# Maybe unconventional, but...



## LyraDove (Feb 22, 2013)

My fish, a young female Crowntail, is so cute, and I wuv her J
My routine with her starts in the morning when I boil water and put it in a ceramic gravy boat; I tuck the boat beside/partly under her fish-shaped (unfiltered, unheated) fish bowl and she hovers over it to play and enjoy the heat; it also raises the temp in her bowl a little bit. Gradually she starts to swim around in the cooler parts of the bowl – she seems energetic after the warm-up.
I feed her red pellets, though I have to search for the smallest ones because she’s still little. She gobbles freeze dried worms very happily. On occasion, I have also fed her one pellet-sized, unseasoned cooked shred of each of the following: roasted pork, roasted chicken, canned tuna (carefully rinsed to remove salt), and chicken liver. She liked these foods very much since they were soft and fit her mouth size better than the pellets – her everyday food. Once a week I change her water almost completely. I pour water from her bowl into a clean plastic cup, put her in it, crack the hull off a hemp seed and feed her the soft white kernel inside so she has a little fiber in her system. Then I rinse all the gravel, the silk plant and several mother-of-pearl pieces (1 1/2 inch round hoops; she likes to swim through them) put them in the water being conditioned and warmed for her bowl, and clean the whole empty bowl inside and out with white vinegar. I make sure the vinegar is thoroughly rinsed away, put the conditioned water in her bowl and arrange the ‘landscape’ for her before gently pouring her from her holding cup back into the bowl. Then I lift a the whole filled bowl and put it back in it’s place right above and in front of my computer desk. Sometimes I put my headphones on her bowl and play sweet, calm music for her. Her favorite is, “Ocean Song”, from Yes singer Jon Anderson’s solo album, “Olias of Sunhillow”; it features a lot of subsonics and she plasters herself against the tiny speaker to enjoy the nice vibes. She gets about five minutes of music a day. Her bowl sits on a sheet painted with florescent paint that gives off a faint moonlight glow during the night.
She seems healthy and happy, even in her one-gallon bowl. I really like my little Lambchop, and I like to think she likes me. She pushes her face up to stare at me through the glass with her big black eyes when I use the computer. She makes me happy and I hope it’s mutual.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

You will make her more happy if you get a heater and a 2.5 gallon and stop feeding her human food


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Fluctuating the temperature like that in her bowl is bad. Bettas are tropical fish and require a *stable* temperature of at least 75-82 degrees for optimum health. 

Temperatures that are too cold or fluctuate quite rapidly in only a short amount of time can compromise the digestive system of the betta and cause a lot of stress. Stress is one of the main triggers for disease in fish, and you are practically going to be inviting in things such as ich and velvet, which can kill a fish and take weeks to eradicate. 

While people can keep their bettas in unheated bowls for years, this is due more to the individual betta's hardiness and is not something that should be emulated. 

Also depending on the size of the bowl you may not be doing enough water changes. Ammonia can build up quickly in a small volume of water and this burns the gills and skin of your fish. There is no way they can build an immunity to ammonia. They either suffer the effects of it or they die.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

EDIT: LittleBettaFish beat me to it. 


I get that you think you are spoiling your betta, but bettas don't need fiber. They're carnivores (well, primarily insectivores) by nature. I think fiber can actually damage their digestive system. That is why it is not recommended to feed bettas peas to prevent bloating like it is done with goldfish and some other fish species. Look for a brand of good quality betta food, like Omega One. 

Please get her a heater. Bettas are tropical fish and should be kept between 76-82 degrees Fahrenheit, at all times. The tank water should be kept at a stable temperature without too many fluctuations. She will not live a long healthy, active life in an unheated tank. 

What size is your tank exactly? The smaller the size, the more frequent water changes you should be doing. Otherwise, waste will build up and can lead to all sorts of ugly diseases.


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## LyraDove (Feb 22, 2013)

See, the title of my post means I'm aware that I'm breaking the 'rules'. About temperature: Don't wild bettas sun themselves in warm sunny shallows and then swim into much cooler shaded or deeper water to hunt? About foods: Don't they eat meat scraps dropped by non-aquatic predators?
I try to make up for her admittedly small environment by keeping it very clean and providing various kinds of (hopefully enjoyable) stimulation. Would my one fish benefit that much from a large tank? I'm leery of them. How many posts are here saying equipment meant to clean and circulate water in fishtanks have mangled or killed their pets?


