Is My Betta Happy? And Q About Food

[bettafish911]

i'm kind of new at taking care of bettas so i was wondering if it was normal that my betta seems like he's getting super excited and swims around the tank alot? it's cute because sometimes i show him pictures on my phone and he flares his gills a little then just takes a few looks and swims behind his plant and comes back!

i really want dice (his name! my little brother named him) to be happy. i bought him at a dollar store because he looked so sad just sitting in a little jar.. there were so many to choose from and i couldn't get them all because i know they fight! but after i bought him i kept him in a tiny tank for a day and the next day i went to a pet store to get him a bigger tank. right now it's only 1/2 gallon and i've read it's bad to keep them in such a small tank! but it's all i could afford now. there's no filter but i change the water every week. i didn't get a heater cus the guy at the store said if my betta seems unhappy at room temp. i should come back and get the heater. um.. i condition the water every time i change it. his diet is bloodworms (i tried feeding him flakes but he spit them out! so picky!).

dice swims around alot and made a little bubble nest. i hope he's happy but i also hope i'm not mistaking his happiness for.. something else. =(

just want to be reassured! thanks!

oh and i'd like to know if it's bad that i only feed my betta bloodworms.. i was reading around a bit and people say they only feed bloodworms as a snack or a special treat and alot of people say they only do that 2-3 times a week.. should i start feeding dice another type of food? i have like 3 different kinds of betta food (i was nervous at the store, didnt know what to get) but i've only tried feeding him bloodworms since i read they like those the most.

thanks again!

edit: about the tank.. im about to get him a new tank (prolly 2 gallon) with a filter and heater =)

 

[aimsley_87]

I feed my betta 'Betta Bio Gold' every day and either bloodworm or brine shrimp every other day.
I dont see what is wrong with feeding bloodworm everyday as long as its not too much.

 

[Morphkid03]

Congrats on your new betta Dice is a very cute name.

The behavior you're seeing is nothing bad imo, it would be much worse if he was lethargic.

1/2 gallon is a very small tank for a betta. I totally can relate to the money factor (I'm a college student after all, haha) and I would suggest you check on websites like craigslist (IDK if you are in the US or not?) or ebay. You can find nice tanks for way less then what you'd pay in a store and most of the time the tanks are barely used! I would suggest a 5 gallon, it's not too big or too small, so you can easily find somewhere for it to go. For now though, work with what you have. 1/2 gallon is going to need a daily 100% water change, the ammonia builds up readily in small tanks and needs to be removed- when I kept my betta in a 1 gallon hospital bowl to treat for fin rot, he had a daily water change.

Heaters are a very important thing for bettas. Most homes are not kept at the temp. a tropical fish needs to thrive (approx. 78 F for bettas). There are many very small flat heaters that can go in a small bowl or tank, I own one for my hospital bowl. A filter is a good investment as well, but I don't think you should look into one until you get a proper tank setup.

As for the food, bloodworms can make bettas constipated, so feeding it on occasion is best. I personally feed my betta betta-specific pellets, a good brand is Hikari' Betta Bio-Gold, but really any good quality pellet will do, I believe the ones I feed are Top Fin color enhancing ones... Bettas do not usually eat flakes, mine only ate flakes for the first two weeks or so I had him until I got him to finally eat pellets. Once a week I supplement him with a piece of deshelled cooked pea, which relieves constipation in bettas.

 

[bettafish911]

Congrats on your new betta Dice is a very cute name.

The behavior you're seeing is nothing bad imo, it would be much worse if he was lethargic.

1/2 gallon is a very small tank for a betta. I totally can relate to the money factor (I'm a college student after all, haha) and I would suggest you check on websites like craigslist (IDK if you are in the US or not?) or ebay. You can find nice tanks for way less then what you'd pay in a store and most of the time the tanks are barely used! I would suggest a 5 gallon, it's not too big or too small, so you can easily find somewhere for it to go. For now though, work with what you have. 1/2 gallon is going to need a daily 100% water change, the ammonia builds up readily in small tanks and needs to be removed- when I kept my betta in a 1 gallon hospital bowl to treat for fin rot, he had a daily water change.

Heaters are a very important thing for bettas. Most homes are not kept at the temp. a tropical fish needs to thrive (approx. 78 F for bettas). There are many very small flat heaters that can go in a small bowl or tank, I own one for my hospital bowl. A filter is a good investment as well, but I don't think you should look into one until you get a proper tank setup.

As for the food, bloodworms can make bettas constipated, so feeding it on occasion is best. I personally feed my betta betta-specific pellets, a good brand is Hikari' Betta Bio-Gold, but really any good quality pellet will do, I believe the ones I feed are Top Fin color enhancing ones... Bettas do not usually eat flakes, mine only ate flakes for the first two weeks or so I had him until I got him to finally eat pellets. Once a week I supplement him with a piece of deshelled cooked pea, which relieves constipation in bettas.

ohh i didn't knwo the get constipated =( i guess ill buy dice some deshelled cooked peas.. haha i do live in the US. so ill try craigslist too. how can i tell if my betta has fin rot?? i have no idea what that looks like

 

[Morphkid03]

Fin rot is basically where the fish's fins literally start being eaten away from the bottom up. A telltale sign, aside from obvious fin loss, is black edging on the fish's fins. Not to say all black edges are fin rot, sometimes it is a coloration thing.

http/www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm
This is a great guide to all different sorts of diseases bettas tend to get and how to treat them.

For the peas just buy a pack of frozen ones. I would grab one and run it under hot water until it feels fully cooked, then remove the shell (very easy) and tear off a bit of the fleshy part of the pea and feed it to your fish.

 

[loraxchick]

well done for rescuing the little guy i apprecitae being strapped for cash and getting a bigger tank being on the horizon...id suggest changing half his water EVERY day in a volume of water that small. make sure you use dechlorinator...to save money look for a POND declor...much more concentrated so you use less. something like 5 drops would be more than enough to doechlor that small a volume of water! and because you dont have a heater, just be sure to keep him away from windows and drafts!
craigslits is a GREAT place to look for tanks. even post in the wanted section that you are looking for a "complete 5 gal set up"...someone may just give you one. i had a very nice man just GIVE me a 30 gal with all sorts or everthing you could need when i posted looking for a filter ...he said-just come and get it...i need it out of my garage.
you will be pleasantly suprised at how little you can pick up a used tank...just make sure to fill it with water when you get it home to make sure there are no leaks before you set it up for your fish.
regards