male betta looks horrible

[charlotte]

Hes laying at the bottom right now and i think breathing heavily. Not really attempting to reach the surface. When I get the tank should I put an airstone in? And is it ok to use a vase if its not so tall? like this maybe

http://www.blendedelegancellc.com/sh...inder-vase.jpg

thanks for all the help so far, you guys are great! I'm going to leave to get his supplies pretty soon. so far on my list is a tank, stress coat, and aquarium salt. let me know if im forgetting anything

[charlotte]

and a heater, forgot that

[Sakura8]

Sure, they're not as decorative as a nice vase but they're so much better for the betta.

[Sakura8]

How many gallons would you say that vase is? I wouldn't use it if it's less than 1 gallon. I hope your guy perks up when he gets a heater. He might be cold right now. :/

[charlotte]

i think maybe a gallon and a half but when I go and get one it might be different. is that enough to safely heat it?

[Sakura8]

I think so. A small heater like the Marineland or Marina submersible will work but be aware they are preset at 78* and can't go any higher.

[GunsABlazin]

If its 1.5, yes. They have heaters that are good for that, but most are presets, and have trouble holdeing temp. If you can find a bowl like that thats about 2-2.5 gallons, you can get a better heater.
He will purk up and get sooo beautiful!

[charlotte]

would this kind be good?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...5060&lmdn=Fish

wheres the best place to find them for cheap? everything i need is kind of starting to add up. not that its not worth it for the fish but itd be nice to save some money. i should have mentioned this before but i have 3 other bettas i got recently (it started with one male from a friend, he lived in the cup for over 6 months when she had him, and i got 2 other females from walmart that seem healthy but i felt bad for too. i need to stop looking). i probably need to get heaters for them too but they seem happy right now.

[brownmane]

I would suggest to just start with the necessities. You can add other items later, esp if you need to watch your expenditures. Your betta will definitely feel better once warmed and into a bigger space. I haven't had experience with the heater in your picture. I started out with a little betta kit and then expanded to a heated 5 gallon a couple of years ago. It is amazing how much a betta will perk up when he is warm and has clean water and some space.

Right now I got three female betta in a heated, planted tank

[youlovegnats]

I've heard that those are ok... I've heard horror stories of those boiling fish though, or just not working. If you do get one, make sure you heat the bowl up before putting the fish in, and get a thermometer and check it every so often.