hi!

i have a friend who is moving away and i decided to take care of his betta for him...yay! (ive been putting off getting one of my own, trying to take care of a goldie recovering from dropsy...)

anyway...i purchased a 5 gallon tank that came with a whisper micro filter. i put a thin layer of rocks on the bottom with a couple silk plants..thats about it for now. i also purchased a new 4" bubble wand and air pump thinking the betta would need it...but after reading a few posts im kinda confused. does a betta really need an airstone/bubblewand? right now hes used to his old lily/vase setup :crp with no filtration or airstone. if i put the bubblewand in will he not like it? i just need some suggestions.. if i dont need the bubblewand at least i can return it and save myself a few dollars

thank you!!

Hi Funkymedina!

I dont have a Betta but I really would like one and have been doing some research. I came across the page that you might find helpful:

BETTA CARE

It's just some basic info. Someone who has more experience will post something soon. I want to put a Betta in my snail tank when I upgrade it from a 5 gallon to a 13 gallon, but I have heard they might be antenna pickers

I dont think Bettas need aeration as they can breathe water from the surface, and I think they prefer still water, so bubbles and a high powered filter may irritate them........I think

Well, my Cassy doesn't have a fancy home like yours. -_-; (By the way, I think he'll make a full recovery! He was sick.. poor thing..) Anyway, he lives in a 1 gal bowl. I have non toxic gravel and a live water plant. That's it. Other then this nasty incident he seemed pretty happy in his home. The only thing I was really carefull about was his water quality. But then, I used bottled water so I didn't really have to worry about ammonia and such. I just made sure I had the salt and arisol(?). Also do tests with those 5 in 1 strip things to make sure everything is in line.

I think I babbled way too much. Anyway, I think it really depends on the fish. I know alot of ppl have alot of things to keep their babies happy and healty. But as I've said, mine seemed happy in his simple home. How about if you see how he does without it first. You can always buy it later, right? Well.. Good luck with your betta! And.. let us know his name!


(btw.. I think one big possibility Cassy got sick because of the cold temp. So if your home isn't really warm, maybe you should consider getting a heater for your tank. I heard warmer temps will keep the ick away. Certainly did the trick for Cassy.)

Hello there,

Bettas can live in (my opinion) a min. of 2 gallons so your betta will be super happy! With the filter, if you can turn down the current he would greatly appreciate it as bettas like the surface to be relatively calm. Airstones are not needed because they are labyrinth fish, meaning they breath from the waters surface, hence why they like it calm. Heaters are a must if your home gets bellow 70* F in the winter months. Many bettas die in winter because of cold temps.

Tips: For a really happy betta varey the diet to frozen and live tubifex worms, brine shrimp, and/ or hikari betta pellets.

Good luck with him, pictures we say! LOL

Congrats!!!! I think the 5gal. tank with the whisper Microfilter will be fine for your adopted fish.I have two different set-ups exactly like that,and both bettas seem to do fine with it. Some people have used the very small airstones to circulate the water when they don't have a filter. I would advise to get a heater for it though.I think that tends to be one of the biggest problems for bettas. They need consistant water temps & believe me it's so much easier to buy a heater & be done with it. You can get a Jr. Heater at nnnnnn for around 6.99. You can stick it down towards the bottom of the tank,and that way you'll still be able to do your water changes as needed. If you have any more questions,don't hesitate to ask. Good Luck!

ooh wow, thanks for all the replies!! as i have said before, i love this place!

i guess ill be returning all the air supplies... gotta love saving money!

devs, i went to nnnnnn tonight to buy that jr. heater, but it kinda weirded me out?? its just a metal looking tube w/no way to adjust the temperature? does it set itself at a steady temp.. or.. and then it said in the instructions that if the temp of the water gets over 82 to turn the heater off... eep. but if you recommend it along w/many other people then i think ill go back and get it tomorrow because right now at room temp the water is 74.

again thanks for all the suggestions and tips everyone! i really appreciate it i pick up the betta on saturday. at the moment his name is "jimmie" (after jimmie johnson, lowes nascar - we all work at lowes)... but i think i might change it because nascar really isnt my thing...
ill be sure to take a picture too!

LOL ugh, my dad is like obssesed with Nascar...

Hope "Jimmie" loves his new home!

Most important thing is first cycle your tank.

Bettas, w/ their delicate fins, make horrid candidates for the cycling process.

So it is important to get testing kits to monitor water quality, as this leads to successful fish keeping. You can't see nor smell the difference between "bad" or "good" water. Only way to know are through tests.

Invest in a better heater for a few extra dollars. You'll appreciate the ability to actually control what temperature your betta resides in, especially when it comes time to medicate and such.

This site is awesome: aquamaniacs.net

Check out their forum for bettas and/or other aquarium related information.

Oh here's a tip since you work at Lowes.

