[Mother Of Fish]

As listed above I'm wondering if my bettas are thriving and having an ideal life?

Legoless male red vieltail.

Tank size: 3 gallons. (He was in a 2.5 but was really active and likes the extra half gallon.)

Filter: Wisper filter.

Filter cartridges: Xs whisper filter cartridges.

Heater: tetra 2-10 gallon aquarium heater

Thermometer: Aquaculture glass thermometer.

Constant Water Temp: 79° Fahrenheit.

Activity level: Medium.

Temperament: Aggressive.

Decorations: Nothing now. He is getting guppy grass and Amazon sword next week or so.

Hides: A coconut hide.

Substrate: My last tank with gravel. I will be switching to sand next week.

Diet: Tetra freeze dried river shrimp, Tetra freeze dried blood worms, live baby or mealworms guts, Fluvle bug bites, Aquaculture freeze dried crickets, and Northfin krill pro.

Feeding schedule:

Monday: 3 Fluvle bug bites.

Tuesday: A tiny sprinkle of crushed Aquaculture freeze dried crickets.

Wednesday: Fast.

Thursday: A tiny sprinkle of Tetra freeze dried river shrimp.

Friday: 4 Northfin krill pro pellets.

Saturday: 2 or 3 Tetra freeze dried blood worms.

Sunday: 2 baby mealworms or 1 adult mealworm gut.

Lighting: LED.

Tank buddies: Nothing.

Testing schedule: I test for everything nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ect. once a week.

Water change schedule: 25% 1-2 times a week. (I test my water to see if I need to change it twice)


Strider male red vieltail.

Tank size: 2.5 gallons.

Tank buddies: None.

Filter: I dono what kind. He is in a divided 10 gallon.. The filter was my parents.

Filter cartridges: I believe tetra power filter.

Heater: tetra 2-10 gallon aquarium heater.

Thermometer: Aquaculture glass thermometer.

Constant Water Temp: 79° Fahrenheit.

Activity level: Pretty mild.

Temperament: A bit aggressive.

Decoration: A rock, couple of glow in the dark pebbles, and a couple of small green plants.

Hides: A coconut hide.

Substrate: Sand.

Diet: Tetra freeze dried river shrimp, Tetra freeze dried blood worms, live baby or mealworms guts, Fluvle bug bites, Aquaculture freeze dried crickets, and Northfin krill pro.

Feeding schedule:

Monday: 3 Fluvle bug bites.

Tuesday: A tiny sprinkle of crushed Aquaculture freeze dried crickets.

Wednesday: Fast.

Thursday: A tiny sprinkle of Tetra freeze dried river shrimp.

Friday: 4 Northfin krill pro pellets.

Saturday: 2 or 3 Tetra freeze dried blood worms.

Sunday: 2 baby mealworms or 1 adult mealworm gut.

Lighting: LED.

Testing schedule: I test for everything nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ect. once a week.

Water change schedule: 25% 1-2 times a week. (I test my water to see if I need to change it twice)


Smauge: 3 colored crowntail.

Tank size: 2.5 gallons.

Filter: I do not know what kind. It was my parents old filter.

Filter cartridges: I believe tetra filter cartrages.. large?

Heater: tetra 2-10 gallon aquarium heater

Thermometer: Aquaculture glass thermometer.

Constant Water Temp: 79° Fahrenheit.

Activity level: Mild.

Temperament: Mild.

Decoration: Large plant.

Hides: A coconut hide.

Substrate: Sand

Diet: Tetra freeze dried river shrimp, Tetra freeze dried blood worms, live baby or mealworms guts, Fluvle bug bites, Aquaculture freeze dried crickets, and Northfin krill pro.

Feeding schedule:

Monday: 3 Fluvle bug bites.

Tuesday: A tiny sprinkle of crushed Aquaculture freeze dried crickets.

Wednesday: Fast.

Thursday: A tiny sprinkle of Tetra freeze dried river shrimp.

Friday: 4 Northfin krill pro pellets.

Saturday: 2 or 3 Tetra freeze dried blood worms.

Sunday: 2 baby mealworms or 1 adult mealworm gut.

Lighting: LED.

Testing schedule: I test for everything nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ect. once a week.

Water change schedule: 25% 1-2 times a week. (I test my water to see if I need to change it twice)


Cookies female wild betta.

Tank size: 30 gallon community sorority.

Filter: Whisper filter.

Filter cartridges: Whisper filter cartridges.

Heater: tetra 20-40 gallon aquarium heater

Thermometer: Aquaculture glass thermometer.

Constant Water Temp: 79° Fahrenheit.

