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Here is my Mr. Fish..he’s a crowntail, see how his tail looks like little fingers? (or the points on a crown) He’s a pretty blue-purple color, kinda like a peacock windstone, lol
And here is my brother’s fantail, whose name I currently forget. His tail is bifurcated, which is wicked awesome.
Anyone have any info for how to take care of a beta? I’m thinking I might get myself one sometime in the future… 😀 It’s not like they are ridiculously expensive, and I could keep it away from the cat easily enough too (wouldn’t want to scare the poor thing).
OK. So mine is not a crown tail, but Eleu’s is. Got it. Thanks.
Pretty fish. I like seeing pics of everyone’s betas.
Dragon87 wrote:Anyone have any info for how to take care of a beta? I’m thinking I might get myself one sometime in the future… 😀 It’s not like they are ridiculously expensive, and I could keep it away from the cat easily enough too (wouldn’t want to scare the poor thing).
Your local pet store should have flyers.
Actually I looked online. Smallish (but not too small) tank, feed them beta food, got a whole list of diseases and how to treat them should they arise, and things to do with the water.
Now I just gotta sit on it for a week to decide whether I really want a fish, or if my screensaver is getting to me again. 😆
Beta’s are not that hard to keep as pets. I had over 6 at one time and the longest that lived was over 4 years, and that was in bowls and not tanks that provide air. I had to get a light mess like materal (kinda like a wedding veil.. can’t remember what it is called) to put over the bowls because after cleaning the bowls the water level was high and yes, they can jump out of them. *Lost one that way 🙁 *
Not sure if the guide you had mentioned a water conditioner, but my friend helped me learn what to do for my betta and recommended this water conditioner, I just pick mine up at Walmart.
http://www.petdiscounters.com/c780/AquaSafe-Water-Conditioner-p4494.html
For Finner he has a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater for the winter, and I change his water fully once a week. Every once in a while he gets a little bit of a mushed cooked pea for a snack 😆
Water conditioner. Yes that one was mentioned 🙂 My parents use a tropical fish formula so I think that I can buy that at the pet store. I didn’t list EVERYTHING I found online because that would take up 2 pages on it’s own. 😯 I used to take care of goldfish, and these are a bit different. Apparently bettas don’t like flake food. Darn since that stuff is cheaper. 🙂
And I almost forgot. I’m on a 4th floor, there’s no way he’ll get cold in the winter, even without the heat on, probably. My only worry is that he’ll cook in this apartment. I know I am. 😕 Cooking, I mean. *whew*
OK. This is weird. I’ve been shutting the light on Ghost’s tank off at night because with the light on in the tank and the rest of the room dark, he sees his reflection and spends hours stressed and flaring. This morning I come in and turn the light on and the whole area between the top of the water and the lid is filled with foam. I’ve NEVER used soap on any piece of the aquarium (gravel, rock, plant), so I’m not sure how it got there. When I turned the light on and lifted the lid, it went away.
What should I do? Will this keep happening? Should I leave the light on although it wigs him out?
emerald212 wrote:OK. This is weird. I’ve been shutting the light on Ghost’s tank off at night because with the light on in the tank and the rest of the room dark, he sees his reflection and spends hours stressed and flaring. This morning I come in and turn the light on and the whole area between the top of the water and the lid is filled with foam. I’ve NEVER used soap on any piece of the aquarium (gravel, rock, plant), so I’m not sure how it got there. When I turned the light on and lifted the lid, it went away.
What should I do? Will this keep happening? Should I leave the light on although it wigs him out?
Look up Beta breeeding… That foam is where the female would lay her eggs… the male creates it. I thought about breeding beta’s until I read how many babies there would be! Up to 200 fry! WOW! That’s a lot!
http://www.ask-the-vet.com/breeding-betta-fish.htm
“the male betta fish will start to build a bubble nest – some tend to do this anyway.”
🙂
Mine would make them all the time. I am not sure why they do it but they do.
