New Girls

[megshack]

I have a one gallon undergravel filter tank and today I bought two female bettas to go in my tank. I know to keep the tank somewhere between 70-80 degrees, change the water at least once a week, add aquasafe, and of course feed them and watch them to make sure they're ok. I have small betta pellets to feed them, but every time they eat one they wind up spitting it back out and repeating this several times. Could it be possible that the pellets are too big, granted they're the smallest ones at the pet store? Are they not used to this kind of food and maybe just really picky? Should I try a different brand or maybe flakes? Also, I've had male bettas before but never females, so do females eat the same amount as males? Please give any advice on how to keep my babies alive and healthy.

 

[joey]

Some bettas are really picky and some can eat anything.I've never had a girl betta before but i recomend that you do not put them together B) .The betta will eat all types of live food as well as freeze-dried-flakes and frozen food 8) .

 

[Liberty802]

hmmm... 1 gallon is quite small for 2 females... They can be nearly as aggressive as the boys, and much quicker since they don't have the heavy fins to drag around. If you want to keep female together you should have, minimum, 10 gallons, super well planted with at least 4-5 femals to spread out aggression.

 

[lisie]

Yah, that tank is bare minimum for one betta, so two will just produce too much waste for that much water. Also, as Liberty said, girls can be very aggressive toward one another, and a tank that small doesn't provide any room for each female to have her own territory. I would separate the two females, and either keep them that way or get a 10 gallon, lots of decor, and 2 or 3 more girls.

To answer your original question, some bettas will spit out their food and then chew it some more, a few times before actually swallowing it. And as long as the pellets fit in the girls' mouths, they're not too small, because bettas have teeth and chew their food. Bettas also really like frozen foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms. When you feed frozen foods and pellets, it makes for a nice varied diet. I've also found that female bettas need more food than males do. Probably because they need the extra protein to produce eggs.

Congrats on your new gals, it sounds like you really care about them.

 

[megshack]

I realize it's not the best set-up, but I'm a college student living in a dorm, hence not much money or room. The girls are really used to each other because where i got them they were all kinda crammed in together with a lot of other fish, and they've shown no signs of aggression. If I keep watching them and cleaning out the water frequently is it possible I could swing it?

 

[Taridan]

I've had two girls live happily together, its not so much a problem with the agression atm as with the space. The LEAST you could do is find a 2.5 gallon for them... I know Petsmart sells 2.5 gallons for $10 and this would give each girl a gallon anda quarter to swim in, as opposed to only having a half gallon each. 2.5's aren't that much bigger, but it will make a difference for your fish.

 

[DarkEntity]

My Bettas love bloodworm and brine shrimp frozen foods. its worth trying that. Also as already advised that tank is way to small for 2 female Bettas. You can pickup 10gall long (not tall and thin) for under $30 this will help your fish no end, give them some swimming room and allow you to add some plants and hiding places.

 

[lisie]

If they're not showing any sign of aggression, then you are -really- lucky, lol. But you'll still need a bigger tank. I would go for a 5 gallon, personally, but you probably *could* get away with 2.5 gallons, but you'll really need to keep up with those water changes.

 

[megshack]

Great ideas, thanks for all your advice.