staredecisis
Fish Crazy
After having just shopped at 2 different Wal-Marts for Bettas, I was very happy to see they had updated their Betta cup size by at least double. I cruise on down to Petco who still has the small Betta cups in which their fins can't even completely stretch out, and what do I see?? To my horror, I see SMALLER BETTA CUPS. They were cut in height by half. The Bettas were in about an inch of water, and their fins were curled up. Needless to say the water was looking terribly unhealthy, full of waste. This was very disheartening to me, I wish people would knock it off with the cups. We all get it, Bettas CAN live in small amounts of dirty water, but it makes them depressed and sick. 
Well, anyways I decided to buy one of them, wish I could have rescued them all but I have no where to put them. I asked the clerk at the counter why on earth they DOWNSIZED their cups, she said that is just how they shipped. So I brought him home, and he's in a 1 gal bowl for now until I can get a better setup. He was looking very poor when I finally released him into the water, slumping down at the bottom with a very unhealthy color to his face. I tried to get him to eat a pellet and he spit it up 5 times, then finally ate it, after staring at it for several minutes.
I left the room for a second and came back, and he was already up at the feeding spot begging for more so I dropped him in another which he didn't hesitate to garble down this one.. I went out for a bit and came back, and I could not believe my eyes. My new betta was transformed. His blue was much more intense and his face had gone from that sickly palish brown, into a deep rich black! He was zooming all over his bowl happily, and that night he was already blowing bubbles all over the surface!! I had to ask my girlfriend to verify that he had changed so dramatically so quickly, I thought I just remembered wrong or it was lighting, but she saw the difference too. I did not know Bettas could gain color so quickly based on their mood and/or health. His fins are still crumpled up at the tips from the petco cup of torture, but with how healthy he has been acting for the last several days I have a feeling he will be flaring big pretty fins in no time.
Anyways, he is my second Betta, my first is a very beautiful red male called Hades, who is currently in a 2 gal tank. I'm considering naming the blue one either Triton or Leviathan, so Hades will have a counterpart in greek mythology. Which do you all vote on?
I do need a bit of help, though. I've read probably every webpage on the internet about Bettas, and I've gotten some contradicting information. I looked on this forum for my answers but couldn't find anyone who asked these specifically. Also, even the food products I bought contradict eachother, and they contradict the Betta care slip that came with Hades my first Betta!
My first question is about feeding. I've heard 2-3 times a week, I've heard 6 days a week, 7 days a week, twice a day!!! I have no idea!! I'm using mostly Hikari Betta Bio-Gold. It seems to be the most preferred by experienced betta owners. I've been feeding Hades 2 pellets, 3 times a day, for a total of 6 pellets a day. His stomache appears to be the proper shape. Am I feeding too much? Too little? Everytime he sees me grab his food he begs at his feeding spot and gobbles up anything I drop in instantly, so I know he is hungry, he is not wasting food. But I also hear Bettas are like little piggies with fins, and will eat eat eat... So if anyone could tell me a specific number of pellets to feed per day, and how many times a day would be best, I would appreciate it so much.
My next question is setup. What I want to do is get a 5.5 gallon tank, put in a divider, and give each betta 2.75 gallons of the tank. Then use a filter and light, etc.. Right now neither have a light, or a filter, so I am doing water changes often, which I think stresses out the fish. I'm not sure. But does this setup sound practical? I have heard Bettas like to flare at eachother and it makes them livelier and healthier. I thought maybe being next to a "threatening" fish all day might add stress. What is the expert opinion?
Well, anyways I decided to buy one of them, wish I could have rescued them all but I have no where to put them. I asked the clerk at the counter why on earth they DOWNSIZED their cups, she said that is just how they shipped. So I brought him home, and he's in a 1 gal bowl for now until I can get a better setup. He was looking very poor when I finally released him into the water, slumping down at the bottom with a very unhealthy color to his face. I tried to get him to eat a pellet and he spit it up 5 times, then finally ate it, after staring at it for several minutes.
I left the room for a second and came back, and he was already up at the feeding spot begging for more so I dropped him in another which he didn't hesitate to garble down this one.. I went out for a bit and came back, and I could not believe my eyes. My new betta was transformed. His blue was much more intense and his face had gone from that sickly palish brown, into a deep rich black! He was zooming all over his bowl happily, and that night he was already blowing bubbles all over the surface!! I had to ask my girlfriend to verify that he had changed so dramatically so quickly, I thought I just remembered wrong or it was lighting, but she saw the difference too. I did not know Bettas could gain color so quickly based on their mood and/or health. His fins are still crumpled up at the tips from the petco cup of torture, but with how healthy he has been acting for the last several days I have a feeling he will be flaring big pretty fins in no time.
Anyways, he is my second Betta, my first is a very beautiful red male called Hades, who is currently in a 2 gal tank. I'm considering naming the blue one either Triton or Leviathan, so Hades will have a counterpart in greek mythology. Which do you all vote on?
I do need a bit of help, though. I've read probably every webpage on the internet about Bettas, and I've gotten some contradicting information. I looked on this forum for my answers but couldn't find anyone who asked these specifically. Also, even the food products I bought contradict eachother, and they contradict the Betta care slip that came with Hades my first Betta!
My first question is about feeding. I've heard 2-3 times a week, I've heard 6 days a week, 7 days a week, twice a day!!! I have no idea!! I'm using mostly Hikari Betta Bio-Gold. It seems to be the most preferred by experienced betta owners. I've been feeding Hades 2 pellets, 3 times a day, for a total of 6 pellets a day. His stomache appears to be the proper shape. Am I feeding too much? Too little? Everytime he sees me grab his food he begs at his feeding spot and gobbles up anything I drop in instantly, so I know he is hungry, he is not wasting food. But I also hear Bettas are like little piggies with fins, and will eat eat eat... So if anyone could tell me a specific number of pellets to feed per day, and how many times a day would be best, I would appreciate it so much.
My next question is setup. What I want to do is get a 5.5 gallon tank, put in a divider, and give each betta 2.75 gallons of the tank. Then use a filter and light, etc.. Right now neither have a light, or a filter, so I am doing water changes often, which I think stresses out the fish. I'm not sure. But does this setup sound practical? I have heard Bettas like to flare at eachother and it makes them livelier and healthier. I thought maybe being next to a "threatening" fish all day might add stress. What is the expert opinion?
there are tons of betta lovers around here just dying to drool all over your guys 
And yes....the cups are horrid, I've rescued quite a few from cups too 
But someday I'm sure when I have more room, I'll be swimming in fish 
