Betta basics and care

[Eve]

Avoid freeze dried treats, they have a tendency to cause internal damage.

By this do you mean food along the lines of frozen brine shrimp/bloodworms etc?

 

[Jayderana]

Freeze drying is different than frozen food. Frozen food has not been put through the drying process that freeze drying has and therefore is not harmful to their digestive tract. Freeze dried food will not be found in the freezer in your lfs it is on the shelf with the flake etc...

 

[cutecotton]

i believe frozen is okay, but freeze DRIED are the ones that could cause internal damage

 

[~FairyAngelFish~]

Never,ever pour old cup water into the new tank. um just wondering, why? all those steps are confusing!!!!!! lol

 

[Sorrell]

Never,ever pour old cup water into the new tank. um just wondering, why? all those steps are confusing!!!!!! lol

When your fish has been sitting in that cup they are stressed and tend to produce more waste and it becomes concentrated quickly in that small environment. Many stores don't even do water changes on those tiny cups either Instead of pouring that ammonia rich dirty water in your tank, it's better just to tranfer the betta

 

[platyperson]

When you say that freeze dried food is bad for them, then does that mean this food is bad
aswell?:http/www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/stkcode/661975.html

 

[ral]

What is the ideal water dept for a Betta?

 

[Susielyd]

Regarding tank size - does anyone know why fish shops are marketing fighting fish as 'great for your desk or bedside table' and selling containers that would hold no more than 750 mls that are specifically made for Betta's?
I am feeling awful about being sucked in and having one of these little containers..

 

[ral]

A lot of people consider 1 gallon sufficient for a betta. Just keep up the water changes. I have 4 1.1 gallon tanks, but they probably only 850mls of water.

 

[smithrc]

1 gallon is about 4 litres = 4000ml.

 

[ral]

Sorry, made an error my 1.1 Gallon tanks can hold about 3400-3600ml (not 850ml) of water with the water being 1 inch from the top.

 

[yvez9]

I keep my bettas in 1 gallon bowls too. I leave about an inch from the top also otherwise they might jump out of there.

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm not sure if there were on there because I'm really, really tired and not reading straight, but about the lady bettas..

- Don't house male and female bettas together, especially if you have them in anything less than 10 gallons; more often than not, they will hasstle each other and even fight. I know a lot of people think males and females would get along just fine, but really once the mating is done, they don't much want anything to do with one another.
- On that note... DO NOT breed your bettas unless you know what you are doing. Chances are your average pet store fish might not have the best genetics, and may be related to the mate you've selected if you're buying from the same store. They have TONS of babies, and if they hatch, you must take into consideration how you will home the fish, what to keep them in until they are mature, where to put all the boys once they get to an age when they will exhibit agression, and so fourth. Besides, too many female bettas have been beat up and killed because ignorant owners left her in too long, put her in when she wasn't ready, or simply chose a male that was far too agressive.
- Female bettas can sometimes be just as agressive as the males; most sites I've seen suggest keeping several females in a large tank instead of two in a smaller tank as they will pick on each other on a one-to-one basis. You really need to evaluate your female's temperament before getting her a tankmate, and I suggest removing both fish and changing the tank around before introducing the new one to help curb territoriality problems. And of course, if one of your girls starts getting tattered fins, don't assume it's fin rot right away and douse the tank in meds; see if the other female has been picking on her.
- Feed the girls a bit more when they are becoming swollen with eggs and exhibiting vertical stripes, especially if you plan on breeding. They are using a lot of nutrients to produce those eggs wether they use them or not, so that is not the time to be stingy on the food.

 

[BettaMomma]

I thought I'd throw a couple of comments in here about what I've learned about bettas.

First, I have both of my boys in 2.5 gallon rectangular tanks, and they're happy as they can be. It's all relative - they were little prisoners in those STUPID little plastic cup containers from WalMart. Imagine how spacious and wonderful a 2.5 gallon tank is to them. They do laps back and forth and seem to be overall extremely happy boys.

Now, I'm sure that a betta in a 10, 25 or even larger gallon tank is overjoyed, but my boys are happy cuz this size is what they've been "upgraded to", and it's all they've known since I got them out of those little deathtrap cups.

In regards to your question about why companies sell products that say they're "perfect" for bettas, on desks and such.... MONEY. They make a killing off of those little cheapass pieces of plastic they pass off as "good homes" for bettas. I strongly believe that a betta should NOT be in anything smaller than 1 gallon (and even then I think it's cruel). I, personally, will NEVER keep a betta in anything smaller than a 2 gallon. They just deserve better.

Just because they CAN survive in really small containers doesn't mean they LIKE to.
Them living in the teeny tiny containers is the equivalent to you living in your walk-in closet. You COULD live in there, but would you LIKE to?

 

[StarOrbs]

Yah everytime I go to Petsmart they are about a hundred bettas in a cup smaller than I drink out of.. In fact I'm going to be saving one tommorow.