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In each tank I have about 1 1/2" of sand. I rake through it weekly and somtimes more. And it's only been the Bettas that I've had problems keeping.
I am going to try again, but this time I'll change some things that I did. I will actually buy the Betta from a different store. I am also going to use just a 2 or 3 gallon tank. Intead of sand or gravel, I will use flat marbels. I was also thinking of using one silk plant, but I'll look for a cave of some kind as well. I will also use a different main food even though many people seem to like Betta Bio-Gold. Any suggestions on the type of food I should try?

I like the bare bottom tank, because changing water is a snap and doesn't allow for trapped food or poop. Here's my 10 minute weekly change:

Once weekly, I scooped Bubba up gentley with a small betta hex and put him aside, with the lid on. I only ended up with the tiny betta hex half full of the original bowl water. This way, I didn't need to risk abrasions with a net or my hand.

Once he was in the betta hex, I would take his cave and fake plants out and rinse them well. Then I would rinse out the container with hot water using a hose on my laundry sink. I just rubbed the edges and sides with my hand or dedicated sponge to remove the slime. I would put just a drop of dechlorinator/chloramine remover in the tank for any residual stuff on the plants or container.

Of course, the week before, I would have filled two gallon jugs of water with conditioner and set them out near the bowl the night before the change. Temp is then identical and water is aged. Stress free water swap.

I have taught my niece to care for her betta the same way and so far so good.

Monthly, I would soak the container, cave and fake plants in a very warm, very salty solution for a spell.

Anyway, that is just my process and it worked well for me.

Boil - just use the "delete" option at the bottom of your posts (the duplicate and the one with the explanation). You can delete any of your posts yourself using that icon.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Cory_Di 2004-07-12 21:23][/span]

sry about replying twice, I dont know what happened

my sis keeps her betta in a 2.5 gallon tank. {Not sure the temp but we have a hagen sponge filter and it has been living for a year in our possesion

Thanks for showing the pictures. I'll definitly keep that kind of cave in mind when I'm at the fish store next. And, I actually might keep a bare bottom tank, instead of the marbles. At least that way, I won't have to work as hard trying to vac the tank.

Well, ok - just one more pic of the lily pad from the top


Cory_Di attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/394133.jpg"]

And the lily pad. Look by the pond stuff at your local fish store for smaller fake lily pads.


Cory_Di attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/394112.jpg"]

Ok - I'll try again. Here is another pic - a little blurry, but it shows how much Bubba loved his cave. Bubba died a couple months ago. He was rescued from someone's trash pile on trashnight last August. He was older, but we made him happy. . He loved his fake lily pad too.


Cory_Di attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/394104.jpg"]

Whatever substrate you keep, just make sure any trapped food and poop make it's way out weekly, for optimal health.

I have found the "pebble" caves to be the smoothest. I am finding them more frequently and maybe you can find one too.

Here's an example:


Cory_Di attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/394100.jpg"]

Every thing looks normal with my Betta. Except, all he really does is lay on the bottom of the tank. Could that be caused by some kind of disease? Or what?

Sorry to hear he expired

How deep was the sand? The problem with sand is that it cannot "breathe". I have used containers without gravel as they are easier to clean. Harmful bacteria can develop in compacted gravel and even easier in sand since o2 cannot flow well.

If you try again, make sure you pick up a vibrant, active betta with no lesions, fin erosion, spots, cloudy eyes, etc. Use a 2 gallon container and provide a smooth cave with no sharpness to it. If you use real plants, sanitize them. Soak them in a Tbsp of alum in a gallon of water overnight to rid them of snails and parasites. You can destroy some bacteria on the plants by soaking in Jungle's Clear Water (just squirt enough in a gallon of water to make it dark pink). Soak it 10 minutes. In both cases, rinse really well. If Clear water makes the water brown, then dump it and start again. Use room temp water.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Cory_Di 2004-07-11 16:51][/span]

Well, my Betta died during the night. I really don't have luck with these guys. My first guy lasted less than 8 months and this last one only lived a little over 2 months. It's really frustrating.
Could having sand as the substrate be the problem? Or maybe the type of food? Or just poor quality fish?

Here is a link to Jungle's website]http://www.junglelabs.com/pages/details.phtml?item=NJ169[/link]. I don't see this in as many stores, but it can be purchased online from reputable stores like [link=Drs Foster & Smith. At the same website, if you click on a link called "Club Jungle" and click the pic on the right bar with the "sick fish", you will find a chart to download. On that chart, Jungle recommends using Pepso Food with in-water antibiotics for many infections. It gives them the added boost. Unfortunately, they cut it off at three days and I often wonder if that is enough time. I would not go longer since they advise against it. Keep in mind when the chart shows "fungus" they know they people think it is fungus because of the fuzz when it is actually a bacterial infection, more often than not. Many meds address it as "fungus".

[span class="edited"][Edited by Cory_Di 2004-07-10 12:20][/span]

What is Pepso Food and what does it do? You see I too have a betta that seems to want to do nothing more than lie around and/or hide, although he does seem to eat - just doesn't do it with gusto.... He's a spectacular Crowntail! Purchased another Crowntail at the same time and he's doing wonderfully well! Actively eats, swims and flares his stunning red fins! They are both subjected to the same water conditions - sharing a 10 gallon tank with divider - so same temp, same feed regimine, same EVERYTHING! Could it just be my blue's personality?

To thine own self be true...

I believe bettas do best and look best in still waters. I did away with the gravel and everything but a cave and a couple of fake plants so I could tell if he was pooping regular. Constipation can be lethal for bettas and will make them lethargic. Give him a fake cave that is smooth and has no sharp edges (feel all around the edges with your finger to be sure otherwise you'll end up with ripped tails).

You could try to feed him Pepso Food for 3 days to see if that perks him up. Maybe he has something going on. It's made by Jungle.

I've only had him about 2 months.
I have no idea when he last pooped.
He only looks plump after eating.
As for temperature, he was in his own 10 gallon set to 79F. Then I dropped the temp to 77F, so I could add 2 Platies to the tank. I then moved him to his original home, a 2 gallon hex. That was just room temp, about 75F-78F. Finally I moved him to another 10 gallon with 6 Cories. That tank stays between 77F and 79F. In all the tanks, he was the same, just laying around.

When I do water changes tomorrow I am planning on moving him back to a 2 gallon hex. At least that way I can easily monitor what is going on.

How old is he? When has he last pooped? Is his belly kind of bloated? What temperature is he at?

Sometimes if they get chilled their metabolism slows and they lay at the bottom. He needs to be in a nice warm location where there is no air conditioning blowing on the container making temp drop. Also, if he is in a smaller, one-cup type bowl, the temperature can fluctuate easily.

As they get older, the need to make sure they are pooping is essential as they get stopped up quite easily. There are remedies for that, but making sure they are warm is also part of it.