I need betta basics, help me out!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
I almsot forgot some very important questions! Like how do i acclimate the new bettas? I figure I will get 7 for my sorority. :) They will be in little cups no matter where I get them from so do i just drip my water into the cup? It doesnt seem like it would take very long to fill up, being they are so small. lol COuld I put them all into one big bucket and add all the water from all the cups and then drip over to that? How sensitive are these guys? I know I have dripped salt critters for over an hour, even two for inverts but they had alot of water in their bags.
Another question, what temp do they like best? I have a small 50w heater but being in Florida my tanks tend to stay around 78 or so, is that ok for them?
AND finally my last question (for this post anyways!), do they swim mid water at all? i know they go to the top for air but will they swim around much? The tank I want to put them in is a "tall", so will they be able to enjoy all the height or is it wasted on them?

Thanks everyone. I'm glad you all arent making me feel like a noob, I appreciate that. lol (even though I am).
 
I don't think you'll need to go all that overboard with the drip for adult bettas, for a juvie it's paramount. I could be wrong, I'd say just half the water in the sad little cup and add a bit of tank water every 5 min for a half hour. They're pretty tough fish once they get older. Nothing like dripping a fish for an hour+, peering in every 4 minutes to see they're ok;)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
I've read that a tall tank is not a good idea unless you have stuff for them to rest on. So that they don't have to swim do much to the top to get air.

I've read the same thing about gourami, and mine did fine in a tall 30. And female bettas are probably pretty mobile. If you want to use the tall tank you could put some suction cup Anubis toward the top so they can rest on it if they're tired.

I didn't acclimate my adult betta at all. I just popped him right in to his new home. Though I probably should have. I'm hesitant to mix all their water together in to the one bucket because every ones water could be in different conditions. Maybe do like brook said and poor some out and add some clean water.

Bruins water is 78 degrees.


Sent from my iPhone
 
Thanks Emily and Brook! I guess i will set up a row of the little cups and acclimate them one after the other. lol

I planned on getting quite a bit of greenery for the tank, some that reach the top of the water so I think that should be good, yes?
 
I rarely acclimate fish much at all, and have become a fairly firm believer in the "cut and drop" method for most things I buy locally unless I know it is sensitive. Never had an issue even once. For a sensitive fish, I have generally just float is and scoop in water a few times. For acclimating bettas in a cup, I pour the cup contents (including fish) into a bag around the house (ziploc or whatever) and then float it and add water like normal. There is not necessarily one right way to do it, since some things are situational. I would just do how are comfortable. Setting up the the cups like you described sounds fine. I like the floating approach so i get the temperature right. :)
As for the tank height, that gets far overplayed by some betta fans IMO. They can swim to the top of a tank just fine. There is a certain point where I would wonder if it too tall, but until like 3 feet plus with a strong filter. Even then, females are more mobile anyways. I know people who keep bettas in tank as big as 150g without an issue. I personally woudl hesitate at a tank that big, but it can work. :)
Mine has always utilized the whole tank, though I would say the majority of activity is bottom of top with less in the middle. Depends on the situation though. Just when you say a fish only swims on the bottom is when you suddenly get that one individual who proves you wrong. :p
DEFINITELY need greenery, especially for a sorority. They will fight a bit, no matter what. That doesn't mean they hurt each other, but they will have to find a heirarchy. They also like a few floating plants IME. They do indeed like anubias. I fully agree! Those big leaves are the most irresistible hammocks ever apparently.:)
ETA: Apology for smiley overload on this post, I guess bettas make me smile. lol
 
I got paid today so my journey can begin. :)

I picked up a used 35g tall tank and stand with a couple filters today for $40. Tank is in very good condition, the stand, well, slightly used and it looks it. lol

the two filters it came with are whisper 3-60g filters which i am guessing is waaay too much flow for betta's...correct? What if i slow the flow down with a barrier or something on the outflow? The one filter is brand new and wish I could get some use out of it.

