Ten Million And Two Questions

[sarena_rye]

O.k. so I know a little about bettas, though I've learned most of it from my pretty blood red male Mr. Butthead, lol. So here I go. Please bear with me, as the reason I'm asking is so I can make sure I don't make any huge mistakes with him. I will describe his environment first, as I'm sure there will be some pointers people could make.

Mr. Butthead resides in:

Ten gallon partially planted tank.
2 inches small gravel.
One hardy lily that is well established.
Random small amounts of java moss attached to a few silk plants.
10 Drawf Saggitaris scattered throughout the area directly in front of the filter.
5 corkscrew vallisneria along one side wall of the tank.
No other fish in residence.

I'd list water parameters, but it's dark in here as I'm trying to get my little ones to sleep, which requires near total darkness in the house, lol.

At any rate, he has a great appetite, loves to flare at me for no reason at all (he's an awful flirt and I think perhaps he was meant to be born human), is very hardy apparently, as he survived Walmart's pathetic excuse for fish care and came through it all very well. His color is a very dark blood red with a blueish tint to his fins in stripes (don't shoot me, I can't remember what on earth those vein-like divisions in his fins are called) and his color is VERY vivid.

His diet consists of a home mix of pellets, bloodworms, and betta flakes, all of which he eats like a starving man in a dessert factory. I do 10-15% water changes every two-three days as a rule. That's something I've gotten into the habit of due to my ever so fertile fancy guppies .

Oh and for those who wonder how he got his name, if my husband sticks his hand in the tank, Mr. Butthead proceeds to headbutt his hand and nip him. He apparently has issues with men, lol. Yet if I put my hand in there he tries to curl up in my hand, hehe. Thus my reason for thinking he has issues with men Oh, and I couldn't for the life of me say what betta strain he is. If anyone knows what the common type sold at walmart is you're welcome to tell me lol, though I know he's NOT a plakat, as I've seen them and he's not that. His fins are far too long and flowing.

So the questions are as follows:

1. Is there anything else I can add to vary his diet a bit more?
2. Are there any other plants that Bettas really like that would make him feel even more at home?
3. If I ever decide to breed, what would be a good color female as I prefer to try to keep colors true to the parents?
4. Does the same standard rule of thumb apply to bettas (one gallon of water per one inch of fish)?
5. Is there anything else anyone would suggest based on my setup?

So there's the novel in a nutshell. I know it's not really that many questions, but I'm sure it will spark a lot of suggestions lol. This is the only betta I own as I'm a livebearer breeder by nature, but I couldn't help but rescue my little sweetheart when I saw the conditions he was living in at Walmart

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Well, you seem to be keeping him very well!

1 You have a nice varied diet there, but if you REALLY want to vary his diet a bit more you could feed him other live foods like daphnia and brine shrimp.

2 I'm sorry, but I don't really know much about plants. You do seem to have a lot of plants there anyways.

3 Females don't have colors as bright as males but if you want to breed you need lots of stuff. First of all, that 10 galon tank would be good as a sorority tank for up to 8 females. You could transfer Mr. Butthead to a 2 1/2 or 5 gallon tank. You'd need to do LOTS of research first though.

4 Well, as you probably know males can't be kept with others bettas- males or females, while females need to be kept in groups of no less than 4. I'm not sure about the inch per gallon rule though.

5 I would just say make sure you don't overfeed because o the bloodworms, flakes and pellets. And also, he's probably a veiltail, those are the most common type of bettas in pet shops.

 

[sylvia]

Your betta sounds like such a character!

1. Is there anything else I can add to vary his diet a bit more?
Any live foods - blackworm, brine shrimp, daphnia etc - both live and frozen actually

2. Are there any other plants that Bettas really like that would make him feel even more at home?
I've found they like large-leaved species and floating varieties but I'm no good with plants so basically only keep what will survive In my case that means H. polysperma and H. corymbosa

3. If I ever decide to breed, what would be a good color female as I prefer to try to keep colors true to the parents?
You should research this thoroughly first and will probably find it's best not to breed your particular fish as he's likely a veiltail (the most common petshop variety). There are lots of these needing homes already and are not in demand when it comes to 'serious' breeders so you'll just be adding to the bettas in need of homes. BTW, the 'veins' in his fins are called 'rays'

4. Does the same standard rule of thumb apply to bettas (one gallon of water per one inch of fish)?
I'd say yes but some people would argue not because of their ability to breathe air. Still, they are just as susceptible as other fish to ammonia burns (their long fins can make them particularly prone, in fact, to damage) and don't like fluctuations inw ater quality or temperature any more than other tropicals. Obviously, you need to keep in mind that they have to be kept alone and are territorial and can be aggressive towards other fish - so you may need a tank larger than the inch per gallon guideline implies if the betta is in with other fish.