At night when you turn off his light then all the others he probably sees himself in the tank and gets all macho… maybe if you left his light on, he wouldn’t see himself??? Just a thought! 😉Like Serenity said, the foam is actually normal male betta behavior–in fact, it’s probably a pretty good sign, as a betta that’s stressed and unhappy isn’t as likely to build bubble-nests (hence why you don’t see them so often in those little pet-store cups, lol..). So don’t worry, it’s a good thing!
Aww ghost made a bubble next! Hehe, it was weeks before Finnley made his first one. That’s a good thing, they do it when they are healthy and happy. 😆 Finnley also flares all the time if the room light is off and his light is on, if I am going to have the light off to watch tv or something I just turn his light off too. Betta need it dark at night to sleep just like people 🙂
OK. Thanks everyone. That’s good to know. He seems happy. I’m glad I wasn’t just reading my hopes into it.
Quick rundown on bettas!
This page has great info.
http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_care.htmBettas are neat fish that belong to the labyrinth fish family. This means that they have a unique organ in their body that allows them to take air from the surface of the tank, in a ‘gulp’. This is one of the reasons they can live in tanks with no running parts such as filter/airstones, etc.
Bettas can live quite a while, I’ve seen one at 6 years old before. However it’s hard to tell the age of the betta you buy. One thing you can look for his his back.. if it is straight he is likely younger. They tend to get a little hunched over as they get old.
I know they sell bitty little enclosures for bettas, but please don’t use these. They are not ideal. A betta should really have at least 1-2 gallons of water- ideally 3-5 gallons is great! Here’s a tip- instead of paying $10.. $20 at the fish store for a small bowl or container, go to *whispers* someplace like Walmart and look in their craft section. They sell HUGE glass vases that work very well to house a betta. Remember, try and get something with a lot of surface area for your betta to breathe at!! A tall narrow container is not good… a wide one is.
Bettas can live well in full aquariums too! The two biggest things you must be wary of are: 1. Waterflow.. many bettas, unless they have short fins, cannot fight a strong waterflow. Their huge fins act like sails and drag them around (I’ve found that crowntails and fantails have an easier time). So make sure the water flow is slow and gentle, and 2. Male bettas are aggressive, but mostly only to other bettas. They rarely pick on other fish if you give them enough room. On the contrary, beware of housing bettas with species that like to nip fins. Many poor bettas get attacked by other fish that are attracted to and bite their long, slow moving fins.
If you don’t have a filter, make sure to change your betta’s water weekly. Put your betta in a cup with his own water, and dump his old water out, then replace it. Make sure to condition the water (this takes chlorine and chloramine out that will kill the betta) and let it get room temperature before releasing him back into his bowl. There is NO need to ever sanitize his tank! Actually it is best to leave things ‘dirty’ (other than the water) so that the bacteria that lives in the tank can help break down the betta’s wastes. You can scrub algae (the green stuff that grows in there) if you want, that’s okay. Never use soap or other cleaners.
Feed your betta daily, they sell lots of different kinds of betta food. If you want to really see him go nuts, offer him some live brine shrimp or a few frozen bloodworms once in a while! They seem placid, but bettas actually hunt their food in the wild. They are fairly intelligent for a fish and enjoy this sort of thing.
Make sure not to overfeed though. Overfeeding will lead to poor water conditions, which almost always leads to the betta getting sick or dying. Feed only a small amount- perhaps 2-3 bites… only what he can eat within 2-3 minutes. He might beg, but feeding him tons will only end up killing him!Water cleanliness cannot be overrated. Almost every time a betta gets sick or dies (other than old age or organ failure) it is due to poor water conditions. If you’re not sure, a proper water change can’t hurt.
Keep decorations with sharp edges out of his tank. This includes some plastic plants with sharp edges… these can cut his fins. If you can, a live plant is perfect!! Not all live plants are good for an unfiltered tank- I’ve found the best to be a small piece of Java Ferns or Java Moss. It doesn’t need to be buried and will grow in any light condition. If you cannot find these plants locally you can email me and I’ll ship you some for the cost of shipping. I love seeing my betta explore his ferns!
One myth that people still use to sell bettas… are those kits with the vase, and the plant you put on top. They will tell you that the betta will eat the roots and you never have to do anything for him. This is sad! Lots of bettas die this way. See here for more:
http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_in_a_vase.htmVolunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
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