Hi! I’m a new betta owner. My boyfriend got a betta fish as a gift, we’re new to having fishes, and don’t know much about bettas. I really want this fish to thrive, enjoy his life and hopefully it can last us a loong time. His name is Swim Shady and we got him a 3.7 Gallon tank (I know the bigger the tank the better and hopefully we’ll be able to put him in a much bigger tank eventually); we filled the tank with Zephyrhills water, the plants are natural plants (one is a crested java fern, the second one is an anubia and the third one I’m not really sure) and two moss balls.
As of now for food we have dried bloodworms and tetra pellets.
It has not been a very long time since we’ve had him but he has a biiig personality and likes to swim up to the surface in the front every time he sees us. I’ve also caught him flaring at me and he will eat the worms off my finger too.
I’m just looking for any tips and recommendations to give the best care to our little guy!
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Posted by Technical_Aide_4568
11 Comments
This little guy needs at least 5 gallons and a heater (I can’t see one in the pic 🙂 ) tanks should be cycled before you get a fish, so you’ll need a water testing kit and you’ll have to do a fish in cycle (there’s plenty of online guides) the plants also need proper substrate in order to grow and be healthy. I think that covers everything :3
There’s also wayyy too much food in the picture and your betta isn’t eating? (assuming the brown balls at the top which are floating are food)
animals should never be given as gifts 🥴
like the two first things everyone is told to do is 1) no colored gravel and 2) no bs spongebob decor. get some natural gravel or aqua soil, a bigger tank, and some live plants
You will love your new Betta! Great name too! Many people are negative on here and only want to criticize. I’m sure you will find your groove after some trial and error.
Since he has longer fins he’ll probably feel more seure in a smaller tank; at least that’s my experience. You can get him a 5 gallon or larger (5 gallon is the minimum tank size). I have a really nice 5 gallon tank (the Top Fin® 5 Gallon Shrimp & Plant Aquarium from Petsmart) that comes with a filter and uv light and lid. It’s more of an aesthetic tank, but if you don’t care about looks and just want a suitable tank the Top Fin® Essentials Aquarium Starter Kit is for half the price (35 dollars!) and also includes a filter, uv light, and lid as well as a thermometer.
Things you NEED to buy:
-Heater…my favorite is Aqueon® Preset 50W Submersible Aquarium Heater
-Thermometer…my favorite is Imagitarium Glass Thermometer, Small
-Filter…filters included in the tank kits are fine but I like sponge filters more, just make sure the current it creates is very low since bettas find it easiest to swim in near stagnant waters.
-Plants…I highly recommend live plants as they help control the water parameters and make your betta feel more safe. Some of my favorites are anubias and dwarf hairgrass, you can do research as to which plants you like the most. If you do go the fake plant route, just make sure they’re silk so they don’t tear the betta’s fins
-Water conditioners, etc…please research the nitrogen cycle and purchase the essentials! My favorite conditioner: Seachem Prime Conditioner for Marine & Freshwater Fish. My favorite jump-starter for the nitrogen cycle: Seachem Stability Water Conditioner. If you need a fertilizer for your plants, their flourish line is really nice. You can do a fish-in cycle as long as you regularly test the waters. A good test kit is the API Freshwater Master Test Kit (it’s expensive but worth it!!)
-Decor such as driftwood and rocks for your fish to hide in. Avoid bright colors as they can stress your betta out and can leach chemicals into the water
-Nutrient rich substrate for live plants…I use fluval stratum and top it off with some gravel and a small beachy area in the right corner of my tank. When you first pour the water in, it may became almost black, but if you just turn on the filter and let it run for a few hours it should clear up.
-Food…I give my betta a varied diet of San Francisco Bay Brand Frozen Brine Shrimp Cubes and Fluval Bug Bites. I did initially have some flakes but unfortunately he refuses to eat them now and just lets them sink to the bottom.
-Cleanup crew…this is optional, but I recommend snails and shrimp if you want any other animals in your five gallon. I’m unfortunately stuck with four other small bottom dwellers due to a “professional” giving me misinformation, I’m really just lucky that my betta isn’t very aggressive.
Let me know if you have any questions!!
You should look up how to do a fish in cycle. Otherwise the ammonia from its waste and rotting food is going to kill your fish quick.
the forbidden pineapple
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Fluval bug bites is a great food option.
Get an api master kit.
Research the nitrogen cycle/ fish in cycling.
Good lord it’s the r/pineappleofdeath
First, too much food. That will leak nutrients into the water and it isn’t great. Remove it from the water. The stomach of a fish is TINY, and bettas only need a small amount of food. You’re also not supposed to feed them for a little while, and to leave the lights off to reduce stress.
Second, tank too small. Bettas need a 20L MINIMUM if you know what you’re doing, 40L is more ideal because it’s less painful to keep water parameters stable.
Third, you’ll need a heater. Bettas are tropical fish, not cold water.
Fourth, you haven’t cycled the tank. Fish tanks need to ideally be cycled before introducing fish in order to get waste removing bacteria established in the filter. You’ll have to monitor your water parameters CONSTANTLY and make sure that everything stays within limits, because if nitrogen based compounds exceed safe limits it will kill your fish
Fifth, maybe purchase some more natural decor and gravel. That bright blue gravel has the potential to leech dye into the water, and it’s rather unnatural looking. The Spongebob decorations can work, but supplement them with stuff like hollow rocks and plants. Bettas like to rest at the surface to breathe oxygen, so get something that will allow it to rest comfortably.
Poor fish.