Bettas difficult to keep

[One_Trick_Pony]

bascially i real liek the idea of getting a betta in my first tank, but i fear they might be difficult for me to look aftre as a complete newbie?? is this the case??

 

[ral]

I am newbie to pets in general... started with Betta's. Have not lost one yet.

One fish, aquarium water conditioner, aquarium salt, a pack of pellets a 2 gallon tank, a plant or two and some gravel and you should be all set.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Bettas are very easy to keep. Ral didn't forget to put in a filter and air stone/pump in his list. You don't need them, though a filter does help to keep the water cleaner. Bettas breath surface air. Have you read the pinned topic "Betta Basics"?. It has tons of good info for a beginner. Good luck if you decide to get one. What am I saying one. Once you get one, you get bit by the betta bug, and you have to get another, and another, and another, and another, till you eventually have no flat surfaces left anywhere in your home. Something we betta keepers affectionatly refer to as the "Betta Bug".

 

[yvez9]

Bettas are fun and easy to care for!

You just need a house warm enough to house one (at least 70 degrees) or a small heater and a few minutes each week.

All you need to do is feed him everyday and change water his water once or twice a week.

I just got a blue crowntail this evening and I just released him in his bowl!!

 

[ral]

Sorry, I forgot about the heater and the salt is really just used to condition the water or to treat minor illnesses. He's a freshwater fish.

 

[SnowyzMom]

One thought-do be aware that male Bettas don't belong in a community tank, either they will chase other fish or others will nip at their fins. Female Bettas can go in a community tank quite happily from all I've seen, I've just got no room for one at the moment. Oh and my male Betta LOVES having a water heater in his tank. He'll often sit right next to it, even sleep by it. Big pampered baby!

And yes, Bettas are tough, they couldn't ship them in those tiny cups and have them survive it otherwise. I dooo hate seeing them in those cups though. But I guess it's their own fault for being so grouchy with dang near every other fish in creation, lol.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

I wish they shipped them in those little cups. What they ship them in is even worse. They are shipped in these tiny little bags with just barely enough water to keep them wet. I don't think there are many alive after they get to their destination.

 

[Fishy411]

easy as pie. i have yet to meet someone who could have a betta die while trying to keep it alive. Mine is in my 10 gallon community and he is the centerpiece and the boss. My swordtail nipped at him a tiny bit when i got him but then the betta chased him around the tank for like 25 minutes. Basically they should be fine unless there is a nother fish with a big flowing tail like a fancy guppy. Anytime i go over to have a look he'l swim right up to me and just stare at me. I like him so much.

 

[lovebuzz]

Bettas are extremely easy to care for if you buy the healthy ones.

Mine is in a ten gallon all alone (will get more fish soon), and he is very active. At night when all the lights are off and only his tank light is on because I'm on the computer, he flares like mad and zips across the tank. They're awesome fish.

 

[thapsus]

I know it is ok to keep betta in under 10 gal tank in US, but I will tell my version anyway.

I would recommend at least 10gal tank for betta. That is because I think there is not enough impulses for fish in tiny tank. In this size tank you are able to put filter and water will stay cleaner. Biological filtration is better because of oxygen. Clean water also prevent deseases.

With 10gal you can do water changes for example weekly, in smaller you would probably need to change water more often. Live plants are preferable, like in any tank ofcourse. By choosing easy plants there is nothing difficult in them. Some driftwood would make nice hideout. You could also take few khulies for example to the tank with betta. Ok, 10gal is bit small for them but then again, they aren't actually very active.

Betta will need a heater. Temperatures between 79-86F are good. In cooler water bettas tend to get sick easily and live shorted life generally.

I recommend that you search some information about olaces where bettas live in nature. That is of course if you really care for fishes and wan't to make natural habitat to it/them. Personally I think making aquarium piece of nature gives biggest satisfaction. It's nice to keep happy fishes.


And for all who keep bettas in smaller tank. Please don't get mad to me. I have right to my opinion, son't I. Just like you. Bigger tank is not worse than small, I presume. I think it ethical to offer best possible conditions to your fish. Peace

Here's my betta:

He lives in about 25gal with tetras, corys and bristlenose. Looks happy, makes bubblenest. Temp is bit low for it (~77F) thought and I'm feeling quilty because of it. I need to find better place to it soon.

thapsus

 

[_groove_]

Thapsus, your fish looks quite pleased! 77 degrees should be fine!

General info to balance what thapsus said (not discounting your opinion but I'll back up why people do it as best i can): alot of people choose to keep their bettas alone because bettas are so fiesty, especially males. Otherwise they have alot of potential to cause mischeif and get into fights. A clean 1G bowl with frequent stable waterchanges can often be better for a betta than any type of community setup because they can get into so many fights that they can get sick! (stress + wounds = infections!)

Since Bettas are very territorial and their natural habitats are often in space-constricted settings such as rice paddies, ditches and puddles, they are used to and adapted to this type of living (labarynth organ etc). This is why alot of respected people will tell you they successfully use smallish containers for most of their male bettas, if not all of them.

If you want to buy a 10 G and put 1 male betta in there alone, go for it. He probably wont mind but he also probably be just as happy in a 2 gallon.

All that being said, I'd one day love to try a community setup similar to what you've done thapsus, with some small cories, some cardinal tetras or something like that, and a male betta to rule the roost. I think it would look awesome!

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

AlexsDaddy - I once went to my LFS and they had just got a delivery of bettas in. They were all in seperate tiny bags with about an inch of water - and they'd come all that way like that!

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Horrible isn't it? That's why most of them have such bad fin rot when you see them in the lfs.

 

[thapsus]

Oh, I must ad this page:
http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSum...sname=splendens

Bettas by the way also live in rivers. I needed to say this because most does not know this. Thought its of course true that bettas do well in poor oxygenated water too. I'm just saying that water don't need to be like that.

 

[ral]

Thanks thapsus. Interesting information that betta's also live in rivers. My Plakat's which resemble "wild" betta's seem to be pretty happy with the filters and the slight amount of current. Not really sure how my VT feels about it, but he damages his regrowing (had finrot) fins so he is now in a unfiltered environment. My halfmoon apparently does not like it and got sick a few days after adding the filter. Even with the low flow sponge filters I caught him one getting tangled up in his own finnage while on top of the sponge filter.