I'm going to petsmart on sunday and i decided to get a betta.And i have some questions.

What temp do they prefer?

What is a good diet for them?

What are some fish i can put them with?

I lost all my fish so i'm stressed and school's a killer. i get like a mount everest stack of HW.And thanks for any help.

You can't really put anything with them, they are too agressive. Alot of people keep them at room temperature with no problems, even though they are tropical. With food, you can feed them a good betta pellet (about two pellets a day) and some brine shrimp or bloodworms.

Thanks Do they eat veggies and fruit?

My little guy will eat nothing but Hikari betta bites. Also, get some plants or something, they like to hide.

Edit: My guy also seems more active when the water temp is around 80 - 82. When it drops below that, he gets sluggish.

Yeah i like plants. Will the plant be ok in a small tank or bowl?

I have a plant in each of my gallon betta tanks. Also, my female with floating issues goes nuts for peas, and all my other bettas will eat them, but remember that bettas are carnivorous fish and need a diet that is mainly protine.

bettas are also picky eaters, so you may end up spending a fortune on finding the right food that fancies the little guy . also it may take over a week for the betta to start eating any type of food for him to accept it..so dont worry if he isnt eating right away

Thanks.

Also can i put any loach or snail with them?

I wouldnt. They like to nip at snails eye stalks and stuff, and it can cause damage. I also think loaches need a big tank...not sure on that. What are you going to be keeping the little guy in?

I think everybody answered most things, but here's my 2 cents worth of info

They don't like direct sunlight, it's bad for them
They don't like places that are too small, or sometimes even too big (well, when they are alone)
They love live foods, although its good to feed them betta pellets, etc.
They like temperatures around the 80's, usually, anything below that will cause them to be sluggish, they won't move around as much.

Male bettas are very agressive and territorial, it wouldn't be good to keep them with other fish, bettas are also carnivorous. However, you could try to keep a group of females together, if they are introduced at the same time. Females introduced a bit later can get some "unwelcomeness" from the current group of females. But if you decide to keep females together, it's good to make sure they have enough room to claim their own piece of territory.

Other than that, bettas are fun to have!! I know when I got my first betta I was so excited. They are pretty hardy, and don't require as much maintenance as a goldie does (Goldies, we still love you! ) And they can be a breeze to keep. Good luck on buying your betta!!!

if you DO want to keep anything else with him, get a tank of 20 gallons at least, and then have nonaggressive, non-fin nipping fish, like cory cats. Bettas are slow, and if you get quick fish that don't draw attention to themselves and have room to run away they'll be fine.

And can they eat earthworms?

They can eat earthworms, if you dig them up yourself give them a soak to get rid of the dirt. Also mosquito larvae are another thing you can usually harvest from your garden somewhere.

You can keep a betta in a gallon or 2 gallon tank but you really need to invest in a tiny heater ($10-$15 US... look online), and not only a water treater to get rid of chlorine and chloramine but also a conditioner, and expect to change the tank 2-3 times a week.

They love plants, to rest on near the surface, or hide under. You can keep snails, because snails are bottom feeders and bettas are top feeders. The betta won't pick up the food that falls to the bottom but the snail will. If it is a small tank that you are changing often tho, the snail won't like it much.

Also if it is a small tank that you'll change often, don't bother with gravel, you'll save yourself a lot of time. Just use a rock to hold the plant down, or plant the plant in a tiny shot glass or anchovie jar. A tiny tank is never going to cycle, expect to change most of it. You can basically catch the betta in a large cup, and tip the rest of the tank out.

If you don't like to change water often, then you'll have to get a larger tank with a small box filter or something and run a cycle, it's easier to find heaters to fit larger tanks.

I find freeze dried bloodworms really useful, bettas love them and they only need about 5 a day so they last forever. Bettas beg for food all the time, so don't over feed them, or the water will get all greasy on top and yucky.

Wow thanks yabbie! You answered the water changing question i was just about to ask.

I got my betta today!He is the cutest thing.

Congratulations I'm sure you're gonna love him Looking forward to see pics

Thanks. Hehe i have another question.How much do i feed him?I got topfin freeze dried bloodworms,bettamin tropical medly, and aqua safe water conditioner.Are those good?

Aqua Safe removes chlorine and chloramine and neutralizes heavy metals which is good. In conjunction with that, getting the aquarium crystals or perhaps even the ketapang extract will add good minerals to the water to make your fish super tip top healthy... but that's an extra.

Five good sized bloodworms OR five tiny pellets is all a betta needs every day. It looks like way too little but bettas are gutsy. Perhaps give him a couple of pellets in the morning and a few worms at night... then he'll think you're feeding him lots.

What colour and finnage is he?

He is red and violet blue. Oh and one more question sorry. Do i have to soak their food?The food i bought was a mix of tiny falkes and tiny pellets.

I wouldn't bother. They are top feeders.

My females leap right out of the water to snatch at droplets on the lid or sides of the tank as if they are hunting mosquitos.

lol mine eats out of my hands and sometimes gives me a lil' nip.

feed him just enough that he would eat in 5 minutes. Remember, their stomachs are only a bit bigger than their eyeballs....