Hello! New member, and new little betta fish! - Could someone help me identify his exact type?

[Laura A.G.]

Got it

It sounds as though you didn't know about cycling before you got him. Cycling is the process of growing bacteria which 'eat' ammonia made by the fish, uneaten fish food etc in the tank. The water looks clean because ammonia, and the nitrite made from it, are dissolved in the water so you can't see them.

Make sure the shop gives you numbers for ammonia and nitrite, don't let them get away with some vague words!


Once the tank has grown all the necessary bacteria, weekly water changes are fine. But until they've grown, you need to do water changes as often as necessary to keep ammonia and nitrite at zero. And it can take a few weeks for the bacteria to grow enough of them. A test kit of your own would make it easier to keep a check on the levels.

Got it!!! THANK YOU for explaining this to me.

Also: I just came back from this big pet store, very commercial. I am SO ANGRY right now.. I went over to see the little bettas... and it was deplorable. Absolutely awful. Super dirty water, they all looked so ill. One of them was basically almost rotten, no fins. I thought I have to take this little one home with me and make him healthy again. I stayed there for 20 minutes pondering and I realize I cant have another betta right now, it would be a disservice, I have to learn how to properly take care of my first one. So I went over to a store manager and I politely but sternly told her this was awful, the water was dirty, this one is about to die. She understood and guaranteed me they would change their water today, and that they do it weekly. Then I told her okay but look at this one, he is basically consumed by fish rot, you HAVE to treat him daily, you have to pay special attention. She seemed embarrassed, and I explained what I learned from you, what you wrote above, and it almost looked like she had no idea, and she "thanked me" for letting her know that the water change HAD to be daily for the super sick one. Wtf?? How do they not know this and work at a pet store???

I know that little dude is not going to make it... he looked so sad, so out of it. I feel guilty and mad and guilty. I want to buy all of them and just, I don't care, I will get a million thanks... it was awful. I am tempted to go back and do get him...

 

[FishGuest5123]

He shouldn’t be kept in a vase either. A 2.5 gallon is bare minimum for a betta. He will do much better in at least a 5 gallon tank. Please read in the nitrogen cycle and see if the pet store carries Safe Start+. It is beneficial bacteria in a bottle and will help get your nitrogen cycle started. Any time your water is showing ammonia or nitrite, you will need to do a large water change. Pet shops will tell you anything to sell something but please, get him out of the vase Welcome to the forum. We look forward to having you here!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Got it


Got it!!! THANK YOU for explaining this to me.

Also: I just came back from this big pet store, very commercial. I am SO ANGRY right now.. I went over to see the little bettas... and it was deplorable. Absolutely awful. Super dirty water, they all looked so ill. One of them was basically almost rotten, no fins. I thought I have to take this little one home with me and make him healthy again. I stayed there for 20 minutes pondering and I realize I cant have another betta right now, it would be a disservice, I have to learn how to properly take care of my first one. So I went over to a store manager and I politely but sternly told her this was awful, the water was dirty, this one is about to die. She understood and guaranteed me they would change their water today, and that they do it weekly. Then I told her okay but look at this one, he is basically consumed by fish rot, you HAVE to treat him daily, you have to pay special attention. She seemed embarrassed, and I explained what I learned from you, what you wrote above, and it almost looked like she had no idea, and she "thanked me" for letting her know that the water change HAD to be daily for the super sick one. Wtf?? How do they not know this and work at a pet store???

I know that little dude is not going to make it... he looked so sad, so out of it. I feel guilty and mad and guilty. I want to buy all of them and just, I don't care, I will get a million thanks... it was awful. I am tempted to go back and do get him...

Just reading this makes me want to go rescue one!

 

[Laura A.G.]

Just reading this makes me want to go rescue one!

I know... it's devastating.

I saw a video of how bettas are "shipped" to resellers in TINY TINY bags all clumped together in a white container, bag barely filled with less than two-inches of some weird gross blue water. Half of them dead already... it is depressing. I'm going to go hang out with my little dude... I got the safe start btw!!! Now figuring out what I can do tank-wise.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Got it


Got it!!! THANK YOU for explaining this to me.

Also: I just came back from this big pet store, very commercial. I am SO ANGRY right now.. I went over to see the little bettas... and it was deplorable. Absolutely awful. Super dirty water, they all looked so ill. One of them was basically almost rotten, no fins. I thought I have to take this little one home with me and make him healthy again. I stayed there for 20 minutes pondering and I realize I cant have another betta right now, it would be a disservice, I have to learn how to properly take care of my first one. So I went over to a store manager and I politely but sternly told her this was awful, the water was dirty, this one is about to die. She understood and guaranteed me they would change their water today, and that they do it weekly. Then I told her okay but look at this one, he is basically consumed by fish rot, you HAVE to treat him daily, you have to pay special attention. She seemed embarrassed, and I explained what I learned from you, what you wrote above, and it almost looked like she had no idea, and she "thanked me" for letting her know that the water change HAD to be daily for the super sick one. Wtf?? How do they not know this and work at a pet store???

I know that little dude is not going to make it... he looked so sad, so out of it. I feel guilty and mad and guilty. I want to buy all of them and just, I don't care, I will get a million thanks... it was awful. I am tempted to go back and do get him...

That is really sad. I really dislike big commercial stores like that.

