Re: Betta Smart#1:

[Natalie79]

Lots of questions coming your way to better understand a betta! I'm absolutely new with bettas, and have a looooooooong way to go when it comes to understanding them and proper care. Please excuse me if I ask anything that sounds silly! Just keep in mind I really am unfamiliar with fish and only want to learn for their own good

1) Can bettas tire themselves out to a point they get ill or die? My bettas constantly flare at one another and I was wondering if I should keep my tanks separated for stretches of time to have them relax? Or do they need to keep at it so much?

2) Do scales/tails/fins grow back? Saran was attacked by another betta that had jumped into his cup at the fish store (before I bought him). His tail is frayed and torn, and I wonder if it will ever grow back?

3) Jumping: As of late I've noticed that Khoon has been trying a couple of times to jump out of the tank. He hasn't tried it before and I was wondering if this is a sign that he is irritated by something? Should I be worried or is this something natural that Bettas do?

4) Gravel: Looking at people's betta online I notice some tanks have gravel, while A LOT of others leave the floor of their tanks free of anything, no pebbles, gravel – natha. Is this good or bad? Better or worse than gravel?

5) Is it a sign of trouble if bettas stop building bubble nests for a while? How often do they make nests?

6) Betta searching for food, should I feed him? I'm aware of the problems of over feeding, and notice my bettas searching the gravel from time to time like looking for food. Should I feed them when they are searching?

7) Resting on the ground vs. at surface: my betta sleep on the gravel, sometimes I notice they will float at the surface. Should I worry if they spend too much time sleeping at the top, or bottom?

8 ) Sunlight or darkness? How much light can a betta tolerate or do hey prefer the shade (keeping in mind that the water's temperature does not get too high or low, of course!).

9) How can I tell the age of my betta? Fin size? color? ...etc I'd really like to know how old my betta are.

I think that these are enough questions for now, but I will definitely be back with more!!!

 

[stang1]

Hi Natalie,
1) Bettas can become stressed if they see each other all the time so make sure they can't see each other constantly. Sometimes, using a mirror for 10 mins. a day is good exercise for them so try that instead.
2) Make sure you have clean water and also try adding some Melafix/Pimafix to the water to help healt the fins. Only use half the recommended dose as they are quite sensitive to it.
3) Bettas have been known to jump so try to get a lid to cover the tanks to prevent any mishaps.
4) Some people use gravel, some sand and some use large pebbles. They will all be fine and it's down to personal preference.
5) My boys can go a good couple of weeks between building nests and sometimes they build one every few days! It all depends on the Betta. They generally build them when they feel secure in their surroundings.
6) I only feed mine once a day and don't feed them at all one day a week. This stops them from overeating and prevents constipation/becoming bloated. Feed flakes or pellets and once a week treat them to some bloodworm. They'll love you for it! Also, once a week, instead of flake feed them a cooked pea (shell removed and mushed) as this will also prevent constipation.
7) Bettas find all different places to rest, mine sometimes sit at the bottom or may sit on the leaf of one of the plants. As long as there are no signs of illness, then don't worry.
8) I leave the tank light on for about 8-10 hours a day.
9) Not entirely sure on this one so hopefully someone else can help you!

How many Bettas do you own and what size tanks are they in?

 

[Dan-25]

Lots of questions coming your way to better understand a betta! I'm absolutely new with bettas, and have a looooooooong way to go when it comes to understanding them and proper care. Please excuse me if I ask anything that sounds silly! Just keep in mind I really am unfamiliar with fish and only want to learn for their own good

1) Can bettas tire themselves out to a point they get ill or die? My bettas constantly flare at one another and I was wondering if I should keep my tanks separated for stretches of time to have them relax? Or do they need to keep at it so much?

2) Do scales/tails/fins grow back? Saran was attacked by another betta that had jumped into his cup at the fish store (before I bought him). His tail is frayed and torn, and I wonder if it will ever grow back?

3) Jumping: As of late I've noticed that Khoon has been trying a couple of times to jump out of the tank. He hasn't tried it before and I was wondering if this is a sign that he is irritated by something? Should I be worried or is this something natural that Bettas do?

4) Gravel: Looking at people's betta online I notice some tanks have gravel, while A LOT of others leave the floor of their tanks free of anything, no pebbles, gravel – natha. Is this good or bad? Better or worse than gravel?

5) Is it a sign of trouble if bettas stop building bubble nests for a while? How often do they make nests?

6) Betta searching for food, should I feed him? I'm aware of the problems of over feeding, and notice my bettas searching the gravel from time to time like looking for food. Should I feed them when they are searching?

7) Resting on the ground vs. at surface: my betta sleep on the gravel, sometimes I notice they will float at the surface. Should I worry if they spend too much time sleeping at the top, or bottom?

