Is An Airpump Ok To Use With Bettas?

[RandomWiktor]

To clear a few things up:
- Stress coat most certainly is a dechlorinator. There are two doses on the bottle. One dose works merely as a dechlorinator. The stronger dose is used to help with the fish's slime coat. So, don't be worrying the poor poster by saying it doesn't work. It does. I've used it in a synch if I ran out of Amquel.
- Bubblers are perfectly fine to put in with bettas if you put them on a mild setting. Most are adjustable, so if you put it on low, it will generate a slight current, which will keep the surface of the water from getting gummed up with protien film. It also discourages many of the gram negative bacteria bettas are prone to, such as columnaris. So, mild bubbler is quite allright really, especially in a 10 gallon where there should be plenty of room to evade the strongest points of the current.
However, if the fish starts showing signs of distress, fatigue, or stress, you need to turn the bubbler down or off. Depending on your male's fins, just the amount of space in a 10 gallon could be taxing. Just watch and see what is best for your individual animal.
- Bettas rather prefer to be alone. I am not familiar enough with the species you mentioned to really advise you properly on if they are a very bad combo, but if they are chasing one another around, there is a good chance they are incompatible. Keep an eye on them, and separate if necesarry. I know that you've kindof in a bind due to money and can't fix it right off, so just keep a close watch, and maybe read up to see if the species is known for fin-nipping or other nasty habits.

Nice to see someone so concerned about their fish. For a beginner, you're doing pretty well.

Just out of curiosity, do you have a heater for the tank? Bettas need a temp in the mid to upper 70's (generally between 74-80 is best) for health. I suppose if he didn't get too cold in a half gallon, your house must be warm enough, but I'm just checking

 

[Ogrt48]

I dont have a heater yet but its temp is 80-81 all day. If it drops out of a good range I'll add one, I'll be getting one for winter anyways. Also I added the betta to the tank with those 2 about 15 minutes ago. They seem to get along fine, either the two neons stick together and just play in the bubbles or they swim next to the betta. They're cute, each neon will get on a side of the betta and the 3 of them swim around like they're a gang of fighter planes but they're totally friendly, no ones touched each other or even tried too.

The airpump filter thing doesn't have anything to change its setting, though it's probably a weak one anyways . It seems to just make enough bubbles to make a current on the very top of the water and thats it, nothing down in the tank.

 

[fawnmodel]

I'm looking at pictures of black mollys on google and the colors are same but all the ones on google are much fancier looking and larger than these. These things I have are really small really and almost no fins. the mollys on google seem to have really nice fins.

Those are black swordtails, I have several. Sometimes they can be ok with the betta, it depends on the fish and on the betta. I have not kept anything with a male betta personally. If anybody gets torn fins...there is always a chance it could turn tragic

 

[Ogrt48]

They seem to be trying to be friendly with him, they either stay away or swim close to him like they're looking at him but they dont do anything. Every now and then the betta will flare and chase them into a corner but they dont touch each other at all. Its like a non violent fight for power I guess

May I ask how you tell the sex of these swordtails? One seems rather fat compared to the other. One of them also has a really short roundish tail fin and so does the other but this one has a sharp point on the bottom half going off the rest of the tail fin a good distance

 

[wuvmybetta]

The betta flaring and chasing them into the corner doesn't sound too good to me, you'd better keep your eyes on them. Bettas can be quite vicious. Also, I didn't read through all of the posts but I realize you just put 3 fish in an uncycled, unfiltered ten gallon....correct? You're really going to have to keep on top of your water changes during the cycle. It can be quite difficult on them.

 

[Ogrt48]

THis air pump thing seems to be a filter too, the box part inside of it has cotton and gravel in it, its cleared up the water nice since its been on. I read that the swordtail with the pointy tail is the male.. IF thats right is is normal for the female to chase the male? Cause the female swordie is chasing the male in mine o.o Maybe he's afraid of commitment

 

[Ogrt48]

btw heres a photo of my lovely betta Lust

 

[fawnmodel]

If you have both female (no sword) and male (with the swordtail) in there, they WILL have babies, and are livebearers. Which means she will give live birth about every 30-70 days to what could be many fry. With those fish in there, likely they will all be eated very quickly, which could be good or bad dependent on what you are after.

For more info on swordtails, see the livebearer section of the forum. Also, you may find that cycling with fish may be hard on the swords, never done it with a betta either. Betta may find the male sword to be a threat, they don't generally like other fish with colorful or flowy finnage. Be careful!

Females can chase males its all staking out the pecking order at this point. Please make sure there are some hidy spots, most livebearer owners will tell you that you need 2-3 females for every male and that a group of swordtails need closer to a 20 gal tank. They can get fairly big. Bigger than the betta.

 

[Ogrt48]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what kind of betta I have anyways? The picture is two posts above or so. Thanks.

 

[nino]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what kind of betta I have anyways? The picture is two posts above or so. Thanks.

You have a veiltail, probably the most common type of betta, but still pretty.

 

[Ogrt48]

Ah thanks, I don't care how common it is or not. I lurve him, I was just curious to know more about him.

 

[nino]

Have you tried reading the pinned topics on the top of the forum? There's lots of good info there. There's also LOTS and LOTS of information on the internet in general.
Is he your first? Stick around on this forum a while and you will definatly be wanting more. I've got one male and four females and I still want more all the time, especially when I see all the pretty bettas others have.

 

[Mr.September15]

Does anyone know if there could be a heater for a 3 gallon tank? Its getting to become winter here in california and I dont want my bettas to become Ice Cubes ...

 

[nino]

Does anyone know if there could be a heater for a 3 gallon tank? Its getting to become winter here in california and I dont want my bettas to become Ice Cubes ...

For the Bay Area, San Jose doesn't get terrible cold but you could use a 25W in the 3 gallon, I wouldn't put it in 1 gallons personally. For those, there is a 7.5W heater available online or I think some people have purchased theirs at WalMart. You have to be careful though since you cannot control the temperature and it raises temps about 4 degress. So if the water is naturally warm (high 70s) it might not be a good idea to add it. I would be more concerned about the 1 galloners, it's a smaller volume of water and will not maintain as stable of a temperature as a larger tank.

You could divide that ten gallon you have into compartments (one per fish- not more than five I'd say) and then heat the whole tank with one 50w heater.

 

[Mr.September15]

Does anyone know if there could be a heater for a 3 gallon tank? Its getting to become winter here in california and I dont want my bettas to become Ice Cubes ...

For the Bay Area, San Jose doesn't get terrible cold but you could use a 25W in the 3 gallon, I wouldn't put it in 1 gallons personally. For those, there is a 7.5W heater available online or I think some people have purchased theirs at WalMart. You have to be careful though since you cannot control the temperature and it raises temps about 4 degress. So if the water is naturally warm (high 70s) it might not be a good idea to add it. I would be more concerned about the 1 galloners, it's a smaller volume of water and will not maintain as stable of a temperature as a larger tank.

You could divide that ten gallon you have into compartments (one per fish- not more than five I'd say) and then heat the whole tank with one 50w heater.

San Jose is getting pretty chilly actually...I like in the evergreen area so I live on a hill... Gets pretty cold and night and in the morning. But of course I wouldnt put a heater in my 1 gallon tank because its small but ...im planning to turn on the heater in the 3 gallon tank for only the night thru the morning...The idea about putting all my bettas in seperate things in my 10 gallon isnt going to work since im getting 5 tetras and 4 cories shipped here from petco.