New Betta, Advice Please :)

[marlie]

Hi everyone!

I have just got myself a gorgeous Betta fish. He is bright yellow with turquoise and pinkish fins. I have him a 30l Biorb. I have a few questions and I was wondering if they could be answered here, sorry if they are going over old ground for you guys...

1. Is the media in the biorb suitable for their delicate fins?
2. Is the current from the bubble tube slow enough for a Betta?

Also I would like to ask about feeding. I was told in the store i got him in not to feed the freeze dried blood worms too often, so I also got some betta pellets. I know from experience not to listen to most information given in pet stores so what would be the ideal diet for my Betta.

Also he has rather raggedy fins at the moment. I am not sure if it was fin rot and was informed on another forum that melafix would be fine to treat with as, if there was something wrong it would treat it, and if there wasn't it would not harm him.

Am i doing anything wrong at the moment? Any advice?

Martha x

 

[Phoenixbaby]

Id say never feed freeze dried, as it causes problems with there digestive system

so in my opinion id stay well clear

Also im a firm believer of not using meds unless i have too, aslong as u keep ur water clean, healthy diet, those raggedy fins will heal up perfectly fine on their own

Diet wise, betta pellets, de-shelled pea, blood worm and brine shrimp. thats some basic food there that i normally feed my betta's

im sure others on here will be able to give u more info

 

[Monty2451]

This is something I posted for someone else a few days ago. I'm not too sure about the flow in the biorb, but generally bettas like still water so either find a way to slow the flow or just turn it off if he seems to mind it. If the substrate (stuff on tank bottom) is gravel, it's fine, if it's not gravel, sand, stones or marbles let us know what it is.. This should cover everything, but don't be shy if you still have some questions.

Here is some info I gave to another new owner a couple weeks ago about what to get for their betta...

Water conditioner is a must (anything that gets rid of chlorine and heavy medals), Melafix is always handy to have as a handy cure-all, freshwater aquarium salt, and food (Hikari Betta Bio Gold seems to be the resident favorite of most here, including myself ) and some freeze dried blood worms for a treat to give him one or two once or twice a week as a treat in place of his normal food, not in addition to it. If you have a dollar store or craft store near you you can buy a bag or two of colored glass stones, marbles, or river rock for the tank instead of just gravel if you like, just make sure whatever you buy you wash it really well in very hot water. Also, I wouldn't recommend sand as your substrate (stuff for the tank floor), as it can be difficult to clean if you're not used to it and with such frequent water changes (once a week at least for a 2 gallon bowl) it'll just be a pain. A thermometer to keep track of the water temp. Finally, a small terracotta pot or some other small, opaque cave like place for a nice hiding spot when he feels like it. That should cover it, GOOD LUCK AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

from Drs. Steve and Foster's website:
MelaFix
Contains the natural botanical extract from the Tea Tree (Melaleuca, an excellent alternative to resistant strains of bacteria that are unaffected by traditional medications. Treats bacterial infections such as red ulcers, fin and tail rot, cloudy eyes, mouth fungus, and others in as little as 4 days. Also heals open wounds, ulcers, and damaged fins. Doesn't affect pH; safe for invertebrates. 8 oz doses 480 gallons of marine or freshwater. 64 oz is a concentrated formula and doses 19,000 gallons.

*For this be sure to only use 10 drops per gallon as bettas are sensitive to it. You can get a dropper at the pet store, a pharmacy, or even an arts and crafts store.*

Freshwater Aquarium Salt
All natural Freshwater Aquarium Salt serves as a general tonic and stress reducer for freshwater fish. During disease and stress, healthy gill function of fish is disturbed. This can lead to the loss of electrolytes through the gills (sometimes called osmotic shock), reducing the intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide. Freshwater Aquarium Salt replenishes natural electrolytes and promotes healthy gill function. Temporarily blocks the toxic effects of nitrite to freshwater fish until water quality improves. Made from evaporated sea water – contains no artificial additives, sugar, or artificial color and will not change pH. Use Aquarium Salt with tropical fish, goldfish, and koi but should not be used as a substitute for marine aquarium salt.

*I recommend you use 1/2 teaspoon per gallon for bettas.*

Aside from this, be sure to do regular water changes. I keep all mine in 1 gal. tanks and do either 1 100% water change a week or 2 50% water changes. This is fine since they are by themselves and no food is left in the tank. The floating pellets are best because bettas will eat them more readily and they can be removed easier if uneaten. Feed him 4 or 5 pellets through out the day (2 in the morning and 2 or 3 in the evening, or vice versa). Any more thank this and it's really too much. My oldest male is half giant, so he's over 2 inches (without fins) and I only feed him 5 a day. This is important as bettas are prone to constipation due to overfeeding, which leads to other problems. As for temp, it can be between 72 and 80 degrees, but whatever you keep it, make sure it stays relatively steady all the time (within a degree or two up or down), with little change over night. So really you don't NEED a heater, but if the tank is big enough (2 gal. and up) it's a good idea to have one. The filter really isn't necessary either if he's by himself in a small tank, the regular water changes are fine. But if he is in a larger tank (3 gal. and up) a small sponge filter would be good. Just make sure the filter doesn't disturb the water too much. This is all I can think of at the moment, but be sure to ask if you have any questions.

He's a gorgeous boy btw. I hope you take good care of him.

 

[fourthtimelucky]

My friend kept her betta in a biorb and found the flow a little speedy, she used a plastic drinks bottle to make a sort of 'guard' to slow the current and that worked very effectively. I did something similar on my fluval 1 in a hex tank. You want the surface to be relatively calm (at least in some places) so that your betta can build nests etc.

Did you cycle the filter? If not you will need to buy a liquid testing kit to make sure your ammonia and nitrite levels are within safe parameters. Loads of pinned info on cycling at the top of newbie forum.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, make sure you post some pics soon! He sounds lovely.

 

[marlie]

I will try and get pics soon! He is so cool! I am glad i decided to get a SFF.

I have seen a few videos of biorbs and a lot of the bubbles seem to gush very fast frm the top, nothing like mine which is more of a trickle. The flow only seems to be 'fast' at the top and he seems to have no problem hanging lower down in the tank, and doesnt seem to be being moved around by it at all.

The substrate is the biorb ceramic media. It is all rather large pieces as it tells you to remove smaller ones, and i have some larger pebbles around it (though not covering it all)

I did cycle my tank, and PH, temp, amm, nitrite and nitrate are all in acceptable ranges. The guy in the tank first refused to sell me the betta as the tank was not establish, but upon asking how to establish it he said to get more fish... I honestly ignored everything the guy said after seeing a betta with a humped spine, one in with danios with absolutely demolished fins, and the fact he told me to introduce some females or other fish in a couple of weeks when most sites have told me solitary is best (and I had told the guy I only wanted him in the tank)

 

[Phoenixbaby]

problem is with some shops is, they bull#### u, try and sell u as much as poss, and half the time they havent a clue

In my experience when setting up a new tank, u should leave it a month b4 putting fish in, that way it gives the bacteria in the filter to establish, and settle your water levels

The best way to speed the process up i found was to take mature media from a well established filter and put it in the new one, also use baktinettes, tap water conditioner too. I did this when putting my male CT in a smaller tank, I set it up 1st thing and put him in at the end of the day, and hes been fine and the water levels are spot on (im not saying this is how to set up a tank btw, just how I did it for my male CT)

As for the media, ive seen it b4, and tbh i would change it if it was mine, due to the fact the bio orb media is rough around the edges and id be worried about snagging fins