New To Betta Fish - Need Help

[Maddycat]

Hi,
 
A couple of days ago I bought a Betta Fish for my 15 year old daughter who has been wanting one for a while. We were in the pet shop near where we live ( Lennox Head, Australia) getting Greenies for our cat, when we walked past the fish and saw them.
I said yes, so we went about asking a million questions to the pet store assistant about what we needed to make him happy and healthy and a new member of our family. 
 
After 30 minutes we walked out the pet shop door with a gorgeous blueish male betta, a 2.4 litre glass tank, a real plant, some soft rocks, a heater, thermometer and fish food. We followed all the instructions and we got him settled. He seemed really happy with his new home as it was a little more than double the size tank he was in at the pet shop and he had a plant to play and hid in. I decided to do my own research on betta fishes, wow, the information I read which I wasn't told at the pet shop was huge. We are now realising that our beloved new pet definately needs a bigger home.
 
So we went to another pet shop and we bought him a 15 litre glass tank  and a small bubbler. I am now looking at him wondering the best way to go about changing him from his smaller tank to his new big tank. He has been in his small tank for 3 days, no filter. 
 
I am desperate for the right help on moving him to his new home. Any step by step instructions would be sooo appreciated so we can this next move right.
 
Thank you so much in advance. I have looked around the site for information but I'm still confused.
 
Cheers
Julie and Georgia and Claude our new member of the family.
P.S. (our cat is an old cat and she is not interested in claude at all, so hes safe).
 
I also tried to attach a photo but the file was too big. I will keep trying.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Hi, to the forum.
 
Good on you for getting a bigger tank, unfortunately a lot of LFS staff don't give correct information so they can make a sale.
 
Set the new tank up and fill it with dechlorinated water and let everything run. When the tank is up to the temperature of 26-28 degrees, you can add Claude.
You will have to do a fish in cycle with Claude so I recommend that you buy a liquid test kit that can at least measure ammonia and nitrite (nitrate and pH would also be helpful).
The details of fish in cycling are here .
 
What food did you get?
 
Does his tank have a lid? If not, you will need to get one as Bettas are jumpers.
 
You can upload a picture to something like photo bucket and then post the link here if the photo is too big.

 

[ncguppy830]

welcome to the forum all is valid in the post above good luck to you

 

[attibones]

You say you bought a tank and a bubbler, but a bubbler is no filter. You need a proper hang on back filter for his tank or you wi be stuck with daily 100% water changes.

 

[Paradise3]

Welcome to the forum
 
To move him you'll have to put him in a fish bag while you set up his new tank. Move his everything over apart from the water since it will be full of poisonous ammonia after 3 days, fill his tank up with fresh water and if you use dechlorinator then dechlorinate his water before adding him in  
 
I don't want to repeat what Blondielovesfish has said as everything in that post is valid
 
His filter, he needs a proper filter not just a bubbler. A small Sponge Filter will be suitable for him in a 15 litre tank

 

[Maddycat]

Hi,
 
Thank you everyone for your advice.
 
In regards to changing the water I've been reading that I need to keep some of the water from his old tank and put it in with the fresh water in his new tank, is this not necessasy?
 
Also the food I give him is a Betta food the pet shop gave me, that they had been already feeding him. It's a Wardleys brand (pellets) . Do you have any  advice on another food?
 
Also with the bubbler, I bought it for him to play in and he loves it. I only have it turned on for a couple of hours during the day and maybe for another hour in the afternoon. As he is only in a 2.4 litre tank at the moment i didn't want it to be too annoying for him. I have it on a lowish current. He is so funny he loves swimming through it and puts his head in it.I was worried he was going to hurt himself but when I put my finger over the bubblier it's not too hard.
 
As for the filter, I was told that it wasn't necessary, I am happy to change his tank regularly. His tank is in my daughters room and I think the noise from the pump might stop her from sleeping.  During the day would be ok, but can you turn the filters on and off for day and night use or do they need to be going 24 hours?
 
Do you have any advice on the best plants to put in his tank to help with cleaning etc and that bettas really like?
 
I also have a a water Ager (Blue planet) which I bought to help with neutralising Chlorine etc.
 
His tank does have a lid with a hole to the edge, but I will be leaving about  2-3 inches of air for him.
 
Thank you for all your advice, its quite daunting to begin with. I was also wondering how to get rid of the ammonia and nitrate build up if it happens? I will buy a water tester kit to check on that.
 
Also I was told not to clean his rocks as they contain good bacteria, is this true?
 
Have a great day or night for everyone in the northern hemisphere.
 
Julie

 

[attibones]

Filter must be going all day, everyday. If you decide for no filter, 100% water changes every day or you'll quickly poison your fish with ammonia.

