# new to betta fish care



## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

I got a Betta fish a week ago. I know i have a setup thats far from ideal atm. I will probably get a 1 gallon heated tank soon enough for it. atm its in an unheated 1/2 gallon tank which, makes it hard to regulate the temperature especially since the normal room temperature in the house is kept at 20 celsius. I add water conditioner and fish tank cleaner each time i put in some new water. Right now the only way i'm warming the water is by putting in hot tap water so it doesnt stay at 20 degrees during the day. I do a full water change every 3 days so far in the .5 gallon tank

I have flakes, wardley's pellets, frozen brime shrimp and blood worms. The fish hasn't eaten in the past 7 days and its only showed signs of hunger spitting a pellet out. It totally ignores the brine shrimp and the blood worms when i tried feeding it today. Is there any tips to get it to eat any food? They seem to drop to the bottom of the tank within a minute either way. Any advise is to get it it to start eating is appreciated.


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

In a 1/2 gal. you need to be doing 100% DAILY water changes. I'd get him a 2.5 gal. AT LEAST instead of the 1gal.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

youlovegnats said:


> In a 1/2 gal. you need to be doing 100% DAILY water changes. I'd get him a 2.5 gal. AT LEAST instead of the 1gal.


This is the first fish ive ever owned so i dont know the monetary figures for the equipment to house it. My friend is the one who has offered to give me the 1 gal heated tank. How much would a good 2.5gal setup cost? the whole reason why i got a .5 gal tank was to house it on the first day i had it. It was a .5 gal tank on on a short notice or a mason jar. Technically my brother got one as a gift from attending a party and had no particular attachment to it.


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

The cheapest is at Petsmart for 13$ with a heater for 15$ plus substrate and plants. It'll be pretty cheap actually.


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

Your fish will start eating soon, it may not be eating at the moment due to a bit of stress over the new environment.

In small tanks, as the previous poster stated, 100% daily water changes (WCs) are necessary because toxins will build up too quickly and this will be harmful for your betta.

Just wondering.... you said you add water conditioner and fish tank cleaner. What is the fish tank cleaner?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

thank you Leroy and Arashi. Quebec doesnt have any Pet Smart that i know of. I do know of 3 pet shops on the street nearby. I'll have to do some research at those 3 shops. Not sure if it'll run me $30 but i'll search for a something. I dont have much free real estate to put it in my room which is why the 1 gal tank looks useful but i might have 1 sopt for a 2.5. 

i put some nutrafin fishbowl clear that says itimproves water quality and reduces visible waste. It doesn't substitute for water conditioner.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Welcome to the forum!
3 Gallon Kritter Keeper- 10$
heater 15-20$
decor 10-20$ 
filter (optional)- 10-20$

COST: 35-45$ not a lot really...


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

It's a lot when you don't have it.


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> it's a lot when you don't have it.


amen!!!!


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> It's a lot when you don't have it.


So true, I have like four dollars in my checking account right now.. can't wait until pay day lol.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah, me too! Just went and spent $60 at the grocery store so we can eat this week. lol


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm down to $8 :/ Anyway, like other people were saying, you should change the water every day. Back when I was using a .5 gal for a hospital tank, I used a 1 gal jug of treated water to make everything easier. It made water changes take about five minutes, tops.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Neil D said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> 3 Gallon Kritter Keeper- 10$
> heater 15-20$
> decor 10-20$
> ...


thank you for giving me some approximate prices for the items. how much effect does a filter have to reduce toxins in water?


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

I wouldn't bother getting one for a three-gallon, especially if you're on a budget. Basically, it makes it so that you don't have to do 100% water changes, but a three-gal is small enough to do those kinds of changes without problem. They're typically used in 5 gallons and up, because you can set up a steady cycle for them.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

TheCrysCat said:


> I wouldn't bother getting one for a three-gallon, especially if you're on a budget. Basically, it makes it so that you don't have to do 100% water changes, but a three-gal is small enough to do those kinds of changes without problem. They're typically used in 5 gallons and up, because you can set up a steady cycle for them.


ty, do you still need 100 wc with 2.3 gal tanks?


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Yes. Any tank without a filter will need 100% changes. I have four 2.5 gallon tanks, and for them I do one 100% and one 50% per week.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Yep. You do still need to do 100% WC. In a 2-3g tank, you need to do about 1-50% and 1-100% change a week, so two water changes each week.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i just went looking for some fish tanks, slim pickings in the 2-5 gal tanks. i found some 5 gal tanks but it $43, no heater (+$35) but a filter. the same shop has a 10gal tank heater, led lights filter and most of the equipement minus bubbler. its $78 without tax. the other shop has 5 gal tanks for $60 no heater but a filter. im at a slight loss that the 2-5 gal tank are a rare item in the stores for a decent price. i'll search the net for more pet stores nearby but its still not looking too good for 2-5 gal tanks. i'll drop by walmart hopefully they might have something. im not exactly on a budget but i only plan to have 1 betta or 2 if i find a green one i like. its just that its my first fish and im a bit reluctant to go the full 9 yards with tanks larger than 5gal right away.

regarding betta fish collours in general, how often would you find a solid green betta (not turquoise) on the market?


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Welcome to the forum 

not often.... true solid green is hard to find. The only place I've seen greenish blue (or anywhere near green) bettas would be online at someplace like aquabid.com.... but those fish are crazy expensive.

If you don't have kritter keepers, a cheap alternative would be a sterlite tub. I found a 4 gallon semi-clear sterlite tub in my basement, and I know they cost maybe 1-4 dollars (depending on the size) in most stores where I am. Obviously they aren't the best looking things in the world, but it'd do the job. As for heaters, I think Walmart (not sure if you would have it in Canada) sells some pretty cheap heaters in the fish department.

Filters are impractical (IMO) for any tank less than 5 gallons, because it is hard to maintain a steady cycle in smaller tanks.


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## paws (Feb 25, 2008)

Yes believe it or not Canada does have Wal-Marts. ;-) Haha! I always have found it cheaper to purchase an empty 10 gallon for around $10 and buy some subtrate, a plant, a hideout, a heater and filter. Of course purchasing the food and water conditioner as well. But beinging a first time fish owner that might be difficult to get everything that you need.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

A 3G will need one 50% change a week and one 100% a week IMO. I *think* a filter will eliminate that 50% change, but the 100%'s are a necessity. Even a 10G without a filter will need 100% changes. To make things simple, I would just get a 5 gal tank kit from walmart (Ive seen them in Canada) for 30$ and cycle the tank. Its much easier that way. You will need to spend extra $$ for the heater though.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

No, the filter takes care of the need to do 100's. By your logic, a person with a larger, cycled tank would destroy the bacteria needed for a cycle every time that they did a 100%, and that's just impractical. It's next to impossible to lug, say, a 20 gallon around, so that's why a person would get a filter for a tank that large. I have my 5.5 gal downstairs until I get a filter for it, because it would be nye on impossible to carry it up and down the stairs for water changes. For a three gallon, it would make it have 2x50% changes per week.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

No, you misunderstood . I was just explaining why there was the need to do 100% changes in tanks without the filter. If someone were to do 2X50% changes weekly on a 3G, the tank would try to cycle. No one should do 100% changes on a cycled tank. I definitely don't.

And the possibility that you can have a filter and _not _cycle it.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Sorry, I'm really tired right now  Still, I've heard other, more expirienced members talk about doing 2x50% water changes in a filtered 2.5 gal, so I'm assuming another half gallon wouldn't be much of a difference.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

The 2 X 50% changes are for any tank in the cycling stage. Once the tank cycles, you only need 1 X 50% change weekly.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Really? Because I assumed it was because without a filter you have the 100% in there, so you just replaced it with a 50%. I'd still do it that way, because it's hard to hold down a cycle in a tank that small, so it would be better to just assume that it was in some stage of cycling or not cycled at all.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

the 2 50% changes would have some ammonia constantly in the tank, which will cause the tank to cycle. With 1 50% and 1 100% weekly, the ammonia will be kept at near 0 ppm by the fish keeper rather than the bacteria.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Then what's the point of anyone having a filter in anything less than 5 G? Water changes would be the same regardless.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

To reduce the amount of changes, by removing the need for the 50% ones. Then you only have to do the 100% weekly. This would be an _uncycled tank._


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Here's a link to another thread (about a month old, so I wouldn't recommend posting) that was discussing it: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=68807


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i did find a tetra 100 watt heater 2-15 gallons for $12 along with a tank/aquarium that is either $45-50. it could work out well enough with something like that. how often do you need to change water in 1 gallon tanks? i presume 50% 1 day and 100 on day 2. i really want to get a 5 gallon tank later on. at this point im stuck between a heated 1 gallon and a 5 gallon. the one gallon because i dont know how well i could take care for a betta and to see how long it may last. Its the same uncertainty if i jump to a 5 gal and it doesnt last long. i think it may dissappear once i can get the fish to eat properly rather than 1 nibble so far. i hate this uncertainty i have for the fish's health.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Yeah, that's the minimum for a 1 gal. That should be fine.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

TheCrysCat said:


> Yeah, that's the minimum for a 1 gal. That should be fine.


Thanks, btw how do you feed a betta frozen brine shimp or blood worms? they fall to the bottom of the tank darn fast.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

I put a little bit of them in a container, then use a toothpick to dangle them in the water. Just make sure they don't start nomming on the toothpick


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

TheCrysCat said:


> I put a little bit of them in a container, then use a toothpick to dangle them in the water. Just make sure they don't start nomming on the toothpick


i understand how that works on the worms, what about the brime shrimp?


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

I've never used them, but they might stick to the toothpick... or maybe you could spear one at a time?


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

A heated one gal should be fine, as the heater is the key IMO. I think the 5G will be better for you and the fish, but you know...As for the heater, I assume that you mean 10W right? 100W is for 20G Tanks!!


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

100W is fine if the heater is adjustable. My 50W is for 10g's and it heats my 14g perfectly.  So it depends.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i think that i'll stay with a 1 gal heated for a few months as a trial . i'll probably get a 5 gal once i get some more space to put in and if the fish is alive and doing well 3-4 months from now. im not the type that goes all out for any living creature (non-human) if im in unfamiliar territory. i do want it to live for 3-5 years if possible. the 1 gal heated kept our friends' fish alive a few years so it should do fine for a few months on mine.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Bettas are hardy fish, I know a super healthy one can last for weeks without food, so a day or two for your fish won't be bad. I'm not sure what you are feeding, but 2-3 pellets presoaked twice a day would be fine. If he doesn't accept them, just remove them, and try again the next feeding time. If he still doesn't eat, presoak them in garlic juice. Garlic juice increases the appetite 

If you go for the heated 1 gallon, I advise a smaller heater. 5 watts per gallon is the general rule a thumb. Also, just so you know, bettas can live a good 5 to 7 years in the proper conditions. If you manage to get a 5 gallon heated, and cycle it, it'd make it much easier to keep your new boy healthy well into his old age.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ive tried feeding it at 3pm most of the days. so far nothing from spitting out one pellet. i'll try the garlic juice to see if it takes it. that aside it did bite the metal round tip of the temperature probe on my multimeter lol. ive tried using it to draw its attention to the food, no luck yet.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Try your finger, that may get his attention. I also stick a pellet to my finger with water and he jumps to get it. Try that. Keep us posted


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

so far in the past 3 feeding sessions nothing worked atm. might be my technique. tried hanging a worm off a toothopick nada, pushed around a pellet with a toothpick and finger and hanging a pellet (with and without garlic juice) over the water.it does come to the surface when i open the lid but i cant tell if the betta can see the pellet offering.it does suck air thru its mouth often when i try to feed it but i never is ligned up to take it in. would a stress reliever conditioner be useful?

the pet shop near my house has so many bettas for sale they have 10 or so in small plastic bags with approximately 1/4 cup of water or even less. just how bad is that for the fish? all those can do is just sit in one place.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Well, every time a betta breathes through it's gills, it releases trace ammonts of ammonia, which build up and won't go away until the water is changed. In a small baggie of water, ammonia can build up to lethal levels in a matter of a day or less

Have you tried soaking and then slightly squeezing the pellet before dropping it in? When you do this and drop it right infront of his face, it'll sink and might initiate a reaction. My little sister's fish was young enough when she first bought him where he didn't recognize the pellets as food until she made it sink right infront of his nose. After a few feedings like that he began to realize pellets were food


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Yeah, it's pretty bad. They end up basically inhaling their own poo, along with the ammonia thing JKfish brought up. Then, there's the fact that they can't even stretch their fins out all the way.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

thank you, i have tried soaking and i did squeeze a few pellets (they do sink fast :-?). it did lately follow the pellets down most of the way. from what i can understand now, it probably hasn't made the link to recognize the pellets are food. do i keep it up and it will make the link? a few days? how do i train it to eat other foods? mine seems rather young i guess, 1 cm high and 1 inch long not counting the fins.


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## Yosilior (Mar 24, 2011)

Hey welcome to the forum nel, I am a brand spanking novice to keeping bettas also; I just bought a rather small one today. But I sincerely hope that you plan on upgrading your betta's living space mighty soon, as he might be able to exist in it, but he won't be living. It's like an adult living in a phone booth his entire life.:-( Anyways, in most cases, I would'nt put a fish in a tank that it can't swim full speed in.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Nel, well... your betta might take a while. I know it took my avvie a good week before he finally figured it out XD. I'm sure your boy will make the association soon. Try other foods like flakes in the mean time. If he takes those, then that's great. You can get some food in him then slowly switch him over to pellets. Be sure to remove the food that he ignores, having it sitting in his jar and rotting would deteriorate the water quality very quickly.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i just tried feeding it a few minutes ago. feed it 12 soft pellets it ate the equivalent of 1 of the or a bit less. it eats at the top 20% of the tank, follows food down but doesn't touch the ones on the bottom. it seems it gets the basic idea 30% to eat/nibble the pellets. haven't tried the worm or brine shrimp yet. i'll need to clean the whole tank again. not sure if its a good idea but i do fish out the previous pellets that sunk with a round metal knife. it sure does flare when it sees itself. probably better off with a plastic knife if anything.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Well, if you can get 2 pellets in him each time, then that's good  So, does he have a name?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

my brother named it bubble face nelson. i just dropped it down to Nel.

how often would one come along a green pk betta like the pic? i would buy that one in an instant.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/the_piggy/MPlakatgreenbetta.jpg


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

chances are that picture was taken with flash on the camera... A lot of blueish bettas look green with flash. But, it depends on where you find them. Petco would be like 12 dollars... I think. Online from a thailand breeder on aquabid.com would be 15 or so dollars plus shipping.


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## mwc (May 26, 2011)

it be fine just change the water out befor you go and feed him the right amount just dont over feed him


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Thank you JK fish, i just fed it again. It had about half a pellet and the equivalent of 2 Blood worms. The pellets are spit out often but the blood worms are taken in quite fast without spitting (aside from longer sections). 

I have to change the water now and i'll stop feeding it for 2 days or so. I just wanted to over feed it a bit this one time to compensate for the 9 days it didn't eat. This is the second successful feeding and blood worms were the main item. Will this spoil Nel to reject pellets? Thank you every one for the helpful tips to find out why it didn't eat for a while. Do toothpick bites damage the Betta's mouth?

I'll be getting the 1 gal heated with days when my friends drop it off. They have 2 Betta tanks, not sure what specs the 2nd has but 1 gal will for a while.

I should try taking a photo with flash to see it it turns green like that. Either way it looks like a true green Betta will be hard to find.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Not all bettas will look green with flash, it depends on what undertones of color and irredescene your betta has. For example the photo below is Tux (my avvie)'s aquabid photo with flash. It makes him look dark metallic greenish but his coloration without flash is blueish with a hint of green in the right lights with black fins.









Anyways, are you feeding him frozen or freezedried bloodworms? If you are feeding freezedried, I'd hold back on them seeing as they are unhealthy (like betta fish potatoe chips and junk food). if they are frozen, go ahead and feed, they are very good when it comes to bulking a betta up. And you only have to fast a betta for one whole day a week. Two isn't necessary.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Thanks for posting a pic of your fish, it looks cool under flash. Iridescent fish are quite the colourful species. Its also a good lesson to consider when buying online. The blood worms are frozen, not freeze dried. How many is too much? The guy at the pet store said half a single cube is good for 2 days.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

I'm gonna butt in quickly. Here on the forum we refer to our Bettas as "he" or "she."  haha just sayin':-D LOL


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Neil D said:


> I'm gonna butt in quickly. Here on the forum we refer to our Bettas as "he" or "she."  haha just sayin':-D LOL


i think its a he. saw it blow some bubbles on a few occasions near the top of the tank.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

honestly, half a cube is more than enough for a long time for a single fish. I feed mine until their bellies bulge a wee bit (so 4-5 good sized larve). Betta's bellies are directly behind their gills and pectoral fins (pectorals are the fins that wave and are like little hand things).

if you post a picture of him, we could identify correctly his or her gender. Males have longer ventral fins (the two fins that dangle below the belly), longer fins (most of the time) and blow bubble nests.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

^+1


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

sorry if the pics are not the best, small weird shaped tank only allows so many angles.



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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

That is a male, IMO.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

That _is_ a male. As I recall though that tank isn't bigger than a gallon...


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Neil D said:


> That _is_ a male. As I recall though that tank isn't bigger than a gallon...


its still the half gallon tank. i have reminded them already about the 1 gal tank. i would like to get it asap but they're offering to give it to me, i dont want to push my luck in constantly nagging them. i could probably find a 2.3 gal tank or something similar but i havent yet been able to hop south of the border to search for 2-3 gal tanks. i'll probably call again today as i have 4 days off atm.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Oh haha sorry, this thread is 7 pages now


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ive fed my fish a few pellets today and no frozen items. i wanted to try the flakes my friend gave me (their's hated flakes). mine ate each one i gave it. i think it may be cause mines young so it has yet to make a choice on what it hates. the flakes are nutrafin max 45% protein, i still prefer giving it pellets but flakes are less of a mess if they're small enough so he doesnt spit them. the flakes do contain wheat but they dont say how much there are in an flake. are these flakes good to feed it without causing bloating?


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

It's alright to feed flakes to mix up the feedings, but IMO pellets are better. What were the first three ingredients in the flakes?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

JKfish said:


> It's alright to feed flakes to mix up the feedings, but IMO pellets are better. What were the first three ingredients in the flakes?


ty, i might do that every 2 days or less. 45 protein, 5.5 fat, fiber mass 2.5, moisture mass 8, phosphorus min 0.6 phosphrus max 1, ash mass 9.5.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

took the time to take some good pics of my fish after i fed and changed its water. mine doesnt go green under flash it seems, didnt post those those pics. i dont think mine has any sort of special colour pattern but i still love it. i'm thinking about getting a second betta, probably a cambodian or marble as green bettas are rare it seems. im am partial to getting some varriaeties with larger fins ie halfmoons and suns etc. i'll look south of the border for any 2-5 gal tanks b4 picking out a 2nd betta. which fish are better off to rescue? those in mason jars or tiny little bags? so far ive seem many like mine and full red ones in there.

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didnt manage to catch the sunlight on the fish on this shot

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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

First, I would get Nel set up in a proper set up with clean water and a heater, and see how well you can handle one fish before diving into a second fish, set up , etc. And, there really isn't such a thing as a special color pattern. Sure, some colors are a bit harder to find than others, but that doesn't exactly make them special. (IMO, blues are an awesome color~ )

As far as "rescuing" I personally don't consider buying a betta rescuing it unless it is in horrible conditions, and you manage to get it for free, since buying supports the facilities you bought it from and the store will just get another one to replace the one you bought. 

However, if you want to buy one, I would try to buy one from a store with the better. This way you are supporting the store that provides decent care to their fish. I know it might sound cruel, but like I said before, if you support a store that has horrible conditions, all you are doing is condeming another betta to those conditions.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ty, im still waiting for a 1 gal heated tank as there is nothing that reasonably priced in any store nearby my house in 2-5 gal tanks. i might have better luck in a store in usa when i have time to go there. i will only get a new one when/if i find a good setup for a good price after a few month with the current fish. in prepartion of waiting on the 1 gal heated ive set the water at 24 celsius in the unheated tank. how much of a tempeature rise will shock the fish when it gets in a 26-28 celsuis tank?

theres a store a few minutes drive that has 20-30 bettas in .5-.75L wall mounted containers and none in bags. will this place be better when in the future to purchase from? 

ive seen some blue betta's on this forum with red tails, is mine also likely to progress the same way with the red currently on his tail?

thats the thing i hate about pet stores, they have animals in such small living quaters. id rather go to pet shelters/spca for something for some non marine pets.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

If you acclimate correctly by floating him in his 1/2 gallon tank in the warmer tank for about 15 minutes, he should be fine and not shocked at all. When you go down and if you find better priced tanks, I'd definately go for that. A heated 1 gallon is fine temporarily, but a 2.5 is optimal. 

I typically can't really judge just by the size of the container (though cups sounds much better than bags!). try and find out how often they clean the water, look at the health of the fish, see how clean their water looks (of course, even disgusting water can still look clear), look at the health of their bettas. Are a lot of the bettas sick with clamped rotten fins, or do the majority seem healthy?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

thank you, the 1 gal heated filtered tank is being prepped for me. not sure when its ready but not too long to wait now. it has equipement for most fish, light, heater, filter and cover, not sure of a bubbler though. how much would a filter cut down on water changes if the 1 gal heated? when their fish was a live they did 100 wc a week.

I didnt have that much chance. i was kinda pressed for time to check for tanks that day. the floor wasnt that very crowded, 1 employee at around 5:30 pm and he was busy with a customer. as for the fish the water was rather clear and no big signs of fin damage. most seemed healthy if not a bit lethagic due to the container size. i did take a look for about a minute for all the fish but my priority then was tank prices and availbility. though they did have more variety from blues and reds in the other store (red, blue, 1 cambodian). whenever the times comes i might get a marbled from the farther shop, im jealous of lion mom's astro betta :s.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

nel3 said:


> thank you, the 1 gal heated filtered tank is being prepped for me. not sure when its ready but not too long to wait now. it has equipement for most fish, light, heater, filter and cover, not sure of a bubbler though. *how much would a filter cut down on water changes if the 1 gal heated? *when their fish was a live they did 100 wc a week.
> 
> I didnt have that much chance. i was kinda pressed for time to check for tanks that day. the floor wasnt that very crowded, 1 employee at around 5:30 pm and he was busy with a customer. as for the fish the water was rather clear and no big signs of fin damage. most seemed healthy if not a bit lethagic due to the container size. i did take a look for about a minute for all the fish but my priority then was tank prices and availbility. though they did have more variety from blues and reds in the other store (red, blue, 1 cambodian). whenever the times comes i might get a marbled from the farther shop, im jealous of lion mom's astro betta :s.



The heater doesn't affect the amount of water changes you do, and there is really no point to a filter in anything smaller than 2.5-5 gallons. The amount of water changes in a one gallon aren't really affected. You will need to do 100% every other day in a one gallon tank. And bettas don't need bubblers, they breathe air from the surface.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

I think that 1 100% every three days is fine, but I don't speak from experience....


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Personally, in a 1 gallon, I would do 100% at the minimum once every other day, but 100% ever other day and a 50% between would be good too


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ty, i don't know if it has a bubbler but i dont intend to turn it on even if it has one. i guess 50 and 100 wcis the way to go. doing 100 wc is a bit annoying each day but i have no choice with a .5 gal tank. are 2 betta pellets and 1 flake a day overfeeding it? thats the usual thng im doing these days for a feeding regimen for 5 days of the week and a bunch of bloodworms the day before the fasting day.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

nel3 said:


> ty, i don't know if it has a bubbler but i dont intend to turn it on even if it has one. i guess 50 and 100 wcis the way to go. doing 100 wc is a bit annoying each day but i have no choice with a .5 gal tank. are 2 betta pellets and 1 flake a day overfeeding it? thats the usual thng im doing these days for a feeding regimen for 5 days of the week and a bunch of bloodworms the day before the fasting day.


What type of bloodworms? If they are freeze dried, feed only one worm once or twice a week.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

turtle10 said:


> What type of bloodworms? If they are freeze dried, feed only one worm once or twice a week.


frozen blood worms and i give 2-3 to the fish on the day (no pellets or flakes) b4 the fasting day.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Okay frozen bloodworms are great anytime


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i think ive over fed my betta a bit, i usually put 4 peices of food 2-3 pellets and the re 2-3 pellets and the consists of flakes. there's no serious bulge but a slight enough hump from the gill to the front of the anal fin. should i let it fast a few days at a higher room temp than 20 celsius (.5 gal unheated) or will fasting be sufficient alone placed in front of a window?


nel3 said:


> Uploaded with ImageShack.us


a pic from a few days ago the bulge is a tiny but bigger than in the picture.


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

He looks healthy to me. No need for fasting. Only when he gets seriously bloated should you fast him.


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## coldstar6 (Jun 9, 2011)

*i got a betta...*

this is my first betta...well first two bettas...i got a female and a male. i put them in the tank together and they interacted a little....=S
but nothing happened i fished the female out right away...
you think i messed up bad by doing so


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

im thinking today will be its last day the .5 gal tank. got the 1gal tank nearly ready. its not the blue rocks that sit on the bottom of the .5 gal but a mix of whites greens and browns of light shades. should i add some of the familiar blue rocks in the 1 gal to lessen the stress of alien environment? i will trasfer the fake plastic tree as its all i have for decorations. would walmart have decent prices for tank decorations?

i'll probably cut back on its meals to 2 pellets a day just for a while to be safe.


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## TwilightNite (Mar 3, 2011)

Yeah, I think Walmart has decent prices on decor.
You should go and see if it is good for you.


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

nel3 said:


> im thinking today will be its last day the .5 gal tank. got the 1gal tank nearly ready. its not the blue rocks that sit on the bottom of the .5 gal but a mix of whites greens and browns of light shades. should i add some of the familiar blue rocks in the 1 gal to lessen the stress of alien environment?


Don't bother with adding the blue rocks to ease the transition for him, it's still all new to him. Even if you used all the blue rocks in your new 1 gallon, ít's still all new to him. He'll adjust fine & go explore his new place!


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

thank you leroy, how long do you think it would be stressed out with the new tank? mine took 9 days for the .5 gal, would the same adjustment delay shorter or roughly the same?

would adding a drop or 2 of nutrafin gold bowl conditioner (5ml/2gal) along with a 90% mix of nutrafin bettta conditioner (5ml/.5 gal) cause longterm fin burn? my friend once put too much conditioner and burned its fins abit. i heard goldfish fins are more resilient so its no problem, not sure as far as betta fins will deal with it.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Do not put females and males together! They fight. Although I know you took her out, but unless ur ready to breed, do not.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

coldstar6 said:


> this is my first betta...well first two bettas...i got a female and a male. i put them in the tank together and they interacted a little....=S
> but nothing happened i fished the female out right away...
> you think i messed up bad by doing so


You should start your own thread, also NEVER put males and females together.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i put the betta in the 1 gal tank today along with a small plastic marina red ludwigia and marina floating thermometer. he hasnt really explored the bottom of the tank yet but he soon will. tooks a look at some of the betta's they had for sale, saw 4 white lyre tails/double tails. some had blue or red but one was 99% white with a small pink line just b4 the caudal tail. no camera on me atm for the white betta.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
just what is it with pet shops saying 100 wc are to be avoided and to keep 75% water at all times so any protective bacteria build up an immune system? so far 2 days in the .5gal have only given a .6mg/l nh3/nh4 with no ph level test taken.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

The pet shops are wrong. Beneficial bacteria will not grow with out a filter. The only time bacteria is a good thing is when you are trying to achieve the nitrogen cycle in your tank.

If you never do a 100% change the levels keep rising.


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## StillNew (Jun 10, 2011)

Hey guys! What will i do if i clean my fish tank? and do I need a heater even though I live in the Philippines? please and thank you....  God bless...


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

StillNew said:


> Hey guys! What will i do if i clean my fish tank? and do I need a heater even though I live in the Philippines? please and thank you....  God bless...


You should start your own thread, you will get a lot more answers. Also, do you mean how do you clean your tank?


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