Hello all, I'm a brand new Betta owner, (never owned a fish in my life actually, but my fiancee wanted one because she had one for years, so...) and have no knowledge of bettas at all, but i think our new Betta might be sick. We brought him to my place two days ago, after purchasing him at Petsmart, and he has yet to eat anything! He is in a 1 gallon vase with betta treated water. i really can't tell much about his temperment, except that he swims slowly i guess, and lays still a lot. he doesn't really swim fast, but he def is curious when i approach his bowl. any thoughts?
EDIT: btw his name is Kerby. my fiancee picked it b/c we met at Kerby Lane Cafe in Austin, TX. i thought that was cute.
Last edited by derekstanggt; 09-24-2009 at 10:46 AM.
Hello and welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of bettas!
Not eating at first is perfectly normal for a new betta, hes simply adjusting to his new surroundings. I believe they can go a week or more without eating at all. So unless theres any other physical signs of illness(paleness, white, fluffy growth, ext.) Then I wouldn't worry. Just keep offering him food, a pellet at a time, remove what he doesn't eat as quickly as possible away so it doesn't foul up the water, and give him time.
Also, he'd appreciate a larger tank with some silk(or live) plants and a little hide away. Most recommend at least 2.5 gallons, but IMO 5 gallons is perfect for a single betta. He'll need a heater as well, temperature kept in between 78-80 degrees F, as they are tropical fish and the lethargy you witnessing is due to it being to cold. to
A filter isn't an absolute must, but all the better if you can get it, you won't have to change the water as often
Hello and welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of bettas!
Not eating at first is perfectly normal for a new betta, hes simply adjusting to his new surroundings. I believe they can go a week or more without eating at all. So unless theres any other physical signs of illness(paleness, white, fluffy growth, ext.) Then I wouldn't worry. Just keep offering him food, a pellet at a time, remove what he doesn't eat as quickly as possible away so it doesn't foul up the water, and give him time.
Also, he'd appreciate a larger tank with some silk(or live) plants and a little hide away. Most recommend at least 2.5 gallons, but IMO 5 gallons is perfect for a single betta. He'll need a heater as well, temperature kept in between 78-80 degrees F, as they are tropical fish and the lethargy you witnessing is due to it being to cold. to
A filter isn't an absolute must, but all the better if you can get it, you won't have to change the water as often
thanks for the help! are there any places online where i can get an affordable tank, heater, filter and plants?
Your welcome
I'm not sure about online stores, I've never baught things like that online. However, if you have a walmart near you they have pretty affordable fish things.
Tanks are generally more expensive online; because they want a huge amount of money for shipping costs on them.
Petsmart sometimes has good sales on their tanks, and I've also picked up a nice 2.5 gallon Minibow tank at Walmart for under $20 before, and it came with a filter. A heater will probably run you around $15. The silk plants you really need to see in store, you need to be able to touch them to make sure they're soft enough; they'll run you $3-$6 each.
I learned the hard way that keeping a fish isn't a cheap hobby. @-@;
You can get a 5 gallon tank kit at Walmart for $30. It has everything you need except a heater(although some come with a heater if you luck out and find one!) The only thing you need to get is the decor.
Do you have an Big Als Fish and Aquarium store near by? They're tanks are PRETTY affordable, you can get a 10g for $50 which is a lot cheaper than what they'll sell it for at normal pet stores (I've seen the same 10g for $100 in Petsmart and other small pet stores), and they also have lots of betta fish 2.5gallon tanks for a very reasonable price :) Or at least they are in my area, but I'm sure it'll be the same in others!
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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Just keep offering him food, a pellet at a time, remove what he doesn't eat as quickly as possible away so it doesn't foul up the water, and give him time.
