Betta Fish...

Posted by GetMisted
Easy to take care of.

Don't put more than one in the same tank.

Ok good, only want one.

I've kept my Jack Russell terrier alive for the last 13 yrs I'm fairly confident I can keep the fish alive but...

Any other tips?

I'd also prefer the driftwood/live plants to the fake crap.

Any suggestions on what would be good?

I'm not gonna have circulation (a pump) so lots more cleaning I suspect...

Posted by GetMisted

Posted by LadyNeptune

Posted by GetMisted
Easy to take care of.

Don't put more than one in the same tank.

Ok good, only want one.

I've kept my Jack Russell terrier alive for the last 13 yrs I'm fairly confident I can keep the fish alive but...

Any other tips?

Not really.

Don't let the water in the bowl dry up like I did.
click to expand

It evaporates rather quickly then. Am I gonna be needing to add new water often. And is it a ph nightmare to get everything synced up?

@JURR

10 Years

I had a male and female (in the same tank) the male was so nice to look at but the female was a BADASS! She would jump for food... one time she jumped right out the tank... so make ssure your water isn't full right to the top. They like lots of hiding places too

@JURR Keep the water from the top, got it!

Stopped at a generic pet store today and pestered one of the staff to tell me everything I need to know. She showed me this really cool live moss (shaped like a ball) that acts as a natural filter!

Aw, bettas.

Don't go small on the tank. I hate when people put them in the stupid vases or the micro tanks that are a gallon or less. I bought a nice 5 gallon system tank for mine- lighted hood, the filter, etc. Those small POS tanks are terrible for them. They need room to roam!

You want a filter. You said you aren't going to do it, but you really do. It helps keep the oxygen moving through the water and the filter helps keep things clean as well.

Water temp is important too.

They can also live with other fish, like bottom feeders. My very first betta that I had as a kid lived in a tank with my 3 year old goldfish and a few algae eaters. Everyone did well until the betta died from "old." You just can't put them in with other male bettas or other aggressive breeds.

The sad thing about them is that their average lifespans are like 5 years and by the time you get them from the store, they're maybe 2 or 3 already.

As of more recent, I had one for about 3 years when I dove back into getting fish again. I went with a betta because they're a little simpler to deal with in that they aren't as dirty as goldfish (I had a goldfish for 9 years and miss having a tank). The second one I got was doing okay for a year or two maybe (i've forgotten), but I suspected he had cancer or something related. I tried everything, but dude just was weak. It's one of the sad realities with bettas you get from basic pet stores- they're kinda prone to diseases and all sorts of crap. My third one I got shortly after that but he also had some health issues as well.

You gotta watch their diet because they are prone to constipation at times and also can develop swim bladder issues- both of the last two had these problems.

After the third one, I just put everything away. As soon as I get done with getting my house all reorganized, I plan on digging out the aquarium and getting another one.

My "tank" is small, definately under 5gallons. Going into this I had the misconception these little guys could live in small vases. At the pet store, when I described my terrarium, the lady told me it was fine prolly cause she wanted to make the sale.

But I've been doing more reading and now I'm thinking it might not be big enough.

Temp is warm enough here so I won't need to worry about a heater.

I really can't have a filter with this bowl so my goal this week is to get the gravel, live plants, and the marimo balls (natural filters) and an nirate snail. I went to a tropical fish store this weekend, so much more knowledgable there, and they game me amonium drops to add to the water to 'stimulate' how it would be if there was fish. I'm gonna wait a few weeks and test the water to see if it'll be a safe environment for a fish.

May have to just get some lil shrimpies instead...

@TheLibraMudra

Thanks for all the tips!!

I've been looking at terrariums online for the past week and the live plants look infinitely better than the fake. Changing the water every day isn't going to fly, but 2xs a week is doable to change out that 25% . Gonna set up the tank first, get the ecosystem goin, and then see if it could support the Betta with that amount of changes.

My tank is on the small side. It has a deep portion where I'll be putting the rock and plants and a shallower portion that will be 'open water'.

I'll have to post a photo once I'm done setting up my 'aquascape'.

Posts photos of your tanks or Bettas pwease! Would love to see them

Posted by LadyNeptune
My "tank" is small, definately under 5gallons. Going into this I had the misconception these little guys could live in small vases. At the pet store, when I described my terrarium, the lady told me it was fine prolly cause she wanted to make the sale.

But I've been doing more reading and now I'm thinking it might not be big enough.

Temp is warm enough here so I won't need to worry about a heater.

I really can't have a filter with this bowl so my goal this week is to get the gravel, live plants, and the marimo balls (natural filters) and an nirate snail. I went to a tropical fish store this weekend, so much more knowledgable there, and they game me amonium drops to add to the water to 'stimulate' how it would be if there was fish. I'm gonna wait a few weeks and test the water to see if it'll be a safe environment for a fish.

May have to just get some lil shrimpies instead...

@rockyroadicecream

I was going to suggest at tropical fish store as well, but mostly of where you got your fish. They also know their shit when it comes to this stuff. Big box pet stores are only moderately knowledgeable.

Whenever I get around to getting another betta, I'm likely going to get one there. Depends on my mood. I may stick with the major chain store just to save the little guys haha.

Posted by LadyNeptune
I'll have to post a photo once I'm done setting up my 'aquascape'.

Posts photos of your tanks or Bettas pwease! Would love to see them

Mine's in a box, stored away haha. I'll dig around to see if I have old pics somewhere. I know I do.

How many gallons is your terrarium?

I'm not sure. The dimensions are roughly 13" tall + 9" wide + 10" deep. It's a circular bowl but it's irregularly shaped so that's more of a rough estimate.

They basically took recycled glass heated it and poured over the raw driftwood base and then shaped it into a bowl so each terrarium is unique based on the wood below.

â˜ï¸â˜ @rockyroadicecream â˜ï¸â˜