beta info???

[skoot24]

hey, im new to this board and hoping you guys could help me out. i just recently bought a dark blue betta from petco and it seems to be doing just fine. he's in sort of a smaller tank due to lack of money and space, its called a betta sphere. it seems to be swimming around freely and has no problems so far. i also just bought a gold mystery snail to accompany it. some of my questions are, is it ok just to be feeding it nutrafin max beta food? (he seems to like it a lot). another is will he be able to survive in my house? the average temperature is about 70-75 degrees (due to hot weather, its already 110 here in vegas!) and my last question (for now , is what will the snail eat? can it just survive off the flakes that my fish doesnt pay attention to that sink to the bottom?
thanks

 

[ashleigh]

If it's possible at all, I would move him to something larger. One of the problems with those smaller containers is atht the temperature is much more likely to fluctuate- also with no filter I would definately get rid of the snail, they are very messy.On the food- I'm sure what you are feeding them is fine, just do so sparingly. Sorry to sound like such a fuddyduddy, but with such a small space you have a very small margin of error.

 

[Iggy]

Hi Skoot24m

Well, congrats on your betta, careful they are additive!!

I have seen those betta sphere's with the nice light, but they are pretty small overall. You will need to change water very often, at least twice a week to keep it from getting murky and making Mr. Betta sickly.

A larger tank will also allow you to add some fake plants, so Mr.Betta can have some hiding spots.

Shoot for a 2.5 to 5 gallon tank. Anything over a 2.5 gal tank can be heated(5 to 10 w per gal heater). Just keep your eye open for garage sales or ask your relatives, you will be surprised how easy it is to find good sized tanks kicking around peoples basements or garages.

Betta's are tropical fish, so they depend on ambient water temperature to maintain their internal body heat. 76F is ideal, but anywhere from a steady 74 to 78F is fine.

I agree about the snail.. they can make a good mess pretty fast, and that small space will get dirty quickly. If you get your hands on a large tank, you can keep the snail to control algea. Snails tend to reproduce quickly... so you will likely end up with dozens after a while!

Most betta/staple food is fine for daily feedings- whatever he will eat. Try a variety of foods, like frozen blood worms as treats, just so your more likely to give Mr. Betta a good mixture of nutrients and minerals. My adults LOVE frozen brine shrimp, they literally jump out of the water to get it!

Just a heads up.. most boards/users will suggest a large tank for the long-term health of your betta and because it is easier to maintain a larger tank than smaller tanks, with less frequent water changes and more room for mistakes.

Welcome to the board!

 

[skoot24]

thanks for all the info guys! eventually i will move it to a big tank. probably in about a month or so. and the water doesnt seem to get murky with the snail in there... its actually starting to look cleaner... anyways, my betta is building a bubble nest and last night when i check on it before i went to sleep, it started to race around the tank in a very very quick hoppy motion, and i think it spread out his bubble nest a little bit. does anyone know what could be wrong? (if anything is)

 

[ashleigh]

I'm not sure what you mean exactly- was he rubbing against the rocks or anything?

 

[skoot24]

no, not at all. it was strange it just sort of violently raced across and around the tank. after that it didnt move much and he didnt look like his gills were moving. i tapped him and he sort of woke up and acted normal again. it was quite wierd.

 

[ashleigh]

That is weird- although I have heard that fish in tanks with high nitrates will race up and down the sides of the tank- I don't want to harp on you about this but in that little tank you might want to take out a cup or two a day to keep everything clean. Do you have any test kits to check water quality?

 

[Iggy]

Was he flaring? (Gills sticking out)? Sometimes at night with the tank light on they see their reflection and start flaring - a normal reaction to another male. Use a mirror against the tank and he will do it again. Its OK for them to flare every now and then, sorta like guys flexing in the mirror!

Just one last thing I will point out in case your not aware of it. Betta's are great jumpers (puddle jumpers by nature). I know a lot of people who have come home to see a dead, dried-up betta beside thier tank.

Its a pretty common occurance, and another good reason to get a tank with some sort of lid.

 

[skoot24]

ah, good advice

 

[ashleigh]

For now maybe you could get just a little screen for it at the hardware store.

 

[Iggy]

A clear CD would work too, or cut a peice of plexiglass and drill a whole in it for food & air.

 

[skoot24]

thanks for the advice. for the last few days my snail wasnt very active so i moved him to his own container. he moved around more and ate and then for the last few days, he's been floating at the top with a gooey thing with green things inside hanging off of him. and there are green things on the bottom of the container. is this waste or eggs? and is he alive or dead?