Betta Splendens Profile

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I had 5 bettas male n and one female ... All my boys died...:(
 
I have fallen in love with these fishies. Did you know they can be housed with platys and tetras?
 
Betta1987 said:
I have fallen in love with these fishies. Did you know they can be housed with platys and tetras?
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Had 5 orange rio tetras... 3 died immediately after bein in the tank wit my last male betta.. My boy died then another rio died...
 
Great Betta Profile

Thanks for taking the time to help those like me who are new at caring for Bettas.

I resently got a male Betta, and have put him in a cycled 10 gallon lightly planted aquarium. He's beautiful, and I enjoy watching him swim aroung when I'm sewing, or painting.

I am considering getting a Blue Ram, but I'm not really sure if they will be compatible, and after reading your profile on Bettas it looks like I'm just going to have to just try it...knowing that I may have to return the Ram to the lfs if there are any problems.:whistle:
 
Only peaceful fish with your Betta boys please! They are not very good swimmers due to their long fins thus no strong currents from filters (nice steady flow is ok), none of those bubblers that other fish need. I have 5 Betta boys one in bigger community, others each one has a snail and few ghost shrimp for clean up crew, but no other fish. My community tank has mollies and platies. The best way to go if you want to mingle them is to have your peaceful community established for at least a week or more before introducing your Betta to them. I did it the other way (not knowing any better and getting bad advise) and my Betta boy flared for few hrs at the orange platy, left the golden molly alone. After few nervewrecking hrs of watching them and worrying (he never phisically attracted the platy, just stalking and flaring) I took him out and put in planted bowl for a day and overnight, added more live plants to the tank and couple of other places for them to hide, rearranged things around and then re-introduced him to "the girls" and he was ok! And has been since then one of the most peaceful fish you've ever seen. I've since added couple of youngster platies and mollies, snails and few ghost shrimp, he's never bothered anybody. He just checks them out and goes about his own business of being pretty in that tank. All my tanks are heavily planted with live plants, some have sand, some with gravel for substrate, ornaments, driftwood, mossballs, rocks...everything most of the fish like. That and good food every day I think is what keeps my critters happy and in perfect harmony with each other. I've only been doing this for almost 4 months but with couple of painful mistakes I've made and extensive ongoing research I'm gaining momentum in this and beginning to feel more confident about what I'm doing here, enough to put 3 cents in the forum which has been a one of the great sources of info for me. Never be afraid to ask questions. I thing that it is the most selfless of us (ones who are in it and do all kinds of stuff for the love of fish) are the ones who are the most successful in it by having the prettiest tanks and most beautiful fish. You really gain so much more then you give, it's really funny how it works.
 
From what I've read on the GBR's they are peaceful and only become territorial if they have a mate. I was going to just get one to avoid the aggression. I was more concerned about the Betta possibly not accepting the Ram. Are you saying that I should be more concerned that the Ram would be aggressive toward the Betta? I want a peaceful tank without any of the fish picking on other tank mates. Maybe I should just keep the tank occupants limited to the Betta and move my 4 Otto from my 75 gallon tank to the Betta's 10 gallon tank. Thanks for your input.
 
Hi, I have no experience with Rams. If they can be aggressive and if they can swim fast they are not a good match for your Betta bcs he (the Betta) will not be able to get away fast enough from him. There may be exceptions, I don't know. Maybe someone who keeps Rams can chime in. Another thing is what kind of water do Rams need? Warm and same Ph and stuff as your Betta? If you decide on Ottos, they will be ok bcs they are sweet from what I hear from people, but the Betta can go after them (they are smaller in general) so maybe add some plants and decorations for your Ottos to hide and give them a chance to establish their own little place in that tank. Give it a try on a day when you can keep an eye on them for few hrs. If the Betta flares and stuff have a nice (at least 1 gal) water ready for his "time out". That's what I did with mine. Or, get your Betta out bfr adding new plants to your tank. Then do your tank remodeling, then add your Ottos, then maybe next day your Betta? Something like that. I wouldn't put other fish straight in to the tank where the lone Betta has lived for a while. He is the king of the jungle there, and will have full rights to be mad when you stick new tenants in his house. The only time I would take a chance with this is when you have a community tank with Betta and other fish and you know your Betta is mellow and gets along. I have one of those and he just doesn't care, as sweet as can be. The other 4 I have their tanks are not big enough for other fish but I put ghost shrimp and snails in with them, and have to say that other then curiosity there was no stalking of any kind. My theory is that if there is enough room, lots of live plants (equal better water and more natural environment) places to hide (driftwood, ornaments, "drive through caves" which all of my fish love going through) and plenty of good food... the fish tend to be less aggressive. Think about it, how stressed do you feel when out on a vacation, in beautiful resort, gorgeous views, luxurious accommodations and gourmet food... Never underestimate a living creature just bcs it is small and has different nervous system then humans:) THE ABOVE ARE JUST MY OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS, something that's been working great for me. There are experts out there who know a lot more from science point of view, I'm still in my research phase and very glad you're asking questions. It's people who never ask, the "knowitalls" that are detriment to this hobby and the wellbeing of the animals
 
