fairly new to bettas

[Mumma.of.two]

i was just wondering about water conditions for them and ive also heard about adding a calcium supplement to their water?

They do better in hard water because it helps them form their shells. If you have soft water it doesn't matter. You can keep some sea shells or a piece of cuttlebone in the tank for calcium.

 

[dancersmama79]

do u have to ready the water like u do for bettas? just add the calcium supply? what kind of seashells and where do u get cuttlebone?? can u keep them with bettas or other fish? do they need a filtered tank?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

do u have to ready the water like u do for bettas? just add the calcium supply? what kind of seashells and where do u get cuttlebone?? can u keep them with bettas or other fish? do they need a filtered tank?

Yes. Treat them the same as fish. Cycled tanks with filters, water changes, etc. Any shell. Some use old aquatic snail shells or just normal sea shells from the beach (after they have been cleaned). I bought cuttlebone from the supermarket in the pet section. It's in the bird food section, used for parakeets. Yes you can keep them with fish. Some fish will pick at them. I had a Betta that picked one to death and another that ignores them. I have them in 3 of my tanks including gouramis, Betta, kuhli loaches, tetras, bristlenoses red tail shark, guppies and my goldfish tank.

 

[dancersmama79]

would my 5 gal tank be big enough for a snail and dancer ?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

would my 5 gal tank be big enough for a snail and dancer ?

Yes. You would have to supplement the snails diet because the tank won't create enough food for it (algae). Mine enjoy beans, peas, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, decaying plant matter, some eat live plants too (much to my displeasure!) and basically anything else you feed your fish.

 

[dancersmama79]

what kind of live plants would be good to plant for both of them?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

what kind of live plants would be good to plant for both of them?

Any plants. What plants you can keep will depend on your lighting. Most kits come with very low lighting which is only suitable for plants like java fern, moss and anubias. Very hardy low light plants.

 

[dancersmama79]

the one i have is a 15 watt incandescent

 

[Mumma.of.two]

the one i have is a 15 watt incandescent

You'll have to replace it with a cfl bulb. Incandescents suck for growing plants. Aim for a cfl labeled 'daylight' or 5000-6700K. That's the lights spectrum and it closely matches the sun.

 

[dancersmama79]

okie thanks. i think thats enough questions for now lol.... i am gonna wait until i have this tank fully cycled and i get the water test kit before getting snails or shrimp but id rather know what im getting into before hand than go into it blindly... thank you for all the help

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Your welcome any time.

 

[dancersmama79]

Is it normal for bettas to flare their gills alot??? dancer has been doing that the last little bit... before he only did it when he saw his reflection or when i was playing with him... now that hes got room to show off maybe thats what hes doing lol he reminds me of one of those dragon lizards in the desert that run with that fan like thing that flares up around their head lol hes as active as he always has been maybe more so swimming all around from top to bottom and sometimes he swims on the bottom scoping out the gravel and all the room he has... me and my 3 yr old are enjoying this tank as much as he is lol the view is so much better from evry angle

 

[dancersmama79]

today dancer has been hiding alot and ive had the light on in his tank so i turned it off to see if maybe its too bright for him but hes still going behind the filter and wriggling himself between the glass and the filter... very tight space... then he will stay there just under the surface of the water for a few minutes then he will swim down and stay under the filter for a few minutes then back up.... he wouldnt eat this morning either... i figure hes just getting used to his new tank??hes still surfacing to breathe and swims around some but mostly stays behind the filter and hides right now...

 

[Andy Sager]

not eating

today dancer has been hiding alot and ive had the light on in his tank so i turned it off to see if maybe its too bright for him but hes still going behind the filter and wriggling himself between the glass and the filter... very tight space... then he will stay there just under the surface of the water for a few minutes then he will swim down and stay under the filter for a few minutes then back up.... he wouldnt eat this morning either... i figure hes just getting used to his new tank??hes still surfacing to breathe and swims around some but mostly stays behind the filter and hides right now...

It's never a good sign when a fish doesn't eat. In reading back over the posts, he's been through a lot of changes and may be coming down with something. STABILITY is the key to fish keeping. Temperature
fluctuations and too much handling and change can stress fish out big time. Keep your eyes open fior parasitic infestations (Ick) or bacterial diseases (clamped fins/ fin & tail rot) and treat accordingly.

 

[Sisserydoo]

It's never a good sign when a fish doesn't eat. In reading back over the posts, he's been through a lot of changes and may be coming down with something. STABILITY is the key to fish keeping. Temperature
fluctuations and too much handling and change can stress fish out big time. Keep your eyes open fior parasitic infestations (Ick) or bacterial diseases (clamped fins/ fin & tail rot) and treat accordingly.

I agree, not eating is weird. Have you tried dropping the food right in front of his face?

 

[dancersmama79]

i drop it right in front of him and most of the time he goes right for it... i tried feeding him again a little while ago and he finally ate... hes swimming around in his tank not staying behind his filter as much... i did a 50% water change about 10am... hes not wanting the bloodworms like normal just the pellets... but at least hes eating... i usually feed him once a day sometimes twice hes not showing any signs of fin rot or sickness and since i dont have a test kit to monitor his water im just having to do water changes to be on the safe side... ill be getting a test kit in a couple weeks when i get some money...at least now hes interacting with me and my daughter.... maybe hes not used to all the space from going from a 1 gal to a 5 gal and a noisy filter that creates a current unlike his other one... i may have to buy a tetra whisper like i had in his other tank... hes not clamping his fins or acting "sick"

 

[Mumma.of.two]

It sounds like he's just adjusting to the change. As everyone else said, keep an eye on him for signs of stress/sickness. If you think he is hiding from the filter flow you can put a piece of sponge under the outtake to diffuse the current.

 

[dancersmama79]

theres plenty of room for him to swim around the current its just more than the other one he had and its noisier and makes bubbles at the top of the water....the other one made no current at all and no bubbles it was so gentle... but it wasnt circulating as much water either .... when he is behind the filter he comes right out and to where my daughter is when he sees her

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I have noticed with my Bettas they like to have a cave or something to hide and rest in. He might be feeling a bit exposed in the larger tank.

 

[dancersmama79]

i put his plants and his cup he liked to hide in from his other tank in this one....