Hi!

I've been keeping gf for a while now, and when one died after a long illness, we decided to try something different. So after reading up on some different typed of fish, we settled on a Betta. His name is Charlie Parker, and we think that he is just beautiful! My son thinks that he is Rainbow Fish (A character in a children's book, for those who don't know). We're definately in love with his graceful finnage, and his striking colour.

I've done my research, and we've got the basics covered, but i don't know any specifics yet, like what type he is, and how well he'll do without a heater, and whether he'll withstand the ph level of our water (8.5). But we have some ph down, and we're giving that a try.

We did get flake food (which i understand that he may not like), some betta bites, and some freeze dried bloodworms. Hopefully he'll do alright with those.

He's housed in a 4 litre jar with a screened in top, marbles at the bottom, and one silk plant ( to protect his plummage) I'm re-cycling a goldfish tank right now, so since i'm doing daily water changes for it, i'll probably do pretty frequent water changes for charlie parker too.

I'm using a betta bowl water conditioner as well as aging the water to bring it up to the same temp as the tank water.

Here's some pictures - thanks for helping me to introduce charlie parker!







I look forward to learning more form all you betta lovers!

Dana.

Aww he's beautiful!

I'd upgrade him to at least a 2 gallon tank when you can. 4 liters is aweful small If the temperature drops below 75*F (especially at night) you need to buy a heater. You will have a very hard time heating anything smaller than a 2 gallon, and that is the main reason I recomend that size as a minimum. Also, stay away from pH down. Its acid and could harm your fish, possibly killing it. He should adjust fine to your tap's pH.

That's too cute that your son thinks he's the rainbow fish

Thanks Kissy!

I too would like to move him to an actual tank with a filter. The long term plan is to move the common gf into a 20 gallon, and then charlie parker could have the 10 gallon. But maybe i could speed things up and get a 5 gallon for charlie sooner. I followed the recomendations on bettatalk.com, and thought i was doing ok!

I have a heater, but i hesitate to use it in the jar, as the temp may be too hard to regulate? Would a light nearby help keep the jar warmer? The temp in our house doesn't get cooler at night. We stay at about 72 degrees day and night.

Thanks for your ideas!

Dana.

I would always keep a betta at 78-80 minimum. If you have a warmer room in the house I would move him there, like a bedroom or kitchen.

Bettas are strong little guys so he should be fine with the ph.

Putting that heater in a jar is a hard choice. In sucha small area you could over heat the jar or the fish could burn if he layed against the heater to long.

I would recomend buying a plastic kritter keeper. They are cheap(about $10) and I believe go up to 3 gallons which is great for a betta. You could put a small filter in there and the heater. Just a thought so you can save money!

Congratulations on your new Betta! Charlie Parker is very cute, I love the red colouring he has.

I would say he is Veiltail Betta or VT for short, the most common tail type found in stores, but still really lovely and they can have beautiful colouration too.

Sounds like you're doing fine Dana! You obviously want to do the very best for your little guy so you won't go too far wrong.

I agree with Kissy, a larger home would be beneficial to him, even before the 10 gal is ready (which is a great idea by the way!) One of those 3 gal critter keeper things Sushi mentioned sounds like a great idea, or a 5 gal if you can run to it.

Generally speaking, the larger the water volume the easier it is to heat safely and cycle a filter in, so maybe just keep that I mind when you're choosing a tank/container size. Good luck with your new betta!

Charlie Parker is really preatty! I love his colors! Congrats on getting him.

CP would love getting into the 10 gal. Thats what I have mine in and he loves all the space.

Wow what a pretty boy Chalie Parker is. Did you name him after the jazz musician? That is a cute name. You sound like you are doing o.k.
The others gave you some very good advice. As far as him not liking his flake food you will have to try it and see. Some bettas like flake food but a majority of them like the betta pellets. Just a trial and error thing untill you find out which one he likes. Also don't get upset if he doesn't eat for the first five days or so. He is just adjusting to his new home. Like Mr.B told me ( which was very good advice btw Mr.B.-thanks) to just feed him one type of food for the first couple weeks untill he gets used to it. Then you can try giving him blood worms as a treat a couple times a week. Also remember while he is adjusting to make sure to remove any uneaten food after each feeding and discard it. Uneaten food will quickly decay and make your water in his bowl go bad quicker requiring more frequent water changes.
I had my bettas in a jar. The recomendation the others gave you is right on concerning the size of the container. His container should be at least 2 gallons with 1 gallon being the minimum amount of water you should keep him in. Good for you doing the frequent water changes. What a good betta parent you make. I used to change my bettas water every 3 days or so. If you keep his container in a warm area of the house as the others suggested , you should not have trouble with the temp. Keep him away from hallways and doors and vents. I leave the lamp near the container on during the day to help keep the water warm as well. As they mentioned it is hard to heat a small bowl or container and I agree. If you get a small tank heater it will probably be too hot in a small container smaller than 2 gallons and may overheat and actually boil your fish. I did fine with no heater. You can get an inexpensive stick on thermometer for his container at wally world. That way if you are worried about the temp you could see what temp is running and make adjustments if needed
The silk plants are great and he will love it to hide behind when he is not feeling socable. The aging the water is good to. Seems like you are on track With Charlie. Good luck and congrats on you new betta

Also forgot to add if you are using a container make sure it has a lid with small holes in it for air exchange.Bettas are known to be jumpers and would not want you lose your fish . Fill the water in the container only to a couple inches from the top. Bettas get their air from breathing from the surface. Antoher tip is to save the small container and lid you bought him in for water changes. While you are changing his water you can put him in there with water and put the lid on. I have heard from other how their betta jumped during water changes. That way he is safe till you are done. Here is a pic from another thread of a good betta setup if you are using a container
http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...=0&#entry587611

Thanks so much for all your great ideas!