ALso, now that I ended up with a larger tank, how many bettas would be appropriate for a 35g tank? Is there anything else that might go with bettas? Nothing fancy or alot but any other fish options? And one final question, for now, I now have a couple rock type shelters that came with this setup, will bettas go down that low and utilize the hidey spots in the fake log?
My next mission is to find alot of neat grasses and other greenery to make it seem more homey for my new fishies. :)
I have a whole small bottle of dr tims one and only and will be adding a few lbs of gravel from my established cichlid tank in addition to a large chunk of filter media. So I figure between the gravel and media with the dr tims it should be fish ready in just a few days. woohoo

Here is a photo of my new betta haven

 
Thanks guys. Just finished getting the old gravel out, what a pain. lol Gonna try some old english polish on the worn piece and see if it blends it in any. The light is a nightmare. Its a 24inch t8 fixture inside a 30 inch light hood outer fixture. lol verry ghetto.
i see so many possibilities with this tank, its so tall! I hope I can get some activity out of the bettas. :)
 
In a 35g, do at least 6 females, but even like 15+ could work, depending on your params. Whether or not they will get along depends on the individuals. Some are too dominant for a sorority set-up, and some are too submissive. Adding more later is sketchy (though certainly potentially do-able). If it was me, I would start with about 10 and see how it goes.
 
Last edited:
Could she add some bigger shrimp or cory cats as tank mates for some bottom activity?


Sent from my iPhone
 
Yep, what would go well with say 10 females? Any kind of algae eater that will scoot around the bottom? Or maybe just a small handful of something for mid water?

I got the gravel in and the very sparse plants I could get a hold of for now. i have been scouring amazon for plants and have a nice shopping cart full of them. :)

I also picked up a little betta lily pad and a hammock leaf type thing when i was just at petco getting the gravel. Also got some betta food and dried bloodworms since they were on sale.

Planning on getting the water in tonight. Will post a shot when its all filled up.

Thanks guys!
 
Snails should be safe! Won't bother any one. And nerites are my favorite algae eaters. But it would also be nice if you could have some little cory cats or something.


Sent from my iPhone
 
Tank has passed the water test. :)

I went to walmart and petco and only petco had any females and they didnt look so hot in petoc.....Is it normal for these stores to sell mostly males? They both had dozens of males but only like 4 females in the petco. Not one single female in my walmart either.....
 
Well the chains are all about the sell and its certain they have plenty of stat data to determine what sells as shelf space is a premium.

The males have the brightest and varied colours and fin varieties so they catch the eye and are easier to sell than the females.

Selling anything is often based on peoples first impressions.
 
carey said:
Tank has passed the water test. :)

I went to walmart and petco and only petco had any females and they didnt look so hot in petoc.....Is it normal for these stores to sell mostly males? They both had dozens of males but only like 4 females in the petco. Not one single female in my walmart either.....
Click to expand...

Depends on the place. I would just ask when they get their bettas in, and go that day. I have gotten all my females at chains, and generally have a good handful to pick from. I have a couple very decent chain branches by me though. I don't believe I have ever seen a female at Walmart, personally.

As for tankmates, you could try some cories on the bottom. People also report success with otos of a bnp. A bnp would be safer, but that is up to you. There is also the pitbull pleco if you are able to get those. They are great, and bit hardier than otos. Also, a harder "shell" than otos. Also, a couple ribberlips should also be fine, and less likely to get territorial about caves than a bnp IME.

People have mixed reviews about schooling tankmates like tetras. Many people feel they stress out the bettas too much and cause issues. Some people have had very good luck with them. I have not tried this, so I cannot give personal experience.

Be VERY careful with the dried blood worms. Make sure they are well hydrated before putting them in, and make sure one fish doesn't hog them all. Bettas are very prone to bloat as a result of their breeding.
 
Hmm lots to think about. lol If a school of small fish can be scary for them maybe I will try some smaller bottom fishies. The tank just seems sooo big lol.

I tried the two filters that came with the tank but couldnt get either one to work. I now have a walmart 5-15 filter on it. Small but it doesnt cause too much water disturbance so I am hoping it is ok. The new heater i just bought is broken too, lost the receipt so I may be out of luck on that one. :-(

I will try petco again when i am ready for the fish, maybe even make the drive and see what petsmart has. I'm guessing they will be ok in their little cups til I get home. Might have to make two stops to get enough females. lol

But overall everything is looking to be set and almost ready.
 
I am following along! I have always loved Bettas, so this should be fun. Unfortunately I don't have much experience with other fish with them, other than the time one of my Bettas didn't work out in my old 20g FW. :)
 
My walmart has more females most of the time.

I would add some cories or kuhli loaches for the bottom.

I have had success with harlequin rasboras with a male betta
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
10 Gal Betta - Cycle Question
Replies
5
Views
474
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
F
Rummy nipping on Betta!!!
Replies
9
Views
397
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
S
New member in need of a lot of help please
Replies
8
Views
648
af2018
af2018
R
New fish owner, please help me
Replies
3
Views
380
Aiken Drum
Aiken Drum
J
Fishless cycle help
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom