BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish bringing home new betta fish

well they're not really babies but they're new.. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

i bought 4 fighters today. they're in thier own little containers being treated.. as a precaution.
i've got:
UJIO (U-G-O)a blue male..
Vegeta a purple blue male..
Pan a purple female
and
Sayuki a redish greyish purple female.


hopefully they will be okay this time round.
any suggestions on when i should be able to put them in their new home?
and whether it would be wise to put a filter,

Hello Kei,

I too just picked up a new betta yesturday. An irridecent green female who looks pretty ragged. She is such a pretty green color even if her fins are all eaten up and she has a swelling or growth or something on one eye...I couldn't leave her there. She looked lively enough if a bit weary, I thought I would take her home and see if I could fix her up a bit. Can't wait to see what she looks like all sprouced up and healthy !

Besides my new little girl I have another very blue female and 4 males......blue/green, pinkish red, fruit punch red and a very pretty white with teal colored semi verigated fins ( a rejected butterfly betta I think)

I think 6 bettas are enough for now...but I am thinking of trying my hand at breeding..if only one batch. Would be interesting to see what kind of colors I would get.

This is turning into a fun hobby, if expensive...I keep picking up new tanks everytime I go to a store, not to mention meds, water conditioner, aquarium decorations and gravel...etc. etc.....been at PetSmart every weekend for the past 6 weeks ! :rolleyes: They know me by my first name ! Ah well, I do like these little fish !

Emg2 :love:

Hi Kei. Remind me again of your betta set-ups: sizes of housing, what they are made of, etc. A filter is good if you have a heater (the Jr Heater at Wal-Mart is the only small one I've found). Also, the current from the filter needs to be broken up to prevent lots of water movement...we can discuss this later.

Definately keep the bettas quarantined in their little cups for now. treating them with bettafix is fine, but other medications might be too strong as a prophyllactic, so tell me what you are using, ok?

This time, everyone will be just fine!!! :love:

hey Emg! Pretty little girl betta! Nice job finding a green. Yes, keep her in the quiet, the warmth and a little darker than usual, so she has a peaceful place to heal up. It's nice of you to give her a good home and save her little life!

Who are you thinking of breeding her to? I asume you've been reading up the breeding. You have to be careful, or your boy in mind will beat her up. Also, both of them will eat their babies...such is the life of a fighting carnivore <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, they know me at PetsMart too! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> And I am always harassing the Wal-Mart employees to take better care of their fish...it's pretty sloppy there... <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Jilly

I have been reading quite a bit about breeding bettas. Sounds pretty ruff and I certainly wouldn't consider trying it with any less than healthy fish. I would certainly be on hand to keep an eye on how it goes. The 10 gallon set ups I have read about with a handy place for the female to hide if she needed to (something to keep between her and her amorous suitor) sound like a good idea if I were to try it.

We'll see, right now though I am just concentrating on learning how to properly take care of these fascinating little creatures..AND..to find a setup that I and the bettas are happy with! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

...and you aren't kidding about Walmart in the fish department ! Everytime I go there, there are dozens of dead little fish floating around in the tanks...one tank had quite a few that looked like they were covered in ick....nasty ! Not the place I would ever go to pick out a fish to put in a community tank ! I wish they would just give it up with the fish if they aren't going to go to the trouble to find an employee that knows how to take care of them....maybe I should apply ! ??

Emg2

Too true, Emg. The people who work in the pet section must think I am really annoying. I keep saying things like, "you could take those dead fish out of the loach tank....all your lyretails are covered in ich...this betta is dead...maybe you could treat these guys for fin rot..." Geez! I feel like a shrew, but these are living beings and deserve better. They also sell painted glassfish, which is a horrid practice. They've got to move away from selling live things - they can barely keep their plants alive.

RANT OVER.... :rolleyes:

HEy guys.,,. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> thanx for replying.. i'm sorry jill i'm not from the states, i'm from down under, so pet smart for me would just be individual aquarium stores for me, pet shops if they know what they're talking about.

HI, Emg. its nice to know that we all don't reject funny looking li'l fighters after all they're known for their individuality. i know what you mean, about having to fork out alot.. but its great. i've finally found something that keeps me interested for more than 3 days <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> and i might also try breeding but thats a bit down the track..

JILLY...
my set up is 2 tanks, one 10L which is 2.6gallons
and the other 14L which is 3.6 gallons. the smaller one is glass and the other is plastic. they have fresh water plants and gravel. and also a heater now. the fighters are being treated with MELA FIX, its really hard to find betta fix in australia. they seem to sell out all the time.

Kei,

Have you thought of ordering some bettafix online? I see it at different sites all the time. Probably would cost you a bit more with shipping costs and all..but if you need a few things and order them all together, it would help. I had found a power filter online and saved 10 dollars off the price at PetSmart.....shipping costs included ! This was a brand new filter..never used..so..you just never know what deals you will find online ! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Emg2

thanx Emg.. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> i'm going to a really big aquarium place tomorrow and i'll definately have to try and get sum betta fix from them. apparently they're supposed to be really good and have the best products. and if they don't have it then i guess i might have to order it from online..

the funniest thing happened today... i'm trying to keep a male and a femal betta in the same tank so i introduced them with Vegeta in the tank (my blue male) and Sayuki in a glass jar also in the tank..
i must have had her water level a li'l too high and she jumped out and in to the actual tank.. they were just getting acquanted until Vegeta got a li'l too friendly and wouldn't stop flaring and chasing after her.. so back in the jar she goes..
they didn't hurt each other though.

Hi Kei. I wouldn't advise keeping a male where a female can get at her. He will harrass her to death eventually. Unless you do a lot of reading about breeding, I wouldn't go this route.

Keeping them in dividers or jars in one big tank is okay, to a point. As you've learned, they are little jumpers! Also, read my new thread about Fish Dividers for my thoughts on using those properly.

I'm glad no one got hurt! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

So, how are you planning to set things up? The plants and gravel and heater sounds pretty good, and the tank sizes are fine.