Just a quick story, once I went into a petsmart and the worker in the fish section, was on his phone, texting. I went to go look at the bettas, and you could tell that 2 of them had fin rot. So I went up to the guy and said, “Those 2 bettas have fin rot, and they need to be treated immediately.” He was sort of a “Yeah whatever” guy anyways, but he said “What’s fin rot?” Are you kidding me!! You work at a pet store, in the fish section, and you don’t even know what fin rot is?

After that incident, I have not returned to a Petsmart. It is so sad the way they treat their fish.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I know... it's devastating.

I saw a video of how bettas are "shipped" to resellers in TINY TINY bags all clumped together in a white container, bag barely filled with less than two-inches of some weird gross blue water. Half of them dead already... it is depressing. I'm going to go hang out with my little dude... I got the safe start btw!!! Now figuring out what I can do tank-wise.

If you live by a Walmart they have a great little 5 gallon tank set equipped with lighted lid and filter for $29. It’s the best value and a great little tank. All you’ll need is a heater which you can get for about $15. Perfect for a betta. Just make sure to get a heater with a thermoset that you can set instead of a preset one. Here to help if needed!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I'm going to go hang out with my little dude..

Wait, so you did get him?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

And even better yet, the filter is adjustable!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Wait, so you did get him?

No, going to hang out with one already purchased. Not the fin rot one.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No, going to hang out with one already purchased. Not the fin rot one.

Gotta!

 

[Laura A.G.]

That is really sad. I really dislike big commercial stores like that.

Just a quick story, once I went into a petsmart and the worker in the fish section, was on his phone, texting. I went to go look at the bettas, and you could tell that 2 of them had fin rot. So I went up to the guy and said, “Those 2 bettas have fin rot, and they need to be treated immediately.” He was sort of a “Yeah whatever” guy anyways, but he said “What’s fin rot?” Are you kidding me!! You work at a pet store, in the fish section, and you don’t even know what fin rot is?

After that incident, I have not returned to a Petsmart. It is so sad the way they treat their fish.

I know... I have read a bunch of stuff about PetSmart and Petco...

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR ADVICE!

It is disheartening that when I went to buy Fez, I spent quite some time at the pet store asking a bunch of questions. I kept asking "so this is all I need?" "are you sure this is all I have to do?" - the guy didn't mention a thing about the cycle thing, they didn't tell me I needed a filter, and they were trying to sell me one of those tiny TINY ones for bettas... They should have known better.

MEANWHILE, HERE'S AN UPDATE!!!

I went to another pet store, fancy stuff. Now these dudes were like the fish whisperers. The store was spectacular, the tanks pristine, the fish beautiful. I went to get a plant and I left with a bunch of instructions and other products. They spent as much time as I was there to walk me through it. Wrote it down on a piece of paper, etc. Albeit it was waay more expensive.

SO!!

This is version 2.0 Fez, but I am aiming for 3.0 before the end of the year.

A friend of mine gave me one of his old tanks, which is just about 3 gallons. The 5 gallon I want to buy is this one: https://ciano.pt/en/produto/nexus-pure-15/

I can get it for about 60 euros, and free shipping! I just need to get a little bit of money, so I can go for it. Because I live in Europe, I can't order anything from the U.S. cause the shipping costs are prohibitive.

He has a bunch of hiding places, his temperature is always stable (I live in fair weather and our house is climatized anyways... seems like for now I'll keep an eye out for when November/December rolls). His top fin towards the end looks "feathered," like when birds have little injured wings. His tail had curly curls, now it seems they're "uncurling" and look like little lumps on the tips. Otherwise he seems perfectly fine. Super active, playing, eating, not lethargic, etc.

I have the medication they gave me, betta aquarium salt, filter and thermometer, the test strips for all the chemistry, a nice LED lid, bunch of toys, and fresh soft plants inside. And cute gravel.

Sorry for the long message, but it is hard for me to differentiate the colors on the test... some look almost the same on the test strip legend.

Could someone help me?

I am attaching photos!!

Phew. Rocky start but I think I'm on my way!

 

[Laura A.G.]

Oh wait, re: the test strip

The first two that are white are No3 and No2, and the color says white is fine (0)

The next four, two violets and two blues, is GHd hardness ppm? it says both colors are okay. (>7 >125)

The next two, is a weird swampy green and orange. The photo doesn't show it, but these two colors were basically impossible for me to differentiate against the legend. They looked too similar to all the first three. So I don't know what to do here. That's supposed to be KHd alkalinity, and PH respectively.

The last one which is canary yellow is Ci2. Says zero is the only zone for it to be okay!

Okay that's all. This is all very exciting.

But I am worried about Fez's fine. They seem so delicate.

 

[Laura A.G.]

sorry guys, not sure why the pictures are showing up twice. I uploaded one at a time so not sure what happened there.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I went to another pet store, fancy stuff. Now these dudes were like the fish whisperers. The store was spectacular, the tanks pristine, the fish beautiful.

I wish there where more pet stores like that...

And the pictures uploaded just fine.

 

[Laura A.G.]

I am SO SORRY I am posting so much, but Fez somehow managed to stay still long enough (he's loving lounging on these plants) for me to take these pics, showcasing the "feather" like and curly fins which is what's been worrying me. I started treating him yesterday once in his new tank. Today I did a 50% water change. I will do this every day.