5. Is there anything else anyone would suggest based on my setup?
Assuming you have a heater and filter, your tank sounds great A small cave - maybe a ceramic pot - might be appreciated.

Welcome to the forum BTW!

 

[sarena_rye]

I'll likely have to hunt ebay or the next closest city for the live foods, as I have a two year old that has already shown me that doing my own brine shrimp just isn't going to happen again . I was hatching my own for the sake of my guppy fry, but once my little man dumped a couple batches of brineys that was the end of it and I started crushing my own flake/bloodworm/frozen shrimp/tubifex mixes lol. That's how I got started with the idea of making my own mix for Mr. Butthead too lol. It took the memory work out of changing feeds every few days and he really loves it He only gets a small amount (about two pellets, a few bloodworms, and a bit of flakes mixed) , but three-four times a day, and he's quite energetic, so he has a lot of exercise to "work it off" lol.

2. Are there any other plants that Bettas really like that would make him feel even more at home?
I've found they like large-leaved species and floating varieties but I'm no good with plants so basically only keep what will survive In my case that means H. polysperma and H. corymbosa

I've a huge variety of plants between my five tanks lol. If you ever want to try another easy grower type, just drop me a message, as I have to thin plants regularly. Current varieties in my tanks are: java moss, java ferns, corkscrew vallisneria, jungle vals, egeria densa (anacharis), anubias nana, aponogetons (type bought from walmart as bulbs), pearlgrass, dwarf saggitaria, sagitarria subulata, an Amazon Sword, and ONE surviving bacopa moneri that managed to make it through a snail outbreak thanks to Walmarts inept tank care . If anyone here hasn't experienced pond snails....don't. It took me three months to cure that little infestation and I'll never buy another Walmart plant again .

I think I'll just leave Mr. Butthead a bachelor lol. Although I don't often let my fish out of my home, as with my guppies I'm working on an unmonitored strain through free breeding, lol. That project started just short of a year ago and began with two sunrise females and a blue male. The results have been interesting as the females were pregnant from the beginning from lord only knows what males. Anyway that's a bit off the forum subject, so yep, Mr. Butthead shall remain in bachelorhood. He likes me better anyway and would likely snub any female I tried to match him with as a second rate attempt at pawning him off lol.

2 I'm sorry, but I don't really know much about plants. You do seem to have a lot of plants there anyways.

Lol, I'm awful about plants. I'm really big on natural filtration and aquascapes, so plants are the bane of my husband's existence lol. I do have a heater for each tank except my one gallon, which stays around 78-80 degrees naturally on it's own, although I attribute a lot of that to the java moss that is in it with it's single guppy. I keep at least one fish in that one at all times to keep it cycled, but it is actually intended to be an emergency hospital tank lol.

4. Does the same standard rule of thumb apply to bettas (one gallon of water per one inch of fish)?
I'd say yes but some people would argue not because of their ability to breathe air. Still, they are just as susceptible as other fish to ammonia burns (their long fins can make them particularly prone, in fact, to damage) and don't like fluctuations inw ater quality or temperature any more than other tropicals.

I have to agree, I see so many small "betta" tanks on the market that I always wondered about the standard rule. I can see how the ability to breathe air would make a little difference, but it just doesn't feel natural to me to limit their space in those little setups, as in the wild they would have a lot of room (though I've heard of them being found in the hoofprints of water buffaloes before, which I found interesting).

All in all, I'm glad to know that his setup is fairly well suited, as I want him to be as happy as possible. He might only be a fish to some, but for me he's just such a clown lol. Of course if you asked my husband he'd tell you that fish is the devil in miniature form come to earth to torment him and give him dirty looks B) . I love that fish .

 

[Jaded12]

His color is a very dark blood red with a blueish tint to his fins in stripes (don't shoot me, I can't remember what on earth those vein-like divisions in his fins are called) and his color is VERY vivid.

The vein like divisions are called rays

I do 10-15% water changes every two-three days as a rule. That's something I've gotten into the habit of due to my ever so fertile fancy guppies

Good job not enough people do enough water changes to keep their bettas in pristine condition.

Oh, and I couldn't for the life of me say what betta strain he is. If anyone knows what the common type sold at walmart is you're welcome to tell me lol, though I know he's NOT a plakat, as I've seen them and he's not that. His fins are far too long and flowing.

Probably a veiltail, thats the most common strain you'll come accross.

1. Is there anything else I can add to vary his diet a bit more?

Frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and I would recommend a bit of cooked shelled pea once a week, it aids in digestion and helps to ensure that your betta buddy doesn't get constipated, which can lead to bigger problems.

