# Give Me the Basics



## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

I owned like 2 beta's when I was a little kid, and now that I'm 24, I have no idea how to take care of them. 

I just bought a tri-color beta at petsense for $4. I bought him a little square "bowl" (it's not a true fish bowl, but I liked it) some pink and black rocks and some pellets. 

How do I get Zombie(my new fishie) into the dish w/o killing him and w/o buying anything to put in the water. How do I get him from the cup into plain room temp. tap water w/o killing him?

I cannot afford to buy any special drops for the water right now, so he's going to have to deal w/ very cheap living conditions until I get some more money. At least he has a cool name and some cute rocks!


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## Alexanderismylife (Jun 14, 2010)

Well there is really no way for the water to be safe for your betta without useing water conditioners. If you have water bottles you can leave them out at room tempature and then add it to the bowl. Then so your betta adjusts to the tempature change float his cup in the bowl for 30 minutes then realease him. How many gallons is the bowl? If they are around 1 gallon then you will have to do water changes every other day to keep your betta healthy. Depending on how warm it is where you live...Your betta should probably have a heater...They need their water tempature between 78-82 degrees. Colder water can lead to many issues with your betta..Oh and Welcome to the forum! =]


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Unfortunately keeping bettas is not cheap, even though the fish itself may be inexpensive. If you cannot afford to house the fish or buy dechlorinator for it, the only recommendation I can make is to return the fish. 

To properly house a betta you need: A container of at least 2 gallons (this can be a rubbermaid/sterilite plastic storage bin, 2 gallon ones are only about $3 at walmart/target), a 25watt adjustable heater (about $25 at a pet store, $15 online), you need dechlorinator (Prime brand is $20 in pet store, $11 online), and food. If you cannot provide this to your fish, I'm sorry, but you should return it now. These are the bare minimum supplies.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I agree with Adastra. What she listed is the bare minimum. Take the fish back and get one when you're able to take care of it. It'll be better for the fish and easier on you. Do some research, get some money together and then bring home a new fishy later on down the line.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

JosShavaughn said:


> I owned like 2 beta's when I was a little kid, and now that I'm 24, I have no idea how to take care of them.
> 
> I just bought a tri-color beta at petsense for $4. I bought him a little square "bowl" (it's not a true fish bowl, but I liked it) some pink and black rocks and some pellets.
> 
> ...


 if you put him in the top water without drops he will die. you can use spring water ,not purefiy water though than u don't need drops.

also i am not sure but i think if you let water stay 2 days ammonia evaporate and u can use the water.

also if u would live in philadelphia pa neer to me i would give u drops i leave in ne phila BUSTLETON AND GRAND are u near by

also i use ''amquel + plus '' to remove ammonia they are like $3 or 4


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Chlorine (not ammonia) can evaporate, but chloramines, heavy metals, and other additives, sometimes including ammonia, will not be removed. Bottled water varies widely in the additives used, as well as the mineral content--tap water with dechlorinator is the cheapest and often best option.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

Well okay. I knew this was coming from you die-hard betta people. But I'm in Texas, it's like 100 degree's here, heat wise he will be fine until I can get him a heat source next month. Also, I will be able to buy him a proper home and special drops next month. I think he'll be fine until then. 

I'm keeping my fish. That's not debateable. I'm extremely lonely. I just moved to a town 5 hours away from my parents and I have almost no friends. I want another life in my apartment with me. A small life, a not so human life. lol. 

But yeah, he can survive until next month.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

He won't survive in untreated water until next month. He'll die from the heavy metals in the water. God, at least buy a $4 bottle of water conditioner from PetSmart or something.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Unless you are on well water soon "Zombie" may need to be re-named "Dead".....
Do you have or have access to any well water?

As others have posted you will need some type of dechlorinator to make the water fish safe. Even use of bottled water can be a risk because often it is just filtered tap water that can contain chlorine and chloramines and this cost money...plus in the size container you have will need daily to every-other day 100% water changes to maintain water quality to prevent health and fin issues.....more money to treat.....cheaper to prevent these issues to start.......

Please do the right thing........
Invest in a dechlorinator today or take the Betta back.......
Once you have the money and the needed supplies, go and buy a Betta......
This is a wonderful hobby and a awesome species to keep.....


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

I am using distilled water, and fine, I'll go buy some dechlorinator! Zombie is really turning out to bleed my almost empty wallet. This da mn fish better last a long time!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Save your money on the distilled water, its not good for him........

