I don't have a PH kit yet. The first fish I had, I had for almost a year. After he died, I bought another one that was electrocuted by my brother 15 days later when he cut the power to my room.

Today I bought 2 more Bettas. The first one I had was doing great before he died, and he didn't seem to have any problems with the water that he was in.

I want to make sure that I can keep these two alive. I really like them a lot. I wan tto make sure that they don't die. I made up the water today, I used tap with the water purifier that you put in there to balance the stuff in it. I made sure that the water was the right temperature and set them each free in their individual new tanks. (I bought a new tank for the second Betta)

So anyway, Until I get the kit to test the water, I want to make sure that they are fed properly and have the right water balance.

It would really be great if I could get a few tips from fish owners so that I can take the best care of my fish possible.

All your help will be greatly appreciated. :)

Betas actually need to be in a heated tank with a filter. They CAN survive with no filter or heater, but what a miserable existence to always be cold and live in your own filth.

You can always take your water sample into a pet store to have it tested. Water Testing kits are expensive. $20-$50 depending on what you all need and get.

Good for bettas are bloodworms. Helps with their colors and if they do get into a fight, helps with quick recovery. You can always use the blood worms as a treat and feed the Netta food for the main diet. Doesn't really matter.

If you do have water problems. Some select pet stores carry "beta water". Its packed with minerals and electrolytes to help your beta live a better life.

I have a heater, but no filter, I clean it every 14 days.

I have tetra Betta food, they're the pellets. I was also thinking about getitng it brine shrimp or bloodworms. I need to get them soon.

I don't mind spending $20 to $25 on a water tester. But I do have the water purifier.

Are you floating the bag with the fish in the water for about 15 minutes before letting them go in the tank? This is an important process as it helps the fish to adjust to your particular water temp.

I made sure that the temperature was the same when I made the water, and I put some of the old water in with the new so they adapted quicker.
They're swimming around just fine right now. They even ate a little. I only put one pellet in each tank just so they know they have the option to eat. I wanted them to adapt more before eating more.

They still should be "floated." Even one degree difference can kill a sensitive fish. I have piranhas and even have to "float" my feeder fish before I release them.

They still should be "floated." Even one degree difference can kill a sensitive fish. I have piranhas and even have to "float" my feeder fish before I release them.

I'll remember to do that next time I change the water. :)

You don't need to do it when you change the water... just when you buy the fish. Float the bag that you bring home in the water for about 15 minutes.

Well, yours is doing fine now, but remember this if there is a "next time."

I certainly hope that there isn't a next time for a LONG time.

Ooooh yes, you MUST float them!
I do it for 30 minutes just to be safe, if you just put the fish in they will go into shock.

And you need to get that test kit PRONTO!
When we started up our old tank and put the new water in it was very very very alkaline.

Even with my feeder fish I use stress coat whenever I change the water. Make sure you have that as well.

What is stress coat?

The PH test kit with chemicals is a must have.

A filter should be next on your list.

I have one filter, but I didn't know how to set it up so I'm keeping it in the box until someone can help me. The instructions made no sense for me.

The PH test kit will come when my next pay check comes, just so I can make sure I have a decent amount of money before I spend more.

The first one, the black one with the white front fins, is Obsidian
The silver one with the red fron fins is Avery

Edit: it took me a bajillion shots to get ones as good as these. They kept moving or it would be all grainy.

I still don't think you need a test kit. Betta fish are extremely tough. You don't want to micro manage their water either. I know of several people who can't adjust the nitrate levels in their tanks because the fish are actually use to it being at a dangerous level. And remember... only 15% water changes every week for 3 weeks and then a 50% water change at the 4th week. Never take your fish out. Keep them in the tank.

If you want to ensure a healthy, happy fish then add a little bit of salt (fresh water salt, you can buy it at the pets store) to their water. It helps relieve stress if they are and gives them a little bit extra for their general health.

Brine shrimp aren't as packed with protein like the blood worms. Blood worms are key!

Shaz... Float a fish for 30 minutes? Wow... We didn't even go that long at the pet stores! 15 minutes top. Those air bags aren't guaranteed a 5 hr life span, especially if they're not filled with pure oxygen

My fish came in a plastic container, not in a bag.

Well then I don't suppose you need to float your fish.

But like I said, Bettas are tough. It takes a lot to kill them

Good luck!

Is your filter a typical box filled with charcoal and wool at the top connected to an air pump?

Undergravel?

Outside tank?

Is your filter a typical box filled with charcoal and wool at the top connected to an air pump?

