Hello. I've never owned a beta fish and was handed one today by a drug addict in a train station…yeah. I don't know what to do with this fish. I'm freaking out. It's in a small cup. I have no idea how to help it. Please someone help me understand how to help it immediately. I'm desperate. How tf do I make the water okay for it? I don't have a week for a tank to acclimate or whatever.
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Posted by memoel
6 Comments
take it to your closest place that owns fish i’m sure that’s a female betta not 100% sure and could probably be put in a tank with house mates
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This is a good starting sheet, it will cost money though. ASAP you need a declorinator such as seachem prime or tetra aquasafe
You have a very pretty white half moon betta. PetSmart occasionally has sales on 5 or 10 gallon tanks you will need
Bug bites Betta Food (typically not sold at PetSmart but you can do the pellets for now until you can order them)
Water tank heater (78 degrees)
Fluval substrate if you’re planning on live plants (Java fern, bamboo, Anubias) if not silk plants are okay
A place where they can hide (no sharp edges on the home)
Gravel (rinse with warm water before putting in the tank)
Stress coat, and prime (will help with neutralizing any nitrites and chlorine and ammonia in the water) and water test strips.
Hey there. Depending on where you’re located I would try to find a local pet or fish shop that can take it in. They will be much more well equipped to take immediate care of the fish and if you explain what happened I’m sure they would be willing to help.
Damn that drug addict hustling
A 5 gallon tank is the recommended minimum size for a betta, also make sure it has a lid and a light. You’ll need substrate (gravel or sand), a heater, and a filter. Hides (Make sure there is not sharp edges on them) and live plants are also very recommended for bettas (Plants that should not be buried in substrate: Anubias, Dwarf Water lettuce, don’t get bamboo or ribbon bamboo, Java fern, java moss, flame moss (the anubias and Java ferns are said to be super easy. Attaching them to driftwood or decor is best) Plants that can be buried in substrate: Water Wisteria, Cryptocryne, Dwarf Sag, S. Repens, Amazon sword, Rosette sword, Rotala, Bacopa, Jungle Val, Limnophilia, Pogostemon stellatus. Floating plants: Amazon frogbit, red root floaters, dwarf water lettuce, water sprite, Salvinia Minima, Elodea, hornwort)
For water get water tester strips (their PH range is 6.5 – 7.5, their Water DGH range is disputed, aim for 3 – 12, GH at least 100 PPM – 120 PPM, KH 75 – 90 PPM, 0 PPM for nitrite is best, and below 20 PPM for nitrate) get water conditioner for bettas specifically which will help get to these levels (you can find it at Petco, Petsmart, etc) use warm tap water. The temp range for bettas is 75 – 82 F.
They have a varied diet but are carnivores (protein centric diet) (eat pellets better than flakes and enjoy frozen/freeze dried foods like shrimp, brine, and blood worms. Insects or animal based foods)