Recent content by firestar

In my experience, fin rot is not usually a disease that progresses too quickly, unless its a severe case, and bettas' tails do generally regrow very quickly, in good water conditions. As for the medication, usually the have instructions on the package that instruct how long to treat. If there...

I don't know about appropriate bait choices, but I do know that snails are excellent at hiding. I made the mistake of popping a tiny ramshorn snail into my tank because he was so cute (wow, can those guys reproduce...) and one day I saw him bury himself in the sand. They probably like to dig...

The problem with getting sand in your filter is that it can get into the motor (depending on the way your filter is built) and can ruin it. Pull up your intake, for starters, that can help.

A betta makes a great beginner fish -- they are tough, they are attractive, they are easy to take care of, and they have such great personalities. Stick in a silk plant (as plastic plants can tear their fins) and a cave for him to hide in, and you've got a perfect betta home.

You can create an instant lid out of plastic mesh. It's super cheap and it can be found at any craft store or Wal-Mart. Just cut it to the size of your tank and plop it on. Many fish can (and will) jump out of an open tank, so a lid is a quick and easy solution to prevent fish loss.

I've kept snails in the past. One would crawl to the end of the tube of my UGF, and then launch itself off and let the current toss it around for a bit. Once it made it to the wall of the tank, it would reattach itself. It was quite amusing to watch.

Naw, Krazymom, he wasn't freaked out by the space. It's a common myth that bettas need/prefer small spaces. Fish just need some time adjusting to new environments, that's all. Rice paddies, where bettas originate, are about the size of shallow football fields! If you are able to do so, I...

To my knowledge, of your list, only freshwater sharks exist. Here's a link to some info: http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=16&cat=1953. Were you thinking of starting a "pseudo salt water" tank or something?

I changed my substrate from gravel to sand a few months ago, and I must say, it was not a pleasant experience. And this was in my little 5 gallon tank. I don't think it's a project that I personally would undertake again, especially with something as large as 75 gallons. Aesthetically, the...

Wow, Megladon, was that 2.30000 inches, or just 2.300 inches? ;) (Just teasing you. The closest I can get is that Lancelot is approx. 2 inches, almost. And Titan, well, he's terrified of the ruler up against his tank, so all I can do is eye-ball estimate him at 1 1/2 inches, maybe.) I'm sure...

A lot of people will argue that a 1 gallon tank is perfectly fine for a betta. Personally, I am not one of them. I'm not here to start an argument, and I know that if you want to keep your betta in 1 gallon, you will do so regardless of what I say, so I'm not going to try and dissuade you...

Yow! Those look cool, but that's a lot of $$$!!! And Toirtis, that 10 gal tank, with shipping, comes to over $3200 CAD. That's one semester of my tuition!

I agree, you definitely need to keep an eye out so you can start medicating if it gets worse. But if it doesn't, it could well be that he was victim to another fish's mouth. No biggie. My betta bites his tail (and his anal and dorsal fins on occassion) so I'm constantly dealing with shredded...

Kate, I have a 2 gallon hex kit, with a 4 watt lightbulb (can be found in any drug store). The temp only varies 2 - 3º C from day (light on) to night (light off). Plus, I personally don't think that 1 gallon gives a betta adequate swimming room over the long term. They are so much happier in...

Perhaps the breeder fed him something else and that's what he's used to? I know with bettas, if they don't like the food that you offer, some will hold out for something better. Fish can easily go for a week without food, so if your are merely being picky, once they get hungry enough, they'll...