Brand New Owner

[RubyFalls]

Hey there!
Well I'm completely new to fish keeping. I just started living on my own sans roommate and really needed some company. I just happened to be at PetCo with a friend and thought I'd check out prices.
Well, I fell in love with my betta, West.

I feel a little bad for him, I just kind of came home with a crappy tank and starter kit. In fact, I was on here last night kind of freaking out because he seemed so pissed. But he is happy and doing well.

Just picked him up a...size 10 (gallon?) tank today so I'm about to get him moved into there. Unfortunately, this is a tank my friend happened to have, so there is no heater with it. I don't know if the smaller tank is better for him until I get a heater? But I'll do some research and figure it out.

Anyway, pictures will be posted soon once I get his tank all set up and ready to go.

I'm very glad I found this forum. Seems like I can get some great guidance in making sure West has a nice happy home.

[veggiegirl]

Oh we would love to see your boy!!!!! Does the tank he is in have a heater, if so keep him where he is but be sure to keep up the water changes until you get his 10 gallon set up. What size is the tank that he is in? If the small tank that he is in does not have a heater then he will be better off in the 10 gallon because a larger volume of water has more stable temperature than a small amount but yeah definitely get a heater for the 10 gallon as soon as possible because it is still incredibly important for his health. I am glad you are finding this forum helpful oh and welcome to the wonderful world of bettas they are undeniably great company!

[sparkyjoe]

Congrats on entering the world of betta fish. They are true little characters, each with their own personality.

Would love to see pics of West.

[RubyFalls]

Soon for sure. I mean there is kind of a not so great one on my page, but I want to get a better pic to post.

Veggiegirl: Neither tanks have heaters. I had NO clue I needed one. The guy at PetCo just told me feed it once every three weeks and change its water once a week. I already know those instructions aren't true. But I'm working on it. I was hoping there was someone on here selling a heater for cheap but I haven't seen one.
He seems content though. He isn't just hanging out at the bottom of the tank. But If not tonight, then tomorrow he will be in his ten gallon.

[veggiegirl]

Oh okay, well he will be much happier in the 10 gallon until you get the heater, if it is cold where you are wrapping his tank in a blanket will help with insulation until you can get him toasty warm with a heater. If you search online you may be able to find a cheap heater but get a fully submersible one with a thermostat because they are by far much much safer. Don't worry pet shops usually pass on a lot of incorrect info about bettas and forums are a great way to get the facts

[BeautifulBetta123]

He needs a heater because they are tropical fish... What kind of food do you feed him? Wardley betta pellets are common but extremely unhealthy Omega 1 and New Life Spectrum are good high quality pellets.
Don't listen to people in pet stores! Never ever take their advice unless they actually know what they are doing.
I get irritated when I walk into a store and see someone looking at bettas then when I tell them that they need a heater and I am a breeder a member of IBC have 12 bettas and am very sure of what I am doing, the people simply asks the guy at the pet store and he says oh no just once every two weeks do a water change and feed him and he will live a happy life. When I tell them they need a better kind of food that can be found at a different pet store the employee kindly in a very strict voice asks me to leave. When I continue saying the fish need a different decoration then the one they picked out the very rude employee tells me to get out of the store or he will call security I tell him that I am only promoting the well being of these fish and want to have happy owners with happy fish the employee then escorts me to the door says he does not want to see me again and gives me a slight push out of the door. I am never shopping there agin :(
This is my point, Pet store employees are commonly rude when you know more then them, know nothing about these fish, and will do anything to sell fish even if it means seeing them a week later for a replacement for fishy cause he DIED!

[RubyFalls]

Veggiegirl: Yeah I'm really happy I did my research to find more information. I know I should've done it before hand, but hopefully I can get him into a better tank.

Beautifulbetta: I went out and bought Aqua Culture betta pellets. I feel like it is clouding his water. I fed him and ended up taking out pellets because his water got so bad. I JUST changed his water and now its cloudy. But that could also be from the volume (32 ounces) of water?
I'm really open for advice here. I wish someone like you had been there when I was looking at prices and stuff to tell me what all was really needed to keep a healthy environment for them.

[BeautifulBetta123]

I have never heard of that pellet... What are the first four ingredients?

[RubyFalls]

Wheat flour, fish meal, wheat gluten, soybean oil

Edit: It's from Wal-mart so............. probably not the best.

[veggiegirl]

We as customers trust that employees know about their products in this case I mean we trust they should know how to care for a betta. In a perfect world we would be provided with accurate information on betta care by the pet shop staff, sadly this is rarely the case, it is not your fault that you were told incorrect information.

In a larger tank his water will not cloud so quickly. Betta pellets only usually cloud the water if some are left uneaten. Be sure not to over feed your betta (only give him what he will eat in maybe 30 seconds or so) and be sure to remove any uneaten pellets afterwards. A liquid/turkey baster is perfect for removing uneaten food.