hi Guys,

My lil guy Brucie is in a uk 3.5 gal tank at the moment, with plants, java moss and a rock... around the sides at the moment he has some ornaments of cats (odd i know but someone told me he might like to look at them) and I have pictures of other betta fish which i pop up for an hour or so every now and again. After he came home I left him alone for two days to settle down and get used to being in his tank. Ive only had him about a week and he doesnt seem to be very interested in anything, not even the picture of a male betta I have...he just ignors it and goes to lie on the rock.

I have read that it takes a while for betta's to get used to their homes and will become more interested after they have settled in, I was wondering how long I should wait before he decides to take an interest in his surroundings?

Also Ive bought him some frozen bloodworms and shrimp, they come in cubes and he wont eat a whole cube I dont think, how long can i safely keep them before throwing them away?

Thanks guys, I jus wana make Brucie a bit happier!


This post has been edited by Da_One: Jun 26 2008, 11:50 AM

I think it was Netty who told me how to use the cubes!
Put them in a small bowl of water so they melt, and then pick out the big bits and put them in
I don't think it will do him any good to eat FROZEN food.

Anyway, he probably knows the picture is a fake, try putting a mirror next to him, gives him something to think about lol

The easiest way we find is to swish the cube in a little warm water to get a few bloodworm off and the pop the rest back in the freezer. They don't tend to stay good for very long once unfrozen. Make sure you only give it to him a couple of times a week as a treat though as too much can cause bloating. It can take some Betta longer than others to settled in so just give him some more time and I'm sure he'll soon start exploring

Oh gosh, don't try feeding him the entire cube!! That is WAAAY too much food for 1 little betta. Just get some ziplock bags and break a small chunk off the cube for him and put the rest back in the freezer.

Is the tank heated? If not, go out and get him a heater for his tank. He might be lethargic due to the water temp being too low.

Instead of pictures of bettas, try using a mirror instead. That will usually get them going.

yeah i think hes a bit too clever for me, ill find him a mirror. The reason ive got him frozen cubes is cuz our local aquatics centre the abyss hes temporarily closed down cuz its moving, and the next closest place I know of is ages away. So I got these from pets at home as a temporary food source.

he seems more interested in my camera, ive just been taking photos of him and hes following it about.... perhaps he just likes shiny things?

thanks for the advice!

hi again, the tank isnt heated as I was told that it would be dangerous to have a heater in that size tank?

What type of heater would you recommend? Hes in the study which is normally about 22 degrees C and his water at the moment is 21 degrees C so thats about 70 farenheit I think??

Hes in a tank next to my gecko tank, shes been very interested in him and Ive had to go and get her some crickets to stop her from trying to walk through glass... Might move him later today.

Yeah i keep my betta at 28c!
You need a heater.

no wonder hes not doing much, he she be in water heated to around 26c

I have one very lethargic new betta and sometimes they are just ill or stressed to within an inch of their lives. hope he cheers up, mine isn't interested in anything. I am seriously thinking of moving him, but I am in the area that has dodgy tap water so dont know what to do.

Defintely get your little guy a heater.
A 25watt one should work just fine in that size tank.
Test it out for a couple of days before putting it into the tank first though to make sure that it works properly. Making sure that it's keeping the temp where you want it, and that it's shutting on/off when it should.

Type of heater to get, doesn't matter too much. I'd go with one with a metal casing though, not a glass one. Only b/c w/ glass ones, you run the risk of the glass cracking/breaking. W/ metal, you don't have to worry about that
And make sure it has a knob that lets you adjust the temp to what you want, and that it has an auto shut off/on.

brill! thanks again to all of you! I have to wait for my other half to get home before I can get out to get a filter, but for now ive actually filled up a hot water bottle and put it behind the tank, the water has only gone up a couple of degrees and I know it wont last, but it might make him a little more comfortable until I get out for a heater, If it works ill use the water bottle tomorrow whilst I test the heater in another tank.

Also his fins were a little tatty wen I bought him, how long does it normally take for them to grow back? I have some melafix in for my other tanks so have been using a little of this so far.

hehe funnily enough someone recommended this? Has anyone actually tried training their fish? http://www.fish-school.com/

I heard of that, on a PFT show.