100% Water Changes

[Phaedra]

I hate doing the full water changes. The main reason? I absolutely HATE netting poor Darby. I'm terrible at it, I get freaked out that I'm going to hurt him and I hate the stress it causes (to both him and me). I've tried using a never-seen-soap cup (that I bought specially for the occasion) after hearing that many people just "swoop" their betta into them, but the little bugger is FAST.

I scrub his tank and do partial water changes weekly, leaving him in the tank. He doesn't seem to mind at all and loves attacking the baster whenever it picks up bits of gravel.
But *shudder* I hate the 100%'s.
So I thought I'd make a post where we can share our methods and tips.
As for me, the only way I can net Darby is to tempt him to the middle of the tank because he follows my fingers, then catch him quick with the net. He's even harder to grab in the 1g QT tank I keep him in while I clean his 3g though. Bloody thing's got three corners for him to scoot off to that I can't reach with the net and he knows it.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I use this container, wait until they're going up for air, and then put them in.

 

[rED O]

i have 3 betta tanks a 4 gallon a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon. an i have filters in each so water changes arnt as importint as pepole with out filter. i do a 75 percent water change oncew a month and change out the macanical fiters. for you i would try a air stone and cut back on feeding then you dont have to do as many water changes and they betta will be happy with cleaner water. but if you dont want to do that you can just keep what you are doing. and for catching him go slow and conner him speed is not the way to catch a fish you need to trick them

 

[mommyof2bettas]

i have 3 betta tanks a 4 gallon a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon. an i have filters in each so water changes arnt as importint as pepole with out filter. i do a 75 percent water change oncew a month and change out the macanical fiters. for you i would try a air stone and cut back on feeding then you dont have to do as many water changes and they betta will be happy with cleaner water. but if you dont want to do that you can just keep what you are doing. and for catching him go slow and conner him speed is not the way to catch a fish you need to trick them

Um... just because you have a filter doesn't mean you have to do water changes once a month. You still have to do them once a week.

 

[Phaedra]

Lol Mommy, you know that hadn't occurred to me to sneak up on him with it. Maybe I'll give it another shot today since he's acclimating in the 1g at the moment and will need to be transferred in the next hour or so.

rED- Darby is in a heated, filtered 3g so I don't do 100% changes that often but I do regular partial changes once a week. I've tried and airstone in with him and he doesn't like them. Makes it hard to build a bubble nest.
I think that's why I stress about netting him though. He's quick and does NOT like that net. I even left it sitting in there for 1/2 an hour today before I got him out, in the hopes that he would get used to it. It didn't work, but I caught him eventually.

 

[rED O]

i have 3 betta tanks a 4 gallon a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon. an i have filters in each so water changes arnt as importint as pepole with out filter. i do a 75 percent water change oncew a month and change out the macanical fiters. for you i would try a air stone and cut back on feeding then you dont have to do as many water changes and they betta will be happy with cleaner water. but if you dont want to do that you can just keep what you are doing. and for catching him go slow and conner him speed is not the way to catch a fish you need to trick them

Um... just because you have a filter doesn't mean you have to do water changes once a month. You still have to do them once a week.

yes you do need to do water changes. but when i have a good filter on a 10 gallon tank with one betta you dont need to do them every week one betta will not make enough waste. when i change my water once a month the nitrates are 5

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I agree, 100% water changes every in a 10gal with only 1 betta is a little too much, but still, I say at least every 2 weeks for the 10gallons, but for the 3/4 gallons, it should be done every week Imo.

 

[Danno]

Purchase a banana leaf scoop. It is a gentle way of moving bettas from one place to another. It is natural and fish safe. They are basically a "betta breeder's ladel"...except if you try to hit someone with it, it wouldn't hurt....bummer

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Purchase a banana leaf scoop. It is a gentle way of moving bettas from one place to another. It is natural and fish safe. They are basically a "betta breeder's ladel"...except if you try to hit someone with it, it wouldn't hurt....bummer

 

[branjie]

I am planning to do a 100% water change for Ernie for the first time soon, so I'll be following this thread closely. Just wondering if I could ask a question. When you say that you use a baster to clean muck off the gravel, is that one of those things with a rubber bulb and a plastic straw type thing?

 

[liz2]

that's a baster one that's never seen a turkey would be great!

my boys are easy to clean out they see mummy's fingers and think food and I have a clear plastic pot like they keep glace cherries in ,in the UK ,and then scoop. They get a bit mad though Me and hubby went past a sweet shop yesterday and hubby couldn't understand why I was getting excited as they had big plastic sweety jars for 50p........bet you know why but I didn't buy any

 

[lilfishie]

both my males follow my finger so i use a beanie box slightly tilted wiggle my finger in it and in they swim, takes no more than a few seconds and doesn't damage them or there fins they don't seem bothered by it, maybe because they know thats where they get fed bloodworm

 

[vancouver]

I always try to scoop mine out in a plastic measuring cup, but if that doesn't work I use a net.

I keep them in the measuring cup while I clean their tanks. Scrubs the sides with a toothbrush, and rinse the gravel.

Fill it back up with water, let betta get used to the water, then back in he goes.

Haven't had a problem doing it that way ever.

 

[stang1]

i have 3 betta tanks a 4 gallon a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon. an i have filters in each so water changes arnt as importint as pepole with out filter. i do a 75 percent water change oncew a month and change out the macanical fiters. for you i would try a air stone and cut back on feeding then you dont have to do as many water changes and they betta will be happy with cleaner water. but if you dont want to do that you can just keep what you are doing. and for catching him go slow and conner him speed is not the way to catch a fish you need to trick them

Um... just because you have a filter doesn't mean you have to do water changes once a month. You still have to do them once a week.

yes you do need to do water changes. but when i have a good filter on a 10 gallon tank with one betta you dont need to do them every week one betta will not make enough waste. when i change my water once a month the nitrates are 5

I think you should be changing the water at least once every two weeks instead of once a month. I've got a Fluval external filter on my 24G divided tank and it only has 4 Bettas in it. Well and truly over filtered but I still do a water change every 10-14 days.

 

[branjie]

Thanks Liz2 re. the baster.

Vancouver, when you say that your let your Betta get used to the water, then put him in, do you mean that you sit the measuring cup in the new water for a while, to get him used to the temp, or do you put some of the new water in his measuring cup?