I done a bad thing. We only popped out to the LFS shop to pick up a non return valve, but...

After mooning over the new celestials they had in there, I noticed the pint glass sat ontop of the plant tank, with a betta swimming aimlessly round within. I first clocked him the week before, and expected he would have gone into a tank by then, but no, there he was A lovely deep blue with a black head, and gorgeous fins. The Mister tried SO hard to talk me out of it, but I had to have him- he looked so pretty, but so sad in that dirty water!

We took him straight home, and prepared a temporary home for him (I have a 2gal tank in London to bring up next week) in the old goldfish bowl. I syphoned it full of goldfish water, as I'd just cleaned and refilled their tank, so I knew the water was spot on and not too cold (their tank is tropical temps). Some new pea gravel in the bottom, seeded again with goldfish gravel, and in he went.

He seems okay- he was quite nosy while I was setting up a plant pot to hide in, and he ate the 3 pieces of betta food I dropped in but....I haven't got a clue what I'm doing!

Does he need a heater? I've cranked up the radiator in my room for now (it gets cold in there)- this is my main worry!
The LFS man said they prefer living in cups and change the water every other day what is your opinion?
I have an air powered filter all ready to go- shoudl it go in? (is seeded with goldfish sponge)
Should I take out the airstone I put in?
What do they eat apart from betta granules?
Plants?
What else have I missed????

Yes bettas need heaters as they like temps between 75-85* F
If the filter flow aggrivates him i suggest turning it down or taking out the filter completely, bettas in small bowls should have water changes 100% once a week with smaller ones every third day.
No airstones, bettas are labyrinth breathers meaning they take air from the water's surface, an airestone would create too much distruction making it hard for him to gulp air.
Bettas need a vairied diet of either, hikari or anybrand betta pellets, live brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, tubifex worms, or freeze dried/frozen brineshrimp, tubifexworms, bloodworms or blackworms. Live foods are, in my personal opinion, much healthier for them.

Hope this helps you, he sounds like such a lovely boy.

Cheers for the prompt reply hon!

I moved his bowl down beside the radiator and cranked up the heating last night. I checked on him this morning and the water was a good temperature. He is still hiding inside his plant pot, but swimming around a bit- I haven't fed him yet.

I'm hoping to drag the mister down to the biig LFS to get a heater today. I will try and get bloodworms too- all we have here are FD tubifex.

On Tuesday I will be bringing up a proper glass tank for him-it's about 3gal.

I'm a bit worried about his front lower fin (betta anatomy confuses me!) It's sort of red/black looking and crumpled. Finrot? If anyone has a photo of betta finrot I could compare it to, I would be so grateful. It doesn't look like the finrot my fantail had, but then the betta is so different! :crp

*sigh* I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew, but I couldn't leave him in there, in that skanky water. At the moment his name is WonTon, but the mister calls him Bob.Is it just me that thinks bob is an unlucky name for a fish?

I think this thread describes it very well

Click Here

Good Luck - Hope this helps!

Jenn

I would just keep an eye on the front fin for now. Sometimes betta fins can look a bit crumpled, and still be healthy. As long as it isn't shrinking or it doesn't look red or have white fuzzy stuff on it, it may just be the shape of the fin.

It sounds as though you are doing everything right for your new little guy. I'm sure he will love his new home when you get it set up

Congratulations on your