Help! Betta tank care!

[flame-o-mine]

Hey guys!
Newbie here! I have one beautiful red Betta we received as a gift when some friends of ours were moving and couldn't travel with him. It is keep in a gorgeous bowl/vase (holding about 1.5 gallons of spring water) with blue rocks and a few crystals. We did have a live plant and snails in the bowl but the plant produced so much algae the bowl would become green within days of cleaning it. (and the snails with washings have slowly gone away) The bowl is in our bathroom (the only place our cat will not go to "fish"). Our bathroom does have a large window but I would classify the light as indirect and the window does have a thick etching on it. In any event, once we removed the live plant, I noticed a film appearing on top of the bowl...the food he eats also no longer floats and sinks immediately. He does go after it as it sinks..but misses a lot (we scoop them out of course!) Anybody know why this happens?? I am assuming the live plant rid the tank of the impurities ..but the algae was crazy! I have a few theories but wanted to know what you all thought. I am changing the water tomorrow and am replacing the plastic plant we put in there a few days ago (he missed his hiding place!) with some bulbs we got at Wal-mart. I also heard putting .2 tablespoons of rock salt will also help. I am a little hesitant though to change his habitat this much ...let me know what you guys think!

 

[jacblades]

first of all, make sure you are changing the water at least once a week.
if anything, the plant would help rid the tank of algae by using up the excess butrients that the algae would use to survive. but if it was one of those peace lilies, i suggest keeping it out. not really good for mr. betta as many may think.
the film is probably from infrequent water changes.
what kind of food are you feeding? have you reid hikari bio-gold? its the best pellet food you can buy for your betta and it doesnt sink. the only sinking betta food that i know of is marineland bio-blend and sometimes hbh betta bites.

for 1.5 gallons, use 3/4 tsp of freshwater aquarium salt (you can buy a carton of it for 1.44 at walmart)

i have a friend that uses the walmart bulbs with her bettas and theya re fine with them.
hope this helps

 

[flame-o-mine]

Thanks..
I am usually good about changing the water....but it is usually ever other week..so that is probably the problem. I feed him freeze dried shrimp? I peel teh skin off and pinch off a piece..he won't touch anything else. He stalks them and then chops them!....so cute!

So you think it is okay to put the salt and the bulbs in with this new water change?? He won't freak out at the new change?

 

[amazingbiologirl]

listen to jacblades!! i use bio-gold too...floats and my betta seems to enjoy it! but since you are using the shrimp...stick with it! bettas are picky!! hehe gotta love em!

i have a 1gal. so i know how ya feel...change water weekly!! its a must! but a really easy way to change water in such small portions....bottled water! its easy and you dont have to do a lot of treatment! but either way...try storing the water in the room his bowl is in the night before you change the water...so that the temp. is the same...and so it be as much of a change to mr. betta!!

hope all goes well and that mr. betta does well!!!