2. Are there any other plants that Bettas really like that would make him feel even more at home?

You're set up sounds good, I've learned from experience that bettas LOVE big ole leaves to lounge around on lazy bettas

3. If I ever decide to breed, what would be a good color female as I prefer to try to keep colors true to the parents?

Probably matching red, though its best to keep in mind that veiltails will be harder to home since they're so common and there are already so many homeless bettas out there wasting away on store shelves.

4. Does the same standard rule of thumb apply to bettas (one gallon of water per one inch of fish)?

Generally people use the no less then one gallon rule with bettas, because of the way they are they can tolerate and even be happy in smaller bodies of water, though most people will agree that 1 gallon is the BARE minimum and that 2.5 gallons or more is better.

5. Is there anything else anyone would suggest based on my setup?

You're set up sounds wonderful, and you betta sounds incredibly happy, you're doing a wonderful job

 

[zoekin8yg]

He sounds very happy! Well done! We need a photo! Fasting him one day a week is a good idea too

 

[sarena_rye]

Thanks, the water changes are a force of habit for me. I constantly have gup fry around and am a stickler for good water parameters for those little rascals. It just makes sense to keep the same rule for the other fish as well, that way everyone is healthy and happy. I've even more plants coming in in a couple days (like I REALLY needed them, but it was a really good deal sooooo.....) and will likely be adding a few more dwarf sagittaria to his tank, plus a few anacharis as fillers. He seems to love his lily though I think it's a snob thing as he's the only one that has one . He'll also be getting a few more corkscrew vallisneria as I've around 50 coming just of that one species lol. Yep, a fish AND plant addict. Dangerous combo.

If I do break down and breed him, any and all fry would likely remain here with the exception of one or two going to friends, as I'm a bit of a protective fishy mommy. Had one bad experience with my ex's niece where I was kind enough to provide her with 5 of my gups and 4 of my swordtails and in the space of a month her tank was.... . I won't even go into description, but will say it ended with her mother GIVING me her entire ten gallon tank setup due to her poor care of the fish. It took over a month to clean and detoxify the tank alone. The fish were a total loss, which really irked me as they were out of my favorite breeders . And to think that girl is 20 years old with two kids .

I can't get a decent picture at the moment, but we are moving in a couple weeks and the new place has excellent lighting, so I should be able to get better pics then. Will definately post one as I love this boy to death, lol. Who wouldn't love a fish that intentionally attacks their husband?

I'll definately try the peas on him. Hopefully Mr. Butthead will eat them, as he can be a bit of a picky-pants some days. I'm not sure if I could do the one day fasting though. It would make me feel bad lol.

 

[zoekin8yg]

You can get a lot of fry from one spawn, can you house 300 little fish?

 

[sarena_rye]

Luckily yes, lol. The first thing I decided upon when I started my livebearers was that I would need a few good clear rubbermaid totes for grow out tanks. They're cheap, easy to keep clean, and give so much more needed space that I'm glad I did it. So yep, the space is available for the fry. I had wanted two 55 gallon set ups for fry, but my husband saw that average price of them and vetoed my wishes faster than an oscar can suck up a feeder gup . He was completely floored when I came home with my totes, as he couldn't argue the cost to set everything up B) . Chalk one up for the fast thinking women of the world .

 

[zoekin8yg]

If you do decide to breed there are is some helpful stuff in the pinned topics in the betta FAQ.

 

[sarena_rye]

I'll definately check out the FAQ section for future referrence. I doubt I'll be breeding him, though if I do it won't be for quite a while. I've got around 80-120 gup/swordtail fry right now that are in their grow out process and would have to wait to dedicate two full totes to betta fry lol. I'm not a nice mommy with my gups/swordies in some opinions, lol. I have genetic issues and stick with them. Bent backs, bubbled bellies, anything just plain icky gets the big swoosh around here, but that's all for health and survival purposes anyway.

My husband says Mr. Butthead doesn't deserve a girlfriend anyway, but then again, he's biased, lol.

 

[Amunet]

I dunno if your guy will like them, but my bettas seem to just love the cabomba I have in their tank. They really love scooting in and out of the different layers of it and laying on the soft leaves... or whatever they're called lol.
It's a messy plant though... it sounds like your Mr. Butthead's tank is already great. 10gals from a teeny cup must be heaven for the lil guy

 

[sarena_rye]

I can only imagine what he was thinking while being floated lol. Seeing all that space....
Camboba are pretty nice plants too, I will have to try them out with him. They require quite a bit of trimming with high light tanks, but it's worth it if it'll make him even more at home.