Undergravel?

Outside tank?

It's like this, but it didn't come with the plant. :(
The box WAS opened when I got it. .
Anyway, I didn't understand the set up, so I didn't use it.

PETCO 1 Gallon Corner Aquarium Kit at PETCO (http://www.petco.com/product/104215/PETCO-1-Gallon-Corner-Aquarium-Kit.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_Tanks)

Geez you guys are making this way too complicated for a betta fish. They need nothing fancy.

I worked at a pet store for 5 years. People who started messing with their water always came into problems.

Set your filter up. Change the water on a weekly basis and change the filter probably every 6 months. Bettas are NOT dirty. They are easy fish to take care of. They are what I call a "gate-way fish" to other fish tank set ups.

When and if you upgrade to a bigger tank with other fish, THEN start messing with the water. PH levels should be fussed over if you own discus or angelfish. BETTAS ARE HARDY FISH. A lot of people buy them to help establish good bacteria in a brand new tank.

PLUS, you should have your water tested first to see if you even NEED to start messing with water chemicals.

People kill their fish all the time because they think something is wrong with their water. Let the tank cycle. It takes about 4 weeks for it to cycle. You really need to do water changes right now and adding your dechlorinator. Almost every single brand of dechlorinator already has a stress coat in it. The more crap you add to your tank the more likely your fish will get stressed out and die. If you want the best dechlorinator out there, then get PRIME by Seachem. Its expensive, but it has a lot of good properties in it INCLUDING an ammonia reducer and live bacteria.

Get your water tested FIRST before you start buying PH kits and messing with chemicals. You'll be happier with a less high-maintenance tank. Once you adjust your PH, you have to stick with it and CONSTANTLY check the levels. You might as well be doing salt water if your going to be THIS finicky.

Shaz... Float a fish for 30 mins?? Wow... We didn't even go that long at the pet stores! 15 mins top. Those air bags aren't garanteed a 5 hr life span, especially if they're not filled with pure oxygen

5 hours?
I only live 5 minutes from the pet store. And all stores here fill the bags with oxygen anyway ;)
I open the bags and put top tops around a ring that clips onto the side of the tank. That way I can gradually add my tank water in over that period of half an hour.
Then again we were dealing with fish worth $300 each.


He's very pretty ohso :)

Geez you guys are making this way too complicated for a betta fish. They need nothing fancy.

I worked at a pet store for 5 years. People who started messing with their water always came into problems.

.

And that ladies and gentlemen is why you see so many dead fish in pet store tanks
Bettas are hardy fish but why not take precautions to make sure they stay healthy.

My fish was doing just fine on the dechlorinator, and I don't want to start messing with unnecessary things. I just want them to be alive.

My basic care

I feed the fish 3-4 pellets a day

When I change the water I make sure it's the same temperature as the previous water.

I don't use my filter, I just clean it out and start with mostly new water, I add some of the old stuff back in with dechlorinater.

I usually just keep a gallon with dechlorinater already preped for the next water refreshing so that it's already at room temperature and the dechlorinater has had time to do what it needs to.

If it gets too foggy, I just change it all out and clean the small mess from the bottom and put them back home.

My other fish were fine with this, they were very content with the new water I put in.
(until I made the water a bit too warm and my first fish died. The second fish was electrocuted because my brother turned out the power to my room and somehow the light bulb heater fried the little guy.)

He's very pretty ohso :)

Don't you mean both of them? :)

Pet stores have dead fish in their tanks because of the transport and the constant net chasing them around.

Bettas survive and have adapted to the crapiest water in the wild... which is why they can breath from the surface. They do not need PH balancers. Not many fish do. They can adapt.

I currently have a 8 year old oscar and pleco that are surviving fine and I do nothing to the water. And he is in full color. Not many oscars are very pretty.

But... its not my fish. So screw with the water.. Now I'm annoyed :)

Pet stores have dead fish in their tanks because of the transport and the constant net chasing them around.

Bettas survive and have adapted to the crapiest water in the wild... which is why they can breath from the surface. They do not need PH balancers. Not many fish do. They can adapt.

I currently have a 8 year old oscar and pleco that are surviving fine and I do nothing to the water. And he is in full color. Not many oscars are very pretty.

But... its not my fish. So go ahead and screw with the water.. Now i'm annoyed :)

I said I usually don't screw with the water.
I just add the dechlorinater and make sure it's room temp, and make sure that when I change it I leave some.
I don't want my fish to die. .
Were you talking to me or Shaz?

Shaz

Then again we were dealing with fish worth $300 each.

