Can anyone help me turn my bad luck with beta's around?

Question

Ive had beta fish bfore. All of which died after three days of having them. I don't remember alot about when i had them but i never allowed them to sit in their cup in the new waer to adjust to it nor did i add alittle of my water to the cup every thirty minutes.

I fed them bloodworms in the containers. I never paid alot of attention o the fish i picked out. Now i know these are all faults but i'm asking how to better acomidate a new beta to a new tank so he survives hopefully for years to come!

So please, give me little guides and tips on how to keep a beta alive and what to look at when i buy him from the pet store (my only option for buying one) because i want this one to live so my dad won't thik all fish we get will die!

Thanks guys, peace.

Thankyou for so many responces so quickly. Ive been reading around and it seems people recomend getting a beta from a breeder and having it shipped? i looked up some breeders and found the fish were about 80$ per, would it be better to purchase a 'purebred' fish instead of one from the petstore?

The tank i'll be using is a 2gallon desktop sized aquarium air pump, undergravel filter, and light hood, i'd also purchase a thermometor (spl) to mke sure the water's alwaysin the 80's (ive been told thats ideal).

I noticed most petland (etc) fish had curled fins, i assume from being in those tiny cups, so if i can't see their fins well how do i look for fin or tail rot? If most of the fish just seem very lethargic and not moing i assum i shouldn't buy anything from that batch?

Answer 1

Most bettas purchased from stores are going to appear listless and many will have "clamped" finnage. This is primarily due to the fact that betta are stored in small containers in water that is a bit too cool.

To keep a betta successfully, invest in a small tank (2.5 - 5 gallons) with a filter. You should also purchase a heater as betta are tropical fish and really need water temps between 72 - 78 degrees. Many betta keepers believe "room temp" is fine, but it really isn't. Bettas are native to the sun-heated calf-deep waters of rice paddies in Thailand. This water is much warmer than "room temp".

NEVER use distilled water for bettas. The best water is tap that has been left out in an open container for at least 24 hours. You can also condition tap water with dechlorinator drops to neutralize chlorine and chloramine.

Betta really don't like the dry pellets. Live bloodworms are best but can be difficult to find and/or expensive. Freeze dried bloodworms are a good choice.

Provide betta a nice plant or two as they like to hide and rest in plants.

When selecting a betta, pick one that appears healthy and avoid any that appear milky colored or have white spots.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I'm not an expert but my beta lived for 4 years. However, I'm told that this is not normal for beta's. Their life expectancy is only about 2 years.
I never fed it bloodworms, they make the tank dirty faster and it stinks really bad.
1. always allow new fish any type to get accustomer to the tank before introducing them to a new environment.
2. Beta's should not be put in tanks that are too large, they are loner fish with the exception of when they are mating.
3. Beta's are nervous fish, their environment has to be stress free as possible. But don't ignore them they are very colorful because they want to be seen also.
4. Look for Beta's whose colors are bright, if the colors are too dark this could mean something is wrong.
5. Make sure to look at their fins, splitting and tearing could indicate that the fish is ill. Also, make sure it doesn't have any spots or discoloration on it's skin this can also be an indicator of there being something wrong.
6. Have a conversation with the pet store owner/personnel find out how long they have had it and where they got it from. If they can't tell you then I wouldn't purchase it, this could be a sign of them just trying to get rid of their current stock to make room for more.
7. Also, find out what the store feeds them and how often. If they can give you the fishes feeding schedule then you can continue to feed the fish on a schedule it is already accustom to and would be the least stressful.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

One of the primary things to understand about fish, is that our drinking water is far too much chlorine, so use a chlorine removal chemical, or leave a glass container of water in direct strong sunlight for a full day or two...( you should prepare your bowl or glass some days in advance.) When you bring your fish home let her ( I always believe females are better adjusted pets In so many species) sit in her baggie un moved for about 15 min, then open the baggie, and sink the opening into the new bowl or tank. allow her to swim into the new bowl, don't dump her in.
Feeding should be only a few flakes of food... I think they perfer Brine shrimp. (pet shop commodity). Check a published book for how often to feed, but it would be obvious if too much food collects in a small glass. You can make the water poor by feeding too often...
While choosing your fish look for spots on their fins that look like scum,scum on the fins, and around the eyes, these are sicknesses.
Do not use anything as "rocks" in the bottom of the bowl unless the fish store sells it packaged from a manufacturer as bowl rocks,,, wash this your self in chlorine free water.Plastics and many other things are toxic to fish.
Try to find a book about Betas specifically about feeding periodicity...

Answer 4

well besides the things you listed, I suggest getting pellet as a staple and saving the bloodworms as treats. I also suggest making sure your tank is a proper home, while bettas can survive in bowls they will not thrive as they are tropical fish. if you have a bowl I suggest you replace it with a tank of at least 2gallons so you can add a heater to keep thewater temp closer to 80*F

if space is an issue, get a desktop tank, these tanks range from 2gallons to 5gallons and are made to take up no more space then a bowl. another plus besides the heater is the usually come with filters meaning you don't need to do full water changes. ust be sure to get a thermometer too so you know the temp doesn't go above 85*F

2gallons to under 5gallons - 7.5watt heater (hydor makes them and walmart sells some, available online as well).
5gallons - 25watts
10gallon - 50watts

good luck with your new betta :) feel free to email me if you ever have any questions, I've had many (currently 5 males and a female, just lost a 5yr old male today of old age).

Answer 5

So do the other fish survive? are you treating the water before you supply them? City water has chlorine in it which will kill fish. There are all sorts of drops to specifically treat the water to remove chlorine.

Betas will not survive eating roots in the bottom of some flower vase, but you said you are feeding them blood worms.

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying about the cup thing. We got a plastic tank, about one gallon, for him to move around in. It is at room temperature, and I keep the new water in milk jugs stored ahead of time at room temperature so he does not have temperature shock when we change the water.

Answer 6

-Don't feed it too much, the most is 6 Bloodworms a day
-Choose a fish that doesn't have white on it
-Find one that swims around alot and doesn't just lay there
-Remember not to use sink water unless kept for atleast 1 day
-Don't move it's tank so much when it gets home, let it calm down

Good Luck on the next fish!

Answer 7

oh I have had beta fish b4. One I had for 2 or 3 years I think can't remember. all I know was I got them the food from the store, I put them into a big bowl not just a small thing that they keep them in. It would be like sticking us in a cage. I mean it's torture. anyways , I didn't do anything to do with getting them use to the water but every week I cleaning their bowls out. I put them in a small container until it was cleaning and i then out them back in it. I also used spring and distilled bottled water instead of just sink or filtered water out of your tap. I also touched my fish i would pet them . I know it sounds weird, but they love attention too. i hope this helps

Answer 8

Betas are pretty easy to take care of. You just need to get a small glass bowl for the beta and clean it about once a week. They also have fish food for betas only which is what I feed mine. I have had my last one for almost a year. Good luck with the next one

Answer 9

get the little tiny pellet/ball type food for them and feed them one piece every two days.
that's what your supposed to do and it works. i had 3 for years.

follow the water advice but more importantly don't change the water too often or to an extreme temp.

good luck!