Great profile! I didn't know you could feed the fry crushed flakes! Is it okay to go from the food live plants make (after using that for 2 weeks) straight to adding dry crushed flakes or dry food?
 
Bettafanatic said:
Submitted by Bettafanatic

Common name: betta fish, siamese fighting fish

Scientific name: betta splendens

Category: Species (ie: Cichlid)

Family: Osphronemidae

Origin: Southeast Asia

Main Ecosystem: Rice paddies

Salinity: Freshwater

Temperment: Semi-aggressive. They will be very aggressive with other bettas and fish that look and act like bettas, such as labyrinth fish, fish with long flowing fins, or fish with bright colors. They will leave alone most community fish, such as tetras and catfish. It really depends on the individual betta. Some will accept all other fish and others will refuse to have anything alive in his territory.

Diet: Carnivore

Care: Bettas are easy fish to care for. They're good beginner fish and, although it's not ideal, can survive in smaller aquariums

Housing: Betta fish need aquariums of five gallons or more. Although they can survive in tiny half-gallon bowls, let me stress that they will only survive, not thrive.

Feeding: Bettas are carnivores so their diets need lots of protein. They will appreciate a diet of a mixture of different foods. They will accept flake food, pellet food, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and other meaty foods.

pH: 6.5-7.5, but prefer a neutral pH

Temperature: The optimal range is 74-78 F, but going down to 72 F or up to 80 F will not harm them.

Hardness: Less than 100 mg/L

Potential size: Up to three inches, but I've noticed that their size usually depends on the size of their aquariums. I had a friend who kept her betta in a 1/2 gallon tank and he was only 1 inch, but when she moved and I placed him in better conditions, he gained another inch.

Water Region: Bettas are mainly top-dwellers, but will swim all over the tank.

Activity: Diurnal. They will usually sleep hovering in the water.

Lifespan: Under optimal conditions, bettas usually live 3-5 years, but there are stories of bettas living up to 7 years old.

Color: Pick any color under the sun. You'll find a betta with that color. Common colors are red, blue, and pink

Mouth: Upturned, will feed from the surface

Sexing: Bettas are extremely easy to sex. Males will have long, flowing fins and brighter colors while females are usually duller and have short fins like a plakat betta. Females can be housed together (although it depends on the individual fish) but male bettas are much more territorial with each other.

Acclimation: Place the bag in the aquarium and let if float for fifteen minutes to adjust the betta to the aquarium's temperature. Open the bag and pour in a half cup of aquarium water into the bag every ten minutes for an hour. Once finished, catch the betta in a net and place him in the tank. Drip-acclimating isn't necessary.

Breeding: Breeding bettas can be lots of fun and a great experience, as long as you have enough room to house a lot of male bettas and aggressive females separately. It's best to have a place for the bettas to go before breeding. Usually the harder part is raising the fry. Getting a pair to breed is pretty easy.

Spawning: Set up a fry aquarium. Make sure it's heavily planted to give the female places to hide. Java fern is a good plant to have in the fry tank. Place a divider in the center of the aquarium. A sponge filter and low water movement are a must.