For relatively cheap "aquarium" safe plants that bettas LOVE to hide in, rest on, swim in and out of, pick up some Pothos. I got mine at Lowes for like... 2 bucks or something like that.

Since you work there, you can find out if they use pesticide or not. If not, go right ahead and clip the vines.leaves and add them to the tank. If they do, or to be safe, wait till there are new growth on the plant, then add the clippings.

The clipppings are WONDERFUL!

Not only are they cheap, and can survive practically ANYTHING, you'll always have a back up source of clippings from the mother plants, and they're wonderful at sucking up extra nutrients, ammonia, and nitrates from your tank.

Not to mention, Bettas LOVE their broad leaves, and the clippings and the roots grow super fast.

OK so as far as I can find there are no other types of heaters out there for under a 5 gal tank (or below)- none that I have ever seen have any type of heat adjustment.

I am currently using 2 of the Jr heaters (yes from Wallmart) in 2 of my tanks (baby Shim's & the one in my daughters bedroom where the temp can swing more than 10 degrees in the course of a 24 hour period)

I have not had a problem with them. They have been a perfectly steady 78 degrees. I keep a thermometer in the tank at all times & I don't use a heater when the room temp is warm & steady. At 74 degrees you may be OK. (2 of my betta tanks don't have heaters at all because the room temp stays steady (yes I have thermometers in all of my tanks).

IMHO I would see how active your little guy is at 74 degrees before deciding upon a heater.

Good Luck!

Jenn

If you want to go en route via petsmart/petco, they have 25W neptune heaters that are fine for 5Gallon tanks.

Or if you're going to be needing other supplies and want to save money (Shipping and Handling fees could be consider the tax you won't be giving to uncle Sam.) then I would go en route via drsfosterandsmith.com

They have pretty good deals on pet supplies, and you can get an adjustable, more reliable heater for about 8 Bucks a pop.

Bettas are tropical fishes and although can tolerate lower temps, are much more comfortable and much more active in their ideal temp of 78-80.

Whatever you chose, remember, it is better to keep your temp. stable, rather then fluctuating. And in my opinion, the only way to help keep it stable is if you yourself can actually control the temp.

Be careful that whatever heater you get is compatible with your set up (it sounded like an acrylic mini bow to me that's why I suggested one of the Jr heaters too - those tanks cannot handle the 5-10 gal heater range becuse of their construction unless you are very very very careful - it can never touch the tank wall or it may melt it (even at the lower wattage) With the higher wattage thermometers - many are not recommended because of this.(they may melt the tank wall even when just close to it depending upon the setting you use)

If you have a glass tank - go for whatever!

Good Luck!

Jenn

Hmm, for a 5 gallon the heater i use is a PENN PLAX 25-watt, it's adjustable, stable and only $8.00 here. Bethany seems to know what to get. :thumbs

The Jr heaters are only 7.5 watts = that's why they are OK with the mini bow aquariums where some other heaters are less safe. (It should state on the packaging whether or not it is OK to use with acrylic. Some heaters at 25 watts state on the packaging that they cannot be used in these types of tanks )

I would agree in a glass tank you have many more options but those mini bows with curved fronts & limited space on the back wall can be tricky! (Because of the hood design) PLus with the thin plastic walls - well they are great (I use them myself!) but you have to know their limitations!

(I actually comtemplated getting a glass tank because so many heaters cannot be used with small acrylic tanks & I had to have a heater on that one tank!)

Maybe this isn't a mini bow & all of this debate is for nothing! (Well you know what I mean )

Bethany - I forgot to say it's nice to see you posting again!

Tam - I'm glad that heater worked for you! I was just adding my 2 cents 'cause I went thru this this fall & trapsed to a few different stores before I could find a heater that would work with my tank! (I actually had Petco employees tell me never to use a heater with a mini bow /small acrylic tank but ...I usually take what they say with a grain of salt anyway! )

Jenn

Hi there!

Just adding my and a word of caution here. I bought 2 jr. heaters for use on my 5 gal tanks. Keep a very close eye on the temp! The one I used first made the temp skyrocket overnight! In the morning when I saw, I unplugged it imediately. To make a long story short, my boy in that tank died from flex. Which can be brought on by stress, which I think the high temp caused him. (R.I.P Sunny) Anyway, needless to say I never used the other jr. heater!

Not that I despute anything anyone else has to say about them. What works great for some, may not work for others. Maybe I got faulty heater, who knows. But if you give these a shot, just keep a real close eye on the temp until you're sure it's safe. Good luck whatever you decide.