I'm guessing you deal with salt water. They are completely different from a fresh water betta fish. You do not do the same things. They are similar, but not the same. Completely different protocols and yes, salties need their water to be fussed with.

No, fresh water fish... not salt.

Discus, we used to breed them.

We recently had an idiot cousin come to visit and poured an entire container of fish food in our goldfish tank, it made the water acidic and killed them.

Same with when we started the tank up, it was too alkaline, if we put fish in that water it would have killed them.

Don't you mean both of them? :)

Yes both! Oops! :D

Shaz

Then again we were dealing with fish worth $300 each.

I'm guessing you deal with salt water. They are completely different from a fresh water betta fish. You do not do the same things. They are similar, but not the same. Completely different protocols and yes, salties need their water to be fussed with.

Ohh okie doke.

Yeah I don't want to mess with it too much.
I just want to make sure that there's not a lot of stuff in there that will make them sick and that they can adapt well. Also that they're fed properly.
I got them both just today and they're swimming around energetically, loving the space.
They each ate their one pellet. I didn't want to overdo it since they just got to the tank, but they seemed to settle in pretty nicely.

I couldnt' choose between the two of them, so I bought an extra tank and rocks to go with the other one. :rolleyes:

Well... then once again. Discus are completely different from a betta fish. Bettas do not require the same kind of attention I guess.

I had a friend who had discus. She finally got rid of them because their care was too demanding.

And Ohsohappy. It sounds like your fish died from a human reason, not because the water is wrong. Like I said before, I think twice now, Get the water tested first before you start adding things to it.

Well ... then once again. Discus are completely different from a betta fish. Bettas do not require the same kind of attention I guess.

I had a friend who had discus. She finally got rid of them because their care was too demanding.

And Ohsohappy. It sounds like your fish died from a human reason, not because the water is wrong. Like I said before, I think twice now, Get the water tested first before you start adding things to it.

A human reason?
Like I fed it wrong or something?
The first time I made the water too warm, I'd had it for months, but I changed the temperature too rapidly when I switched the water and he started gulping on it's side at the top of the water and then it just sunk and died. I watched it happen and I tried to help it but I couldn't
The second fish was fine until my brother turned out the circuit to my room, then the poor little guy got electrocuted.

I think love a bull means there wasn't anything wrong with the actual water it was just something that happened when a) the temp changed and b) your brother electrocuted it.

I think luv a bull means there wasn't anything wrong with the actual water it was just something that happened when a) the temp changed and b) your brother electrocuted it.

That's what I thought. I just wan't sure.

Well ... then once again. Discus are completely different from a betta fish. Bettas do not require the same kind of attention I guess.

I had a friend who had discus. She finally got rid of them because their care was too demanding.


They aren't very demanding, we just had to keep an eye on the ph levels and do regular water changes, not hard at all.

Discus are pretty hardy fish as well, but that doesn't mean we didn't want everything to be perfect to keep them in top health and breeding regularly.

Just an FYI, I'm not breeding them, just enjoying their beauty. :)

This is the fishie that got electrocuted.
If it doesn't take you directly to page 93, that's where the picture is at.

At least I'm pretty sure it got electrocuted, I'm just not sure how it happened.

He was swimming around happy and blowing bubble nests before it happened.

If it looks like something else, let me know, butI can't think of anything else it could be because of the simple fact that he did not have that mark or anything until after he shut off the power to my room.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/active-members/peeves-posts-idiots-trolls-408721-93.html

Oh yeah I know that ohso, just making a point that our fish were breeding because we looked after them and kept everything in optimum condition.
Discus are notoriously hard to breed ;)

I personally use the stress zymes and ph kits and all that jazz, love a bull obviously does not, just 2 different opinions.

Check out the link really quick please?

I'm not sure what mark you mean (can't really see in the pic) but odds are it was to do with the power being cut off :(

The heater must have just shorted out :(

I'm not sure what mark you mean (can't really see in the pic) but odds are it was to do with the power being cut off :(

The heater must have just shorted out :(

The giant brown spot that covers most of his body, he was blue.

Oh! I thought that was just his coloring :(

Nope poor critter was distroyed. :(

I think my fish Avery might have Ick. He's got tiny little white spots on his face. Obsidian looks fine though. I'm not sure if it actually IS ick, but just in case, I ordered Ick treatment online. It will be here I hope by Monday, I hope he will be okay until then. It doesn't look too bad. I think I got him with it. Anyway, As soon as I get the stuff I will treat him as directed and see if it clears up.