Starting out

[jade71301]

Want to know something. Before I put my betta fish in his tank, do I have to put fish loss cycle?? Also do I really need a heater if I have a light on the tank ??? I can use aqua plus to declhorinate the water right? Is it ok to add a apple snail to the tank or does th efish have to be by itself?? Thats all for the questions for now lol.

 

[S-kate]

You don't have to do a fishless cycle, but its a lot less stress on the fish and you have more of a guarentee that it will live. As for the heater, it is recomended to stabilize the temp. You should get a thermometer so you can know exactly what the temp is, and how it fluxuates. The light may keep it at the right temperature during the day, but when its off at night it will probably drop below a comfortable range for the fish. Bettas need between 74-86 degrees F.

I'm not familiar with Aqua plus, sorry. It should say on the bottle what it does?

Apple snails are fine to live with Bettas. I think the bettas might even prefer the company. (who really knows what goes on inside the mind of a Betta though?) They can also live with ghost shrimp and some small peaceful fish, nothing too flashy or colorful.

Here's a great site for info on Bettas:

www.bettatalk.com

Good Luck!*SUNSMILE*

 

[jade71301]

Thanks that was helpful, and aqua plus is a chemical to declhorinate water.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Yes, aqua plus is all you need then. You don't really need a heater, as long as the tank stays room temperature. But the betta will be more active in heated water. I've never done a cycle for a betta (in fact, I think the cycle recipies all specify over 5g?), just make sure to do partial changes every week, and you'll be all set.

 

[jade71301]

Thanks. I am getting my new friend today and I am soooooooooooo excited lol. spent about a half hour preparing his new space. MY friend is buying it for me as a birthday present, tank and eveything and can't wait for him to give me the fishy. Thanks again for the help, you really know your stuff *SUNSMILE*

 

[UP UP AND GUPPY]

Try a female dwarf gourami. Me personally, I had them in a tank together and they were happy as they possibly can be.

 

[jade71301]

The tank came with flake food for my betta is it on to give him that or is it better pellets?

 

[pigs_fly]

in my opinion, pellets are better. and from what i have heard, and from some experience, most bettas wont take flakes...but i know that some in community tanks do ok with them. I would still say that pellets are better, plus, if you put your head up to the glass while they are eating, you can hear them chomping the pellets, haha, i like that noise for some reason...lol

Can't wait to hear about your new fishy!

 

[S-kate]

lol, my betta will eat everything. Flakes, pellets, bloodworms... He's a bit of a pig.

 

[geekrockgirl85]

i wouldn't chance putting the betta and gourami together. i'm not surprised that it works sometimes, but it's not something i would personally try.

and it is really cute to hear bettas crunching on their pellets... it echos pretty loudly when they're in a small tank or bowl!

bettas are all kind of individual and picky about what they eat, especially when their food is being changed from one type to another. We have a friend who has been feeding her bettas nothing but bettamin flakes, and i would venture to say that if they were fed pellets, it would probably take a few days before they stopped spitting them out. our bettas are strictly pellet-fed (hbh betta bites) and refuse flakes. However, the girls we have in community tanks are little flake piggies.

i would go with a higher quality betta pellet food such as HBH, Hikari (although in my opinion Hikari is way overpriced), or Omega One. but depending on what they were fed in the store, it may take them a few days to get used to the idea (and taste) of the new food.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

mine took to bloodworms right away. no hesitation.

 

[jade71301]

Well go my betta fishy and named him Aries will post a picture when I get the chance. I fed him pellets which he gobbled up right away. Then later on I tried to feed him flake food. lol he took it in his mouth and spit it out guess he didn't like that but liked the blood worms i picked out of the flake mixture. Just want to know about how many times a day do you feed your betta?

 

[jade71301]

PICTURES. He is almost the same blue as the gravel so he doesn't show up as much.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/Jade71301/Jaspers friends/betta1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/Jade71301/Jaspers friends/betta3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/Jade71301/Jaspers friends/betta2.jpg

 

[S-kate]

Very nice fish. *thumbsups I feed mine in the morning and at night. Just a tiny bit, their stomachs are very small.

 

[ninamarie]

the pictures are very dark.
feed him in the Morning and at night.
Feed about the same time every day you will see he willknow when it's feeding time.

 

[jade71301]

I give my guy 5 pellets each time I feed him morning and night. Is that too little or too much?

 

[ninamarie]

Just feed him what he can eat in a few moments..don't over feed or he will get bloat.

your feeding is fine

 

[jade71301]

ok thanks *BOUNCINGS

 

[echoofformless]

I would actually say it's too much. We only feed our bettas 2-4 bits each, once a day. Sometimes not every day. Their health appears to be excellent and has been for several months. Not to mention less food equals less waste, and less worry about all of the horrors that go along with it.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

No, do NOT feed him what he can eat in a few moments. They should get 6 pellets or less per day (depends a little on what type of pellets they are). You can split this into 2 feedings, if you want, and also vary between flakes, pellets, treats, etc. if he likes them.