some stuff about my new betta...

[cutecotton]

hey everyone, i've posted a post before about my betta temperature, well i got a few more questions to ask to you betta experts (i'm just not sure if this behavior is normal fo ra betta)

either way, my bettta lives in no fancy tank, just a classic fish bowl (maybe .5 gallon), and today when i turned on the lights to look at my betta, i noticed that it seems to be fading in color its usually a tyupical blue/red betta (blue body with a reddish tint on the tails). Maybe it was just relaxing, but the body of the betta doesnt' seem as vibrant blue as it use to be.

Either way, i put a mirror in front of it, and naturally it thought there was another male and began to flare with everything it has, and while it was flaring it turned back to its beaitful vibrant blue color again, flushed with red and blue and everything, i fell in love with it!



yes i know i'm strange, anyways i'm not sure if it's normal for bettas to do that...maybe it was just relaxing at night when i first came in so the vibrant blue in the body wasn't there? (or is it sick)? and it returns when it's excieted/flaring?

In any case, there's this misty cobweb-looking stuff that i'd like to consult you guys about, it's just flaoting around in my bowl (the bowl has no plants or anything), i'm wondering what that is?

 

[Mesome]

Do you have any type of filtration in there? How often do you change water?

 

[iloveyou]

it looks like oil... its from no water irritation.... you should clean the water everyday if u dont wanna see this... its like an oily film.. i use a cup to get all the surface stuff off....

maybe when hes sleepin he not too vibrant

 

[cutecotton]

i dont' have any tyope of filtration in the bowl, but i do change hte water usually ever 2 days (i always change it after 3 days), the betta didn't seem to look THAT pale this morning when i chekced on it though..

 

[smpthy4thedevil]

there shouldnt be icky things in your tank water. if there is, you need to clean it more often and change the water more often, or put in some filtration. if there's gravel in the tank, you need to vaccum it, or when you're doing your next water change, have your betta in a cup or something, and swirl around the tank water, churning up the gravel real good, and then dump all the water and funky stuff from the gravel down the drain. then fill with new dechlorinated water, and you can repeat the gravel-cleaning a couple times if you want. it certainly wont hurt.

i think it'd be in yours, and your fish's, best interest to get him a bigger bowl/small tank with some filtration. he'd probably be more active and happier in a larger tank, as well as brighter, and with filtration you'd need fewer tank cleanings/water changes, plus if you got him a 2 gallon or bigger, you could put in a small tankmate, which might also perk him up a bit.

i know when i moved my betta from his little pint-sized container at the fish store to his own 5 gallon tank, he brightened up like mad and gained a whole bunch of seemingly newfound energy, what with all the room to finally move around and swim.

half a gallon is... the bare minimum tank size -- much better than the little tiny fish store bowls, but he'd be happier, more active, and probably more colorful in a larger tank with a filter. and a heater as well, but right now i'd say go with the filter to help with the icky water.