another betta
- Thread starter WickedQueen
- Start date
what do u mean what the deal is? I have 11 bettas and no problems with them at all. In a month or so I am planning to get more like 12 more total. It is so sad that people buy the bottle water at Petstore listed for bettas, that is the biggest scam for unsuspecting new betta owners. The bottle water for bettas is what killed your betta because betta are fairly cheap to buy and most people don't think much of it when they loose a 3 dollar fish , it is a marketing tool for these company to make money. The water has no beneficial minerals for the bettas, tap water is best with water conditioner to remove the harmful chemical in tap water and white stuff that sounds like fungus or ick and you have to treat just like any living thing. I had a LFS employee ask me about why her new bettas died while the one she had for a year had no problem, well I ask her what did she do when she got the two new bettas, she went on to tell me she put water in the container and put them in and the next day they both died. I assumed she used tap water and conditioner before putting them in the 1 gallon containers when she then told me she used bottle water and put them in their tanks. I said that was your problem that is why the two bettas died the next day. I proceed to show her that even at the store she is working for sells betta water in a bottle, that is a big no no. Bettas you get from the stores are kept in tap water conditioned for them and when you use bottle well there are no beneficial minerals for them. You can use spring bottle water but you have to acclimate them slowly to the spring water or they will die also. I am very cautious of my bettas since I have halfmoons, crowntails, and 1 veiltail. I have a gold platinum halfmoon, green/turquoise halfmoon, lavender butterfly halfmoon, copper green halfmoon, steel blue crowntail, white opaque crowntail, solid red crowntail, apache looking crowntail red/white, blue crowntail with some red wash, blue female crowntail with some red wash, red veiltail
well the last one I had I used the betta water and when it had that crap grow on it again withing half an hour I just said screw it and gave up. I used tap water, distilled water, and betta water and the same thing happened with all of them. and the first one I baught I left it in the contaner it came in and it died withing 2 days. had the while crap growing on it. I gave it a lil bit of food. enough for it to eat withing 2 min once a day so I know I wasn't overfeeding it. But like I said I don't know what the deal is unless there is something in the air that is getting in the water somehow and it is messing with them. I do live within 2 miles from a nuclear power plant so who knows.
Yeah, come on now, you can't give up!! Trust me, I could tell you my horror stories - and there are plenty of them. But, now Ive had my boy for mmmm, about 3months now!
Go get a little 2 gallon tank or bowl, some cheap gravel (rinse it really well in hot water before you start to set up the tank), get some water - I use spring water (store brand at like albertsons or something), and then a conditioner of some sort - I use Bowl Buddies for Bettas, and I haven't had a problem since I started using them
Set up your tank and water, then go get you a little pet store pound puppy and try, try again!
Come on, you can do it!
Go get a little 2 gallon tank or bowl, some cheap gravel (rinse it really well in hot water before you start to set up the tank), get some water - I use spring water (store brand at like albertsons or something), and then a conditioner of some sort - I use Bowl Buddies for Bettas, and I haven't had a problem since I started using them
Set up your tank and water, then go get you a little pet store pound puppy and try, try again!Come on, you can do it!
Also important-- accilmating your fish (for any beginners reading the thread). Float the bag/cup in the tank/bowl for a while so the temp equalizes, then add in a little tank water to the fish's container, then soon a little more, then a little more, then you can transfer your fishy to the tank. Getting them used to the possible differences in ph and such minimizes stress.
Making sure the bowl was super-clean and very well-rinsed is important. Exhumed, is it possible there may have been some substance left over in the tank/bowl causing your fish's strange problem? Did you use the same bowl/tank each time you tried again with a betta?
Spring water or drinking water from the store are fine. Just don't buy distilled water or RO/DI water; they are the ones lacking in things bettas need.
Making sure the bowl was super-clean and very well-rinsed is important. Exhumed, is it possible there may have been some substance left over in the tank/bowl causing your fish's strange problem? Did you use the same bowl/tank each time you tried again with a betta?
Spring water or drinking water from the store are fine. Just don't buy distilled water or RO/DI water; they are the ones lacking in things bettas need.
I used the same bowl but cleaned it every time I put a new fish in. Never used any chemical cleaners. just used baking soda. I also tried vinagar a couple of times then I put it under the faucet for bout 2-3 min letting the hottest water I could get run into it continusly. I was using a 1 gal brandy snifter my parents got as a wedding gift. never been used for anything but the turtle when we first got him 16 years ago. that is all. Had the turtle in the tank I'm using now for bout 15 years untill it died. so I don't think there was any residue in the bowel I was using for the bettas.
Depends on the betta's temperqment, and on what the other fish are. Very difficult to say, each situation is unique. But, in most cases, any kind of fish with a fancy tail will upset the betta. Plecos are definitely out, IME. Neons and harlequi rasboras seem to work with some bettas. Female bettas are much easier to place in a community tank, at least it appears that more people have success with that than with males, generally speaking. Some bettas will tolerate no tankmates whatsoever at any time.
I had the same problem with my first two bettas. One died of a fungus within a couple months, and the other just died for no apparent reason. I started keeping the temp a little higher, around 76-78 degrees and adding a tiny bit of aquarium salt right in the beginning. I haven't had any problems with my new guy and he's healthy as can be.
As far as tankmates, it all depends on the betta. Some will tolerate tankmates, others would kill them in a second. My betta is in a 7 gallon hex with 5 neon tetras and 1 oto. He could care less! I've never seen him flare up or anything, in fact one of the neons followed him around for the longest time! He does flare at hubby though, I think he wants me all to himself
As far as tankmates, it all depends on the betta. Some will tolerate tankmates, others would kill them in a second. My betta is in a 7 gallon hex with 5 neon tetras and 1 oto. He could care less! I've never seen him flare up or anything, in fact one of the neons followed him around for the longest time! He does flare at hubby though, I think he wants me all to himself