Hello! I received a betta fish from my friends white elephant (picture 1). I currently have him in the glass jar (picture 3 ) as the first tank (picture 2) is one I had from when I was a kid and had a betta but have since found out that it is not enough space. as of right now I have bought him a plant and floor rocks. I have purchased a new tank (picture 4) and it will get to my house hopefully by Jan 3rd. Any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1pzyydt
Posted by SSSpeakN0w
16 Comments
This should help:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/1h9mqgf/i_was_gifted_a_betta_now_what_see_below_for_what/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Also one of the most important things is that the minimum tank size for a betta is 5 gallons, preferably 10 but you don’t have to do 10 if it would be to much for you. Here is a link to a good starter kit tank that is currently on sale and is around $30 currently so much cheaper and better than the tank you got off of Amazon:
https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-essentials-aquarium-starter-kit-40713.html
This is such a horrible gift to give someone 😭 But I wish you much luck.
You’ll need a 5-10 gallon tank any smaller is too small. You’ll want to get some more live plants because betas like restaurants ng their fins on them due to long fins being tiring. Try and stay away from any fake decor as it could be bad for the fish, specifically bright colors as those stress Bettas out. My Bettas really like frozen brine shrimp and blood worms but they will also eat pellets and flakes it just depends lol. Also you should buy a water testing kit, there are some really good ones you can get! I wish you and your new betta the best of luck!
This is the worst gifting trend
5 gallon.
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5-10 gallon tank. Heater, hang on back filter, add fishtank starter bacteria to cycle the tank fast. Get some betta food.
5 gallons is minimum but 10 is better. 2.5 gallons was the standard of care back in the 2010s when I first started keeping bettas, but it’s considered unethical at this point. I find even long-finned males can and will use a full 10 gallons if I give it to them.
https://preview.redd.it/qpxv04ydxfag1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=1085e470cb1336438b48117951afafd12667abf8
Super useful guide! Look to Facebook marketplace place for cheaper used kits or even r/AquaSwap.
good luck
The betta bug bites are a good pellet food. Just a shake or two once or twice a day. I feed that and frozen brine shrimp and blood worms as well to give variety. A gravel vacuum is a life saver just don’t vacuum all the gravel in one go. It also helps remove water during a water change. Definitely get an API freshwater test kit (I’ve found them the cheapest at PetSmart) and a water conditioner like Seachem Prime and a bacteria starter (I use SeaChem stability). Live plants are preferable but if you go the fake plant route get silk plants. Also for love plants you might need a fertilizer (I use SeaChem flourish) but in small tanks you’re basically having to micro dose so get a small ML syringe. You can sometimes buy them from a pharmacy without a script or you can buy a feeding syringe for puppies and kittens. You want plants or betta logs and hammocks up near the surface so they can rest on them if they want to as they breathe air as well. I have a Plakat betta (short fins) and he spends 90% of his time swimming around. But longer finned Bettas can tire easily.
i wouldn’t waste $60 on the 2.4 gallon! (i know u already bought it, but maybe u can return it) i actually got my 10 gallon for $13 (petsmart) and bought the heater and filter separately and it still equaled less than $60. so definitely check out that if possible because bettas need at least 5-10 gallons. check amazon for heater and filter separately 😀
5 gal, bubble filter, heater. Real Plants.
Return the 2.6 gallon and buy a 10 gallon at Walmart/Petsmart for like $25. Get the lid, heater, full spectrum light bar and a small hang on back filter from Amazon for about $40.
Look on Craigslist/Facebook marketplace for free or cheap live plants, if you live near civilization there are plenty, if not get some from etsy.
You know… this is why I think my first job listed “Nothing over $25 – No living creatures; that $250 tropical fish is not it!” in the annual holiday exchange notice.
At the time around 12 years ago I thought it was funny… I didn’t realize people actually gave fish as gifts…
I’d recommend returning the tank and buying a 5 gallon, or even better a 10 gallon kit from pet-smart, this will come with all the super basic necessities for him (filter & heater). I’d also steer clear of colored rocks as they can be harmful. Live plants are best. Bettas are very hardy but if you can get a quick starter for the new tank, and make sure you put him in when the water is very close to his water now, then turn the heater on so he can slowly acclimate to the new temperature