Just get the dechlorinator....
Rinse everything good, add the tap water and dechlorinator to the new container, make sure the water temp is pretty close in temp between the new tank water and the holding container water so not to cause any temp related problems.
Dump some of the water from the holding container and add a small amount of the new tank water over about 10-15 minutes, net the fish and add him to the new tank, don't add any of the water from the fish shop to the new tank water.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

JosShavaughn said:


> I am using distilled water, and fine, I'll go buy some dechlorinator! Zombie is really turning out to bleed my almost empty wallet. This da mn fish better last a long time!


If you keep treating it the way you did before he won't last a long time. Sorry man just being honest. If you want it to last long than you need to treat it properly. It may cost alot when you first buy it due to the accesories but after that it'll only cost the max. of 10$ a month.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

So I went back to the pet store. And I'm not sure I should keep listening to ya'll. The girl said distilled water is fine, the drops are necessary if I'm using distilled water. 

I went ahead and got the drops. So enough w/ that discussion.

Zombie's new home isn't even 1g. I got him what I could afford. Like I said, next month I will get him a proper home. I'm thinking a 5g tank. Maybe some decorations. As for the heater, it's Texas. He'll be fine for at least a month w/o a heater.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

JosShavaughn said:


> So I went back to the pet store. And I'm not sure I should keep listening to ya'll. The girl said distilled water is fine, the drops are necessary if I'm using distilled water.
> 
> I went ahead and got the drops. So enough w/ that discussion.
> 
> Zombie's new home isn't even 1g. I got him what I could afford. Like I said, next month I will get him a proper home. I'm thinking a 5g tank. Maybe some decorations. As for the heater, it's Texas. He'll be fine for at least a month w/o a heater.


Buddy, pet store people know NOTHING. Trust me. Your talking bout the people that say bettas can perminantly live in not even 1/2G montages that you can hang on the wall and all you need to do is make a 50% water change every week. OK. We'll see how long the fish lasts. 

As for the tank. It should do for now until you get a new tank. 

But the drops were needed unless you want your fish to die soon which is technically a waste of money. Bottled water doesn't supply the fish with certain nutrients that tap water does. That is why you'd want to use the tap water+dechlorinater. 

Don't take what the people on here are saying offensive. We just want you and your fish to have a happy healthy long life together.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

Here's some pictures of Zombie. 

#1: Zombie adjusting to the temp. of his new water.

#2: Zombie in his new home, his profile. (I looked through the tail and color thread and I believe he is a multicolored veil betta)

#3: Another one of him in his new home. It's an efficiency apartment really.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

Cute fish btw


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I see why you got him...he is a good-lookin fella......


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

Thank you. I actually don't know if he's a boy or a girl. They didn't have him labeled like some stores do. How can I tell? Even if it's a girl, I'll keep the name Zombie. He's named after Rob Zombie if anyone wondered.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

He is cute.  I can see why you couldn't pass him up. Bettas exhibit sexual dimorphism, that means the male looks very different from the female--veil tail males (like yours) typically have very long fins and a different body shape. Yours is very obviously a boy. 

We are just telling you things to save you grief. Remember that people in the pet store are trained to sell you things, not to know everything about how to care for fish properly. I have heard ridiculous advice from employees--"Your betta will drown in a 10G tank! You should get one of these tiny half gallon bowls instead" "Bettas are tough, ammonia doesn't bother them, so you don't need to worry about testing the water." All ridiculous things. 

To be honest, your fish would probably be happier in a plastic storage bin, you could get a 2-4 gallon one for around $3. A container the size you have now would need to be changed every other day in order to remain free of toxic ammonia--you could return it to the store and get your money back, so that you have more money to go toward a bottle of dechlorinator. I'm not trying to be discouraging, mind you, bettas are wonderful pets, but to feel the joy of having one you need to know how to take care of it efficiently. 

Fish are different from most animals, their major form of waste is ammonia which is constantly excreted through their gills. Kind of like the fish form of urine. In a closed system this quickly builds up and is highly toxic--in nature (and larger aquariums) beneficial bacteria convert this ammonia into less harmful compounds that are then consumed by plants. Since you have neither bacteria nor plants you will have to change the water every other day, even if the water appears clean. In a larger container, you would not have to change the water as often.

Keep in mind that when you do change the water, the temperatures should match and the fish should be slowly acclimated. In order to do this, you should put the fish back into the cup, and after you have put the new water in the tank, pour a little water out of the cup, and put a bit of the new water in until the cup is roughly all new water. If the new water is very similar to the old (same source, same additives, same temp), I do this over 15 min--if there are any differences in any of those three elements, I do it over the course of 45min-1hr.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

He's very pretty!!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

We're just trying to help. We're really not trying to separate you from your money. We're not benefiting from the info we're giving you so I think you can trust us. 