When you change the water, you need to keep the fish in a cup of old water, dump out the rest of the water, add fresh, warm dechlorinated water (Seachem prime is recommended. I use API stress coat with great success). Then add the fish with as little as the old water as possible. Typically one would just do a fifty percent water change a week, adding fresh water with the old, but as your water will have plenty of ammonia build up, it is important to let as little of that in the fresh water as possible. He could benefit from some moving water, which seems to foul faster, so keeping the bubble stone going 24/7 is more ideal. There is very little noise if you put a rag under the pump.

With no filter, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will build up. If you don't get a filter, don't bother getting a test kit. You'll just have more proof you need more water changes.

 

[JellOh]

Hey, if you're going to be running the bubbler 24/7 anyways why not get a sponge filter? They are about $3-5 and hook right up to your pump in place of something trike an air stone.

 

[Maddycat]

Thanks, you have given me alot to think about in regards to a filter, I will see how the week pans out without a filter. I have only had the bubbler on shorter periods as he is still in his smaller tank. I will keep it going once we move him over.

Hey, if you're going to be running the bubbler 24/7 anyways why not get a sponge filter? They are about $3-5 and hook right up to your pump in place of something trike an air stone.

Hi Jelloh,
 
I have looked at the sponge filters, I am trying to see how he goes without a filter. I will give him a week in his new larger tank and if the ammonia etc is there, and I have to change water every day i will definately get a sponge filter.
 
Thanks for your advice. I think this is going to be a real learning curve. This fish was for my daughter, and it seems i have become the mother and caretaker.
 
The bubbler was only going to be run in the day too cut the noise in the night, as the tank is in my daughters bedroom. I only have a low pump so its not too bad, but sleeping through it, we will have to see. I bought the bubbler to help with the constant stagnate water and as a play thing for him, he seems to love it. But only for his bigger tank so if he feels the need to move from it ,he can. 

 

[attibones]

Keep in mind that if you do end up with a filter, you'll be doing daily water changes (sometimes multiple times a day) until the tank is filtered. In fact, it would be ideal for you to return the fish until you get a suitable tank and filter (cycled) or have someone hold onto him for a few weeks while you get it fixed up. Most people don't like this advice so you'll need to do a fish-in cycle which is a complicated process.

 

[Paradise3]

I agree with Attibones, he really does need a filter not just a bubbler... It doesn't have to be a lot of ammonia. The slightest trace of ammonia will be poisoning him right now. He needs fresh water if he's still in his old water because it will be full of Ammonia right now which is slowly killing him
 
You would be more ideal moving the fish to a different room if you're worried about your daughter being kept awake by the filter to honest. He does need a filter, and desperately. What you can do to speed up the cycle is ask your local fish shop if they have any media you can buy from one of their filters as it will have all the beneficial bacteria that eats the ammonia and nitrate on it.
 
Once you have a filter, get a liquid test kit. Don't get test strips, they are the most unreliable thing ever. As for good liquid test kits, API Master Test Kit is supposed to be a good one but I've heard reports of it being wrong before. The one me and my other half use is the Nutrafin Master Test Kit  

 

[singlecutguitar]

Hello maddycat

 
Maybe it's contrary to some people outside south east asia, but I've been keeping Betta since childhood and my uncle breed them. They actually ok without filtration, but surely water change must be apply. They tend to be solitary animal. You can put them in fish bowl. They don't live in strong current (rice field) so aeration and bubble is not necessary, even can cause them to stress

 

[Wildbetta]

With the tank size he is in now, I suggest twice daily 100% water changes to keep ammonia down.  That is a very small amount of water and fouls very quickly.  As for a filter, it is personal preference with bettas.  The point of a filter is to help you not have to do water changes as often or as big of ones.  Example:  a cycled and filtered 5 gallon tank(20 L) would only have to have a weekly partial water change (50% is good), the same tank without a cycled filter would need a 100% water change every 2 days.  Bettas do perfectly fine without filters and in the smaller tanks it is often better to just change 100% of the water.  I do recommend if you get a tank of at least 20 liters you filter it just so it helps you from having to do so many water changes.  With a 15L (3 gallon) tank it is perfectly fine to do 100% water changes every other day if you do not want to have a filter.  You do need a heater though as bettas need stable temperatures of 25-27 C (78-82F) as they are tropical fish.  Anything less than that or not stable will cause the betta to stress and its immune system will then be compromised making it much easier for the betta to fall ill.  Good luck with him and we would all like to see some pics.  

 

[singlecutguitar]

Betta Fish live in heavy planted rice field which is have super bad water condition. Rice field is full of chemical from insecticide and pesticide, yet bettas survive in places like that. SUPERFISH !!

 

[Paradise3]

These are not wild betta's though, they are shop bred so would not survive in the same conditions as their wild counterparts
They are born, raised and bred in captive conditions, not the wild conditions that their counterparts may thrive in.