My First Fish Aquarium And My Betta Is Chasing The Molly Or Platys Occ

[crunch7]

Hello everyone, I just brought my first fish a Male Betta on an assurance that it wont need much of any pump or filter. I have used this huge fruit bowl as its home. It has sand, marbels, marine rocks and artificial leaves for its base. After two days i thought the Betta is lonely so I went and asked for other fish which can stay without any air pump or filter. the guy gave me a pair of mollies or platys I even can`t figure out what they are. First few hours I just found my Betta showing off his fins in an amazing manner( I thought it was happy ....was so wrong ). By evening I found the Betta chasing the mollies or platys occasionally. Then I started visiting the internet to understand more about their behaviour and how to take good care of them. The shopkeeper said they will get to know each other and then fighting will stop. I really need to ask you guys some simple questions and I will appreciate all of your answers.

Q1. As you can see in the picture is my tank too small for the three fish? It takes in 1.5 litres of water approx

Q2. Are those two Mollies or are they PLatys ?The guy said One is a male and the other one is a female.

Q3. Are the Mollies in Pressure or in Stress? How do You know whether they are in stress ? They don`t swim around much and look calm. ( #41#### just had to get up again the Betta was chasing em. the mollies just try to run away and even try to jump out of water sometimes cos the Betta is Bloody fast )

Q4. It seems that the Betta Calms down after being fed, so i tend to feed it whenever it gets to aggressive. is my strategy right ?.

Q5. I just fed them all live worms they liked and its all gone now. How much of worms should I feed them ? Also what time should I feed them ?

Q6. I brought some food pellets with both veg and non veg ? The fish had only 5-6 pellets of the half teaspoon of pellets I had introduced, they ended up in the bottom and made my water murky and dirty. yuck. So i had to replace it today morning.

Q6. The Shopkeeper suggests to introduce a female Betta to calm the male down. Is it true?

Q7. What Lighting conditions do these fish prefer ? Also I live in India and the temperature is really comfortable varies from 28-32 nowadays, now thats for me, what about these fish ?


See I do have certain limitations, I dont have a bigger tank or any money for special instruments. Still I dont wana cause any harm to any of them. the only remaining option is to send them in the pond not quite far but they will be ready lunch for many then.

Here is the direct link to the Pictures.

http/img215.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=20110921115204765.jpg

 

[Blubble37]

 

[Mowbz]

I saw the picture, and dont know what to say...

 

[Clarousel]

Don't wanna burst your bubble but that bowl is way too tiny for even a betta. You should invest in a tank if you want to keep fish.

 

[Overload]

Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news but any tank with fish in will need a filter. In the mean time you need to be changing the water in your tank a lot!! (probably daily as a minimum, if not multiple times a day)

I am guessing that you do not have a water test kit? After a filter this is number 2 on your shopping list

Your current situation would be what we call a Fish-In Cycle but as you dont have a filter for the bacteria colonies to grow on you cycle will never end (it wont even start properly without a filter)

I also think that bowl is too small for anything other than shrimp

 

[Tizer]

I have no words.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

IS this a wind-up? Have i fallen asleep and woken up on April the 1st, again?

Terry.

 

[fishyfeet]

well i will say what everyone is thinking - its discusting, re home the fish now and dont use that fish shop again, never heard such a load of rubbish in my life,
those fish will suffer and die slowly. In the meantime replace half the water with warmed declorinated water daily and i would get some melafix to ward of
any infections. sorry to be blunt

 

[Dav]

Q1. As you can see in the picture is my tank too small for the three fish? It takes in 1.5 litres of water approx

Yes your tank is way to small for even one fish nevermind three. i suggest you go invest in a tank with pump/filter.

Q2. Are those two Mollies or are they PLatys ?The guy said One is a male and the other one is a female.

From what i can see on my iphone i can not answer this picture is to small someone else will clear this up for you.

Q3. Are the Mollies in Pressure or in Stress? How do You know whether they are in stress ? They don`t swim around much and look calm. ( #41#### just had to get up again the Betta was chasing em. the mollies just try to run away and even try to jump out of water sometimes cos the Betta is Bloody fast )

All three fish will be stressed they need there own space and in a bowl that holds 1.5L this is impossible. A betta should be kept alone really.

Q4. It seems that the Betta Calms down after being fed, so i tend to feed it whenever it gets to aggressive. is my strategy right ?.

