Are You New To Bettas - Read Here!

[Nick16]

yeah, as said earlier, it is very useful. how about a pin? surely it will help to reduce the monotony of the same old questions being asked day in day out. at least newbies will have something to read an absorb before they do post. Then the questions might be more specific rather than a sweeping general one.

All in all nicely done.

 

[without_reason]

This is very helpful, thanks

 

[lilacamy931]

Aw thanks very much guys xx Thanks Ludwig! I had a great birthday with plenty of fish and kittens

 

[llamalord305]

Great guide! I think there should be a little more emphasis on cycling. A newbie could just skim through and go: "Oh, its not important" Maybe "Don't skip this part! Cycling is very important, because fish produce waste, which can kill them..." etc etc

Also, a question mark in the title.

Good luck! =)

 

[lilacamy931]

LOL thanks llamalord, will have a re-read and review shortly and add. Also good point!

 

[aly_starh]

Its Excellent!!!
Very Good For A Newbie!!
Very Well Done

 

[aly_starh]

OMG... i dont remember writing that...!

Is this pinned? If not then it should be...!

 

[lilacamy931]

LOL. Thanks very much for the kind compliment xx

 

[aly_starh]

Ive posted it in the thread where you ask for a thread to be pinned

 

[OldMan47]

A few comments and corrections Lilacamy. Overall I would say you have done an excellent job so you can consider some of this as being nit-picky if you wish.

Quick fact - Siamese fighters are known as bettas and vice versa, most fish stores will recognise the name Siamese fighter, there are many tail types and colours. You may be lucky enough to have a store that stocks many varieties, or one that general has Veil Tails in blues and reds (still pretty though). Please note that there are different types of species of betta (wild types included), this article deals with what is commonly known as Betta Splendens, for other species please find more sources to their specific needs and requirements.

These fish are not commonly know as Betta splendens, that is their correct scientific name.

The best sized heater is 25W and these know come in compact sizes so will not take up much tank space.

The best size heater is about 4 to 5 watts per gallon. For a 5 gallon that is indeed a 25W, but a 50W would be better if someone uses a 10 gallon. I keep mine with other fish in a 45 gallon tank at 25C so I end up using a 200W heater on the tank.

There is debate about whether these are required or not. My personal opinon and factual opinon is Yes.

It is indeed the opinion of many in this section of our forum but it is far from "factual opinon is Yes." It is opinion and only opinion. The fact is that many B splendens keepers do an excellent job and have never owned a filter in their lives. I always use one with mine but that does not change the facts.

(8)Food - Bettas eat a good variety of foods and also do not know when to stop eating. The best staple for you to get in for welcoming your new fish home is betta pellets, one such brand being Betta Biogold. These are specially formulated and should be the main source of food. Bloodworm, daphnia, etc can be fed as treats, once maybe twice a week, it is not good as a staple as is one of the main known causes of causing constipation in bettas. Also a very good habit to get into once a week is feeding a cooked deshelled slightly crushed up pea, these are good to help their digestive systems. Peas are also used when a betta gets constipated, the method of using is to feed a pea and then starve the next day this should hopefully clean them out (in severe cases may need to repeat). Any food that is uneaten remove from the tank as this will foul your water.

Sorry to have to say this but the specially formulated betta foods are a quick way to separate you from your money. A betta in the wild will eat mostly insects and insect larvae. There is no problem feeding a betta lots of live and frozen food to simulate that diet. A wide variety of fresh and frozen food is far superior to any single food that might otherwise be used. Because it has not been cooked down to a hard little pellet, it is much higher in natural fiber than a betta pellet and you should not see any constipation in a betta fed on this more natural diet. In the case where constipation or bloating is seen, a shelled pea can indeed be used as a laxative.

(2) Open the bag roll down the sides and allow to still float, have a clean cup (wash completely!) and add a little tank water to the bag very gently. You are now starting to acclimate him to the conditions in your tank so there are no shocking factors when you add him.

Please caution a new fish keeper to never use any soaps or other cleaning agents to get that cup clean. It is not obvious to all of them.