The Quick Question Thread

[cesitlie95]

1) Is it ok to use flash on a betta fish's eyes? Will it hurt them or anything?
2) I got a small female from my LFS today and I tried feeding her Hikari betta pellets but she spit it out. Do you think it was too big for her to swallow? They are about the size of this circle --> o Or is she just not hungry and still adjusting to her new home? I will try refeeding her in the morning.

[Canuck Fins]

I don't know about the flash, but it's not uncommon for a betta to not eat for the first day or few until they are settled. After that, most of them are little piggies who will look at you like they are starved even after feeding. ;)

[Tisia]

I'd think that it could stress them a bit if you did it too much, but not really sure
my boy wouldn't even touch full size pellets, tried cutting one in half and he just spit it out a few times then gave up, now I crush them for him and he just gobbles it down. so it could be just the size

[Silverfang]

my boy won't touch pellets, whole, or crushed, he bites, chews a few times then spits it out and swims away, flakes he noms in a frenzy that would impress a shark

[Dontpanic]

What are usually the causes of clamped fins? They were all right before and temp and water are all fine, but now he has his tail all clamped up.

[Canuck Fins]

Originally Posted by Dontpanic

What are usually the causes of clamped fins? They were all right before and temp and water are all fine, but now he has his tail all clamped up.

Alright before what? Did you do a water change or add something to the tank?

[Dontpanic]

Nope, I meant before I put him in the tank. I put him in a cycled 5 gallon tank and his fins were fine for a day or two. I only have water conditioner and liquid plant fertilizer in the water and it's the same way for all my other tanks. The temp. is at 79 F and I have no idea whats wrong! D: Ty for helping me.

Edit: I also added a few dried oak leaves about a week after his tail clamped up, but he's just resting on them now.

[cesitlie95]

It's the second day and she still hasn't taken to the pellets. I even crushed them up. Maybe I'll need to get a different brand of food for her.. i gave her some freeze dried bloodworms and she gobbled it up but I know she can't live on them alone

[Irish Dancing Man]

Try flakes. My females will only eat flakes no pellets.......

My quick question: In a 3 gal and a 2.5 gal with airstones are 2 weekly 80%-90% water changes enough??

[JKfish]

Originally Posted by Irish Dancing Man

Try flakes. My females will only eat flakes no pellets.......

My quick question: In a 3 gal and a 2.5 gal with airstones are 2 weekly 80%-90% water changes enough??

Airstones don't help with cycling tanks, so you must treat them like uncycled and unfiltered tanks. You could do about 2 50% and one 100% a week for both. 100% water changes are necessary to completely remove all traces of ammonia.

Originally Posted by cesitlie95

1) Is it ok to use flash on a betta fish's eyes? Will it hurt them or anything?
2) I got a small female from my LFS today and I tried feeding her Hikari betta pellets but she spit it out. Do you think it was too big for her to swallow? They are about the size of this circle --> o Or is she just not hungry and still adjusting to her new home? I will try refeeding her in the morning.

1) make sure you don't shine it directly in her eyes, they don't have eyelids so the bright light might hurt.
2) Give her time. Tux took a while to start eating his pellets. Keep offering them, and eventually she will eat, no betta is going to willingly starve herself to death... Personally, I'd feed pellets over flakes because they tend to be less mess and more nutritious.

Originally Posted by Dontpanic

What are usually the causes of clamped fins? They were all right before and temp and water are all fine, but now he has his tail all clamped up.

Stress or illness can cause clamped fins. Does he have somewhere to hide?