I Am New With Bettas....

[Ivana331]

Ok, So I am a college student living in the dorms. On my way down the boy's side of the hall I notcied a fish bowl with two fish sitting outside a door. There was a sign outside saying :"free betta fish". The water was terribly dirty and you could tell these guys did not take care of these fish, so I took them in and cleaned out the fish bowl and all. They came with fish flakes and pellets, and some bowl prep. Anyways, I have no idea about fish, I onlytook them in because I felt it was wrong to leave them to sit in the hallway and die. Apparantly they are male and female, but in one tank. I have had them since wednesday night and today is friday night. The male has not flared or attacked, but I am afraid to leave the female in there because I have no clue if they are breeding or not. And sometimes I think she is dead because she just sits there motionsless at the surface of the water, but when I poke the surface she swims away. They are both eating fine twice a day and showing no sign of distress, but I do want to do things right. I will be going home for xmas vacation tomorrow, should I put the female in a separate bowl?? Please give me advice on what I should do, thanks guys!

Here are a few pics:

 

[Kyrielle]

Yes, the female should go in a separate bowl. Also make sure the water isn't too cold--you'll need a thermometer. The temp should be between 75-80F. In a bowl that size, you'll need to change the water every few days or every other day. If the water's too cold, you could probably find some type of heating pad or something of the sort. (Someone else here might know more about this.) Or, if you have some money, get them a 5g tank and stick a divider in it. That way you could get a heater for the tank.

 

[Ivana331]

Yes, the female should go in a separate bowl. Also make sure the water isn't too cold--you'll need a thermometer. The temp should be between 75-80F. In a bowl that size, you'll need to change the water every few days or every other day. If the water's too cold, you could probably find some type of heating pad or something of the sort. (Someone else here might know more about this.) Or, if you have some money, get them a 5g tank and stick a divider in it. That way you could get a heater for the tank.

yeah that sounds like a good idea. I am going home for the holidays so I might just do that. I don't want them to die. And the water does feel pretty cold. I hope they last for a few more days until I can get it all set up.

 

[jollysue]

What temp do you keep the room? Keep the room at 75 degrees and the tank out of drafts.

She's pretty. You can send her to me.

 

[F.O.H]

in my oppinon fighters/bettas are pretty hardy fish and i find they will live in a lot of conditions, the only problems i had was when the bred he would then attack her because of the fry. so i m oved her my betta still sits in a see through vase and he seems to love it.

again this is only my opinion.

 

[OohFeeshy]

As you can see, they both look pretty ripped up. I'm not really sure the bowl is big enough for a betta anyone, although it's hard to tell from the pic. The best option would probably be a 2.5+g with an opaque divider (the female will not appreciate being harassed any more, that' why she's not moving) and a heater.

 

[MarineMoney]

I think you did a very nice thing, some people can be so bloody ignorant and uncaring.

I dont see why you'd want to buy something just to dump it outside your door and leave it to die.

Anyhow, as the other guys said, definately get a heater, and with experience from my male betta he likes a little room with a few places to hide occasionally, so if your money allows get a bigger tank for sure, that is a must for the long run.

It'd be a good idea to seperate the male and the female, again this requires a setup, simple as it may be, it takes time to get.

Oh and that water must be rather unoxygenated, change it quite often and then they should be fine as long as you are willing to spend a few days getting some equipment and giving them a nice home

Well done for that, nice to hear!