Betta Questions

[Abigail]

Thank you! I thought he deserved a fancy name so I searched "fancy names" and it came up with Fabian, which means 'bean grower' or something. So I decided to put Sir in the front.
There are two pictures in my introduction from like a week ago. I'm putting together a short video of him, too.

 

[New]

Cant wait to see

 

[Cleggat]

I love your little betta, almost as much as mine heh. Nice red on him. Another reason why you shouldn't add water that's too much of a temperature change is because the glass can crack.. But I doubt you are silly enough to put that much a of a temperature change of water into your tank. I feed my betta bloodworms, but he'll eat till he bursts so I have to watch because he likes to steal the other fish's food. I also give him a bit of a pea now and then to help clean him out with the shell taken off because he can't digest it properly (frozen garden peas which are defrosted, canned ones can have harmful preservatives). Mine didn't accept peas at first but after a while he liked them.

 

[librarygirl]

Thank you both!
My tank is a tiny 1.5 gallons. I was a little unsure about it, but it's turned out to be working great.
Does the conditioner need to sit in the water for a period of time before I dump it in? I know on the bottle it says to add a little bit every week. I've done that once straight into the tank, but after thinking about it I was unsure if I should have done that or not.
And by rinse, you mean? Like swish it around it the water a bit?

Hi! I did't read all the replies so forgive me if this already has been asked:

How long has this tank been set up? Did you cycle it before you added the Beta? I'm concerned b/c it sounds like the tank is very new and it might not be cycled, in which case you're going to have to do a lot of monitoring.

Also 1.5 gallons is very small for a betta, he should have at least 5 gallons.

Do you have a liquid test kit, like the API kit? If not, get one ASAP. You'll need to test the water for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia every day. If the levels of ammonia or nitrite get over 0.25, you need to do a water change to get it under that level. This article might help: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

And I agree not to replace your filter media! Just swish it around in the old tank water every couple of weeks or so when you do a water change.

Good luck!

 

[siva]

Hello,
I've had Sir Fabian for about a week now. He is so happy in his little tank! He swims around and re-explores his tank all the time. I'm no expert, but he looks real healthy to me.

I had a few questions.
I really don't want to kill him, but I would like to replace the water. I'm nervous about doing this, and I'm wondering if there's anyway to gradually replace it, like take a cup out and pour fresh water of the same temperature in, and then add a bit of conditioner when that's finished.

Mind you, I am close to clueless.

I just don't want to make him unhappy, because he looks so darn happy in his tank right now!

Also, the filter, it came with two disposable filter cartridges, one of which is in use right now. How often should I replace them?

Another question...my betta seems very occupied with a certain corner of the front of the tank. There are journals leaning against the tank, but that's all that is there. I saw him for the first time get all big and puffed up and aggressive (kind of like if he saw another betta or his reflection) and I don't know why. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Howdy..this thread got a little long but I wanted to throw a few pointers out there that may or may not have already been covered.

Did you cycle the new tank? If you don't know about cycling, here are some helpful links:
The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

IMO bettas should be kept in a minimum of a 5 gal tank heated to 80F. Add the heater, let it sit in the water for 30 mins, then plug it in. You'll need one with an adjustable knob and not a preset temp in order to heat to 80. Leave the knob on it's manufacturer setting for about 24 hours and then start bumping it one degree every 24 hours until you hit your desired temp....all the while keeping eye on a thermometer. Without a heater the tank will most likely experience temp swings which can easily cause illness such as velvet with bettas.

A betta in a 5 gal tank will be fine with a weekly partial water change of about 30%. Draw out the old water while cleaning the substrate with a gravel vacuum (do not gravel vac thoroughly until your tank is completely cycled). Dose the new water with dechlorinator, and then add to the tank. You do not have to wait after adding the dechlor. Always temp match the water you are adding to the tank to the tank water. Never add water warmer or cooler than the tank water or this can cause shock.

You want to leave your filter cart. in until it's completely falling apart. Don't even rinse it unless it looks cruddy..at which time just shake the crud off in a bucket of tank water during your pwc (partial water change). When it does come time to change the filter, keep atleast some of that old filter in there. If it's on a plastic frame and you can't fit them both into the filter, cut the fiber part off of the old filter and shove that in with the new one. This will help quickly seed the new filter with your beneficial bacteria.

I would remove those journals since they seem to be making the betta catch his relflection. I have had to remove tank backrounds and things around the tank before for this very reason. Many males if they can see their reflection they exhaust themselves flaring at it.