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

You are going to kill your fish. Don't come crying to us because you didn't listen to us. I am not going to feel sorry for you.


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## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Filters that are not properly baffled did that, your fish is not healthy, 
His diet is bad your fish is not a wild it has been bred for looks not survival, there needs are much different.
Your betta should be in a 2.5 at least with a heater, your little gravy boat is not a good idea as it does not even heat up and maintain the temp properly. 
The temp changes are stressing her out. Don't come back crying if she dies.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

LittleBettaFish, who responded before me, is the resident wild betta expert by general consensus. She would know what is best for raising wild bettas. But even if that were true, your crowntail betta is _not a wild betta_. Hundreds of years of human domestication and selective breeding have altered them. They would not be able to survive in wild conditions (which would still include warm, humid temperatures year round anyway, so unless you live in the tropics, you can not mimick that without a heater).

Bettas do not need a filter. They can make do with relatively small habitats, provided that their water is kept clean. They can tolerate a lot. Indeed, they are fairly undemanding fish to keep. But they need a heater to thrive.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Like everyone has said your betta is not wild. You would most likely have to go back years and years before you even hit a wild ancestor. Domesticated splendens are a totally different creature from the bettas you see out in places such as Thailand and Indonesia. 

Also a bowl is vastly different from the complex ecosystems that wild bettas inhabit. Your comparison is like me comparing my dogs in their backyard to the wolves living wild in Yellowstone National Park. 

Even my wild bettas have to have temperatures from low to mid seventies. If you go lower, they start to become lethargic, hide a lot more and their colouring fades. I left my heater unplugged the other day and the resulting temperature fluctuation was enough to cause my fry to become infected with ich. 

Unless your room or house is kept at 82-84 (water is always a few degrees cooler than room temperature) degrees consistently, a heater is a necessary part of keeping bettas.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

In the wild, bettas do bask in the sun- but they are wild bettas, and you also have to remember that they have a pond with many different temperatures to choose from. In the tiny little bowl you are keeping her in, you are probably overheating the bowl and you are causing stressful temperature swings. Bettas do not eat meat. They eat insects. The fat in meat is to hard (saturated) for them to properly digest. To my knowledge bettas do not eat tuna, pigs, or chicken. You are going to kill your fish.


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## LyraDove (Feb 22, 2013)

Thank you all. You couldn't have said it any more clearly, and you are unanimous. I'm embarrassed to think what I've done for her so far is barely a step up from that crappy cup in Petco – I’ll get a heater and a bigger bowl or small tank ASAP!
About giving her absolutely plain, cooked foods; my reasoning was, I knew where the meat bits came from and what was (and wasn't) in them. I'm afraid worms, etc, are subject to quality and freshness issues, that they could cause bacterial or fungal contamination in her only habit. But, okay...no more 'people food', I promise! I'm grateful that she's active and seems healthy in spite of my ignorance. I'll keep reading here, and learning. I want what's best for my fish -- I hope I’ll be posting about her for a long time : )


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Thanks for actually considering what we say! Lots of people just wave us off. I don't want to give you the full scientific reasoning behind why it is innaropriate to give your fish land animal foods, but basically the fats in farm animals are to "hard" for the fish to digest, and they are not natural. Worms are safe if you get them from a responsable source.


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## LyraDove (Feb 22, 2013)

TY again for your time (and for not outright calling me an idiot). Just keep swimming...


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

I can tell you do care about your betta and did mean well. Thank you for being open minded. You'll not regret it. A healthy, happy betta is much more enjoyable than a sickly one that just sits on the bottom of its container doing nothing.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Yay! It's lovely to meet open-minded people who care so much about their fish.  And everything you have done has been motivated by your desire to care for your fish, so don't feel too bad.  

If you can't get hold of a larger tank just yet, I wouldn't worry. Some people keep their bettas in one gallons happily enough.  I prefer larger tanks, but OldFishLady, for instance, has kept many healthy bettas in one gallons. If you can get a larger one, though, I would, just because females tend to be more active than males, due to fin-length.

A heater, water conditioner and a high-quality food such as Omega One or New Life Spectrum are the most important things. 

It's very cute that she enjoys music!