A five gallon is a nice deal eventually. Even kritter keepers work as great betta tanks and they're really, really cheap and easy to handle because they're light. You can even put a heater in them when you need one. They'll run you maybe 10 bucks?

Don't blame him for the money you're shelling out. He didn't exactly jump into your purse and follow you home.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

This is all true. I didn't HAVE to buy him. I just kind of thought I had everything I needed and got frustrated when I realized I needed to spend more money. I only started out w/ $29 to last me until... whenever I can get more money, which may not be until the 1st. 

I'm glad to know that Zombie really is a boy and that I guessed right. Always feels good when you can guess something like that. 

I like the size of the 10 gallon tank, but I'll check out the 5 gallon at walmart and see which one I like better, which one is better for plants, etc. I do want to get him some places to hide and sleep and such, but again, that will have to wait until next month. 

Now as for looking for filters, heaters, decorations, etc. Where's a good place to look online? I am looking at pet smart right now, but we all know they're best known for dogs and cats.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I usually use google's shopping tab once I have the name of what I want and try and find the best price there. LinensNThings online has fish stuff and a lot of times they run cheapest because they'll ship for 99 cents.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

Okay. So I found bigalsonline.com.

So what watt-age heater do I need? They're cheaper than I thought they would be. 
I saw on the forum for the pictures of people's tanks a 3.5 gallon tank, and I really liked the size of that one. I think that would be a good middle of the road house for Zombie. I mean, it's not fair to the rest of us for him to jump from an efficiency to an mansion! lol. 

And what's this Floating Betta Log I saw on Petsmart? Is that good or just something for inexperienced people that betta's don't even really like? I found some other little "buildings" that are Greek inspired, those look neat. I want something that Zombie can completely hide in if he feels like it. Like if someone comes over that he's scared of, he can go hide. 

And give me some advice on pumps/filters. I read not to get too strong of a pump because betta's don't like strong currents, so what's too strong and what's just right?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Look on craigslist and buy used.......

Keeping a Betta can be as expensive as you want or lower cost.......both ways you can end up with a Betta that thrives or just survives...spending lots of money doesn't mean the Betta will live a better life-when the most important thing is missing......quality care........

What I am saying is that there are many different ways to keep fish and just because you spent 20 buck on something that could have cost 5 bucks doesn't make it better or worse.....

This is a great hobby and success doesn't have to cost you an arm & leg........


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

I was gonna reccomend BigAl's. They have good quality and good prices since they're an aquarium depot. I have one next to my house and it's never failed me. There employees are also pretty experienced.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I think 25 watt is fine? I'm not positive cause all my tanks are 5g or higher. Someone else can chime in hopefully. Something for him to hide in is great. They like that. They'll even kinda play hide and seek with you. Or at least one of mine does. 

Some bettas like that log thing and some don't, so it's hit or miss. They do like to 'rest' on stuff. They can be lazybones. You won't need an air pump, so save your money there. Bettas breathe mostly from the surface so they don't need their water as highly oxygenated as other fish. It's really an aesthetic choice though. You can get one if you want the bubbles. Just tie a knot in the tubing and tighten it so the bubbles don't push him around too much.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

Probably the lowest wattage which is a 25 watt i think? would work for a 3.5G.

As for the betta log, they do like them along with the betta hammock (which i want, my fish has an obsession with suction cups like the one for his thermometer ). I saw the Greek pillars and stuff at petsmart and i absolutly love them. They should be good. For decoration just use your judgement  your betta would love anything as long as he can lay and/or hide in it. 

Dont forget to buy silk plants not plastic since betta fins are very sensitive. On bigAlsonline.com you can get a variety pack of neon silk plants (comes with 3 plants) for 4.99 or maybe less.

As for the pumps, if the 3.5G comes with a filter, use it and if you see its pushing your fish around, baffle it (on the forum they have a tutorial on how to do that which may or may not work for your fish depending on how curious he is.)

Fish keeping doenst need to be expensive. You just need to be a smart shopper. Online shopping, garage sales, sales in stores are all good ways to get good things and save money at the same time.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

It's looking like I'll have to go w/ a 5g. I can't seem to find a 3.5g. I did find a 5g (i think) on big al's that comes w/ a light and filter for like $35. Then I would just need the heater which is $14, and then decorations, and probably some more gravel. I got two small packets of gravel, and I don't think it's enough to cover a 5g. I was hoping I could find a 3.5g for like $20, but I'm just not finding one. I've freecycled for fish supplies, we'll see if anyone responds. I'm hoping some parent has some stuff laying around from after their kid's fish died. That's probably terrible, but it's true.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

JosShavaughn said:


> It's looking like I'll have to go w/ a 5g. I can't seem to find a 3.5g. I did find a 5g (i think) on big al's that comes w/ a light and filter for like $35. Then I would just need the heater which is $14, and then decorations, and probably some more gravel. I got two small packets of gravel, and I don't think it's enough to cover a 5g. I was hoping I could find a 3.5g for like $20, but I'm just not finding one. I've freecycled for fish supplies, we'll see if anyone responds. I'm hoping some parent has some stuff laying around from after their kid's fish died. That's probably terrible, but it's true.