I recommend a diet of Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets or NLS pellets 3-4 days a week, a thawed frozen food such as bloodworms, mysis shrimp, and/or brine shrimp 2-3 days a week, and a few peices of shelled blanched pea 1 day a week. Bettas are very prone to constipation, bloating, and swim bladder disease. Avoiding freeze dried foods and pellets that are too large is the best idea. Also avoid feeding too much protein..worms/shrimp 2-3 times a week is plenty..more than enough protein can cause swim bladder disease. One day a week feed only a few pellet sized peices of the blanched pea, or if that isn't possible, fast one day a week. This will also help avoid the constipation issues they are so prone to.

 

[Abigail]

Woah...thanks.
I wasn't aware it would be this costly. I will do the best I can to provide him with what he needs, though!
(I don't think the tank is glass...)
Thank you so much for all of that information. It was very helpful. And no, I have NO idea what cycling is.

 

[New]

Woah...thanks.
I wasn't aware it would be this costly. I will do the best I can to provide him with what he needs, though!
(I don't think the tank is glass...)
Thank you so much for all of that information. It was very helpful. And no, I have NO idea what cycling is.

u'll get it

 

[siva]

Woah...thanks.
I wasn't aware it would be this costly. I will do the best I can to provide him with what he needs, though!
(I don't think the tank is glass...)
Thank you so much for all of that information. It was very helpful. And no, I have NO idea what cycling is.

Well then cycling is probably the most important thing for you to focus on right now as it is what has the bettas life in jeopardy in the near future, if not already. Read through the links provided and ask any questions you may have if you still do not understand what cycling is. A freshwater master test kit is the first investment you should make..no aquarium can be properly set up/maintained without one.

This isn't spendy, by my standards of fish keeping anyway The master test kit is alot...you can order one on amazon for about $25...but when keeping one or two aquariums this is going to last a loooong time. A good adjustable heater will likely run you $20-25. A pack of quality pellets and pack of frozen bloodworms will also last a looooong time for one betta. And a bag of frozen peas..well cheap of course.

 

[MyameeGirl]

In all the bettas I've owned, I've used bloodworms. I have seen pellets at the store in different sizes. Exactly what size should I use if I were to buy some? The smallest are practically dust.

Hi Abigail, you sound like you're trying to do everything right for your betta, so good job on that!

I just recently got a betta myself and had many of the same questions you do.

I would first like to say that a larger tank would be ideal for the betta. Anything over a 5 gallon is perfect. They LOVE live plants, so if you have that, great, if not, you should get some. Plastic is terrible for them and silk, I have learned from exerience, just frays. I notice that you haven't read up on the Nitrogen Cycle (Cycling the tank). This is very important for the health of your fish, so you should definitley find out about that and ask questions when you have them. THAT is the best start you can give to your fish.

As for the heater, definitely have a heater. I live in Florida, I keep my tank at 79 to 80 degrees, and in order to do that I use a heater. Otherwise there is too much fluctuation for the little guy in temperature.

Now, as for the food...
I did exhaustive research on this subject because when I first got Gandalf he would only eat frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp. They are carnivores, but they still need a bit more variety. I was told that the bloodworms, if given too much, can actually cause constipation with the betta if that's all he eats. After much advice and lots of research, I have since started feeding pellets and pellets soaked in garlic juice. My betta loves them. (the garlic also helps with the prevention of some diseases and parisites) The pellets are too big, so after soaking them in water/garlic juice I cut each individual pellet into 4. Yes, 4!!! LOL They are tiny, but Gandalf couldn't eat them without doing that. So if you find that your betta doesn't seem to be eating pellets, that could be the reason as well. They have micro sized pellets as well as regular sized. **You should ALWAYS presoak the pellets in a containter with some tank water because they do expand and you don't want them doing this in the betta's tummy. Personally, the micro ones are too tiny IMO, so I go with the regular sized ones, but as I said, I have to cut them. I don't mind though... anything for my betta!
I was also advised to pick one day a week to give my betta a blanched frozen (not canned) shelled pea. They love it and it helps their digestive system. I take a couple frozen peas, put them in a cup of water, microwave it for 2-3 minutes. After running it under cool water, pop the shell off and squish up the inside of the pea. Feed him the pea a little bit at a time. I wouldn't give him both peas, but since one is sometimes a dud, I like to have the second pea handy. (Plus my Snail loves them too). Anything that's left over/not eaten, a CLEAN (never used) turkey baster is awesome at picking them out of the gravel and small crevices so they don't rot and disrupt the water.

Anyway, I just wanted to share what I have learned about the betta diet and environment. I know a lot of this is repetitive, but hey, you can never get too much info!

Good Luck with your betta! Can't wait to see some pics!
My guy is in the link in my signature!