BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

Hello Everyone, This is Bellea, a newcomer,

I found this fish quote while I was looking at sites on betta fish care to help my sick fish Bubbles. Thought I might share it with you Betta lovers. It reminds me so much of Bubbles and it probably will your fish too. Enjoy!

"How about this, when your Betta gets to know you, he'll flutter around happily when you approach, unlike other fish who don't even know you're alive. He'll show off his vibrant color, spreading his beautiful fins, and push against the glass of his bowl as if he wants to come out and greet you. And you don't have to walk him or bath him!" :kiss:

Ha Bellea !

I read that same quote somewhere ! We must be going to the same sites ! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Emg

Hi Bellea. I am glad Bubbles is eating again. Four pellets a day is plenty, even if he begs for more! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yes, it needs to sit out to become at least room temperature. Emg's method of using a heater in the bucket is even better. But the conditioning chemicals should take care of the chemicals in your tap water instantly.

As far as how much to use, it's easier to get a conditioner made for bettas, because the manufacturers know you are using a small container and can give you exact amounts. Or you will have to do the math! Wal-Mart does not sell BettaFix, either, which I think every betta owner should have stock in... <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

be careful not to do a complete water change. You need to establish a biological system in the water to process the ammonia and nitrites into safe nitrate. Bacteria eventually live in the gravel to take care of this, and a complete water change kills this system. Then you have to start from scratch which puts the fish under stress. Please read the articles on my topic to help you understand this. PLease use tap water and don't worry about pH and alkalinity. Bettas are tough in that regard. Worry about ammonia and nitrites. When you read about that, you willlearn that those are caused by fish wastes and rotting food. Every fish keeper needs to understand all this.

If you put a table lamp over his bowl, the temps will improve. Or you can get him a tank with a light hood. Check the thread in this forum about betta products.


Fake plants and Wal-mart decorations are just fine. I think the cave is fine and your fish seems to like it. Fish like to have a safe place to hide.


that means change only 25% (or whatever) of the water - not all of it. try to siphon up the yucky stuff at the bottom. Then add new conditioned water to the top.

Do some more reading on my Fish topic, especially the articles in the back of the archives, and let me know how things are going. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jilly

I picked up some "AP Plus" Anti-Fungus and Fin Rot" treatment for little green. This product was recommended by one of the more knowledgeable persons in PetSmart's fish dept. She told me that she has never had to use more than 2 treatments with this stuff to rid her fish of whatever fungus they had. We'll see.

The BettaFix doesn't seem to be working on this gill thing she has. Teal is also being treated for a rather persistant little spot of fin rot on his tail. Just one small spot but it keeps traveling up and is still a bright red color even though I have been treating him with bettafix for about 4 days now. Oh well, they are both vigorous and healthy looking except for these little annoyances. Will do a 50 percent water change on them tomorrow (as advised by knowledgeable PetSmart staff)...and try the new meds.

What a sad lot of Bettas I saw today while touring the fish depts. I brought one of the poor things right to one of the staff as he was covered in fungus ! He took him right to the back room, don't know if he flushed him or what...didn't ask. Wish they would take the time to care for these fish a bit better.. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Emg

Hi Jilly,

Thanks for all the info on bubbles, he is pretty much back to his old self again. He wants to eat like a pig as usually. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I wanted to ask what brand of food do you use, do you feed your fish worms? One of the reasons I asked was b/c my brand of fish food says that feeding your fish 3 times a day is ok and that you can give it 6 pellets each time. I have never done that much before, but 4 pellets doesn't seem like enough to me, so I was just wondering what other bottles said to feed your betta. I am still researching a lot on how to best take care of bubbles. He is doing much better now but I want to keep him that way. I right now am still looking into getting him a bigger space to live in and concerned mostly right now with temps of the water and learning to only do a partial water change. I have a great desk lap that I think will help in keeping his water warmer. I am going to try and find some of the conditioning solution you suggested using before I switch him over to tap water. Thanks for all the help, Bellea! :rolling:

EMG, :beamedup:

We must be going to the same sites, I just loved that quote I posted. You are so right about all those <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> poor little fish, it makes you want to take them all home. They really could do a better job with them. I looked at all you fish photos, WOW, they all look so great. How do you do it? All the houses were so nicely decorated. Good Job! Also I was wanting to know what kinds of foods other people feed their bettas, like the brand and then do you give your fish a variety of choices and if so what? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Bellea! :rolling:

Hi Bellea. Did you see this article on rating betta food:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16329.asp

I also have a few food reviews to add. In fact, I should open up a new thread about betta food, to keep from cluttering this one.

Bellea

Thanks ! I really have a good time decorating these tanks. I have noticed one thing though concerning the gravel I have been using. I see that the males fins are starting to get all tattered up on the bottoms..I think it is from swimming along the bottom against the gravel. My Mr Blue looks the worse..(after I got him all healed up from the Ick that he had !) He would also keep swimming between the plants I had in there. So...I took out all the plants except for the wreath I had made to cover the top of the bubbler (to slow the current).

Another issue which could be contributing to his appearance is the fact that I have been keeping his light on all the time to keep the water temp from fluctuating. A little experiment to see how that would work for him. I have been turning off his light at night now.

Right now, Teal and my Little Green are looking good. I have teated them both with a stronger med for Teal's fin rot spot and Green's fuzzy gill. I did do another dose for both of them as there is still a small spot on Teal's fin that still looks a bit red and I am not sure that Greens gill is quite right yet, but her eye looks great !

As far as food for my fish. I give them all 2 pellets of Betta Bio-Gold and 1 0r 2 pellets of Aqua Culture Betta Pellets in the A.M. and the same in the P.M. Occasionally I give them freeze dried bloodworms and/or some flightless fruit flies which I only just picked up the other day. Those things are more trouble..haha..just trying to get the top opened without them all coming out.
I'm not sure if this is a good mix for them or not, I havn't really had my fish all that long..a month or two. They seem to be doing well enough..though at first I did have a few instances of constipation with one or two of them...maybe from a change in diet from what they were getting at the store...who knows.

I am really enjoying this new found hobby and learning all the time by trial and error. I am really looking forward to trying my hand at breeding.

Emg <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Here's the link to the new fish food rating thread:

http://www.bellaonline.com/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=9&t=000068

I also added Emg's info there, to kick things off.

Emg, keeping the light on should not be damamging your fish. It's not really a studied phenom other than knowing that natural cycle simulation is best for fish, but constant light or constant dark should not make your fish sick.

I am still searching for the best compromise for heating! Am not sure if using a jr heater in a one gallon is okay - keep the temps closer to 90 than I like. maybe the heating pad, but we will have to hear back from Glo on that.