betta questions

[riseabovethesun]

for you betta lovers (and anyone with fishskills !) I am wondering what your top 3 to 5 (or so) suggestions/experience are with owning a betta. I spent some time today reading stuff andskimming forum posts, now just wonder what the experience will say versus the text.

some say 3 gallon tanks some say 15, what do you say? Substrate? Gravel fine? Lots of water circulation/flow or no? Filter type? best plants (in your opinion, not necessarily what books suggest). Natural sunlight up in a window, away from a window? Lots of light or low light?

Maybe betta-fact or fiction style -- all the things people suggest and how they don't work or do!

 

[bassbonediva]

Oh! One of my favorite subjects! hehehe

I have found that my bettas are happiest in tanks in the 5gal range with a lot of horizontal swimming space. My Hex5 doesn't work too great as a betta tank because there isn't a lot of horizontal space (although I love the tank).

For substrate, just about anything works. I've heard people say no sand, but my kids have never had a problem with it. In fact, three of my betta tanks have sand as the substrate and the boys don't have problems with it at all. I personally don't like the glass pebbles because poop can get down in the cracks making it really hard to clean...that and I just don't care for the way they look.

Most bettas don't like a strong current. It's too hard for them to swim with their long flowing fins. That being said, females and plakats (who have shorter fins) tend to like some current. I'm watching all three of my girls play in the current from the spray bar on my canister filter in the 55gal as I type this (and that current is pretty strong). I would say try a stronger current. You'll know right away if your betta doesn't like it. If it doesn't like it, you can always make a DIY diffuser for your filter.

As far as plants go...anything with wide leaves is great. Swords and anubias are perfect. Bettas will make "hammocks" of leaves near the surface and just chill there. Any plants work, honestly, but the broad leaves are better received.

As for lighting...again, it's personal preference and what your betta likes. Most of my guys are fine with the flourescent lights though.

 

[riseabovethesun]

Oh! One of my favorite subjects! hehehe

I have found that my bettas are happiest in tanks in the 5gal range with a lot of horizontal swimming space. My Hex5 doesn't work too great as a betta tank because there isn't a lot of horizontal space (although I love the tank).

For substrate, just about anything works. I've heard people say no sand, but my kids have never had a problem with it. In fact, three of my betta tanks have sand as the substrate and the boys don't have problems with it at all. I personally don't like the glass pebbles because poop can get down in the cracks making it really hard to clean...that and I just don't care for the way they look.

Most bettas don't like a strong current. It's too hard for them to swim with their long flowing fins. That being said, females and plakats (who have shorter fins) tend to like some current. I'm watching all three of my girls play in the current from the spray bar on my canister filter in the 55gal as I type this (and that current is pretty strong). I would say try a stronger current. You'll know right away if your betta doesn't like it. If it doesn't like it, you can always make a DIY diffuser for your filter.

As far as plants go...anything with wide leaves is great. Swords and anubias are perfect. Bettas will make "hammocks" of leaves near the surface and just chill there. Any plants work, honestly, but the broad leaves are better received.

As for lighting...again, it's personal preference and what your betta likes. Most of my guys are fine with the flourescent lights though.

It's fascinating how universal (for lack of a better word) that they are, like being able to adapt to different tanks/gravel/light/food (of course in a healthy tank I'm referring to, not adapting and living in a poor tank).

I saw a betta yesterday and I see bettas all the time, but it was something about this one. I think it was the fact that the rest looked near death and this one looked like he was on his way and I wanted to help him before then. Either way I ended up buying him and don't think he will do to well in my 36 gallon ha, so moved my guppies out of the 10 gallon and acclimated him into that one. I totally wasn't ready for a new fish, but I just had this feeling that I needed to buy him and put him somewhere better. He's already looking a million times better, here are a few pictures:

I've had a few other bettas before two lived for about 3 years one was murdered by my boyfriend on accident... :/ he went to put red dragon (it was a red crowntail i believe) back in his tank but had put the castle in already so he poured him onto the castle and the tip poked the side of him...he soon died. Obviously my bf still doesn't live it down. Anyway I hope this little guy bounces back! I want to get some real plants in there and just get it working.

 

[TAL]

Bettas are cool !!!!

One of the things I like the best is their curious and friendly nature. Mine loves to snuggle on up top of the top floating plants and lay there for a while. He will rub up against my finger if I stick it in the water. If he sees me at the tank, he always swims over to see what is going on.

He is kept in a 38 gal community tank. Fake plants, gravel bottom, betta log and floating leafs/branches.

Of course they are also beautiful fish. Of all my fish, he is my favorite.

