eBetta.com

Okay, I have had enough of the questions about keeping male betta fish and female betta fish together. Just about everyday someone asks me this: “Can I keep my male betta fish with a female betta fish?” or “Why are my male betta fish and my female betta fish always ripping each other fins off?” or any variation of these questions.

From now on everyone he emails me this question is getting sent to this page.

No you CANNOT keep them together. They will kill each other. Don’t worry, they won’t get lonely either – obviously they don’t like to be around other fish.

Almost immediately after I say they can’t be kept together people always ask “Well then how do they breed?” For that answer you need to look at this page: http://www.ehow.com/how_2002252_breed-betta-fish.html

Can bettas have tank mates?

This question was asked by Cate in the comments section of my last post.

The answer is: yes, they can. But it may not be the best situation. But that is up to you to decide.

Here is some info and things to keep in mind:

First of all, you have to have a big enough tank to house both a betta and another fish or two or three. How big is your tank? Moreover, you need a filter and heater definitely if you want tank mates. Got those?

The #1 rule is: male bettas cannot go together. But a female and male can… but they may breed and you may have little fry you don’t want. Or if you have a female betta, sometimes 3 or more of them can live together. In addition, I was doing some research on betta tank buddies and you don’t want anything that will be aggressive and nip their beautiful fins—so generally no barbs and no sharks. From personal experience, I have a rainbow shark and he’s territorial and aggressive. Also, do not put your betta with anything brightly colored with big flashy fins. He may think its another betta. Never house a betta with a cool water fish, like goldfish.

In general, coryodras catfish, platies, clouds, danios, plecos, loaches, african dwarf frogs, snails and ghost shrimp are ok pals to have in the tank. Fyi—some people say the betta may eat the snail or shrimp. Just make sure you give the tank mates the specific kind of food they eat too!

Honestly, the temperament of your betta will determine if he gets along with his tank mates. If he is very aggressive, he may not like having friends in the tank. Make sure the tank has sufficient room for friends and plenty of hiding places… like plants and caves… so the fish can go hide if they are being picked on. All my bettas live separately and many people believe that it is best to keep them that way. But all in all, it is completely up to you! Bettas have been known to tolerate a tank mate.

The best thing you can do is try, but make sure to carefully observe your tank and be ready with an additional tank to bail someone out if things are getting aggressive in there!

Cate, did you have a specific fish in mind?

Hope this helps! If not, let us know what other questions you have and we’ll try to answer them!

K

What a pretty little betta…

This is a type of apple snail… a black mystery snail. I have one and he’s wonderful! He/she runs laps around the tank.

Question From Sue:

I have a male betta who suddenly has been showing some strange behaviour. Taz stays at the top of the bowl, snug to the edge, with no movement other than his mouth. Wont eat. Then every twenty mins he just goes beserk, racing around the bowl on the water top as if he is trying to get out. Litterally out of the water. I did find my cat drinking water from the bowl. Could this be stress, scared or what. His colouring is way off as well. Hope you can give me some advice. I have moved his bowl to a better place where kitties cant get near him.

Since I have had a betta get eaten by a cat I think that it is a big concern for fish. I have also had betta fish jump out of their tank before too, so that can happen also, they can jump very high sometimes. I think he is both scared and stressed, especially with the cat drinking from the water, good idea to move him away.

As for him losing color – it could be nothing.. but it could be what is called “Velvet” check out this page on bettatalk.com for more information on the diesease including treatment.

From bettatalk:

Velvet is hard to spot, but can be best spotted with a flashlight. Shine the light on the betta’s body: if it looks like it is covered with a fine gold or rust mist, then it has velvet. A betta with velvet will act sick, so look for clamped fins, scratching against rocks/gravel/tank, loss of appetite, loss of color etc…

I have been gettting tons of emails and comments about betta fish with lots of interesting questions. I will attempt to answer some of them here.

I am always asked: What is the best store to buy betta fish?
My opionion is the petco is the best corporate/chain pet store for betta fish selection and quality…

Also guys (and gals) you may want to take a look at your local FISH store… the kind that only specialize in fish. Not any kind of chain. That is where you can find the truly spectacular betta fish you see posted here from time to time.

I live in Florida and there are a TON of fish stores around me that have an amazing betta fish selection. I know a couple owners of these shops personally that give me a call when they have something they know I’m loooking for.

Please consider searching for a fish hobbiest store in your area before going to the chain pet store for betta fish.

ok tomorrow I’m going to get two bettas, 1 female and 1 male. I have two separate 1.75 gal. tanks w/ two plastic plants and a cave. They will each have a filter and I put the chemical in that you need one drop of for tap water. I have the right food, too. I keep reading that you need a lot of space for bettas, but a couple of years ago we had bettas in the same conditions, but they didn’t last long, I’m not sure if it’s because the store I got them from just had them in l a cup of water in plastic bags…. or am I doing something wrong please help!

