[Dene]

Ahh! Just got my baby betta.
I do not know the gender or type yet, but my guess is a blue male crowntail.
His name will be Elliot. If he is in fact a she, she will be called Elle.

The Setup
2 Gallon Kritter Keeper
20 Grade Pool Filter Sand
50W Aqueon Heater
Anubias Nana

The Nourishment
Flourish Root Tab (for the Anubias)
Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets (crushed)

The Cute

The flash made him look way more blue than he looks in person, but he has a slight blue tint that is the reason I picked him.
The baby I saw and wanted the other day was still there, but my husband really wanted a blue one.
(Despite saying repeatedly that he didn't care and it was my fish. xD Men.)​

 

[Snoeflayke]

Aww, too cute!

 

[Dene]

His name is now Caeruleus, or if he's a she, Caeruleas. Cae for short. ^^;
Such a big name for a little fish!

 

[Bombalurina]

S/he's an absolute cutie! Big eyes.

May I make two suggestions?
1) I would remove some of the substrate. When it's that deep, it's harder to clean, encourages the formation of anaerobic pockets, and reduces water capacity.
2) The root tabs are no good for the anubias. It is supposed to be tied to something, rather than buried, as burying the rhizome can kill the plant. Anubias feeds from the water column, not the substrate, so nutrients in the substrate (like root tabs) won't do it any good.

Can't wait to see Cae grow up!

 

[Dene]

Thank you for the suggestions!

I actually only have that much sand in there because i was told I would need more to bury the root tab because root tabs can make your water nasty. -sigh- I have so much to learn!

Should I wait a couple of days (2) to take out some sand and the root tab? I'm a little worried about cupping Cae and doing a water change (not sure how else to easily remove the sand) since I just got him in there today. But I know babies are more sensitive to ammonia, so I should try to do it tomorrow? (It would be tomorrow afternoon, when I get home from work, since I'm about to go to bed.)

Also; Any idea why there's filmy spots on top of my water? I added dechlorinator Saturday, Stress Zyme Sunday, and have been adding Stability daily. Am I just doing too much?

 

[Bombalurina]

Do you have a test kit? That will give you a good indication of when changes should be done.

I think you are right - waiting until a water change to avoid stress is a good idea.

Those filmy spots - do they look like oil? If so, that's just a protein film. It's harmless and forms on a lot of betta tanks, especially those with little to no water movement.

If you don't have a filter, I wouldn't be bothering with the Stability or the StressZyme. Their reliability is hotly debated anyway, but their purpose is to dump beneficial bacteria into the tank. There aren't enough surfaces in your tank for them to colonise enough to make a difference anyway.

 

[Dene]

Oh my goodness. I knew I forgot something. I walked through the fish aisles like five times trying to remember what else to grab. -headdesk- I have a kit that tests for only ammonia. =/ So tomorrow I will grab a full test kit and some Prime.

Awesome, I will do it tomorrow after work. He seems to be doing okay today, but he has picked a corner of the tank and hangs out mostly there. I figure this might be a side effect of his home suddenly being huge instead of a tiny cup. xD

Yup, that sounds right.

Aha! Okay, thank you. I was wondering about that.

Any recommendations for a good betta filter for a 10 gal? I was thinking perhaps an AquaClear 20? And can I use my Aqueon 50W heater in a 10 gal? (The box says I can!) Also looking for specific plant suggestions. =3 I'm planning to get a moss ball and was thinking about dwarf hairgrass...

 

[sainthogan]

The baby I saw and wanted the other day was still there, but my husband really wanted a blue one.
(Despite saying repeatedly that he didn't care and it was my fish. xD Men.)​

That's like saying my husband saying that the next time I get a new fish, he will be helping me pick it out and its name will be Finny, but it will be my fish, not his. Meaning that I will be completely responsible for caring for his fish.:-D

 

[Dene]

I offered to also get him a fish, telling him all about how I could set up and divide the 10 gallon. But no, he has no interest in fish and doesn't want one. He just wants to pick it out and name it. xD When I have the 10 gallon set up, I'll probably get another one and refer to Cae as his fish. xP So same situation as you. ^^;

 

[Dene]

A bit worried about my little man. He has clamped fins. D; I posted on the emergency/disease board...

 

[Bombalurina]

I think Callistra has given you good advice in that thread. She's pretty handy when it comes to diseases!

If he is showing signs of stress, adding lots of decorations and/or plants will help him feel more secure. Bettas like densely vegitated areas.

 

[Dene]

That's what I'm going to do, in addition to feeding him more. If the NLS Betta Formula is better than the Omega One I'll go ahead and switch to that too. Unfortunately I can't find NLS Grow. D;

 

[Dene]

New pics! Does he look healthy? xP

 

[Bombalurina]

He looks a little bloated...I'd suggest fasting for a day to see if his tummy goes down.

 

[Dene]

Oh my. I was told on another thread that his stomach (in a previous pic) was too flat and I needed to feed him more.

I am so confused. How much should I be feeding him and how many times a day?

Right now he is getting Omega One Betta Buffet, two crushed pellets twice a day. I am thinking of switching to NLS Betta Formula because I heard it was better.

 

[Fishy Mom]

Oh my. I was told on another thread that his stomach (in a previous pic) was too flat and I needed to feed him more.

I am so confused. How much should I be feeding him and how many times a day?

Right now he is getting Omega One Betta Buffet, two crushed pellets twice a day. I am thinking of switching to NLS Betta Formula because I heard it was better.

If you just fed your baby before taking that pic that would explain the round belly & would be no reason for concern. All of the babies that I've had got a round belly after eating & looked bloated. As long as they were pooping normally I wouldn't fast them. I have a baby now that looks bloated after a meal & a few hours later looks like I never feed her, lol. You know your fish the best so when you get conflicting advice it's up to you to make the best decision for your fish.

 

[Dene]

Okay, thank you! That was maybe 20 minutes after feeding. xP I'll take some more when I get home, before I feed him.

I know nothing about normal pooping for a betta. xD Are there certain things I should be looking for?

 

[Bombalurina]

A healthy dark brown colour, no red or green or anything.

Good point on the only just feeding thing, didn't think of that.

 

[Fishy Mom]

A healthy dark brown colour, no red or green or anything.

Good point on the only just feeding thing, didn't think of that.

I'll let you slide not thinking of everything just this once, lol.

 

[Bombalurina]

Phew! Where would I be without you?