First off, congratulations! Your fishy is so pretty, and he is very lucky to have a mommy who cares so much. Some people would stubbornly refuse to change anything, so for you to doing so much for him is really very special. You should be very proud of yourself!
My tank is quite a lot smaller than yours (about 3.5 gallons), so I can't help you with everything, but I will try, and hope someone else can correct me if I get it wrong!
-Tank: you get whatever you want to and can afford! As long as it is big enough (2.5 gallons minimum), you are good to go. Actually, I have seen this on the PetSmart website, which could be just what you are looking for, and at a great price!
-Substrate: Neutral colours is definitely a good idea. However, I would not recommend sand. I have seen a few posts on the forum about fish eating sand substrates, and it has wreaked all kinds of havoc on their intestines. Gravel would be a much better substrate. There are several neutral gravel options on the PetSmart website, any of which look good to me.
-Heater: I suggest getting a heater that is adjustable. There are 2 reasons for this. 1) The heater you linked to says that it will keep the tank about 5 - 10 degrees warmer than room temp. But if your room temp varies, so will the water temp. Not so great for fishy... An adjustable heater allows you to set the temp, so there are fewer fluctuations. Much better for fishy :grin2: 2) If your fish is ill, you might want to up the temp to assist with treatment. With an adjustable heater, you can do that too. Even better for fishy! 0
This is the one I use, and I love it. It is slightly more expensive than the one you picked out, but I am putting it here for reference.
-Filter: Yup, looks good. Even though people say the flow is good, I would say that with any filter you want to keep an eye on it, and be prepared to baffle both intake and outflow if necessary. Some bettas are fine with a slightly stronger flow, while some (especially long finned types like your beauty) absolutely hate it.
-Thermometer: Again, a great idea. That way you can keep an eye on your tank temp to make sure it isn't going for a wander! Also, really handy at water changes for getting the new water to tank temp.
-Leaf hammock: Great idea! I don't have one, maybe I should...
-Turkey baster: I really would recommend a siphon. It doesn't have to be fancy, a cheap little manual one like this works fine, and I think would save you a lot of time an effort.
-Bucket: Absolutely! Make sure that you rinse it thoroughly with hot water (no chemicals!) before using it for the fist time. Also, only use it for your fish, don't put anything else in there. But I am sure you knew that :smile2:
-Decorations: You have got a good idea of what you are looking for here. You will struggle to get anything that is too big. Bettas love nice full tanks with lots of places to rest and hide. When you are looking at plants, make sure to get some with nice big leaves at various levels for him to rest on!
-Water conditioner: Great choice!
-Divider: This is beyond my knowledge, but I am sure I have seen at least one thread on the forum discussing the sort of things you want to know. Have a dig around, I am sure you will find it.
-Varieties of food: Again, good thinking! Humans could survive on just potatoes, but that would be very boring. Changing up food not only makes feeding time more interesting, it can also help with his digestive system. Score! New Life Spectrum betta pellets are the best pellet food out there, so with Christmas coming up, I am definitely going to be dropping some hints Bloodworm makes for a great treat. If you don't want live food (I can't stomach it myself ) get frozen, not freeze dried. Bloodworm is like sweeties to a betta. They love it, but it is rather fatty, so should be kept as an occasional treat. Other food like Daphnia and brine shrimp are also great for bettas, especially good for keeping the digestive tract in good working order!
As I mentioned, divided tanks are beyond my knowledge, so I hope someone else can come along to help you with that.
Regarding question 5, I would say look for a fish that is active, and reacts to you. If a fish is floating at the top, or sitting at the bottom, and hardly moves even when you pick it up, the fish is probably not happy. It could be as simple as it is fed up, or needs a water change, but it could also be a lot more serious. A healthy betta should be nice an brightly coloured, with open fins. Pet store fish may often have bitten fins, but could also have fin rot. Take a look at the sticky to learn the difference. Mild fin rot isn't serious, and should clear up when you get the fish into nice clean water. If a fish has growths, or anything that looks like it could be a parasite or infection, stay away! As you said, these fish need extra special care, and are probably not a good idea for a novice keeper.
For question 6, I would definitely keep your little tank. If you move house, it would be great to put the fish in for moving. Likewise if you do a big tank clean, you could pop him in there. I imagine it would also be great for doing medicated baths if he ever gets ill. Lots of reasons to keep it!
Phew, that was a lot of typing. I hope I have covered everything I can help with, but please do say if I haven't, or you have any other questions.
