# New to Betta's, help please?



## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi everyone, I'm Megan, I'm new to Betta fish. Well, sort of, my Mom's always had some kind of fish at her office, normally guppies or a betta. But we have always just kept them in small tanks(the little 1/2 gal up to 1 1/2gal, and even in the 5gal once), sometimes with a filter, sometimes without. We had one live in the 1 1/2gal for 3 years but he got Ick really bad and died. Anyway, I've been browsing here for a couple days and WHOA! theyre is a lot more to Betta care then what we have been doing! I want to get a tank for my bed room, about a 5gal, a 10 would be better thou. I'd really love if someone compiled a list of things I need to properly care for one or 2 males(I know if I get 2 males, I have to divide or get seperate tanks) and any pointers! Thanks in advance!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Welcome to the forum!! If you get a 5G you would probably want to use the filter and if you get a 10G you'll need to use it because you won't be able to do 100% water changes. You'll need to cycle the tank before you can put your fish in. I don't know anything about filters or how to cycle because I don't use filters on my tanks. You'll need water conditioner; I use Aqua and a lot of people on here use Prime. Bettas love hiding, so I'd get lots of silk plants and hiding places. But make sure that the decorations are smooth so they don't tear up their fins. I put a little aquarium salt in my tanks because it gives them electrolytes and it helps heal fins if they get fin rot or a rip from flaring too much. I love the way gravel looks, but some people leave the tank bottoms empty so it's up to you. If you're going to use a filter, you should get a sifter to get the poop from the bottom of the tank. If your bedroom doesn't stay above 76 degrees, I would get a heater. Bettas are warm water fish and need temperatures of 76-82 degrees F. Good luck!!


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

Oh I'll deffinately need a heater for the lil guy then! The heater for the upstairs(my room) of our house is broken currently. =( It stays about 70 year round thou, but Ill get a heater =) any recomendations for any products? Ive read on here prime is great but IDK if we've got it around here. Foods? Heaters? Filters? Salt? Thanks!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

If you get a 5 gallon tank, I would recommend a Marineland stealth visitherm heater. There are a lot of different brands of pellets out there but I would recommend Hikari betta bio gold and Wardleys. You can also feed them freeze dried or frozen bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp. Mine get these once a week as a treat. Freeze dried needs to be rehydrated to avoid digestive problems. Someone else will have to tell you about filters. Welcome to the forum, by the way!


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

Ok usually a 'starter kit' that comes complete with tan, hood, heater and filter is a better deal than buying a tank separately. If you get a 5g, I recomment the Aqueon Mini Bow 5 because the filter is already perfect for bettas and requires no modufication to slow it down (you will find that bettas don't cope with strong currents very well). If youget a 10g, what the heck... the filter that comes in it will be easy enough to 'baffle' with a simple water bottle. For heaters, pretty much anything will do as long as you aim for 5 watts per gallon (eg a 5g needs a 25w heater).


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

It sounds like it would be cheaper to get the 10 gallon.. even though 5 gallons are cheaper everything you have to get x2 will be MUCH more expensive.

You can very cheaply make a divider out of plastic mesh and plastic report binder edges.

You really need to cycle a 10 gal and you can either do it fish in or fishless.. since you are pretty much new to betta care I would HIGHLY recommend a fishless cycle. Make sure you research how to cycle properly.

For whatever tank you get you'll need:
hood (preferably with a fluorescent light)
filter (make sure it is strong enough to fit your tank)
heater (25w for a 5gal and 50w for a 10gal.. Also make sure you get a heater that is adjustable)
gravel
plants (live or silk is best but plastic is ok as long as it passes the pantyhose test)
cave(s)
thermometer (glass in-tank are best)
Water conditioner (highly recommend prime)
gravel vacuum
bucket marked FISH ONLY (for doing water changes)

For your fish you need;
a good pellet
frozen or freeze dried blood worms or brine shrimp (I don't recommend freeze dried be fed more that 2 times a week)
aquarium salt (to add to the tank if your fish gets sick)

Make sure you keep the cups they come it as they can be useful if you need to take the fish out for aquarium maintenance.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

Thank you everyone! it might be a while before I can get anything(have to save the money =) ), but I'm book marking this site and writing the list down! Thanks for all the help, I'm sure Ill be back with more questions soon!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

You're welcome! We aren't going anywhere.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

bettaxfishxcrazy said:


> you're welcome! We aren't going anywhere.


lol!!


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

LOL! Does anyone have a recomendation as to where I could buy a Betta? I'm not sure on which tail type I want, but I'd like to look at some breeders if possible. Our Petsmart and local pet stores sell them, but they seem kinda ehhh if ya know what I mean, I'd like to try and wait until I have some experience with them before trying to bring them back from the half-dead state.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

A lot of people buy from Aquabid. It's an online site that sells tons of betta fish.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

I found that one via another members posting, but thank you! I've already found about 30 that I need! LMAO, my mom and BF would kill me!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Haha yeah...my boyfriend doesn't like fish. I told him that he'll have to get over it because when we move in together we're going to have LOTS of fish.haha He thinks i'm kidding...but I'M NOT!!lol


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

LOL! Thats not as bad as my BF, he **loves** my cat, loves my dog, has 4 dogs of his own, is "ok" with horses(I dont currently have one but I plan on it oneday and he knows it! lol), fish too! But his thing...he wants a frog. Not just any frog. But 2 or 3 frogs. African Clawed Frogs, thats ok, put a heater in the tank, they can stay in the garage, but noooope, gotta be in the house, so he can stare at it! AND a PacMan Frog, google it. Gross! I am terrified of frogs anyway, but the pacman frog is the size of my foot at its largest(and I wear a size 11 womens!)! No way thats gonna happen LOL. I already told him. But hes a good BF and says ok, hell just keep it at his dads and visit often lol!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Haha omggg I've seen pacman frogs! Yeah, they can get HUGE! Oh I'll have LOTS of animals.lol My boyfriend loves other animals, but doesn't get why I love fish because I can't take them out and play with them etc.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

Me too! We've agreed that if we ever get married oneday, we'll skimp on the wedding and buy a farm for me LOL, 40ac. min. and split it LOL, half for my horses/cows/goats/whatever, half for him to have a dirtbike track. LOL. Gotta love daydreamin'. We've already compiled a list of the different breeds of dogs we want too..


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

MissMeg said:


> Me too! We've agreed that if we ever get married oneday, we'll skimp on the wedding and buy a farm for me LOL, 40ac. min. and split it LOL, half for my horses/cows/goats/whatever, half for him to have a dirtbike track. LOL. Gotta love daydreamin'. We've already compiled a list of the different breeds of dogs we want too..


 
There's nothing wrong with dreaming. You never know, you may just have that farm someday!


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> There's nothing wrong with dreaming. You never know, you may just have that farm someday!


=) good point, I hope for a farm oneday, in the mountains to retire to.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Oh me too! I would love to move to Wyoming. I live in Connecticut and there are trees EVERYWHERE, I can't stand it.lol I love how spacious Wyoming is. Unfortunately, my boyfriends not too excited about the idea.lol


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I would love to move back to Colorado.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

I want to be any where in the northern mid-west =) dont care which state, but I want wide open speaces. The BF and I have called NC home sense birth thou, and I cant really see being anywere else, so maybe a very rural NC would be nice too =) not as green, but the winters arent as cold! LOL!


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