New to this Betta thing... help! :)

[Kyleighs Mommy]

Okay so I am a proud new owner of a Betta and I'm kinda falling for the obsession that I see lots of you have. I have a few questions and please don't be too hard on me because I am new to this.

1) My betta is in a 1.5 gallon :( I didn't know the tank should be bigger... darn PetSmart people. Dory (our betta) seems very happy and out going in his tank and has lots of bubble nests at the top! (That means he is happy right?)

2) I didn't know Bettas needed a heater! Again darn PetSmart! I'm glad I researched this stuff! I am planning on going out and getting a heater tomorrow! Any advice on these since its hard to regulate a heater in a smaller tank??

3) Question about my Bettas coloring. When I bought him he was almost all blue with a little few little dark spots on his face. He is now changing colors from blue to like a silver color and his face seems to be getting darker. Is this normal? I just want to make sure nothing is wrong... he seems happy and is very outgoing. I am just worried about the coloring.

4) The guy at PetSmart told me they try to feed the Bettas 3 times a week... and he said if I do it every day to only do it once and just like 4-5 little pieces. Is the correct way to feed? The container to the food says... feed several times daily in small amounts that will be consumed by fish within 3 minutes?? This had me a little confused.

[lexylex0526]

Hi There and welcome:)
Well first of all to adress the tank issue its hard to say how much room a betta will need. It really depends on how big the fish is. I would recommend 1.5 gal for a very small betta but if its larger you should probably get around a 5 gal. A heater is actually very important because bettas like the temp to be around 72-82F degrees. So it is probably very smart that you are buying one. Your betta's coloring concern seems pretty normal a lot of bettas change colors so its nothing to worry about. You should worry if its an extremly drastic change like a dark blue almost white, but silver is normal. I feed my bettas everyother day, I feed them three little pellets and after about 4 mins i remove the food they dont eat.. I'm attaching a picture of the brand of food i use, i highly recomend it. If you have any more questions please ask:)

[Kyleighs Mommy]

Thank you for responding! I will get to the pet store and buy some other things I need tomorrow such as a heater and more little plants since I've heard they like those! My Betta is not very big and seems to be doing just fine in our 1.5 gallon tank. I have fed my little guy about 5 little pellets once a day.. is that too much? I am also using the same brand of food you are! :)

[thekoimaiden]

Welcome to the hobby and the forum. Yes most of us find it VERY hard to stop at one. I've got 4.

Now onto tank sizes. You can keep bettas in almost anything above 1 gal, but some people recommend more. It depends on how often you want to change the water. Smaller tanks will require more water changes. I like to keep my boys in 10 gals with plants so my water changes are greatly reduced. There was a thread around here where someone detailed the costs and benefits of each tank size. Maybe someone else will be able to find it as I'm drawing a blank on its location.

Heating is another benefit of a larger tank. Smaller tanks change water temp rather fast. If you plan to buy a larger tank, get a heater for that size instead of your current one. For right now, try to keep the tank in the warmest area of your house.

Bettas often change color when we bring them home. At the store they are in constant view of other males which makes them stressed. They are also picked up and prodded by many customers. Not a happy experience. Putting them in a happier environment makes them happier and their colors become less washed out.

Bettas should be fed regularly. Different people have different feeding schedules. I like to feed my guys twice daily, 2 pellets at a time. Some feed more and/or more often. Just remember, bettas don't have large stomachs. I've heard said it's about the size of their eyeball. Overfeeding is something you really want to be careful of. It can cause major problems. If you want to get a treat for your bettas you can get freeze-dried bloodworms. They make a nice weekly treat.

Hope I was able to help. You'll find many lovely members here ready to help you with all kinds of problems. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question.

[Kyleighs Mommy]

Thank you so much for the advice! As soon as I figure out on how to be a good Betta Mom then I think I will probably want more! lol... but for now our one little Dory is fine. Can you buy the freeze dried bloodworms at any pet store? and you just do them once a week?

Here is my Betta... does his coloring look normal??

[Kyleighs Mommy]

Sorry the pictures were so big...

[lexylex0526]

Five pellets may be to much, I would only give your betta around 3 or 4 so he doesnt become bloated or anything. His coloring seems normal to me but I'm not an "expert" or anything. BTW your fish is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!

[thekoimaiden]

Oooh! He has pretty blue color! He looks very healthy. Lol. If you want to see him perform, put a mirror in front of him. He'll flare his gills in the typical betta fashion and show off his fins. Just make sure you take it away after about 5 minutes. It is normal for bettas to have a darker head than the rest of their body.

Freeze-dried bloodworms can be found most places. I know Petsmart carries them. I like the Omega One brand. Other people like the Hikari brand. If you're feeling very adventurous you could buy frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, but it's not for the squeamish.

[Kyleighs Mommy]

Yay I'm glad to hear he looks healthy! I think I will adventure out tomorrow and get him some treats! Thanks again!

[lexylex0526]

He looks like a very healthy and extremly happy betta:) your a good betta parent so far! And again welcome to the site:)