OK guys..I got a betta fish last night and I need some info on it so I can give it the best home possible.I have it in a 1 and a half gallon tank with some gravel and a fake plant with too tiny real plants.But I must ask..do bettas have to eat speacial betta food or can they eat regular tropical fish food too? Also how often would i clean my tank and whats the proper water temp?Also I saw that they saif to not put male bettas together because they would fight..what about the females do they fight too or r they ok to put together? I was just wondering I just want the best home for my buddy..Rainbow.. :-)
2007-01-12 14:30:41 · 12 answers · asked by ((^}Jesshorty^{)) 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Thank You for not putting your betta in a bowl, instead he's in a tank! Yippee for You!!!! Rainbow should have betta food, you can get it at Walmart, Petstores like Petco and Petsmart, usually all fish stores have it. I would also buy a small heater, available at Walmart for under 10.00 bucks because bettas are most happy with the water between 75 degrees F to 84 degrees F. You should also get a thermometer even if you dont get a heater so you know what temp the waters at.You should do a 1/4 water change once a week or every other week depending on how bad the tank gets. I have HEARD that you can put female bettas together, but it has to be at least a 10 gallon tank with 2 hide outs. Your right on one thing, male bettas can not be put in the same tank, they wil kill each other. Also cute name!
Good Luck With Rainbow and Hope this helps!!! :)
2007-01-12 14:50:35 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Do you really have a tank with a microfilter and such? Or a vase or bowl.
If you really want to provide Rainbow the best possible home, you'll put a microfilter and heater in that tank or buy a bigger one. I keep bettas in five gallon tanks with snails or shrimp as buddies and they fill them just fine. My bettas eat regular tropical flake food, but if yours seems to pick at it, the specialized betta food would probably be better received. And bettas LOVE brine shrimp or blackworms for treats.
Another reason to think about a larger tank is that bettas are healthier and more active when kept in stable, warm temperatures between 76 and 80 degrees. It is very difficult to keep the temperature stable in a small, unheated tank without a heater.
Your tank cleaning schedule should be determined by your water quality. If you don't have them already, buy test kits for ammonia and nitrites (with an 'i'... you won't see nitrates with an 'a' until later in the tank's cycle.) You need to do a partial water change anytime the level of either of those toxins is registering at all. And it will do so more quickly than you think, since your tank is new and doesn't yet have a colony of the beneficial bacteria needed to keep a safe chemical balance in the tank. Ammonia and nitrites burn fish's gills, damage their internal organs, weaken their immune systems making them susceptible to infections, and eventually will kill your betta if the infections don't. And don't ever clean the entire tank (dump everything out and wash/scrub it all) because you'll kill any bacteria that has had a chance to grow in the filter and in the gravel.
Lastly, male bettas shouldn't ever be kept together. Male and female bettas will usually fight also, and should only be introduced when they're ready to mate, then immediately separated again. Most female bettas can live together, but they need to be watched in case you get a particularly aggressive one.
Good luck with Rainbow! I hope you have years ahead of you with him. :)
2007-01-12 15:21:03 · answer #2 · answered by ceci9293 5 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Mine will only eat Betta food and frozen brine shrimp. I use Nutra Fin betta food because they aggressively eat it. The betta bit brands were eaten with reluctance. Tropical fish food was totally rejected. Tropical fish do well in temperatures in the 70's. 2 males will fight and even female betta can get hurt by males, so most put them together briefly when they are ready to mate. This process in itself is violent! The male will make a bubble nest and take care of the babies. Really cool. I change the water in my 1 gallon tank every 3 weeks since I put a live plant in it. It seems to keep it cleaner longer. You can change 1/2 the water weekly if needed with the fish in the tank. De-chlorinated water only. Have fun. They are beautiful. I can't keep a gold fish alive, but my bettas live a long time (for a fish of course) Go figure!!! Have a great year.
2007-01-12 14:45:08 · answer #3 · answered by firestarter 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
My betta will only eat the freeze-dried blood worms. His water is at room temperature (my house tends to be warm in the winter about 75 degrees) Bettas are fighting fish, so they will eat other bettas. I clean the tank about once a week (I make the water for the next week when I change it so it is de-chlorinated and the salt is dissolved) otherwise my betta gets sad.
2007-01-13 12:40:03 · answer #4 · answered by Phlebotomist 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
ok. first all, do NOT put a male and a female in a cage together. The male will eat the female. Thats how they mate. And my fish, Spencer has a real plant in it too. You must feed him beta fish food. i dont think they will eat any other food. I hope I can help!
2007-01-12 15:25:54 · answer #5 · answered by doggielova24 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I wrote a betta profile on this site:
http://www.talkpets.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10504
2007-01-12 14:55:29 · answer #6 · answered by Shadow 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Congrats on getting one of the most beautiful and low maintenance fish there is.
Bettas can flourish in an environment with as little as a small goldfish bowl. In a 1.5 gallon tank you can keep up to 2 other FEMALE Bettas with him with a fair supply of plants.
Water changes for the type of tank would be around 5 or 6 cups weekly or with good filtration every other week, unless you are planning on breeding then you do not want to disturb HIS bubble nest too much.
If you do pair him with a couple of females and do not encourage breeding I would keep the tank around 74 -75 deg.(with the light on sparingly), breeding at or around 80 - 82 would bring the Luther's sweet song.
Staple flake food is proper with the addition of some brine shrimp for a treat every other 3 days.
In a larger tank (40+ gallons) you can keep up to 6 females to one male with no aggression.
If breeding is in your plans you must remove all other female Bettas after the incubation, after the fry has hatched it is best to remove all Bettas (ma and pa, or remove the fry) to another tank, fry is yum yum to all even ma and pa.
2007-01-12 15:20:21 · answer #7 · answered by Sinister 2 · 0⤊ 9⤋
They need beta fish food. You can buy it at any pet shop. It is best to keep them in the bowl by themselves. Sometimes just putting a mirror up to the glass gets them angry.
Clean the bowl at least once a week, and the water should be room temp. not warm. not cold. Also there is an additive that you need to get to remove the chlorine from tap water.
Good luck, and congrats.
2007-01-12 14:40:33 · answer #8 · answered by Should be Working! 4 · 1⤊ 8⤋
http://www.bettatalk.com is a very informative sight on bettas.
Check it out.
2007-01-12 14:53:26 · answer #9 · answered by crazyforboxers 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hi-
Bettas should live alone...
Usually they live in a gallon or so vase. They like to have fake plants and stuff to hide in. Keep a gallon jug of tap water to sit out for 2 days before changing it. Room temp water- make sure thet are not directly in sunlight- heat or AC area.
There is betta food. Some like flakes- mine likes pellets. One feeding a day. A quick tank cleaning every 6 weeks (quick so you don't stress him)
2007-01-12 14:37:54 · answer #10 · answered by Mommyk232 5 · 1⤊ 11⤋