Erin

Oh i see now what you posted fisharenewtome, sorries, i only have glass. Not familiar with acrylic tanks.

well i was determined to get the junior heater from nnnnnn but i purchased a 25 watt from petsmart. when i was setting it up i noticed, because of how the top/rim of the tank is, the bottom part of the heater (the element itself) just barely misses resting on the side of the tank. after reading all these posts i realize umm.. thats not too great considering its acrylic..heh. so i just got back from nnnnnn w/a jr. heater! woo! i hope it works ok!

thanks for the tips! yall rock :thumbup

Looks like we could go back and forth on the jr. heater all nite! I have the jr. on about 12 tanks.The best size to use it on is at least 5 gals. My tanks are all acrylic.The normal temp reading reads about 80 degrees. 78 in my Living room. I think each tank & house temp is different,and you just have to see what works for you. I have not had any probs. with the jr. so far. I haev tried the more exspensive controlled heater & that actually made the tank too hot. I don't think anyone is wrong here.-Just gotta figure what will work for you.

Jenn

ive had the jr. heater in for over 24 hrs and its only raised the water temp to 76. does it take longer to heat it up since its smaller/lower watt.?

well i picked up little "jimmie" last night from my friend...and today i placed him into his new tank. so far he seems pretty excited! its so much better than his dingy, foul smelling vase :crp
when i turned the tank light on i noticed that he has some sorta goldish looking spots on/around the gill area... i tried to take some pictures of him to show

http://users.adelphia.net/~rikki22/images/betta1.jpg
http://users.adelphia.net/~rikki22/images/betta2.jpg
http://users.adelphia.net/~rikki22/images/betta3.jpg
http://users.adelphia.net/~rikki22/images/betta4.jpg

also.. any suggestions for meds to keep on hand? i have salt, maracyn, maracyn 2, and melafix.. thats about it.


...right now all i have in the tank is some glass stones (ones that were in the vase - cleaned), some white rocks, and two silk plants... thats 'bout it what do bettas like?

Well he's got a lovely tank set up, the silk plants i'm sure he loves. Maybe try a small cave, i know a lot of bettas like to swim through and hide in them. A small terra cotta pot on it's side will work perfectly.

oo that sounds like a good idea

i wanted to mention in my post about the gold spots.. i dont know if that is normal? i always thought it meant the fish had velvet... i dont know :/

Velvet can be detected simply by shining a small flashlight on your betta, if there is a brown/copper "glow" then he has some form of velvet, if he starts to pinecone (his scales become erect) then he may have dropsy, if this is the case i suggest quarantining him and adding salt + Melefix OR BettaMax, if he doesn't clear up start him on Marcylin 2 (i believe this is the right one, just check what it treats for before you buy it) He could also have just gold colouring, like irridescent scales.

Cross my fingers he doesn't have either.

Depending on the coloration of the fish, velvet can be very hard to see/diagnose.

W/ any type of medication, it is stressful on a fish, so accurate diagnose should be made before treatment is administered.

Dropsy in itself is not an illness; it's a symptom, due to kidney failure in a fish that causes internal buildup of excess fluid.

Salt is not recommended as it is not well tolerated by bettas, esp. if it is already bloated, as it will irritate the slime coat, and cause further fluid retention. (Unless it is an epsom salt bathe, which will draw out the fluid, but again, although well tolerated by fishes such as goldfish, very stressful on a fish like bettas, and should be used as almost a last resort.)

Velvet's other symptoms may include: darting around/flashing in an attempt to scratch itself, rapid breathing/movement of the gills if the parasite has inflamed the gills, lethargic, lost of appetite, lost of coloration. I recommend RichIch as it is well tolerated by most sensitive species fish, and does it job well, although uses lower dosage of drugs. (As opposed to giving morphine for a simple little headache.)

Try a flashlight and magnifying glass to see if you can spot the tiny parasite, otherwise, watch for the above mention symptoms.

With the Junior Heaters, the reason why I don't recommend it, is, although it works for some, more often enough you hear of complaints of not getting the "right" temperature by consumers, esp. since you have no control of the thermostat. (Like renting an apt, that a stingy landlord controls the thermostat in a locked room.) Anything can make the temperature fluctuate on these Jr. Heaters, such as your room temperature, amount of actual water in the tank, where the tank is located, etc. It also has issues of staying "stable" as well.

A thermometer on the outside of the tank, preferably furthest from the heating source will tell you what the water temperature is. The Jr. Heater usually heats the water warmer in one spot then in another spot in the tank, and although by only a few degrees, it's a few degrees too much for fishes, as their own body functions, such as metabolism, rely heavily on the temperature.

The "gold spots" could be just his normal coloration. Unless you see other symptoms, I wouldn't worry too much.

I agree with Bethany on everything she said. (I do agree with her about the Jr heaters if you can get one that has a thermostat & it's appropriate for the tank you're using.)

The only thing I would add is to be careful using Melafix with Bettas. I personally have had bad experiences with it & I have read on many other boards where members have had difficulty with it. Your fish may be the onle that is OK with it but I would use it as a last resort only.

As Bethany already said - I would make sure you're fish is sick & you're pretty sure you know what it is before you put any meds/salt into the tank. Bettas come in lots of colors & the difference in color may be normal for your betta!

Good Luck! He's cute!

Jenn