want to feed a good quality pellet, such at Omega One Betta Buffet or New Life Spectrum. They are both available at Petco and both available online. They are very small pellets, so you probably won't have to buy another can unless you spill it or something. You can feed frozen or freeze dried bloodworms or brine shrimp or daphnia as treats occasionally.

Those are the 3 basic things. You will learn more as you grow. But as for right now, get a larger tank and a heater for your beautiful boys. I'm sure with some heat and proper food they'll perk right up :)

Feel free to ask more questions.
LizzyP

[shellieca]

+1 with Lizzy. That small of a volume of water with 2 Betta's is going to be difficult to keep clean. Please consider either getting two tanks that are bigger or one larger tank (10g prefereably) you can divide. I know the store you bought everything at said it was fine but it really isn't.

[fishyMcDoodle]

Like you, I recently picked up my first betta fish and soon became introduced to the depth of care that bettas require. If you're up for a bit of learning the entire process is really worthwhile, especially knowing that your fish are directly benefiting from your effort.

I followed the same advice given prior to my post and so far, so good. Excellent, even.

For me, since this is all new and recent for me too, my first few problems included fin rot (from dirty water from the pet store), overfeeding due to flakes causing constipation and swim bladder disorder and learning about the ammonia that builds in small tanks and how it negatively affects your pet. Oh and it turned out that maintaining a heater at a good temperature does wonders for the betta.

Awesome looking fish btw!

[fishyMcDoodle]

EDIT: and i resolved all those problems i've listed thanks to the help that the members provided

[aokashi]

hey fellow college student! 3 days new? NP :D you cna still return that tiny container!

you can definitely divide a larger tank. 2.5gallon is the minimum size for a divided tank (going with the atleast 1 gallon/ betta rule)

5 gallon is even better

and 10 gallons will be great!

as people have stated above. you do need a heater (this is one of the cheapest and best)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00106X8QG

you should also get your fishies some silk plants :) ones that wont hurt their fins!

eventually I recommend you to look into getting a filter so the tank can cycle :)
(to make the tank safer for the fish! and may be less water changes when ur busy with your studies!)
I highly recommend this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005VEWCMO

you will definitely need a 50% waterchange half wy through the week and a 100% watee change at the end of the week for a 2.5gallon :)

and if u are in the states, you can get a 6 month free 2 day shipping plan if you are a student! woot!

flakes are not terrible, but being so thin, the nutrients leches uickly into the water and doesnt leave much for the hungry fish!
pellets retains the nutrients muh better and will be a healthier alternative

[BettaGirl228]

Well Tanks are expensive and i have both my Male bettas in a tank just like that and its fine it isn't too small at all they're happy so why buy a bigger tank that cost too much some ppl don't wanna spend a lot of money for a bigger tank when they do just fine in a smaller one and i also have my two females in a second tank so it isn't too small these ppl obviously don't know what they're talking about. They're made for betta fish. Bought 2 female bettas and bought the same tank for them so the tank is fine. you don't need a filter or heater they do fine without them.

[BettaGirl228]

omega brand pellets make your fish bloated not a good brand i use the brand that starts with a A and my bettas love it.

[LadyVictorian]

Originally Posted by BettaGirl228

Well Tanks are expensive and i have both my Male bettas in a tank just like that and its fine it isn't too small at all they're happy so why buy a bigger tank that cost too much some ppl don't wanna spend a lot of money for a bigger tank when they do just fine in a smaller one and i also have my two females in a second tank so it isn't too small these ppl obviously don't know what they're talking about. They're made for betta fish. Bought 2 female bettas and bought the same tank for them so the tank is fine. you don't need a filter or heater they do fine without them.

10 gallons are only $10 at walmart, cheaper than those dinky tanks.

Also I hope you change the water in that tank every day ammonia will build up like crazy in it. And also hope you have it heated. Omega I have known doesn't cause bloat unless you are overfeeding. I personally like NLS the best since it has no fillers and my betta's have been thriving on it.

Also that is incorrect betta are tropical fish and NEED heaters. I feel you need to learn more about betta before you get any more BettaGirl228, you clearly don't know their basic care that well. Betta are tropical fish from Malaysia and need a constant 78-83 degrees to be healthy. They also need at least 1 gallon per fish, cramming them into a space that tiny is only okay if you clean the tank every day but it would be better to clean it twice a day as it's no better than a store cup. It's also a bit cruel. Also I feel if you are not willing to pay for the basic needs of an animal then you shouldn't have it. Just my opinion. Fish like any animal are not throw away pets and you need responsibility and the check to care for them properly.

[BettaGirl228]

Oh really I will have to go pick one up.