Also, I was wondering if there’s enough room for a different fish or something to put into the females tank? help!

1.75 gallons is enough rooms for betta fish… I have seem them kept for a very long time in very some jars/containers (not that they were happy).

Also, are you sure you have the right food? Some pet store sell those betta flakes that betta just seem to hate. Try pellets if you can.

As for keeping different fish with females – I would not suggest it. They are still pretty agressive and could potentially kill the other fish.

O also I know what you mean about the people and what they tell you!
1.They told us that guppies were very hardy and did not need the special chemical for tap water or could be put in the tank right away!
2. They told us to wash the tanks with soap, but luckily we knew better.
3. They told us you could a male betta in with different fish….We got him out in time.
That has been a few years ago and I want my bettas to be happy and healthy

4. Also do I really need a heater?

1. Correct! Guppies are not that hardy.
2. Correct! Don’t use soap ever.
3. Correct again! Male bettas are extremely aggressive.
4. Nope, Not unless you keep your house cold. They enjoy temperatures in the upper 70’s and 80’s. I suggested this to someone who kept there house at 70-72 f.

I also read that you should not put rocks in for bettas, because a tank like mine should be cleaned often and the rocks make the tank dirty or something Maybe I’m just thinking to hard idk!

You can keep rocks with you betta. Just be sure to clean them from time to time. I personally don’t because I don’t like to spend a lot of time cleaning the betta tanks. Rocks are good though.

o i read that i need to clean the tank 2-3 times a week, is that true?

Well.. if you have a filter that often is not necessary. I clean my tanks once a week with no filter. But some people prefer more often.

This is the best website I’ve found so far and want to make sure I’m doing everything right! I read somewhere, it might have been wikipedia that said black bettas don’t live nearly as long as the others is that true?

Never heard that before. I have had a black betta fish for a very long time. Also… it may be kind of hard for you to find a black betta fish as they are somewhat rare to see in stores.

Recently one of my fish began to show great discoloration, a purple-ish gray fish normally, was turning a gray color on his face. I thought at first it might be ick, and gave it a few drops of a treatment. nothing. so I got online a learned about how to “detox” your fish. Sometimes no matter what you do to your water there are still minerals left in it, this may not hurt your fish physically, but may cause some discoloration to it, therefore you need to give your little guy some “beauty rest”.

Now how to detox your fish.

1. Get a medium sized container (gladware, butter bowl, etc.) Big enough for you little guy to swim in.

2. Rinse bowl out with hot water.

3. Add spring water into the bowl. Not tap or purified, too many chemicals.

4. Place fish in the bowl.

5. Add NO CHEMICALS to the water!

6. Let him set for 24-48 hours and feed as usual.

7. After the time passes put him back in his normal tank, after a fresh water change and he will look great!

Hi everyone! I just cleaned my fish Flo’s tank about 2 or three days ago. His tank looks so fresh and clean! He looks very happy. Here are the steps in which I cleaned his tank:
1.) I took him out and put him into the container that I bought him in. I just carfully lowered the container (that already had a little bit of water in it) into the tank and slowly scooped him up. Make sure the container has air holes in the lid so he can breath.
2.) The next step I did was I took everything out of the fish tank. I cleaned the rocks/gravel first. Never wash anyting with soap, for it is hard to get ALL of the soap off and can harm your fish. If you have a small enough strainer for the rocks, I would reccomened it. You just put your rocks or gravel into the strainer, and pour water over the rocks while shifting the rocks around.
3.) Now, if you have any plants in your tank, rinse them off under a faucet so they are clean. Remember, don’t use soap! It can harm your fish.
4.) Next take a wet washcloth or paper towel and scrub the inside of the tank. Just use soft towels to clean it, nothing hard. It could scratch your tank.
5.) Now put everything back into your nice clean tank and add water to it. Remember, use the same water temperature that the water was when you took the water out. Not to warm, but not too cold. Just a cool temperature. Make sure that the water is about 2 inches below the top of the tank so your fish has enough oxygen.
6.) Now take the lid off of you container that you had your fish in and lower the container into the water. Your fish should swim out and into the tank. Do this slowly though, you don’t want to scare your fish.
Now you have a nice clean fish tank! Remember to change about 1/4 of the water every three or four days if you have a small tank and add water conditioner. If you have a bigger tank, maybe once a week. I do the big cleaning about once a month.

