Purpl3Gemini

betta-adventures:

A couple of things I feel like people should consider before owning a Betta

I feel like several people have heard that they are easy fish to take care of that are lazy and don’t need much attention. Often times when going to the pet store you see mini cubes and half gallon tanks of all shapes and designs advertised by the betta fish. This often leads to the misconception that bettas can live in small tanks. Here’s the thing, yes they can SURVIVE in small tanks but they’re not really LIVING. Think of it this way, just like we humans can SURVIVE under hard conditions (such as small home, living pay check to pay check, ramen diet, etc.) we aren’t really LIVING. It’s not good for us and we can’t enjoy ourselves to our full potential. This is what a tiny tank does for a betta. So rule number 1:

A happy healthy betta doesn’t like to live in small tanks. They like tanks at least 2.5 gallons (about 3.79 L) big. 

Betta fish are tropical fish which means they like it warm. Cold temperature make them lethargic and stress them out. It lowers their immune system making them more prone to illness. That’s why when you see them at the store they don’t move much and they appear “boring”. But I can guarantee once you put them in nice tank with warm water they will perk up and their true colors will show! So a heater is probably good to invest in. In fact it’s necessary. Rule number 2:

Bettas should be housed in temperature between 76 - 82 degrees Fahrenheit

I’ll be honest, I feel like filters aren’t necessary as long as you do your water changes right. Bettas don’t generally like strong currents and prefer still waters. But if you’re one of the types to forget water changes or have a busy life schedule, investing in one is not a bad idea and if you do have a filter you could baffle it if the current is too strong. Also, bigger tanks should have filters because that’s a lot of water that should circulate. I have two ten gallon tanks set up both with filters. I do at least 25% every two weeks and their water stays pretty clear. I also have another tank that houses my blue Double tail Halfmoon that doesn’t have a filter that I change 50% every week or you could do 25% every three days. Seems to work for me, their tank water stays clear.  But we’ll talk about water changes next time. Rule numero tres:

Filters aren’t necessary for smaller tanks as long as you keep up with your water changes and keep them clean. For bigger tanks, filters are highly recommended especially with busy life schedule. 

I’ll quickly cover food now and have a separate post on it later. Bettas are CARNIVORES! It’s in all caps because I wanted to be dramatic. When buying their food make sure it’s meaty and ALWAYS buy pellets. Flakes are more likely to cause complications (get more into that later). Frozen foods are good too and they give them the most nutrition but make sure they have a variety of foods. No one likes the same thing everyday. Rule number 4:

ALWAYS buy pellets NOT flakes. Make sure it’s nice and meaty because they love that stuff! Silly Carnivores. 

Bettas like to hide believe it or not. I know a lot of us see them as mean fighting fish but they really do like to hide. Especially when you first get them. Always allow hiding places for your bettas. It makes them feel safe in their new home and they feel like they own a territory. But be careful when buying decoration, you don’t want rough surfaces or they could tear their fins on them. Rule number 5:

Give your new Betta some hiding places!

For now I can’t think of anything else to add but I’m sure I’ll think of something later. Bettas are really intelligent fish and very curious. They are far from boring if they are taken care of properly. Take some time everyday to watch your betta and observe their behavior they’re fun to watch. Once you have a better understanding in their behavior, you will be able to notice illnesses better because their behavior will change to something more “not perky”. Anyway, I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions or want me to add anything just let me know!

Side Note: The picture I used is a before and after picture of sweetie only one day apart. I put her in a hospital tank when we got her to treat her for her torn fins. She was pale when we got her and her fins were barely red but the next day she regained some color and now she’s playing with the other girls bright and beautiful. It’s amazing what one can do for a fish.

youregettingshitforchristmas:

A post on how to (and how I) transport my fish home. I have 4 fish and a shrimp, so I use a bucket to hold everyone safe and secure.

It’s going home season for many college peeps, so use this post about general how-to on moving bettas, as well as this post on smaller-scale transport methods. 

Click the pics to enlarge and read the captions (in order)for info. Hope it helps.

<3 

(starting with 1):

-Get your stuff: sleeve cut-outs, cups, lids, and fish towels. Use a big enough container, like a bucket or box.
- I use sleeves from the “fish shirts” (old crappy tees) that i use to mop up water. They fit well and keep the fish from seeing each other and keep it dark.

-…I have a lot of fish ok dont judge

-Take (preferably) a shirt and open it wide. Put it around the box,bucket, etc. This keeps it dark, absorbs water, and makes things move around less. 

-Put them in! Be careful; anything that’s precarious or could knock the lid off should be avoided. Make sure everyone would be safe!!

- Put a second fish thing over the top of the cups. Fill in voids that could have things roll around and move too much. This keeps it warm, dark and safe.

- Fold over the excess from the bucket, etc. for more security, darkness, and warmth. Now you have a fish burrito perfect for traveling!!

Edit: Links are fixed.
 

(Source: pooperscoopin)