*neww and needs help!

[kittycam212]

Well, I decided to buy myself a betta! He's a gorgeous one, that I named Onion ;] I got him from a local petsmart. I do have a few questions, because I want to make sure Onion has a long and happy life in his new home:

-->How often and how much should I feed him? I have freeze-dried bloodworms that he seems to eat happily, but I worry that he doesn't get enough.

-->I'm also worried about the temperature in his tank. It is currently at 75, and I have put a Hydor Mini Heater in it, but I'm scared that it will get much lower.

-->What kind of caves and such should I put in his tank? As of now, there is gravel and a fake plant along with a heater and filter.

I don't know if these questions are ignorant, but I am new to this betta thing and I am excited to take care of Onion :D

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Most people feed their bettas a pellet food such as Hikari betta bio gold. You can feed twice a day, 2-3 pellets each time. Bloodworms should be fed once or twice a week as a treat.The mini heaters are non adjustable so only heat to about 75-76 degrees. If he is in a 2.5 or larger, you could go with an adjustable heater like a 25 watt Stealth visitherm. You could get a small terra cotta pot to use as a cave. Anything that doesn't have sharp edges will be good. Don't worry about asking questions. Thats what we are here for.

[MrVampire181]

He has plenty to eat, we dont want him poppin do we?

A complete water change once a week for bowls

a feeding once a day

a live plant or decorative cave, these things become a betta's best friend.

[sunkissedinCA]

welcome to the forum!

your questions aren't ignorant at all, its a good thing that you're keeping your bettas health in mind by asking these questions. i've done a buncha research since i got my first betta, so i hope my answers help you out :)

first about the food, when i first got mine i was worried about that also. just like dramaqueen said, betta pellets are your best bet, you can find them at almost any petstore. but be careful when you feed them because bettas are quite the little piggies, and its fairly easy to overfeed them which will result in constipation and bloating.

second, make sure you dont forget water changes. water quality is very important, and heaters are essential for tanks 2 gallons and over. bettas are tropical fish, so they require warmer water. my tanks are always at 80 degrees. also, my bettas looooove these live plants that i have, they love to sleep under them. they also love their little caves i bought for them. decorations are definitely good.

i look forward to hearing about little onion!

[Campbell]

Haha. I love the name! I think all of your questions have been answered, but there is one thing I want to reiterate. Bloodworms should be feed 1-2 times a week as a treat. Feeding them anymore than that could cause bloating/constipation. Freeze dried foods should also be rehydrated before feeding to avoid digestive problems. Just soak them in a little glass of tank water.

[kittycam212]

thank you so much :]
are there any recomdendations for a tank heater that can work in a plastic tank?

[dramaqueen]

I have a Marineland stealth vidsitherm in my 4 gallon, which is plastic, and a Tetra whisper 50 watt in my 2 1/2 gallon critter keeper. The one in the 4 gallon is 25 watts.

[kittycam212]

thank you! :]

[millertime610]

I've been using the 25 watt marineland stealth in my 3 gallon as well. I had a very warm weekend where my apt was getting very warm so i unplugged my heater all together... You really have to keep an eye on that thermometer, it was anywhere from 80-85 all weekend without the heater! thats set on 79!

[LaniBaby]

same here on the stealth. i have a 50 watt and a 25 watt, both in acrylic marineland tanks. and they work great. no issues.

I've noticed that my bettas tend to enjoy grassy plants and wide leafed plants so they can lie on them. :)