Activity level: High.

Temperament: Very mild.

Decorations: No fishing no kidding sighn, 3 fake plants, peace plant leaves and stems out of water. (I will be going live planted next month or sooner.)

Hides: 6 coconut hides, corner glass cave hide, glass house hide.

Substrate: Sand

Tank buddies: 6 Bronz Cory cats, 2 fiddler crabs, a female betta- 2 more soon, and a couple of livebearers.

Diet: Tetra freeze dried river shrimp, Tetra freeze dried blood worms, live baby or mealworms guts, Fluvle bug bites, Aquaculture freeze dried crickets, and Northfin krill pro.

Feeding schedule:

Monday: 3 Fluvle bug bites.

Tuesday: A tiny sprinkle of crushed Aquaculture freeze dried crickets.

Wednesday: Fast.

Thursday: A tiny sprinkle of Tetra freeze dried river shrimp.

Friday: 4 Northfin krill pro pellets.

Saturday: 2 or 3 Tetra freeze dried blood worms.

Sunday: 2 baby mealworms or 1 adult mealworm gut.

Lighting: LED.

Testing schedule: I test for everything nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ect. once a week.

Water change schedule: 25% 1-2 times a week. (I test my water to see if I need to change it twice)

Lady wild female betta.

Tank size: 30 gallons.

Filter: Wisper filter.

Filter cartridges: Whisper filter cartridges.

Heater: tetra 20-40 gallon aquarium heater.

Thermometer: Aquaculture glass thermometer.

Constant Water Temp: 79° Fahrenheit.

Activity level: High.

Temperament: Super mild.

Decoration: A peace plant, a couple of plastic plabts, and a no fishing no kidding sighn.

Hides: 6 coconut hides, a glass rock corner hide, and a glass house hide.

Substrate: Sand.

Diet: Tetra freeze dried river shrimp, Tetra freeze dried blood worms, live baby or mealworms guts, Fluvle bug bites, Aquaculture freeze dried crickets, and Northfin krill pro.

Feeding schedule:

Monday: 3 Fluvle bug bites.

Tuesday: A tiny sprinkle of crushed Aquaculture freeze dried crickets.

Wednesday: Fast.

Thursday: A tiny sprinkle of Tetra freeze dried river shrimp.

Friday: 4 Northfin krill pro pellets.

Saturday: 2 or 3 Tetra freeze dried blood worms.

Sunday: 2 baby mealworms or 1 adult mealworm gut.

Lighting: LED.

Testing schedule: I test for everything nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ect. once a week.

Water change schedule: 25% 1-2 times a week. (I test my water to see if I need to change it twice)

 

[Mbpoppy]

Hi!
You aren't feeding them enough. They need to be fed twice a day, with a quantity for each feeding that gives them more, for example I feed my betta what they want to eat within approximately 60 seconds twice a day and then I remove any uneaten food with a clean turkey baster.

Also, I'm of the opinion that you'll want to have your plant lights on a timer so that they're shut off at night.

100% water changes are no longer recommended, but otherwise this may provide some information regarding water change schedules. Seachem Prime is a good water conditioner/dechlorinator, which is used at 2 drops per gallon.

Oldfishlady water change recommendations

Lots of different ways to successfully keep this species- Based on the experiments I have conducted over the years-I have found that water quality can be maintained by these water change schedules. This is based on feeding quality foods and not overfeeding-since most water quality...

www.bettafish.com

 

[Hania41806]

Seems like you're doing a pretty great job. 2.5 and 3 gallon aquariums are a bit cramped for adult betta permanent homes, but its a lot better than most bettas get so good job. As Mbpoppy said, you could also feed them a little more.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

It's the footprint (L x W) that's important and why species studies do not use gallons.

I have not found my adult Betta to be cramped in 2.5 tanks (12" L). In fact, one day it occurred to me the Betta I've had that developed huge caudals did better in a 12 x 6 x 8 than in larger ones. Might have been anomalies but there sure were a lot of them.

 

[Mother Of Fish]

It's the footprint (L x W) that's important and why specific studies do not use gallons.

I have not found my adult Betta to be cramped in 2.5 tanks (12" L). In fact, one day it occurred to me the Betta I've had that developed huge caudals did better in a 12 x 6 x 8 than in larger ones. Might have been anomalies but there sure were a lot of them.

