A whole bunch of questions!

[sunset]

Hello! I am totally new here as you can see. I am debating on getting a Betta, however I don't want to take one on without knowing how to properly care for one.

1. How large of a tank should they really have?
2. What type of food do they need? Are the pellets and dried bloodworms that I see in the fish sections okay?
3. Are there any good starter kits that are a reasonable price or is it best to buy all seperate?
4. Are live plants nessecary to have or are the silk ones I have seen mentioned okay?
5. Can you use half marbles as a bottem for the tank or does it have to be gravel?
6. What is a good brand of conditioner to put into the water?

I am not sure if this thread is in the right section so I am sorry if it is not!
Thanks in advance!

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

I'm glad you're doing your research before getting a betta!
1. We say the bigger the better for tank size, 2 or 2.5Gs and up are ideal sizes.
2. I use Warleys pellets and my fish love them. Sometimes the pellets get clumped together, so you just have to break them apart. I don't feed mine bloodworms. I would just use them as a treat or every now and than but they shouldn't be used as an every day food.
3. A lot of people on here have critter keepers and I think they're reasonably priced. I would just go on websites of petstores and start pricing to find out which ones are the better buys.
4. Silk plants are great for smaller tanks. To grow live plants you need a lot of lighting and I think it's just easier to buy the silk ones.
5. Yes, you can use marbles. I use small rocks because it's easier to move around while I do water changes to get the poop out. They sell bags of them for cheap at Walmart.
6. A lot of people use Prime, I use Tetra Aqua. They're both liquid water conditioners which is what you want.

I would suggest getting a heater and if you wanted a filter. I clean my 2.5Gs twice a week to make sure that they are very clean because I don't have filters for them. Their water temp should be in the range of 76-82 degrees. I hope this helps you and welcome to the forum! Don't hesitate to ask us any questions, we're here to help! Good luck! :)

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to the forum. We usually recommend a 2.5 gallon or larger. I have critter keepers and they work very well for me. I have 2 2.5 gallons and 2 1.5 gallons. Pellets are good, as BettaxFishxCrazy stated. I also feed Wardleys and Hikari betta bio gold. Bloodworms are to be fed as a once or twice a week treat. You can get frozen or freeze dried. Freeze dried needs to be rehydrated to prevent digestive problems. You can also feed daphnia and brine shrimp. I agree with BettaxFishxCrazy about the silk plants. They are so much safer than plastic plants. I use glass gems in my tanks. I use Prime and Aquasafe conditioner.

[kelly528]

A lot of people will tell you a 2.5g is fine. And honestly it is. But really, 5g tanks are like 15 bucks more and for that 15 bucks you will only have to clean it half as often. Starter kits are also cheaper than buying everything separate. I highly recommend the Aqueon Minibow 5, as do most betta keepers. The filtration is perfect for a betta.

[Jupiter]

Welcome to the forum!

1. Most people here, myself included, will recommend at least 2/2.5 gallons per betta. Of course, the bigger the better! And that way, you might be able to split it later on for another betta...

2. Pellets or flakes designed for bettas is what they need as a staple diet. Most bettas don't like flakes, though. One of the best pellets out there is Hikari bio-gold, but I feed mine Topfin since it isn't available at Petsmart. You can also feed them frozen or freeze dried foods as a weekly treat. Just make sure the froze food is thawed and the freeze dried food is re-hydrated before you feed.

3. Most kits are better priced better than buying each individual item. Just make sure that you get a heater, since I notice that the starter kits normally don't come with one. Bettas need warm water!

4. Silk plants are great! Plastic plants are also okay, as long as they're not sharp enough to tear your betta's fin.

5. It can be whatever you want: gravel, sand, rocks, marbles, bare-bottom, etc. Just keep in mind large rocks or marbles are harder to clean because uneaten food and poop falls between the large crevices!

6. A lot of people here use Prime, but I've never seen it in stores myself. I bought a package of NovAqua and AmQuel, and i have no complaints. NovAqua is a water conditioner, while AmQuel is a water conditionner as well as an ammonia,nitrite, and nitrate remover. The only thing is that AmQuel has a very strong peculiar smell that most people find gross. I like it, though.

[ChristinaRoss]

great advice from everyone

wow kellie, that much difference in price between a 2.5 and a 5? $15???

sunset, i dont know where u live but here in south carolina a 2.5 gallon is 12.99 and a 5 gallon 13.99
and a 10 gallon is 14.99
check around for good prices and get the biggest one you can affored. MOST people around here cannot have just ONE betta, lol so f you get at least a 5 gallon youll be able to divide it for 2

welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any questions

[Calmwaters]

Great advise from everyone above just wanted to welcome you to the forum and the addiction. LOL

[BettaKeeper]

1- Like every body else said, 2.5 gallons is the minimum.
2- I use Hikari Bio Gold and my betta loves it - Hikari Betta Bio-Gold at PETCO
3- It all depends, I've bought a kit before and one of the tanks I started from scratch and they cost about the same.
4- The plants don't matter as long as they aren't sharp and won't tear the fish's fins. To test the plants, run a nylon over them and if they don't tear then they're safe.
5- Marbles are fine, just wash them before you put them in your tank.
6- I use Bowl Buddies and they come with a sample of Hikari Bio Gold Jungle Bowl Buddies Betta Care Kit at PETCO
7- If you get a tank then you'll also need a filter and a heater (unless you live in a warm climate of 75-80 degrees).

[kelly528]

Originally Posted by ChristinaRoss

great advice from everyone

wow kellie, that much difference in price between a 2.5 and a 5? $15???

sunset, i dont know where u live but here in south carolina a 2.5 gallon is 12.99 and a 5 gallon 13.99
and a 10 gallon is 14.99
welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any questions

For a complete starter kit, eg Minibow 2.5 vs. Minibow 5 lol bare tanks are the same here too.

[sunset]

Thanks for the helpful advice!