# friends for my betta



## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

Could someone please give me any hints as to how i can feed my white clouds without the betta eating it all up on them????? i don't want his friends to die from starvation but i also don't want my betta to die form over feeding, please any suggestions????:-D


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## GreenTea (Jan 31, 2011)

Cup your betta while you feed the others, just grab a clean tupperware container (preferably new) or petco cup, or something similar, scoop him into it and let it float in the tank while you feed the others =]

Out of curiosity, how are the clouds doing with the warmer temps? I know they can survive in lots of water temperatures but they thrive in cold water. They are cute fish..


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

Do the Clouds nip the bettas fins? I'd find it curious if they didn't. And just a pet peeve of mine, bettas don't have "friends". They are solitary fish, and they are tankmates.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

Oh thank you soo much  i will give it a go
Well I'm a newbie to fish i brought my betta for my daughter and have fallen in love with him  the lady at the pet shop tried getting me to buy a tiny box for the betta and i felt terrible to even think of him in a tiny cube so i got about a 1 litre tank for him, still too tiny after what i have been reading about betta's, so i will be investing in a bigger tank,heater and other bit's and pieces to make his life more happier for him. so at the moment the white clouds seem to be fine which i was also recommended to get as friends for him, have i made a mistake???? i don't have a heater for the tank as i was told they would not need it! but now after doing my research which i bloody should have done before even purchasing him i feel terrible


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

no the white clouds seem to stay away from the betta, i have seen him chase them around the tank they are only tiny little things. Will they grow bigger????


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## GreenTea (Jan 31, 2011)

It's ok, you're doing your best now and that's what is important. It's possible to keep them together but as you already know they should be in a much bigger tank. Some minnow tetras like that are kind of nippy, it depends on the personality of your betta. Returning the clouds might be a good idea, yeah. There is lots of bad info on bettas out there, and as an aggressive species they often do best solitary. Female bettas can be kept together under certain circumstances. But no, bettas don't need friends the way say like, rats or goldfish do best with companionship. Just keep doing research, clean water is most important. If you can keep the water clean while they're all together it'll be ok. Feel free to PM me with any questions.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

Oh thank you sooo sooo much


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

When you say a 1 litre tank......with a Betta and 6 White Clouds.....do you mean 1/4 of a gallon? If you're trying to keep other fish, I would say you should only try it In 10+ gallons.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

oh no just 2 white clouds and the betta fish  i have just ordered a 27 litre tank which i think is around 7 or 8 gallons, which should be sufficient????


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

It's 7 gallons. And im Very sorry, but that won't work  White Clouds actually need to be in Schools of at Least 6, and a minimum tank size is 10 gallons. If you live near a petco, you can get a 10 gallon bare for 12$.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

I live in a tiny town on the west coast of Tasmania and the nearest pet store is 2 hours away  i have made arrangements with another fish owner to take the little white clouds who also has them


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

Then a 7 gallon should be fine  if you want, you could maybe have a Nerite Snail With him. Sorry if this is stupid, but I always forget.....Tasmania doesn't have Tasmanian Devils, right? Or does it? Confused....


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

yep we sure do have Tassie Devils  just not the Tiger anymore it is extinct! but the poor Devils have these horrific face tumours  and are really in bad shape  although on the west coast of Tassie where i live the population has stayed clean and not infected with the tumours fingers crossed it stays that way  what sort of plant's will suit my betta when i get the new tank? and also i read something about quarantining the plants, what is that about? Also are fake once better or the real? and will he like a hiddie hole to rest in? i have seen him lounging on the fake plant he has in his tank resting, so thought maybe i should find something for him to hide in  i have a fresh water creek out the back of my home if i got some rocks out and scrubbed them up would they be suitable? Sorry I'm full of questions today just want to make his home happy for him


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

Aw, I heard about the Face Tumors  aren't they planning to breed ones free of disease, and then after the disease dies out introducing them? They type of plants depends on what Kind of lighting you have. Quarentining plants is so they don't carry snails, and they usually carry Hermaphroditic Snails, they can breed with themselves. 1 turns into 300. I like real plants, but they're really a pain so I'd reccomend Silk Plants. Yes, he will like a hide spot  the rocks might work, but after scrubbing put them in some vinegar, If they start bubbling don't use them, it will alter the Water Chemistry.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

oh thanx sooo much  yes they will reintroduce the devils back into the wild once it has died out


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

If you want some really nice silk plants, but can't get to a petshop, check out Acumen Aquatics on facebook (or join www.fishlore.com and PM Lea). The lady who runs it lives on mainland Australia (hello from there from me too, by the way!) and ships to Tassie.  They are completely betta safe and look really nice, much better than most plants you'll see in petshops. 
You probably won't be able to find a nerite - the only ones we can usually get in Australia are Mystery, Ramshorn and sometimes Malaysian Trumpet, none of which I would recommend. If you can get ghost shrimp, though, they might make some nifty tankmates. 
Does Tasmania have a version of allclassifieds, like we have in NSW/ACT? If so, that's always a good place to pick up some cheap fish, tanks and accessories.  Also, if you have a local aquarium society, I suggest joining. Again, cheap stuff, plus heaps of knowledge and experience. 

P.S - Diablo: if someone is speaking in litres, there's a good chance they aren't in the USA, so they probably won't have a Petco.


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## diablo13 (Jul 1, 2011)

I guess the litre thing makes sense, but just making sure.


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## Narissa1985 (Nov 8, 2011)

thanx bombalurina i will check out the site


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