Got a betta as a gift...help :)

brigid_marie

brigid_marie

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Feb 3, 2006
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So, today was special send off luncheon for work (its a college work study job) where they give us gifts and ask us where we're going next year. My co-workers bought me an alumni t-shirt and a beautiful male BETTA. I guess thats what I get for talking about my fish like they're my children at work. I'm a guppy lady and would love to keep him, but I have no idea where to start! I have 1gallon tank that has an UGF system in it that I have used as a quarantine/fry/moving tank in the past... will that be okay for him? He came with betta pellets as a gift. I'll keep researching, but any tips or advice you could give would be great!
 
The problem with the 1g is that there is no heat regulation. Betta's really need a constant temp around 80* to stay healthy. Without heat they are prone to fungus, ich, and general stess which leads to premature death. They can do well in a community tank( I have one in my 55g--see signature) however, I have found that they dont do well with guppies b/c of the guppies flowing fins. The best thing you could do for mr. betta is to get him a tank big enough for filtration and a heater. 2 1/2g would do it, 5g would be better and 10g even better. You can get a whole 10g setup at walmart for 50 bucks. Then you could even put a couple of danios, some snails, shrimp or pretty much most fish that do well in a 10g as long as they dont have flowing fins or are knowingly aggressive. Do not let people tell you that bettas "like" small tanks. This is not the case. Every betta I have ever had has very much enjoyed their larger tanks. My betta in the 55g uses every inch of that tank and he a very happy betta! Plus, bettas should have a little variety in their foods. I feed mine betta pellets, bloodworms, and on occasion flake food. I also smash up peeled peas every once in awhile for him and he likes those too. Sorry if this is too much info LoL.
 
Congrats on the new friend! ^_^

For the time being, your one gal tank will suffice, I think. But bigger is always better, and your new pet will enjoy a larger tank: I therefore would reccommend that you only use the one gallon tank as a temporary situation while you set up a bigger tank for the betta. One problem with keeping bettas in tiny tanks like that is keeping their water warm, since most heaters aren't designed for tanks that small. Bettas need warmer water temperatures than most people think, and require heaters to live life to the fullest-- just one of many good reasons to consider getting say, a five gal tank for your betta to call home as soon as possible. :)

About food: do you know what kind of pellets you got? Some kinds/brands are better than others, depending on their nutritional value. Bear in mind that bettas are carnivores when choosing what to feed him! For the record, my betta gets freeze dried bloodworms as a staple food, with pellets to supplement.
 
brigid_marie said:
So, today was special send off luncheon for work (its a college work study job) where they give us gifts and ask us where we're going next year. My co-workers bought me an alumni t-shirt and a beautiful male BETTA. I guess thats what I get for talking about my fish like they're my children at work. I'm a guppy lady and would love to keep him, but I have no idea where to start! I have 1gallon tank that has an UGF system in it that I have used as a quarantine/fry/moving tank in the past... will that be okay for him? He came with betta pellets as a gift. I'll keep researching, but any tips or advice you could give would be great!
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Since you are already keeping fish you likely know most of what you need to to care for your new betta. (I.e good water quality, nutritional food, stable environment, etc) To add onto the above advice, I have found that they can pretty intolerant of poor water quality, and like all fish, do a lot better in a cycled tank. When exposed to stressors they tend to fall pray to columnaris (or similar), dropsy and occasional digestive problems. The "all you can eat in 2 minute" guideline is best ignored. They do better with conservative feedings.

I should warn you, like guppies, they are highly addictive. ;)
 
he won't eat the pellets!

After I put him in the 1g tank, he seemed happy to swim around out of the itty bitty cup he was in (just imagine what will happen when I get him in a 10g!)... after an hour or so, i put a few pellets in and he just puts them in his mouth, spits them out, and then lets them sink to the bottom. (I've got a punk on my hands!). So I drove out and bought him some freeze dried blood worms... he loves them. The pellets are "Wardley Betta pellets"... should I try something else for my picky eater? I'm assuming that supplementing with the pellets balances his diet and that I should find something he won't spit out. And yes, I'm already addicted... What do you guys think about getting a tank with a divider and putting a male betta on either side? I read on some site that a tank set up like that will promote them flaring their pretty fins, but I'm worried that it would stress them out if they felt like that had to have a pissing contest everytime they saw each other. Once I get him out of the 1g, what will he tolerate in his tank with him?

Thanks!

PS- I named him Iota... as kind of a play on Betta as part of the greek alphbet. My sister asked when I'll have one named after each greek letter and I told her not to tempt me... *ponders*
 
Just FYI, I keep my betta water temp 77. I don't think it has have to be at 80. My betta are thriving just fine at that temp.
I have my betta in 1.5g hex tank with heater and a sponge filter. UGF will work but I'm not a big fan of UGF in a small set up. I would prefer ReverseUGF but thenwouldn't work in a such small set up.
Be careful to not overfeed your betta. I had 2 betta that ended up getting consipated even though those weren't the first one that I got which is still alive today.
 
I give Hikari Betta Pellets to my betta and he likes them very much. I also cook, skin and crush a few peas and give him a little bit once in a while. Peas are very useful for his health and prevents constipation.
I have a 2.5g tank which came with a divider for two bettas, but I keep one betta for now. I read somewhere (not sure if correct!) that making the male betta to see another male and flare his fins for 10 minutes a day is actually good for his health! I use a mirror once in a while and make him do his thing. He's an awsome fish and makes a very good friend. I am sure you will enjoy having him.
 
brigid_marie said:
PS- I named him Iota... as kind of a play on Betta as part of the greek alphbet. My sister asked when I'll have one named after each greek letter and I told her not to tempt me... *ponders*
Click to expand...

That's really cute. I know someone who named their betta Alpha too.

Betta is actually pronounced "Beh-tah" and not "bay-tah" but I still think it's really clever.
 
My heart is with my betta. He was my very first fish over a year ago. He even cycled my 26g tank for me. (hadn't found this site yet to understand cycling and the pet store gave mixed information...won't go there right now!)

There is alot of back and forth talk about the size of the tank. Truly, its not the size that matters for a betta. Just like us, we would love a 3000 square foot home as opposed to a 400 sq. foot apartment. The size issue comes up because of WATER AGITATION and larger tanks tend to have strong filters that can wear out SOME bettas. Some are smarter and rest when they need to...alot are not smart and will actually not find a place to stop swimming.

My betta...semi-smart. He thrived in the 26g but did not play well with others (even fish like cardinal tetras and red-eyes that don't look like a male betta at all). My female killed herself trying to swim against the water all the time. Now I have my male in a 6 gallon hex. He has a frog and a snail to play with, heater and very light penguin bio-wheel filtration...he is thriving and even his tail has grown longer and prettier.

So, really just go with what you are comfortable with...5 gallons or more for sure for the long haul. (use your 1 gal now but get the heater and all quickly).

It is a pretty well agreed upon fact that the bettas LOVE the bloodworms. I get them frozen. Mine spits out the Hakari pellets too!

Enjoy him...they truly are the neatest and smartest fish I've ever known! He is my number one guy. He even comes to greet me when I come home!!!!!

Good luck and best wishes for a happy betta!
 
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