Hmm did you try PetSmart or even ebay/amazon/kraigslist? OR Maybe its cheaper to buy a 3.5G and than a filter. 
If it adds up to the same, purchase the 5G since it's a better deal. At walmart they have heaters for around 11.99$.
Good luck with the freecycling btw.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

I forgot that now that I've moved I can use the Deep East Texas craigslist. Before I was living in a small town about an hour from Fort Worth and I tried posting on craigslist but it deleted my post because I was too far. But now I can use the D-ETX craigslist. I posted on there offering to trade some Scentsy for the supplies I need. And like I said I also posted on the local freecycle. Hopefully between the two I will find something. I would go to garage sales, but I only have like $7 left, so I need to save my money, and pray someone just wants to get rid of the stuff. Zombie doesn't look very happy in his efficiency, so I really want to get him a bigger home ASAP.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

One last thing! 

How often do I feed Zombie? I've already fed him 3x today. I don't know. He ate the first time, and I think the second time, but I don't know about the third time, I haven't checked on him in like an hour.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Their tummies are the size of one of their eyes. They don't need a lot. I feed mine 6 pellets a day but the pellets are really, really small. Big pellets maybe only 2 or 3 a day.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

I feed mine 3 at night and 3 in the morning. He's very active and needs his food.  You can do the same depending on the food you have.
Good luck with your bids btw!


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

I think I'll go w/ morning, noon, and night for the time being.


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## XSprinkleFaceX (Nov 17, 2009)

How many pellets do you feed him each time?
Btw don't forget to take out his uneaten pellets or it'll pollute the water faster.


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## Amour (Jun 26, 2010)

Walmart has a really awesome 5 gallon aquarium kit for only $30. Clicky. It's what I bought my betta and he loves it. It comes with a filter, tank, and hood with a light.
I also bought silk plants from walmart. A three pack is like four dollars and my betta loves sleeping on their leaves. I have a mixture of silk plants and live plants in my tank.

I also found a cool little ceramic jug with holes in it at Petsmart that my betta goes into to hide when he's sad.  








 

Here's a picture of it. 

Also, I found a Theo Hydor (one of the best brands) 25 watt heater on Ebay which was $21 including shipping.


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## JosShavaughn (Jul 23, 2010)

Amour, that's what I want. A tank/kit like that. Whenever I get the money, that's what I want to go get him.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

JosShavaughn said:


> I am using distilled water, and fine, I'll go buy some dechlorinator! Zombie is really turning out to bleed my almost empty wallet. This da mn fish better last a long time!


please not distilled water.u need spring water. be also sure it not purified water once i used deer park spring water for like approx 6 mon . distilled water doesn't have any menerals.

seriosly write me. if u tell me how i can sand u $10-15 so u can take care of u betta. drops are not expansive and it lasted vary long time . and he also need more water in this cup.water will get contaminated,and he will get sick. 

any way just keep him in spring water,more water please. in this small cont u have to change him evert other day.make sure u live his clean original watet as much as u can.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

Anhel, your grammar is making me lose brain cells.  He's already talking care of it, if you read back 3 pages.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Anhel is from Russia originally so be kind.


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## Ajones108 (Jul 7, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> Anhel is from Russia originally so be kind.


Ahh okay, that explains a lot. >.< My apologies. I saw from Philadelphia on his thing and I was like... Not to mention the amount of slightly incorrect information he's been giving out in a lot of threads, I was getting slightly irritated.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Jos: When you get your larger tank, you might want to look into cycling it.  Here's a good link if you wanna glance over it. http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Also, for feeding him, be sure to fast Zombie an entire day once a week to clear out his digestive system. Because he's eating a good bit, but doesn't have enough room to burn off the engery by swimming alot. If you want him to exercise and give him something to do, and if you have a small hand held mirror or something reflective, you can hold it up for Zombie to see so he will flare at it. One to two minutes of flaring will burn a lot of energy on his part. If you do this though, don't do it for too long, otherwise he will get stressed.


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