I went to a white elephant and someone thought it was a good idea to bring a betta fish along with food and a water conditioner as their gift. (The budget was $25) No one wanted the fish and the girl who received it said her cat would 100% eat it. So I offered to take it (thinking it was just a random low maintenance fish). But when I researched once I got home I realized that to give the betta fish a good life I need to buy a lot of things. I only have a little fish bowl for it. So I called petco seeing if I could bring it back even though I hadnât bought it myself and they said that the fish should be fine in the fish bowl and to just make sure I donât have any other fishes in the bowl with it.
Should I keep it in the bowl, or try to find it a new owner? I may try to buy it the right habitat once I get my next paycheck but itâd be so much easier to give it to petco. But I also saw on TikTok that pet stores donât keep the fishes in the best environment either.
I named this little guy shark, and I love him already. Advice would be so appreciated!
https://i.redd.it/ox4mr12uqh8g1.jpeg
Posted by Lexi_Rad
4 Comments
Unfortunately you will need to buy a lot of things, but I got several starter set ups (cheap tank, small filter and heater) on Facebook marketplace for under $20! I have been upgrading as I go and itâs taking time (and money) but itâs better than them living in a bowl or a plastic cup!
heater, filter, water test kit are most important
as well as time to do daily water changes with a fish in cycle
Congrats on being an unexpected betta parent. What a dumb gift to bring, but glad you stepped up. Fish keeping is a hobby for a reason, itâs rewarding AND there is a lot to learn. But there can be ups and downs. The bigger the tank; the easier it is to maintain. I bet you can find a used 10 gallon. If you have a local fish store thatâs not a big box store, ask them for some âmediaâ to help you establish healthy bacteria in the tank. Basically you are creating an ecosystem with bacteria that convert toxic ammonia to something less toxic to the fish. The bacteria after parameters stay more stable the more water there is. Heater is super important. You can keep the fish in the largest container you find while you do something called a âfishless cycleâ (look it up) or you can do a âfish inâ cycle. Get a Turkey baster too to spot clean and suck up the poo. Itâs the uneaten food and poo that make the toxic ammonia.
Join your local Buy Nothing Group. You will be able to get a lot of stuff to set up.