Today I bought a male Betta fish, it's the first time I've had a pet since two years. Now the problem is after finding this site and reading the threads is that I found out I've fallen for the "Betta Kits".
I've bought a tank which apparently considered small (0.8 gallons), a male Betta fish, and the starter kit for Bettas. Which is water treatment, food, and some treatment that reduces biological waste.
I live in Canada, specifically in Alberta which can get extremely cold during winter, dropping to around -30 celcius degrees outside.
Now, what should I do? I was going to buy him some decorations tomorrow, like a plant and so on but seeing apparently that this tank is too small I guess I have to buy a new tank too for him. Plus a heater since the water is too cold even during summer, he's usually floating at the bottom, which means the water is too cold right?
Yeah the .8 gal makes a good QT (quarantine tank). He need a min 1 gal, but that requires every other day water changes. I suggest you look at getting him a 2 to 3 gal kritter keeper, they are cheap like 15 US dollars and easy to clean and use.
He will need a heater for sure he need 78-82 F water. He could be cold and sitting on the bottom yes. He could also be a little stressed and getting used to his new home or both.
If you need any help ask us and we will be happy to help ^_^
Come on by the I have No self Control a lot of us can be found there and are always willing to help.
Once again welcome.
Welcome to the forum Micho, I hope you enjoy keeping bettas!
I agree with Amph, that tank will be too small for him in the long run... If he's lethargic, he could be cold or just settling and getting used to the new water.. What are temps in Canada right now? If its below 76, you're definitely going to need a heater.. Try and get a Kritter Keeper, 5 gallon if you can. Heaters for 5 gallons are relatively cheaper as compared to heaters for 2 gallons etc... Try to get an adjustable heater if you can. :) Also Jake may not eat for a few days, if he doesn't try not to panic, he's settling in! Lol! We would love to see pics!
Jake has been doing quite well now, he's actually swimming around now rather than just sitting at the bottom of the tank like a depressed fish.
I'll probably buy a 2 - 3 gallon tank for him, a 5 gallon tank probably won't fit on my small desk. But I have noticed that he keeps swimming to the top for air though, is this normal? There's a lot of bubbles sticking to the side of the tanks which means oxygen right?
He has also taken a short nap, but I accidentally woke him up and now he won't go back to sleep. (Sitting in an L shape before)
I dunno, his fins look "clenched" to me but I'm not sure. He was living in a community tank before. I'm just worried when I make the change to the bigger tank tomorrow he's going to fall back into this stage when I got him earlier today.
Also I'll try to get some pictures, but iPod's camera quality isn't that quite good!
He's just getting used to his surroundings that's all. :) 2-3 gallons is more than enough space, add a heater and you're set! You'll need to do 100% water changes every week in the 2-3 gallon and if you have the current tank for longer, do one 50% and one 100% water change every week.
Bettas breathe through their "labyrinth" its a lung like organ, they will breathe through it at the surface of the water even if there is more than enough oxygen in the water. If they aren't allowed to use the organ, even in heavily Oxygenated water, they can die. :(
He's probably happier in a tank of his own than a community in my opinion.. They like living alone. He'll probably have clamped fins for a few hours.. Just getting used to everything. :)
So today I went out and bought a 2 gallon tank for Jake because there were only 2 gallons and some weird 7L ones.
Anyway, the 2 gallon one I bought comes with a built in filter and a LED light. I bought a heater and a thermometer, so right now the heater is doing it's thing I have to wait 5 minutes to see if it heats it up to around 75 ~ 82 Fahrenheit range. There is one major concern though, the built in filter has a little pump to release the "clean" water, it's a bit too strong I think.
I remember reading somewhere Betta fishes like still water, any way to make it less stressful for Jake?
Other than that I bought him some fake silk plants and a little Buddha to play with. :>
There is a whole thread around here somewhere on what is called baffling the filter this makes it so the outflow is very low. A lot of people use sponges to do this.
There's a sticky in the habitat section that shows how you can baffle a filter, so the current becomes comfortable for the betta. Bettas don't really like current. In fact, I ended up removing all my filters and just do a lot of water changes because they would clamp up and sit in a corner lol! But if you baffle it, it should be fine. Those plants and the Buddha sound good! Can't wait to see the setup. :D
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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