8 ) Sunlight or darkness? How much light can a betta tolerate or do hey prefer the shade (keeping in mind that the water's temperature does not get too high or low, of course!).

9) How can I tell the age of my betta? Fin size? color? ...etc I'd really like to know how old my betta are.

I think that these are enough questions for now, but I will definitely be back with more!!!

1) i think it maybe a good idea to give your bettas a break from each other as they do tire and good cause a bit of stress. try puting a none see through divider between them.

2) fins will grow back in time as long as you keep your water clean so they dont get any infections where they have torn or nipped fins.

3) bettas are known for jumping so always keep a good lid on especially if your bettas are next to each other. (happened to me once but luckily caught the betta before any fighting started)

4) all of my tanks have bare bottoms i prefer it this way as its easy to clean the bottoms of the tanks but its completely up to you if you have gravel sand or nothing.

5) dont worry if your bettas dont build bubble nests, some of mine always have a nest some never build them at all and they are all in the same conditions. dont worry about it. always keep an eye out when there is going to be a full moon as they seem to go bubble nest mad and build like crazy - Wierd.

6)just feed little and offten i feed mine 5/6 pellets of betta pro each morning and night. there stomachs are roughly the size of their eye.

7) just keep your eye on things could be swim bladder problems (dont worry) my bettas like to sleep on plants and heaters. you could even put something in the tank for them to play with like a ping pong ball or marble

8) To be honest i dont have an answer to this one. all my tanks just have natural daylight during the day and obviously no light at night. i dont have any electrical lights for any of my betta tanks.

9) there was a good guide on here i think it was on the pinned thread, it gave you a picture and age guide for your bettas. apparently lfs bettas are about a year old when you buy them dont know if this is true.

Hope some of this helps and please correct me if i have given wrong information.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

1) Can bettas tire themselves out to a point they get ill or die? My bettas constantly flare at one another and I was wondering if I should keep my tanks separated for stretches of time to have them relax? Or do they need to keep at it so much? They can tire themselves out at the point of fins getting ripped, which is pretty bad if they get an infection. It's good for them to flare a couple of minutes per day, but make sure they don't constantly have to be looking at each other.

2) Do scales/tails/fins grow back? Saran was attacked by another betta that had jumped into his cup at the fish store (before I bought him). His tail is frayed and torn, and I wonder if it will ever grow back? It should, if he doesn't have finrot, clean water and some Bettafix should help the tail grow back in time.

3) Jumping: As of late I've noticed that Khoon has been trying a couple of times to jump out of the tank. He hasn't tried it before and I was wondering if this is a sign that he is irritated by something? Should I be worried or is this something natural that Bettas do? He might be stressed, what are the water stats?
Do you see anything on him (like pink or mucusy gills)?

4) Gravel: Looking at people's betta online I notice some tanks have gravel, while A LOT of others leave the floor of their tanks free of anything, no pebbles, gravel – natha. Is this good or bad? Better or worse than gravel? Personally, I have my tanks with a bare floor, because it makes it easier to clean (no dirt gets trapped between the gravel). But, it is all up to you, bettas don't really prefer any specific substrate.

5) Is it a sign of trouble if bettas stop building bubble nests for a while? How often do they make nests? It is normal, not all bettas build bubblenests constantly. 1 of my bettas has a huge one built everyday, another makes smaller ones every once in a while, and my other doesn't make them very often, and they are all kept in the same conditions, so I wouldn't worry.

6) Betta searching for food, should I feed him? I'm aware of the problems of over feeding, and notice my bettas searching the gravel from time to time like looking for food. Should I feed them when they are searching? I wouldn't. Overfeeding can become a big problem, maybe a treat of bloodworms once every week when they are begging, but you don't want to overfeed, even slightly.

7) Resting on the ground vs. at surface: my betta sleep on the gravel, sometimes I notice they will float at the surface. Should I worry if they spend too much time sleeping at the top, or bottom? If the temp is stable and the stats are fine, I wouldn't worry. It might just be their way of realxing

8 ) Sunlight or darkness? How much light can a betta tolerate or do hey prefer the shade (keeping in mind that the water's temperature does not get too high or low, of course!). I wouldn't keep their tank in the sun all the time, too much temp. changes might get them stressed out. Maybe keep them in the sun about 1-2 hrs a day... although personally, I don't keep them in direct sunlight at all and they seem just fine.

9) How can I tell the age of my betta? Fin size? color? ...etc I'd really like to know how old my betta are. There's no way to be certain. Most pet shop bettas are about 1 yr old when you buy them, but if they were pretty small when bought, I'd think more about 4-6 months.