BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Looking for Some Advice.

I was looking at my box of fish stuff today, and missing my Betta (RIP Alpha ;_;). I've been thinking of getting fish again, only I'm not sure the best way to go. I'd like to get a small tank instead of just the Betta bowl that I have from the kit, so that I can keep the temperature constant this time. I don't have a lot of space, so I was thinking something between 2-5 gallons, just big enough to have a heater and a filter.

The problem is though that in September I'll be heading back to school, and I'm worried about transporting the fish to school. I'd have no idea how to go about that. Also come January I'll be off on a Coop semester, and so I will be moving again, and at this point I have no idea where to as it will be wherever I can find a placement. It might be out of province...

I'm just wondering if anyone has experience in moving fish around from school to home, or even just to a new home, and has any advice that they can give. Also I'd like for my fish to last a little longer than 8 months as well, so does anyone have any advice with regards to that? (ie: how to set up healthy living conditions, advice for when I'm buying a fish, etc.) The other question I have is on what type of fish to get. I had a Betta before, and am thinking I might get a Betta again, but what other types of fish are easy to take care of? and can handle missing a few days of feeding if necessary (ie: if I went home for just a weekend, I'd leave my Betta at school, because I'd only be gone two nights so he'd only miss one day of food)? Also what types of fish can live in the same tank with a Betta?

Thanks for any advice people have to offer

I think that in small tanks it is hard to keep other fish with bettas, but if you do you can't go with agressive fish that are fin nippers, because they'll tear a betta's tail.

I bring my fish home from college and back every break. When I do it, I've been putting him in a 1 gallon (US) bowl that is half full, and put saran wrap over it with a rubber band and a hole punched in. I just carry the bowl on my lap while my dad drives. The fish always seems traumatized though, he gets bad stress stripes for a few hours every time I take him on a car trip.

For healthy living conditions, if you keep the water very clean, without chlorine and all the proper water periameters bettas should live longer than 8 months. However, fish bought at your local fish store could be old already. If you are willing to spend more, you can find a fish online and have it shipped to you. Then you'd know how old it was already and have a better quality fish.

Transporting betas does stress them out but it can be safely done. I had my first beta for 3 years while at college and often for breaks had to transport him to and from school - a good 1 1/2 hours in the car. What I did was made sure that his small tank was on the floor in front of the front passanger seat. At this spot there is less chance of the water sloshing all over the place. My tank I used for transportation was only a 1 gallon tank which fit into a basket and would support further with towells. This made a very stable and snug way to transport him. The longest I have ever transported a beta is 2 1/2 hours. If you are traveling farther just make sure the tank is not getting too hot or cold and make sure they are not being sloshed around roughly.

Good care conditions: clean water -25% water changes every week, feed daily, treat water for cholrine and heavy metas (bowl buddies tablets work well-jungle product).

Keavy does have a good point about getting a healthy fish in the first place. This can be done but a simple way to do this is to talk with the store you are planning to go to -even meijer if you wanted- and ask when they get their new shipments of beta fish. Come on that day and that way they haven't had a chance to be so poorly treated that they are sick. My beta I got at meijer by doing this and his is going to be 1 year old in August. You can tell the relative age of a beta but how big they are. Older betas have thick flowing fins and large bodies. Younger betas will have a thin and trim look and their fins while long will not be nearly as wide.

I also agree with them that male betas are best kept by themselves. Some few people I know have been able to put them in a larger tank with other fish, but there is always the risk of fighting from your beta and other fish nibbling on their long fins.

I think it is wonderful that you are getting a new baby. Don't stress no one is hopeless in learning to be a good fish parent.

Fantails and Betas

I travel with one of my betas all the time back and forth to school and that's a five hour drive. I put him in tupperware and he does just fine. I just make sure he doesn't slosh around too much.