First choose your bettas. Make sure they are healthy and strong. Condition them for breeding by feeding live or frozen foods such as shrimp or daphnia. When the time for breeding comes, place the bettas into the tank, one on each side of the divider. Wait a few days for them to get used to each other. When they are ready to breed, the male will flare a lot and act aggressively. He will also have built a bubble nest. Providing a cup cut in half floating on the surface will encourage the male to build the bubble nest under the cup. The female will develop vertical bars on her body (they are usually difficult to see in lighter colored fish). Remove the divider so they can breed.

The male will usually chase the female and act aggressively towards her. Make sure there are lots of plants for her to hide in. The male will swim under the bubble nest and, when she is ready to breed, the female will approach the male with her head tilted down.

To spawn, the male will wrap himself around the female and "hug" the eggs out of her. Once all the eggs are out, remove the female. Make sure to have another tank with clean water for her to recover in. The male will scoop the eggs into his mouth and place them in the bubble nest.

Raising the Fry:

Once the eggs hatch, they will remain in the bubble nest until they can swim. Once they start free swimming, remove the male at this time. He will try to keep the fry in the bubble nest or even eat the fry.

Feed the fry crushed flakes, baby brine shrimp, or microworms. Perform water changes every other day to make sure the water stays clean, and vacuum any uneaten food from the bottom. Having a bare-bottom tank will make it easier to clean any debris.

Once the fry start to develop color and long fins, the males will become aggressive with each other. Separate the males at this time. In some situations, a male won't act aggressive to his sisters because he knows they are his siblings.

Comments: I have been keeping betta fish for years now. They are wonderful fish and my favorite aquarium fish! I have learned so much about fish through keeping them. Each one has their own personality. For example, my betta Martin is a very aggressive boy who always thinks he's the boss. He really intimidates my other betta, Sayir. He even attacks my hand whenever I place it in the tank! However, Waffle, my halfmoon plakat, is the exact opposite. He's a calm and docile fish. He loves the company of snails and loves to watch them eat algae and crawl around. He hardly ever flares but when he does it's beautiful. He's pretty shy and loves to relax. Every betta I've ever had has been different and they are a wonderful fish to keep as long as you understand their requirements.

Hope you liked my profile!
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Great info! All 5 of my Betta boys love frozen peas (warm them up in microwave for 10-20 sec depending on your microwave, shell them and mash up real well) they go for those peas like there is no tomorrow:)
 
I agree, the profile you copied over to here has some great info. Will definitely try the mashed frozen peas. I already give them to my Oranda goldfish. It helps with their digestive system.
 
Strings2Treasures said:
I agree, the profile you copied over to here has some great info. Will definitely try the mashed frozen peas. I already give them to my Oranda goldfish. It helps with their digestive system.
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That was not copy, it was "quoting what BettaFanafic (sorry if misspelled) has put out there for us on this thread. I started the frozen peas bcs one of my platy girls is a pig and she eats till she's almost ready to explode. It freaked me out when I first saw that, thought she was getting dropsy but saw no pinecone scales then noted "dropsy" repeating after each frozen food (their favorite) meal... Frozen peas make it all GOOD for everyone (talk about the bio load... oh, boy!!!)
 
I love bettas it's to bad they are super territorial and you can only have one at a time...but I did just get three very pretty females last night and put them in my twenty gallon long
 
Thanks! I am looking at getting one myself, I have a 25 Litre Tank, 11 Gallons spare for a SFF.

Looking forward to getting one now :)
 
Hi all can i ask a quick question if anyone can help, my Betta male Crowntail Merlin has got a very swollen tummy, i read on here about giving mashed peas, well ive done tht quite a few times in between fasts and live food only and not dried as i was thinking he is constipated.
It doesn't look like dropsy as there is no pine cone effect, he is a very greedy betta and the problem i have had is that i have a few pygmy cories in with him and he is fine with them but its really hard to keep him away from pinching there food, he even just sucks it up from the bottom, i try and put it in different places so he won't get it but he finds it and even puts his whole body over it when cories are feeding, they do manage to get fed especially now i have some catfish food that is little long pieces so he cannot get them in his mouth and cories do get there fair share of live food cos he feeds from my hand soni can keep him up while letting some live food drop for cories but he still can be like a hoover the littlr devil.
Will it take a while for him to respond to the peas as his tummy doesn't seem to be goin down any :/
He is swimming about and he comes still to see me straight away, he looks uncomfortable to me with him being swollen underneath, thanks very much if anyone can help :)

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
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