Have you ever wanted to lessen to your Ipod and watch your betta in another city then you should try the Ipond. good for Betta fish haters.

A TINY fish tank that doubles as a music speaker has sparked outrage among animal activists and aquarists. The iPond – up to 15 times smaller than the recommended tank size for the fish it contains – is proving a hit with Christmas shoppers. One Sydney store has sold out of the $70 device and other outlets are reporting brisk sales. But the RSPCA has called on the device to be banned because it is too small to provide fish with adequate oxygen supplies and a clean environment. The iPond is sold nationally by the Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct chains. Users can play their iPods through a speaker built into the bottom of the brick-shaped tank.

The tank’s water capacity is about 650millilitres once rocks are placed in it. Pets Paradise is selling Siamese fighting fish with the iPond. The fighting fish are native to South-East Asia and have a “labyrinth lung” that allows them to take in oxygen from air. Typically they live in puddles and rice paddies.

A Melbourne Aquarium spokesman said Siamese fighting fish required a minimum tank size of 10 litres – dramatically more than the iPond provides. Animal Liberation Victoria’s Noah Mark said he was disgusted by the invention. Studies proved fish had memories well beyond a few seconds and were social creatures that experienced pain and boredom, he said.

“The fish in this thing does not look like it has very long to live and it can barely move,” he said. “Even if it does live it’s not [a] life worth living … it’s really just a torture box.”

Acoustics expert Jason Gedamke said there was no doubt noise from the speaker would escape into the water. “The speaker is directly coupled to the outside of the tank … [so] you are going to have a small level of sound introduced,” Mr Gedamke said.

“It’s the same as putting a fish tank on a speaker.”

RSPCA spokesman Hugh Wirth said despite the fighting fish’s ability to breathe air from the surface, the tank was far too small for it to receive adequate oxygen. The small volume of water would lead to rapid temperature change and this meant the tropical fish would not live long, he said. The iPond should be banned, Dr Wirth said.

Marketing manager for the Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct chains, Alyse-Grace Robertson, said the tanks had gone on sale in September and were selling briskly. The group that manages the stores had received one formal complaint about the product. Customers sometimes asked questions about the welfare of fish in iPonds.

“A few people ask, ‘is the fish OK?”‘ Ms Robertson said. The chains were satisfied that fish in iPonds did not suffer.

She said before selling the tanks the chains had consulted the Pet Industry Association of Australia. Output from the speakers was small and fish in iPonds seemed to flourish, she said. A spokesperson for Apple said the company was willing to comment on its own products, but not on accessories made by third parties.

got this off http://www.myfishtank.net/ipond/

Most Snails are “Hermaphrodites”. Which means they are both male and female. And they can reproduce by themselves. They don’t need a mate. Although, they can reproduce with mates as well. Snails are used most often in tanks because of their ability to eat uneaten food and all other waste. But some of them can create extra waste as well. Be careful if you put snails in your betta fish tank, as the population can easily get out of control.

Pros
Eat Waste
Some eat Algae
Peaceful
Will eat Dead Fish (hopefully not your betta)
Low Maintenance

Cons 
Create Waste
Reproduce (very) Often
Will eat small Fry
Eat Plants
Bettas may eat the Snails
May be extremely hard to remove

‘Just one biiig bite and…’ photo by Mean and Pinchy on flickr

I went down to my local fish store looking for a female Betta, to possibly start breeding. I started talking to the owner of the store, and we got to talking about bonding with a Betta, and he gave me some good ideas on how to bond with your fish:

– You can feed them with tweezers, baby shrimp or blood worms are your best bet here.

-You can talk to them while feeding, this conditions the fish so when he/she “hears” your voice they come to the top of the tank….strange huh?

– “Pet” your Betta, rinse of your hards before hand, and you can LIGHTLY stroke your fish with your finger a couple times. Don’t be surprised if your fish doesn’t like this. (I personally don’t like this idea, try at your own risk!) – Finally you can “Hunt” with your Betta, put a baby shrimp on a piece of string or fishing line, and move it around the top of the tank, this will drive your fish nuts! they will chase it for several minutes. After awhile let your guy have it, he worked hard!

Some of these things may not be right for you or your fish, and the more time you spend with your betta, you’ll find out exactly what they like and don’t like.

As I said in my previous entry I’d get into more detail about what happened to my first Betta. It was the evil cute banana plant. Yes, that sounds funny but its true. Originally when I purchased my first fish I didn’t notice his gill. When I got him home I noticed one of his gills was torn so that it opened more than it should. However he was such a happy healthy fish, so I kept him and he didn’t seem to have issues.However he was a very messy fish. The water would be crystal clear but the bottom of his tank was horrible. He had so much waste, and nothing helped. After speaking with my mother in law I decided to get a loch. For those who don’t know, they are a small worm like creature that reside in the gravel and eat waste and fish food. They help keep the gravel cleaner in between cleanings.

