2.5 gallon "tall" tank - betta splendens

[Hawaii_Fantails]

Aloha!

I'm getting a betta splendens this afternoon... yesterday I got a 2.5 gallon tank, a "tall" one, and I was wondering how often I should change his water. Would once a week suffice? Currently, saturdays are change-the-water days for my two lil fantails... :)

Any info would help.

Thanks!
Hawaii_Fantails

***PS: Would I be able to feed my betta live guppy fry?

[ChilDawg]

I think that your betta *might* be large enough to take guppy fry, but Betta chow and the occasional bloodworms are more strongly recommended.

How much water would you change weekly? In a tank that size, I would ideally get rid of 1/2 of the water each week...but that's just my best guess from reading of relevant hobbyist literature, and has not been field-tested from this end.

I think that weekly changes should be all right as long as some filtration is extant in the tank--otherwise, you're looking at every two days.

[Hawaii_Fantails]

Thanks for your comments ChilDawg! Should I invest in a small air pump for the betta tank? Do i need a filter? We never had bettas... as you can probably tell!

Thanks!

Hawaii_Fantails

[ChilDawg]

I would recommend an airstone at a minimum and possibly a sponge filter (which would have to be cleaned every once in a while). The key here is not to provide a strong current, which would carry large fins like those on a betta to act as sails within water, and they will be stressed by being carried to and fro throughout the tank.

Otherwise, you could have an airstone for oxygenation purposes, but, as mentioned before, you would have to clean the tank more often.

Another question: where are you going to buy your betta? I got mine from Wal-Mart, but he died of OLD AGE only 8 months after I put him in my tank. There were no signs that he was physically distressed, except for the humpback (typically found on older bettas). If you have an LFS that breeds its own Bettas and can verify their age, that would be for the best, but I would go mail-order otherwise...just find out where they were bred and also find out the breeders' practices with regard to how old their bettas are when sold to the general public.

[kveeti]

About feeding guppies. I feed mine guppy fry only once a week as a treat. I don’t have a lot of experience with bettas but mine seem to be a bit slow on the draw – does somebody know, do bettas have poorer eyesight than other fish? Anyhow, I have found that the guppy fry find it very easy to get away from them. The best bet is to feed when your betta is waiting for it and gets it on the first instant it is popped into the water and still a bit stunned. If the fry get away, the bettas will dash around after them, so you have to be especially sure there is nothing in the tank that could remotely shred its fins.

[ChilDawg]

Frontosa owners find the same thing when they feed their fish guppies. I'm not sure that bettas are slow on the draw and have poor eyesight--I just think that they are slow-moving in general--and guppy fry have the advantage of speed over the large-finned co-occupants of the tank.

[TomFromStLouis]

Make sure you give your betta someplace to hide and hang. Mine loves working through the smallest openings between plants and rocks, hanging around on plant leaves, and so on. He also loves frozen bloodworms and freeze dried bloodworms. He is not enthusiastic about flake food.

[Hawaii_Fantails]

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for the tips! I am about to go get some plant decore for my betta! He likes the betta pellets I bought but I will look for that yummy-sounding bloodworm stuff. hehe!

Aloha

Hawaii_Fantails

[ChilDawg]

Careful with the bloodworms, Nic. Many humans have an allergy to them, so if they start to make you itch, you should discontinue use immediately.

[Hawaii_Fantails]

Hey thanks for that note! I would be wondering if I got some rash and other skin ailments from something as unsuspecting as that!

Thanks!
Nic

[TKOS]

I would definatly get a little sponge filter. If you don't like real plants then make sure to get the silk like ones as the hard plastic ones can rip the fins.

Mine actually likes to have a little rest every so often on the top of the filter.

[Hawaii_Fantails]

Would it be a good idea to give my betta something to "rest" on besides the gravel floor of the tank?

Thanks,
Hawaii_Fantails

[ChilDawg]

Mo used to rest in the leaves of the plants when he didn't want to rest on the bottom, so providing silk plants would not be a bad idea for resting purposes.