 

[bassbonediva]

What a GORGEOUS marble you got, riseabovethesun!!! He's actually almost a koi with that red spot on his head!

 

[hayer]

he is so beautiful!!! i wish i had a betta. will soon hopefully! what's his name?

 

[riseabovethesun]

I totally agree Tal! That is one thing that I missed about my old bettas they were very friendly and as soon as I walked over to the tank it was always like "play time?!" I hope once this one feels a bit better and gets swimming more he will be the same

Thanks bass! He is super beautiful and I love that it looks like he has red lipstick on and blue eyeliner! Haha, I've never seen one (in stores) like this one. I did see a pure white one at Walmart the same day though, must be the color of the month!

Thanks hayer they're terrific I can't believe I waited so long to re-get one. But with the 38 gallon and no money it gets hectic! And I haven't decided on a name...I'm not really positive what to name him, I have 4 dogs and a hamster and haven't named any of them, I'm not a clever namer haha.

Any suggestions on names?

 

[Fishman1995]

OMG he is beautiful, i looked for a white mix color but found nothing

 

[riseabovethesun]

OMG he is beautiful, i looked for a white mix color but found nothing

Aw maybe soon! I hadn't seen one before and finally did, maybe they're a little more rare?

 

[Fishman1995]

My summer before my senior year of Highschool. Im gonna try to breed betta's so im gonna try a white male a a colorful female.

 

[riseabovethesun]

My summer before my senior year of Highschool. Im gonna try to breed betta's so im gonna try a white male a a colorful female.

That sounds fun! After accidentally ending up with over 30 guppy babies, I need a break from anything breeding. I'm actually guppied-out!

I'm just waiting for some cash to finish my betta's tank.

 

[Fishman1995]

OMG i never want guppys again, you wanna talk about babys. The girl stored sperm for 3 more pregancy's after the boy died!!!!

 

[riseabovethesun]

OMG i never want guppys again, you wanna talk about babys. The girl stored sperm for 3 more pregancy's after the boy died!!!!

Haha, yeah they do that. I had 5 pregnant females, non stop birthing. Pretty awful and not what I was going for, heh. But hey we all make mistakes sometimes and some turned out to be gorgeous but I didn't want a million.

 

[Fishman1995]

all mine became female so i had 1 male and 5 million female's. and they did inbreed to so i had guppys comin out my ears

 

[riseabovethesun]

that always happens! Of all of mine I think I got 3 males, 2 for sure. Silly fish!

 

[Fishman1995]

I think once i get my house i may try to get my own color strand of guppy going

 

[bassbonediva]

I'm not even going to go into the whole betta breeding thing. It's a TON of time, energy and MONEY to breed bettas. Be prepared for the possibility of a hundred or so individual grow-out jars for the males and daily water changes for each grow-out jar, PLUS a large (40gal+) grow-out tank for the females.

Anyway, riseabovethesun, have you seen my new boy, Edward? He's a blue marble (white with blue splotches).

 

[riseabovethesun]

I'm not even going to go into the whole betta breeding thing. It's a TON of time, energy and MONEY to breed bettas. Be prepared for the possibility of a hundred or so individual grow-out jars for the males and daily water changes for each grow-out jar, PLUS a large (40gal+) grow-out tank for the females.

Anyway, riseabovethesun, have you seen my new boy, Edward? He's a blue marble (white with blue splotches).

Human..animal..fish...creature breeding is just out of the question for me right now haha, I don't know much about it but I agree with you that it takes a ton of time and effort.

I know that I have seen your one boy who I believe is the...male who is like a female? A bit redish and smaller fins? I haven't seen many of your bettas! I'd love to!!

Right now I'm working on making a sand substrate...just working on clearing up the water, I did an intense thorough cleaning of it, now just letting the filter run and everything with it..

 

[bassbonediva]

That means you've seen Tristan (who unfortunately passed away a few days ago ).

This is Edward:

Those pics don't do him justice at all...except that first one...it captures his cute personality.

*psssst* riseabovethesun...that betta breeding comment was directed more at Fishman.

 

[riseabovethesun]

That means you've seen Tristan (who unfortunately passed away a few days ago ).

This is Edward:

Those pics don't do him justice at all...except that first one...it captures his cute personality.

*psssst* riseabovethesun...that betta breeding comment was directed more at Fishman.

Oh yeah yeah! I got'cha :]

He must be absolutely beautiful if this pictures aren't the best! I LOVE the color so much. He looks bashful in the first photo! I love him! What kind of sand are you using in your one tank?

I'm sorry about Tristan so rough.