So I went into the pet store and asked for a loch. The salesperson told me they were out, after debating me about the fact the 2 can co-exist. Now my mother in law used to breed fish, including Betta’s, and had loch’s, so she’d know if they could co-exist first hand. He told me to get a plant and that would help. I was skeptical and looking back should have listened to myself and walked away. However I didn’t and so he sold me on the cute little banana plant. I brought it home all excited. The first seemed to like it and it was going well. Until….

2 weeks after putting it in the tank I noticed what looked to be fibers floating in the water. The fish seemed to be doing ok, so I didn’t think much about it. But as the week went on it got worse. I tried cleaning out the tank and that made it worse. I took out the plant and from there it only got worse. I noticed the fish wasn’t looking so good. That morning I looked in at him and he wouldn’t eat. On my way home I purchased some things from the pet store and was going to take him out the water until it cleared. However when I got home he was already dead.

After I mourned and had his fish funeral I cleaned the tank and started over. However now the plant resides in a separate container. I was mad at it but its so cute! So the moral of my tale is this, if you have a small tank a real plant may not be the best route. And yes Loach’s can co-exist with betta’s.

I noticed a lot of people find this blog by searching for the phrase “Betta Jumped Out” or something similar. They are then directed to my article about what to do when you betta jumps out of the tank. Well.. I sure hope you are doing something about your out-of-water fish before looking on the internet for something to do, because that is a lot of wasted time.

Pick The Fish Up - Put It In The Tank. That’s all you have to do.

Consider yourself lucky that you have a betta fish instead of most others. Betta fish have the unique ability to breathe air. So once you put your fish back in the water leave it alone for 24 hours and hope it stays alive. Next time try to keep your betta’s tank covered if it has a high water level.

So you want to raise bigger looking bettas, huh? Here’s a few tips on how to do it. First and most important of all, provided a constant supply of good quality food. This applys to all types of creatures, a constant supply of good food means more nutrition and thus giving it a chance to grow bigger. Next, change the water regularly, make sure that the water conditions are optimum. A cleaner living environment prevents the fish from getting sick. Now the third trick to growing bigger bettas relate to exercise. I find that keeping my bettas in a small tank that has a little water current almost always result in growing bigger bettas. My guess is that in order to stay in one place, the bettas will have to fight the current. In this process, it is actually exercising and we all know what exercising does to a body (look at Arnold’s body from The Terminator!). However, make sure that the water current is not too strong and make sure you provide some resting place for the bettas (a piece of PVC pipe works well) in case they get too tired. One side effect (maybe a good side effect) from this is that when the current is absent, the betta will look as if it’s flaring with all its fins open to the maximum.

Here’s a trick to help wean your betta frys to dried food such as flake food. First, get a few baby guppies (these should be the same size as the frys or smaller than the frys) and place them in the tank containing the betta frys. Guppies feed on almost anything offered to them and so when the betta frys see the guppies eating the dried food offered, they’ll follow quickly.

I’ve also noted that betta fry seem to grow much faster with a few guppie fry in the tank. They must feel like they have to compete with the guppy fry.

Don’t worry about the baby guppies bothering your beta fry – they are way to small to do any damage.

If you forgot to cover your Betta’s home, there is a good chance that he may have jumped out. Do not dispose of your Betta, even if he seems dried up. Since Bettas are equipped with a labyrinth organ, they can survive even after being virtually dry. Carefully pick up your Betta. If he jumped out recently, his slime coat may stick to the surface – gently sprinkle some water on him until you can pick him up without force. If you skip this step, you may damage his scales and expose him to a myriad of diseases. There is no need to add water if the fish can be easily removed. Place him back in his tank and do not feed or disturb him in any way for 24 hours. It may take him a few hours to recover, so do not panic if he doesn’t move. After 24 hours add a protective antibiotic, such as BettaMax to his water. You may feed him at this time, although he may not accept food for days due to the stress of being without water. Remember – ALWAYS cover your Betta’s home!

Bettas, like any fish, are aware that they are prey animals. In order to feel comfortable, they need to have lots of hiding places. As Bettas are from marshes and rice paddies, they feel more comfortable with ‘soft cover,’ generally provided in the aquarium environment from live or artificial plants. Like most tropical fish, they are more comfortable and will come out more and be more active if you can provide them with 50-75% cover – this means, make half to three fourths of your tank space hiding places. Providing sufficient cover will reduce stress and therefore improve your Betta’s immune system, reducing chance of disease

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