This is not a good thing to do you are going to be way overfeeding him.

Q5. I just fed them all live worms they liked and its all gone now. How much of worms should I feed them ? Also what time should I feed them ?

Forget about this first thing you need to do is get them a tank, or even better decide what you want the betta or mollies and re-home the other, feed the fish a little pinch of food twice daily for now.

Q6. I brought some food pellets with both veg and non veg ? The fish had only 5-6 pellets of the half teaspoon of pellets I had introduced, they ended up in the bottom and made my water murky and dirty. yuck. So i had to replace it today morning.

stop feeding these pellets not priority just now a bigger tank is.

Q6. The Shopkeeper suggests to introduce a female Betta to calm the male down. Is it true?

Please do not do this it is a very bad idea.

Here is the direct link to the Pictures.

http/img215.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=20110921115204765.jpg
[/quote]

i have tried to answer your questions someone else may jump in and correct me on some of them, you really need to re-home the fish or please get a tank that is big enough the betta should be in a tank of 10Gal on his own.

 

[the_lock_man]

My recommendation is to take all three fish back to the shop, and request a refund - they were sold to you as being suitable for an unfiltered tank. They are not suitable for an unfiltered tank, there are no fish that are suitable for an unfiltered tank. All fish produce ammonia as a waste product, and this ammonia needs to be filtered from the water, otherwise the fish will poison itself to death. In the UK, you would be entitled to a refund under the Sale of Goods Act, but I don't know if India has any similar laws.

I would then never, ever, ever return to that shop.

The shopkeeper clearly knows very little about the fish that he sells. A male betta should not be kept with any other betta, male or female, unless you are trying to breed them, in which case, their contact should be carefully monitored to ensure that they don't kill each other (this can and does happen)

The betta is chasing the mollies/platies (I can't tell from the photos) because he is so stressed because of his unsuitable envrionment. The mollies/platies are stressed because of their unsuitable envrionment AND they're being chased left, right and centre by the betta.

FIshkeeping is a wonderfully rewarding hobby, but it needs doing right. A fruitbowl is not right. The absolute minimum size tank for a betta would be about 20l, and they don't get lonely, they are solitary fish. Please find yourself a reputable shop, and research every part of the hobby before you buy anything.

If you would like any further advice, please post again.

 

[crunch7]

Hey really helpful reply. But dav I dont have any bigger space to allot to a bigger fish tank. And I m a total rookie in handling fish, I brought the betta cos it was kept in a single jar one sixth of the size of my jar.. I felt sad for it. Ok I will add the filter next month what say. And then what should be done of the platys. I have another a bit smaller jar should I put them in that and leave the beta the big jar?

 

[the_lock_man]

Hey really helpful reply. But dav I dont have any bigger space to allot to a bigger fish tank. And I m a total rookie in handling fish, I brought the betta cos it was kept in a single jar one sixth of the size of my jar.. I felt sad for it. Ok I will add the filter next month what say. And then what should be done of the platys. I have another a bit smaller jar should I put them in that and leave the beta the big jar?

No, no, no, no, no!!!!!!!!!!

THe fish are sold in those small containers because it's just temporary (and as it goes I have never bought a betta from a shop that does that, on principle, because I believe it to be cruel). Many shops in the UK keep a single betta in a tank with a compatible species.

I have seen pictures and films of the commuter trains in India, which are very, very crowded. You don't mind too much, because you know it's only temporary, while you're on your journey. You wouldn't like to live that way permanently, would you? Neither do the fish.

There is no way of dressing it up, that bowl is TOO SMALL to home any fish whatsoever. If you don't have the room to get a bigger tank, fair enough. If that is genuinely the case, then please don't keep fish.

 

[Aqua Tom]

errrr, nope, cant think of anything to say, my mind has turned to mush.

 

[crunch7]

Well india is famous to be among the countries wih a formidable legal structure. But no need for legal action the guy in shop has been selling fish for quite some time, but yeah I guess he is not well informed. Alas the way he has kept the fish there. I have kept them in a bettn. But I will take your advice and get a bigger tank. Cos I really cant just sit around n do nothing cos I. Love my fish. Can I add anything to take care of the ammonia for a while before getting a filter? ?

 

[Overload]

The only thing you can do to control the ammonia untill you get a filter and cycle it is water changes.