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my boss has this cool betty boop peice in our store that holds a 1-2 gallon fish bowl. she decided to go buy a betta and a plant for it the other day. so now i have a betta to look after and i know nothing about them. all i know is dont't mix the males.

it is scaring me a little because it does not move much at all. even when i fed it brine shrimp today it chased them ever so slowly. do you think something is wrong or are they generally slow movers.


chris

Generally if he's eating and is active, he should be fine. Does his color look good and rich, does he have any frayed fins? Having him in a 2 gallon would require weekly water changes at least! Don't forget to condition the water with a chlorine and chloramine neautrilizer, that's very important! This removes chlorine and harmful metals found in most city water supplies and are fatal to fish. Other than that they are very easy to care for, feed once or twice a day (they can go much longer if need be but only if neccessary.) Also they can become quite personable, especially when you get him into a routine. Good luck! Any other question just ask away!Also I can't believe I forgot...Make sure the Betta has sufficient access to the surface, as Bettas are labyrinth fish and receive most of their oxygen this way!

Last edited by Jessnick42503 at 28-Sep-2004 19:21

I concur with Jessnick42503.... but I'd like to add a few additional comments ..... The "sluggishness" of your Betta may simply be a matter of his adapting to his new environment... I know that it takes a little bit of time for some Bettas to "settle in" --- and they show their disorientation by their being inactive, not eating, stress stripes, etc.... My friend Paul, (BiloxiBettas.com), advised that if a Betta has been raised in a smaller container or tank, even adapting to the larger quarters takes time for some Bettas... So don't be too worried yet!

I'd also like to caution about over-feeding... Food will muck the water up QUICKLY!!!! Also certain foods seem to create more water mess than others... And from my experience, Bettas love clean water! (Just make sure that you add the water conditioner as mentioned! I've known too many people that don't realize they have to treat the water for Bettas because they see them in those Betta vases, etc.... So they figure regular tap water is fine ----- WRONG!!!!!!

You'll do fine! And you will probably enjoy fish keeping more than you ever thought - especially since you found this site! Plenty of help found here!

To thine own self be true...

not new to fish, just bettas. i am doing a 50% water change about every 2-3 days. i figured he was just setteling in but he sits at the top of the tank almost motion lessl. just had me worried, i hate to lose a fish.

chris

Chris, is the shop/office heated?

The sluggishness could be cold-related.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

i thought it may be related to the cool water. we keep the store pretty cool. not cold but it is cool. mabey that is the problem.


chris

I would say 75 degrees F would be MINIMUM for a Betta. You could probably get away with coooler temp. but I would imagine you'd just run into the same problem with an inactive Betta. Good Luck.

well, i have been feeding him with brine shrimp for the last few days and he is starting to come around. His fins are no longer clamped and he is swimming around more.

My next question is do they make their nest even when not breeding, because i came in today and ther were a bunch of bubbles in one spot the bowl which i am gussing is a nest.


chris

Well he can't breed w/out a female anyways. It just means he is ready to spawn. But also, more importantly, is that it would seem he is comfortable in his new home. Most Bettas, at least in my experience, won't build a bubble nest unless they feel secure in there surroundings and that there is an abundance of food. What you saw sounds like it is a bubble nest, almost looks like suds on the side of the tank. Good luck, hope this helps!

thank you everyone for your help, it was a nice comfort to know i had help if needed.

chris