Getting A Betta

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

are there any certain places (besides WalMart) I should avoid for fish? or any specific colors that have more problems than others? i know in the horse world, alot of grey's all have similar problems and i didn't know if it was the same in the fish world.

 

[Wisperian]

Mostly chain pet stores have the same quality of bettas. But they usually are healthy once put into a good environment. As for colours, albinos (which I doubt anyone can just simply find in a pet store) have delicate bodies and eyes so they can't face strong lights or any bright environments. As for other colours, they're all the same. Just make sure you look for signs of sickness like fin rot and dropsy which is quite common in pet store bettas. Velvet is also hard to spot on some bettas as it blends in. Also, bring a small mirror with you to see who flares and who doesn't. The guys who usually flare and have lots of energy are the number one picks you should go for

 

[Kyrielle]

I think places that keep bettas in blue (medicated) water isn't a good idea. It generally implies they have problems with their fish being sick and it's hard to see the details on the betta or it's colours. Look for the most alert bettas that have the cleanest fins and bodies.

Every PetsMart and Petco is different, so it's useless telling you to avoid those stores in general. But you'll know when you walk in and look at the bettas whether or not you'll want to shop there. In a neglectful store, the fish will look very pale, lethargic, or raggedy. I've seen some where they didn't move when you approached the cups, some that just floated around on their sides, one whose fins were quite visably rotting (he'd spin around in the cup and you'd see fragments of tissue come off him and float around him). Good pet stores will have pretty clean water (you'll be able to look through the cup or container and see relatively few debris) and the majority of bettas will be pretty perky and curious. As in they'll swim up to the glass and look at you or flare at their neighbors.

Colours have nothing to do with what diseases they might be prone to, as far as I know. There are some behavioural traits in some tail types. For example, crowntails are generally more aggressive than any other tail type. All bettas are prone to fin rot, but I would think plakats would be the least prone of all the fish. Halfmoons and any betta with a huge amount of finnage will also be prone to blowing their tails when they're flaring too much or over active.

If I missed anything, someone feel free to set me straight. =)

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

thanks. that was very helpful. now i also need a new bowl. i found

http/www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_R_...ilyID_6988.aspx

that one at petco and i was told a one gallon would work. i can't get any new tanks and my parents aren't too crazy about even a bowl. my mom was expecting the dinky things they came in (hah). i also have those clear cages with the colored tops...

http/www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_Na...llers1119504

like that one - the largest - and i didn't know if it would work.

 

[HODDY]

I think the bowl would look alot lot better but the largest 'insect tank' would be alot more spacy.The bowls are probably glass so they would look better and harder to scratch.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

hehe the bowls are plastic, too. at least the cheaper ones are. i already have the other insect thing, but i think it's stored in my garage and will need scrubbed out. really, really good.

 

[matty101]

You may not like the idea or look, but how about a 2L bottle inside of the 10g you have suggested in your signature? You may not like that idea but it's the cheapest and most effective way and holds approximately the same amount of water as those critter keepers. Only downside is that they're usually long and narrow unlike those little kits which provide decent surface area. Or if you have the space in your tank, you could cut one of those larger 1G water jugs into a nice mini tank inside of a tank. That way, you won't need to adjust the temperature much or worry about the betta nipping or hurting your community. Only downfall to this as well is the open lid. If not, those critter things will do just fine as long as temperature, filtration and water maintanance(can't spell this one ) is kept clear.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

ehh i don't think so. if it was the only way and i already had the betta, like my other tank broke or something i would. but i don't think i'd do that. it'd be kinda hard to feed, wouldn't it?

 

[matty101]

not at all...unless (no offence meant at all) your the person that just opens the lid and drops the food. I personally opened the tank, fed the fish, making sure they all ate, and the bottle had the wide opened top screaming, FEED ME PLEASE!! It actually wasn't that hard to take care of and from a distance, looked much better than having a betta on the desk in a small little container/bowl. Well, just thinking and wondering, would the heater get too hot i the water jug (1g)?? If not, you could put the betta somewhere and have the heater and filter there. Maybe a light if it wasn't a lighted room already. That's just my mind fluttering for a DIY I'll see what I can come up with !! Hope you find a solution so you can have another betta \




sorry quick typo

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

i was planning on decorating the smaller bowl and putting it on my dresser that's only a little over a foot across.

i drop the food in and watch them eat it but still...wouldn't it make cleaning difficult? emptying and refilling the bottle, taking it out of the tank and putting it back in?

 

[matty101]

A little messy but that won't have to be done if you poke holes big enough for debris to be sucked by a filter meaning it'll never have to be cleaned too much. And you can replace the bottle very quickly with another 2L bottle that could be precut and pre-fixed prior to changing him He'll think he's going into a new environment and he'll just end up in the same type of container

 

[Kyrielle]

My thought on that idea is...if you're going to put a tank in a tank and take up space with that minitank, why not just put a divider in so it looks nice? But I think a bowl might just be better so you don't feel guilty about restricting the space of your other fish in their tank.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

yeah. we already have the large small animal thing. haha that'd didn't make sense. the biggest small animal carrier so i can always fill that up after it's cleaned out. it also has a lid so the betta can't jump out. now can i use spring water (bought from the store) or do i need to let tap water sit out for a while because the spring can harm them? because we're going to get a spring water jug to store tap water in to let it sit but i need something to do with the spring water first .

 

[matty101]

Do you have AquaSafe or some dechlorinator?if so, you can put one or 2 drops in somewhat warm or room temperature water from your tap. I personally am not sure avbout spring water being harmful but I would expect it not to be

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

not at the moment. i typically just let it sit out for a while.