I already have a stick-on thermometer. It reads between 68-70 pretty consistantly. I think this may be too cold for him. He's already in the warmest place in the house (kitchen), and away from any drafts. I guess we like the house to be a little on the cooler side. What can i say - we're canadians! We like the cold! Our bedroom is even colder.

So maybe a small tank with a heater might just be the answer. I already have a heater, plants and gravel, so i'd just need a tank, hood and filter.
I think i can fit a tank on the kitchen counter - maybe a 5-7.5 gallon. Do you have a recommendation for a filter? How many gallons per hour filtration? Are bettas sensitive to current? How delicate is their finnage with regards to output flow?

Thanks for the warnings about betta jumping! I have already taken care of that, as we have a cat in the house! No open top fishtanks in this house! Charlie Parker's jar really is a jar! A four litre pickle jar from my friend's restaurant. It's all been disinfected of course, but it's quite handy as it comes with a lid. I cut out the centre of the lid with an exacto knife, leaving just the threads aound the outside edge. The i glued a piece of window screening ono the underside edge. Then voila! Just screw the lid on or off for feeding and cleaning - but it keeps charlie parker safe from marauding cats - and two year olds!

Dana.

PS: Yes charlie parker is named after the jazz musician!

How many watts is your heater? For a 5 gallon you want about 25w, and a 10 gallon about 50w.

Most of the 5 to 7.5 gallon tanks that I see are kits. That kind of a shame because you usually get a lot of stuff that you don't need or want. If you can find a plain tank and hood, or even just the tank that would be great and you could use a peice of custom cut plexi glass over it.

If you buy a filter separately, make sure its a quiet one with a slow flow. Bettas are sensitive to a strong water current, especially males with the long fins. I'd recomend a gph of 3-6 times that of the gallonage. I'd recomend a non-sponge internal filter or a very gentle Hang Over the Back filter.

Charlie Parker is very pretty and in great condition.All the bettas I have seen at my lfs look so sad and their tails are very frayed. Congratulations on your new family member ! All the wonderful advice and help makes me want to get a betta too!!!

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Excellent advice! Thanks! I am only familiar with the HOB sponge/carbon/bio-media type of filter - as i've been keeping goldfish before mr. p. Can anybody recommend a particular name brand? I'll go check out the internal filters. I guess i could buy a kit too. They usually come in coloued tanks though, i just wanted the basic black.

And thank you thank you for all the nice compliments on charlie parker! It's easy to see why we fell in love with him right away! I lve watching him swim - he's so regal!

And our lps is pretty small - only 6 tanks of fish - nobody in little cups, so the fish are really healthy. Just one tank that is alwas overstocked with feeder goldfish always bothers me. I've enjoyed talking fish with the shop keeper, and slowly getting her to see fish - Koko's way!

Dana.

Hi Dana. Haven't heard from you in awhile. how is Charlie Parker doing?

Hi! Thanks for asking about Charlie Parker - He's doing well, although i have a few concerns - now that you mention it. I'm worried that he may be stressed. Unfortunately, i don't know what the signs of stress are in a betta, but here's whats concerning me:

He seems to be constantly pacing back and forth along the back wall of the tank. Unless he's eating, then he'll scoot around after the food, and munch happily. I don't know why he always seems so restless. Could he be feeling threatened by something? Is there a way that i could help him relax? I'd give him a massage if i could!

His fins are looking like thet're on the verge of being ragged. I'm adding salt to the water (2 teaspoons per 5 gallons) and doing 50% water changes 3x/wk. I don't want to jump into medicating unless I absolutely have to, but i've got maracyn and maracyn 2 and maroxy on hand just in case.

His tank seems to grow a lot of light, white, sort of feathery algae very quickly, and i'm now getting some brown algae on the walls of the tank.

I didn't want to bother you all with these concerns, but since you asked...
I'd love your thoughts on the subject!
Thank you,
Dana.

Is there any ornaments in the tank that he could be leary of?Sounds weird ,I know,but Betta's tend to freak over the smallest of things.Betta's tend to pace when somethings not quite right. Anything that he could be catching his fins on to give him a ragged look?
As for the salt,I personally would stop using it myself.Salt doesn't evaporate and the only real way of ridding the tank of it,is by big water changes,so salt can creep up on you eventually. And too much salt can sometimes have the opposite effect,and could be playing a role in why his fins are looking this way. This is guessing on my part at this point,and past experiences with my own fish.
Is he still in the pickle jar with no heat?