Finally, keep up the good work. You are definitely going above and beyond the call of duty for your little boy, and both he and you should thrive from it! :yourock:
My tank is quite a lot smaller than yours (about 3.5 gallons), so I can't help you with everything, but I will try, and hope someone else can correct me if I get it wrong!
-Tank: you get whatever you want to and can afford! As long as it is big enough (2.5 gallons minimum), you are good to go. Actually, I have seen this on the PetSmart website, which could be just what you are looking for, and at a great price!
-Substrate: Neutral colours is definitely a good idea. However, I would not recommend sand. I have seen a few posts on the forum about fish eating sand substrates, and it has wreaked all kinds of havoc on their intestines. Gravel would be a much better substrate. There are several neutral gravel options on the PetSmart website, any of which look good to me.
-Heater: I suggest getting a heater that is adjustable. There are 2 reasons for this. 1) The heater you linked to says that it will keep the tank about 5 - 10 degrees warmer than room temp. But if your room temp varies, so will the water temp. Not so great for fishy... An adjustable heater allows you to set the temp, so there are fewer fluctuations. Much better for fishy :grin2: 2) If your fish is ill, you might want to up the temp to assist with treatment. With an adjustable heater, you can do that too. Even better for fishy! 0
This is the one I use, and I love it. It is slightly more expensive than the one you picked out, but I am putting it here for reference.-Filter: Yup, looks good. Even though people say the flow is good, I would say that with any filter you want to keep an eye on it, and be prepared to baffle both intake and outflow if necessary. Some bettas are fine with a slightly stronger flow, while some (especially long finned types like your beauty) absolutely hate it.
-Thermometer: Again, a great idea. That way you can keep an eye on your tank temp to make sure it isn't going for a wander! Also, really handy at water changes for getting the new water to tank temp.
-Leaf hammock: Great idea! I don't have one, maybe I should...
-Turkey baster: I really would recommend a siphon. It doesn't have to be fancy, a cheap little manual one like this works fine, and I think would save you a lot of time an effort.
-Bucket: Absolutely! Make sure that you rinse it thoroughly with hot water (no chemicals!) before using it for the fist time. Also, only use it for your fish, don't put anything else in there. But I am sure you knew that :smile2:
-Decorations: You have got a good idea of what you are looking for here. You will struggle to get anything that is too big. Bettas love nice full tanks with lots of places to rest and hide. When you are looking at plants, make sure to get some with nice big leaves at various levels for him to rest on!
-Water conditioner: Great choice!
-Divider: This is beyond my knowledge, but I am sure I have seen at least one thread on the forum discussing the sort of things you want to know. Have a dig around, I am sure you will find it.
-Varieties of food: Again, good thinking! Humans could survive on just potatoes, but that would be very boring. Changing up food not only makes feeding time more interesting, it can also help with his digestive system. Score! New Life Spectrum betta pellets are the best pellet food out there, so with Christmas coming up, I am definitely going to be dropping some hints
Bloodworm makes for a great treat. If you don't want live food (I can't stomach it myself ) get frozen, not freeze dried. Bloodworm is like sweeties to a betta. They love it, but it is rather fatty, so should be kept as an occasional treat. Other food like Daphnia and brine shrimp are also great for bettas, especially good for keeping the digestive tract in good working order!As I mentioned, divided tanks are beyond my knowledge, so I hope someone else can come along to help you with that.
Regarding question 5, I would say look for a fish that is active, and reacts to you. If a fish is floating at the top, or sitting at the bottom, and hardly moves even when you pick it up, the fish is probably not happy. It could be as simple as it is fed up, or needs a water change, but it could also be a lot more serious. A healthy betta should be nice an brightly coloured, with open fins. Pet store fish may often have bitten fins, but could also have fin rot. Take a look at the sticky to learn the difference. Mild fin rot isn't serious, and should clear up when you get the fish into nice clean water. If a fish has growths, or anything that looks like it could be a parasite or infection, stay away! As you said, these fish need extra special care, and are probably not a good idea for a novice keeper.
For question 6, I would definitely keep your little tank. If you move house, it would be great to put the fish in for moving. Likewise if you do a big tank clean, you could pop him in there. I imagine it would also be great for doing medicated baths if he ever gets ill. Lots of reasons to keep it!
Phew, that was a lot of typing. I hope I have covered everything I can help with, but please do say if I haven't, or you have any other questions.
Finally, keep up the good work. You are definitely going above and beyond the call of duty for your little boy, and both he and you should thrive from it! :yourock:
