# New to owning a betta



## swhitt (Feb 28, 2011)

I just bought my 1 year old son a Betta fish the other day (Fishy), and his uncle bought him a Tetra Betta Bowl kit for him. With never owning a Betta before, I just assumed that this would work out just fine considering that I did not know that a Betta needed warm water.

Before I bought him, he didn't really look that happy in the first place and seemed to cheer up some once I moved him out of his fish "cup" that he was originally in. He swims around a good amount, but I am not entirely sure how happy he is in his new home.

I [thankfully] found this website after everything was bought and Fishy settled in. The bowl that he is in right now is only about 1/2 gallon for water capacity and I cannot find a heating pad that is small enough for that size of a bowl. He hasn't really been eating much since he got here (maybe 1-2 pellets a day), and I am not sure if that is normal or not. I do not think that he likes this food and so I plan on buying a different type for him.

Before I changed his water, he was starting to make some bubbles on the surface of the water, but does not seem to be doing it now. I was wondering what I might be able to do to heat his water up since I cannot find a heating pad to fit the bowl. I am pretty sure that I do not have a desk lamp to try using and I don't want to keep disturbing him with taking water out and putting warmer water in.

I do plan on buying a Hawkeye AquaView 360, 2 Gallon Aquarium Kit to replace the bowl once I save up the money, but until then I am not sure what to do to make sure he is happy and healthy. It has only been a couple days, but I really do love this fish and want to make sure I don't accidentally kill him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## k2ofcu (Feb 5, 2011)

Hello and welcome!
I'm a new person too (so won't give too much technical advice) - but want to encourage you! 
It must be a busy night or our experts are on a 'crisis' thread- but be patient- they are TERRIFIC and well worth the wait! I've learned a LOT in a short time from them!
It's terrific that you care about Fishy and want to make him happy! 
I rescued a little guy in water so opaque/disgusting that I couldn't tell what his colors were until I brought him home.
I too started with the small bowl and am now in the midst of water changes in my (now 6 gallon!) aquarium!
You will find that any improvements you make to his life are very gratifying.

I suspect that they'll be telling you to change the water frequently- not so much for the temperature but in order to keep down the ammonia /other noxious stuff. 
I think I was at 50% changes daily while I was trying to get my tank set up (in a setup similar to yours). 
Do remember not to overfeed (that makes ammonia, too). 
However, I defer to the experts (who will be here soon!)
Welcome!


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## peachesxo (Jan 20, 2011)

Do not add warmer water to the tank to try to temporarily heat it up!! That will just do more bad than good and throw him into temperature shock which could kill him. Until you get the new tank with the heater, try to put him in a warm spot of the house, but nowhere that will heat the water up too much.. (ie away from windows, doors, airy places..)

and welcome to the forum lol


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## Goomba3 (Jan 20, 2011)

What I would suggest you do for heating your tank is put the tank on a heating pad. I have never tried it, but I have heard it suggested before. It will heat the tank up some, enough to keep him warm. You do not NEED a heater right away, especially if you're planning on getting one soon, though bettas only thrive in warmer water, so you're not going to see him perk up until you get one. I got a Zoo Med Betta Therm heater for my gallon tanks and while it only kept it around 75, it was warm enough while I worked on my 10-gallon. Here's a link: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4455060

1-2 pellets of food a feeding is fine, that's what I feed mine 2x a day. Bubble nests are an indicator he is happy, but some bettas will never make any nests, so don't stress too much about it right now.

You are making steps in the right direction! Good luck!


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## swhitt (Feb 28, 2011)

*Thank you*

Thank you everyone for the advise. When I woke up this morning he adding a new collection of bubble nests at the top of the bowl. He seems to be doing alright, but I wasn't sure how to tell if he is doing okay. I saw a few Bettas at the store that were in bad water conditions extremely low water(like fishy was) and was very cloudy I was telling my boyfriend that it makes me mad how people don't care about taking care of the fish at the store. I've owned a lot of fish in my life and they are not extremely hard to take care of. I just didn't really know what to do with a Betta, I've only owned a lot of Goldfish and Fruit Salad Tetras (not at the same time). But thank you for the advice


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