My 4 betta's have seemed to be healthy and active in there 2.5's. Strider is really aggressive and a l little bit more active then the others so he gets a 3 gallon and is away from sight of any of the fish. As for the 4 boys in 2.5's, Descy has of and on swimming issues and cannot be in a large tank, Val has swimming isues, and Smauge and Strider seem to be good with there tanks. I would definitely just upgrade all of them to 5 gallons (except for Val and Descy) My understanding was a 2.5 was the min a betta can thrive in? but I just don't have the room. Oh! I did get live plants for all of my tanks and purchased fluvle strat substrate for my 30 gallon paludarium ( It was REALLY expensive!!!) I listed it above as a community\sorority (I have converted it into a paludarium. The tank is around 60 gal I think? It was only half full cuz my floor can't handle that much weight. So I thought I'd do sumthin with the top. Anyhow now the 5 girls live in a paludarium. 30 gallons of water, sand and fluvle strat substrate, A LOT of hides (12) and 30 gallons of top space, waterfall, peace Lilly, sweat potato vine etc... The girls tank mates are 4 molies, 2 guppies, 3 platies, 2 fiddler crabs, and 6 cory cats.

 

[Mother Of Fish]

Seems like you're doing a pretty great job. 2.5 and 3 gallon aquariums are a bit cramped for adult betta permanent homes, but its a lot better than most bettas get so good job. As Mbpoppy said, you could also feed them a little more.

Can I feed them twice a day same amount as I'm feeding now both times? Ok so my understanding was that a 2.5 was the minimum a betta can thrive in?? Wow.. I guess I can learn new stuff every day lol!

 

[Mother Of Fish]

Hi!
You aren't feeding them enough. They need to be fed twice a day, with a quantity for each feeding that gives them more, for example I feed my betta what they want to eat within approximately 60 seconds twice a day and then I remove any uneaten food with a clean turkey baster.

Also, I'm of the opinion that you'll want to have your plant lights on a timer so that they're shut off at night.

100% water changes are no longer recommended, but otherwise this may provide some information regarding water change schedules. Seachem Prime is a good water conditioner/dechlorinator, which is used at 2 drops per gallon.

Oldfishlady water change recommendations

Lots of different ways to successfully keep this species- Based on the experiments I have conducted over the years-I have found that water quality can be maintained by these water change schedules. This is based on feeding quality foods and not overfeeding-since most water quality...

www.bettafish.com

Ok! I'll get a timer. That will make it easier lol! I just turn them on at 9am and off at 9pm so they get 12 hours of light. Ok. Can I feed what I'm feeding them now twice a day then?

 

[Mbpoppy]

Ok so my understanding was that a 2.5 was the minimum a betta can thrive in?? W

Some bettas are actually happier in this size

they get 12 hours of light.

See if they'll be ok with 8 hours - your fish don't need light at all and might like this better plus with more hours you might run the risk of algae.

Can I feed what I'm feeding them now twice a day then?

I'd give the Fluval bug bites for the daily second feeding for the betta. As an example, the freeze dried blood worms are only for treats, so you wouldn't want to feed those twice in one day since they can cause digestive issues.

 

[Mother Of Fish]

Some bettas are actually happier in this size


See if they'll be ok with 8 hours - your fish don't need light at all and might like this better plus with more hours you might run the risk of algae.


I'd give the Fluval bug bites for the daily second feeding for the betta. As an example, the freeze dried blood worms are only for treats, so you wouldn't want to feed those twice in one day since they can cause digestive issues.

Ok! Thanks. And I will switch to 8 hours

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Information on Betta can be very confusing; especially tank size and feeding.

1. Measure by footprint, not gallons. A 12" long 2.5 gallon is fine where as a taller-than-long 2.5 not so much.
2. If you count pellets or feed for a certain amount of time you can feed as many times per day as you wish as long as you do not fee too much food at one time.

If you feed as I do, once per day is enough. I realize some will have a cow, but I quite literally "throw" an undetermined number of pellets into their tanks. Throwing causes them to sink. My Betta spend hours searching the plants and substrate. They also stop and start up again a few hours later. They do not overfed as they don't eat all of the food in a very short amount of time. When I use frozen it's a similar method. Not suggesting this is for everyone. I just wanted to show no one way is the "right" way.

3. Fish need day/night cycles just as do all animals. Leaving lights on too long will disrupt this cycle and, often, create algae issues. Eight hours is good. Timers are wonderful things.

 

[Mother Of Fish]

It will be nice to save electricity as well only having the lights on for 8 hours. I will pick up a timer in town next time I go- it will be after the 11th when I go clothes shopping as I have influenza right now (Yuck😣😫😭)

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Get well!

I have multiple LED lights. So I purchased a heavy-duty power strip, plugged the lights into that and then the power strip into the timer.

 

[Mbpoppy]

influenza right now

oh, goodness - get better soon!!