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I was going to call you an idiot, but I fed my betta's ham as a treat before. >_>


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

If you are worried about the freshness of betta safe treats they really enjoy go to the frozen foods section of the fish department and get some frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, and mysois shrimp. My betta LOVE then and after a good thaw they are very fresh and plump. I have even had blood worms so plump they practically were still squirming, one had some after death spazms which freaked me out as it swam around the tank a few inches and then started sinking. My fish thought it was creepy too and we jokingly called it the zombie worm. Also if you live in a warmer wet state or have a warm wet season with mosquitos you can farm your own larva. I lay down a giant kiddy pool with plants growing inside it and shallow water. After the females lay their eggs and the larva hatch I collect them into smaller containers and pass them through a cleaning process before tossing them to my fish. They love those guys and are helping to control out mosquito populations xD


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

It's obvious you care about your betta, even if some methods most likely weren't the best for her. Best of luck with her in the future, please keep us updated!


About feeding bettas meat: iirc there were some that fed their bettas beefheart as a treat. Although I don't remember if that was just for conditioning or not - can anyone verify if that would be ok?


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

The reasoning behind a two gallon or more minimum is that it is a lot easier to keep the tank or bowl clean and stable (especially of you plant it). The more water there is, the more forgiving it is to ambient temperature fluctuations and missed water changes. You don't need to perform water changes nearly as frequently in a large tank. Besides, take it from someone who use to keep much larger species of fish in much larger aquariums (like an 18 inch long silver arowana), a couple of gallons doesn't take up much space at all. So, don't be intimidated. Good luck with your little CT. 

I've heard of breeders conditioning their fish for breeding on special blends of raw salmon and shrimp. They may also feed their fry extra protein to maximize their growth and development. I know beef heart is fed to other types of carnivorous fish as a treat. But in extreme moderation. Too much can cause bloating and other digestive problems.

Btw, I'm sure we would all love pictures.


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## Juditko (Dec 28, 2012)

I'm new here, too, and learning...but I think the more experienced folk would also say that the larger tank offers more dependable heating capabilities as you likely can find adjustable heaters that work for those sizes. I started with a one gallon, then moved to a 2.5, and have finally settled in at a ten gallon. The heater I have now is adjustable and more dependable than the nonadjustable one that I started with in the one gallon. (Not a lot of options in my area for shopping, so I ended up ordering online quite a bit.)

This is a great site with a lot of information that will definitely help you provide a great quality of life for your fish...


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Juditko said:


> I'm new here, too, and learning...but I think the more experienced folk would also say that the larger tank offers more dependable heating capabilities as you likely can find adjustable heaters that work for those sizes. I started with a one gallon, then moved to a 2.5, and have finally settled in at a ten gallon. The heater I have now is adjustable and more dependable than the nonadjustable one that I started with in the one gallon. (Not a lot of options in my area for shopping, so I ended up ordering online quite a bit.)
> 
> This is a great site with a lot of information that will definitely help you provide a great quality of life for your fish...


caved in on a 10 xD

I find larger tanks allow more decorating as well which is awesome since i am a decorator by heart...and a gardener which allowed me to plant my larger tank and stuff it with plants.


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## Bounce (May 26, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> caved in on a 10 xD
> 
> I find larger tanks allow more decorating as well which is awesome since i am a decorator by heart...and a gardener which allowed me to plant my larger tank and stuff it with plants.


That's exactly why I went from a 5 gallon to a 10 gallon for my betta -- more room for more plants! :lol:


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## Juditko (Dec 28, 2012)

Caved is right. Just wish I'd done the ten from the beginning and saved all that other money!


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

I keep a 1.5 and a 2.5, the 1.5 get's 1 or 2 changes weekly, the 2.5 is cycled with shrimp to clean waste so changes are not often needed. A bowl is technically okay if it is the right size but get a Critter Keeper, it comes in a lot of sizes and provides unaltered viewing


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## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

Artemis said:


> I keep a 1.5 and a 2.5, the 1.5 get's 1 or 2 changes weekly, the 2.5 is cycled with shrimp to clean waste so changes are not often needed. A bowl is technically okay if it is the right size but get a Critter Keeper, it comes in a lot of sizes and provides unaltered viewing


I thought a 2.5 was too small to cycle? Wouldn't you still have ammonia, nitrates and nitrites building up in the tank, even with the shrimp?


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