Something Weird About Betta Bowl Water

[Sweetheart]

There's is like a slime or something that covers the surface of my bettas water?

 

[constantine03]

This is natural if you don't have a filter of any sort in there to break the surface tension of the water. You need to be sure you're doing very frequent water changes in a bowl without a filter. How big is the bowl?

 

[HMPK love]

Yeah, Constantineo3 is rite. Its a natural happening with standing water. I believe it's called a protine coat? Also, like has been said, make sure your doing regular water changes, that usually helps everything :]

 

[Sweetheart]

This is natural if you don't have a filter of any sort in there to break the surface tension of the water. You need to be sure you're doing very frequent water changes in a bowl without a filter. How big is the bowl?

The bowl size is one gallon

 

[bymauldin]

With a 1 gal you should be doing water changes at least twice a week. Some people suggest more...

 

[newfishy]

one gallon is the bare min for a tank, you will have to do daily water changes to keep it healthy, imo a larger tank is much much eaiser to maintain, I have my bettas in 2-10 gallons, and the maintance is much eaiser on the 10 that has a low flow filter.

 

[Sweetheart]

Okay thanks, I'll be doing more water changes now.

 

[azulfire24]

also might help to take a paper towl and skim it across the surface of the water daily,, it picks up any grungy stuff and helps keep the stuff from forming

 

[Honeythorn]

No offence but a 1 gallon unfiltered and I am assuming unheated? "bowl" is atrocious. That fish needs at the very least, 5 gallons with a gentle filter such as a sponge filter, and a small heater.

In the wild they do not live in puddles as many would have you think. They die and suffer in them in the dry season. They breed and are at their best when the irrgation trenches and marsh streams are in full flow. This is when the local people collect the males, when they are at their best. If you look up pictures of the fields and small streams you will notice that they contain far more than 1 gallon, since human beings have to stand almost knee deep in them, and they are very long .

If you get a larger tank you will have to do less water changes,( 1-2 a week ) since the filter will ( after is has cycled) contain the nessecary bacteria to perform biological filtration. You will be very unlikley to get scum on top of the water, and have a lower chance of your fish getting stunted or diseased. By getting a bigger tank you'll benefit your fish IMMENSELY, and also create less work for yourself in the long run.

 

[Esfa]

I agree with honeythorn 90%

the only thing i'd say, is that 4gal would be the bare minimum for me lol

 

[Honeythorn]

I personally wouldn't go with anything lower than a 10gal. And since I haven't the space for a 10gal, I refuse to keep a betta at all until I do have the space. 5 gal is pushing it for me, and I would only consider it if it was an absolute emergency. But 5 gal is a vast improvement on a 1 gal bowl, and would be do-able with the proper filtration and tri weekly water changes. Plus heavy planting.