I agree with Devs. I was just getting ready to say the same thing about the salt. I would not be using it with a betta. I would keep his water pristine. What kind of plants do you have in there with him. A plastic plant can damage the delicate betta fins sometimes. He could rubbing against it. I would take a sample of the water he is in to the local lfs, they will usaully check it's levels for free. Maybe the water looks clean to you but there might be a build up nitrates and amonia going on. I know one betta I had would swim around like you said when his water started going bad, which was good hint for me to change his water. Poor water quality could be stressing him out and damaging his fins. It can look good but you need to check you levels. And how many Us gallons do 4 liters equal? If he is in anything smaller than a one gallon I would upgrade him. Are you still using your ph down? If you are I would stop. I would upgrade him to a at least one gallon tank. I found one here at Wally world that had a undergravel filter, air pump, hood with light ( with feeding and air hole) for only $ 10. Is his container in a drafty area by a door, vent or window. Could be experiencing drastic temperature changes.

Thanks for replying Devs and Betta Queen! I guess i should have filled you in on Charlie Parker's current residence. I forgot that you don't acually live here with me, eventhough daily contact through the forum isn't unusual!

Charlie Parker lasted about four days in the 1 gallon pickle jar before i felt too guilty, and we upgraded him to a 5 gallon tank with a Elite Stingray submersible filter, and 50 watt heater. He also has an airstone, set really slow, but he seems to like it. He has one fake starfish, and 1 silk plant. They are both soft. The filter outflow is directed straight towards the back wall of the tank. I have a stick on thermometer, and the temperature is pretty steady at 82 degrees.

I have just begun using salt at 2 teaspoons for 5 gallons, because i thought it might help his fins. Salt is reccommended for bettas on the bettatalk website. I guess you can't always believe everything you read! I do 50% water changes 3x/wk (tuesday, thursday, Saurday) I test the water before each waterchange, and the water has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 7.5-8 ph. I'm not using ph down anymore - i don't seem to need it anymore for some unknown reason.

He gets Betta Bites every morning at 8am, and fd red worms or blood worms for a treat. He doesn't seem too interested in peas (unlike Nemo, my common gf!).

All that now being said - i still don't know what could be going on for him. Do you think a nice hidey hole might help? Maybe a small terracotta pot? Would a background on the tank help it be less reflective? Maybe he's guarding the tank against his own reflection? Should i block his veiw of Nemo, in the tank next door? Any other ideas? I'm running out!

Thank you so much for your imput - i appreciate you sharing your experience, and knowlege with me!
Dana.

Hi Dana,
Sounds like a great set up and sounds like he really loves it.
I am glad you are not using ph down and salt anymore. Because ph down is a acid solution, it might be possible that his fin damage might be from that due to their fins delicate nature, just a thought.
I saw the salt thing on betttatalk too, but I and lots of others here think it is uneccessary for a betta. Bettatalk also mentions not using ph down because it is acidic. I think her info is really informative,I only disagree with using salt.
A temp between 72-80 is great.
As far as the water changes, since he is now in a 5 gallon tank with filter and heat , you should only have to make a partial water change once a week , but it depends on what your water params are, and taking in the fact that he is having fin issues , untill they start improving I would make sure his water is pristine.
The fins should heal well with good water conditions, but if they are a burn from ph down you may what to consider a small amount of anitbiotic in his water.
As for the hidey hole that would be an excellent idea. Bettas love hidey holes to hide in. Even though they are macho dudes, they need a place to hide and chill for some of the time.
As far blocking the view of the other fish, I think I would block his view to keep him from stressing out. Sometimes Bettas will flare and stance at other fish as well, doesn't have to be a betta.
Good luck with Charlie Parker.

Well, today i discovered that Charlie Parker's tailfin has actually split, and it's looking quite poor. So i did a 60% waterchange/gravel vac, took out the charcoal from the filter, and added alf a tablet of maracyn, and half a tablet of Maracyn2.

The was quite alot of floaties in the water, and i wonder if that filter is really doing it's job. I just did a 50% change on tuesday (today is thursday) and it was quite dirty in there once i started poking around. I wonder if i should try a different type of filter.

I don't think that he got burned from the PH down - i only used it once or maybe twice. And that was only in the first couple of days that we had him. Now we've had him for a month, and so that was three weeks ago.

I tried to find something to use as a hidey hole, but the lfs is out of anything like that, and the hardware tore has no more terracotta pots until spring. I live in a really small town, so those were my only two choices. I'll try to think of something. Maybe a mug on it's side? Maybe a taller plant? And i have now blocked his view of the tank net to his, so maybe he can relax about that.

Here's a couple of pics of the fin:









I hope that i've made the right meds choice, and that they work. We lost a fish to tail rot a month ago, and i'll be really sad if we lose another one.

Thanks for your help! Dana.

Don't you have two threads going on the same thing. I would follow the advice Sandy gave you on the other thread concerning this and ditch the meds and just use salt and water changes as she suggested.