8 replies to this topic

[azzashadowslayer]

my friend had a 20 gallon tank that he doesn't want.... so guess who convinced his parents to let him get a betta.....

 

I know they don't need that much space but I really want a betta haha... I'll just have to keep an eye on swimming and feed near him

 

they'll most likely be a long finned male since I'll be rescuing

 

I really want to do a blackwater walstad style tank because they're so pretty!!

 

how much and how often should I feed them?

 

I've heard that frozen food is good, is that an every time thing or mixed with pellets?

 

what are some good beginner plants?

 

good snail species?

 

are there any kinds of shrimp they won't eat that I could add?

 

any cool aquascape examples? (because I have no ideas at all and no creativity haha)

 

and of course any general betta tips would be awesome!!!

 

it's going to be months before I get the betta (likely summer by the time I've bought everything, cycled the tank, and found a betta) but I'M LITERALLY SO EXCITED I CAN'T WAIT AKJFHAJFHAKHF

 

(also since I'm starting from the highest point I possibly can hopefully I can convince my sister to at least do water changes for her tank... poor thing)

[Kikya]

I'm not a fish person but congratulations! I don't have any good advice unfortunately but it's exciting to get a new pet!

[Robin~]

Congrats on the (eventual) new addition! A 20g sounds awesome for a betta.

I’m not experienced myself with Walstad nor blackwater tanks, and from my understanding they aren’t 100% beginner friendly due to how much work and constant testing they require, but if it something you’re interested in I’d check out Fishlore.

For food, limit to 2 feedings per day with 2-3 pieces of food per feeding. Bettas are very prone to overeating and getting bloated. Pellets should make up the majority of the diet but every 3-4 feedings you can do frozen instead. Some common frozen foods include blood worms (1-2 per feeding), brine shrimp (same as pellets), and daphnia (a drop or two when the cube is slightly melted). The general rule of thumb is to not feed more than the size of your betta’s eye.

Good beginner plants include anubias, java ferns, java moss, and moss balls. Hornwort was also a very easy grower for me but I’m not sure how common it is to buy if you don’t live near a fish-oriented pet store.

Nerites are the most common type of snail, but there are others out there like assassins. “Apple snails” are also common, but just make sure you aren’t getting actual apple snails. The real ones can grow to, well, the size of an apple, although they are usually mislabeled mystery snails.

For shrimp, anything large enough for them to not eat them is usually fine. Ghost shrimp and red cherry shrimp are the most common.

My tank is kind of a mess so I’ll just suggest Fishlore again instead xD They have a whole thread of aquascaping ideas!

For general advice, I’d say just in general not cheaping out on materials is well worth it. For example, the heater I have now was on the more expensive size (I think closer to $30?) and I’ve only had to replace it once in the ~3-4 years I’ve been keeping fish. That, and just research things before you buy them so you know they work. Especially when it comes to chemicals there’s a lot of stuff out there that is either harmful or does nothing.

I hope that helps a bit! Like I said, check out Fishlore for more info, they have a ton of great info and experienced fish keepers on there.

[Guardian]

Congrats on the betta!

 

The 20 gallon tank sounds amazing for the betta. 

 

I usually feed 3-6 pellets, every other day. I like the nerite snails, but I wouldn't get two of them, since last time I got one, they layed eggs all over the tank.

 

Bettas are pretty smart, and usually get bored. I have a ping pong ball (that I rinsed in hot water) and I put it in sometimes. I also have a homemade hoop, and I've taught my betta how to go through it.

[hotglue01]

Congratulations!

 

Great posts here. We have a beta as well and are blown away by how smart and sweet he is. They are so intelligent and have wonderful, unique personalities!

 

We do mirror play with our Lonnie— not so much as to stress him out, but just a few minutes a day to make sure he stays entertained. But if you have lots of plants and caves he should be happy!

 

Java ferns are great! We also got some lily bulbs… one rotted in the bottom of the tank, but the other one bloomed nicely into beautiful stalks and leaves that he now builds bubble nests under Does your betta baby have some nice leaves or a hammock to rest his fins on? This is important!

[Lightning~]

how much and how often should I feed them? I feed my fish 2 times a day, but then skip Sunday.

 

I've heard that frozen food is good, is that an every time thing or mixed with pellets? flakes and frozen are probably the best. A betta doesn't need a whole cube of frozen food, so probably a quater of a frozen food cube a day is good.

 

what are some good beginner plants? Hornwart (it gets M.E.S.S.Y), uhhh... Java fern (but they get big), anything with big leaves are usaly hardy and really good for bettas

 

good snail species? omg i love this question (snails are the best. if you have and aquatic-snail-related questions you can ask me (: )

I've found mystery/apple snails to be thee most hardy, but they poop most, and are fairly large for a snail, and lay eggs most. Assasin snails will eat snail eggs, so if you don't want any snail eggs, you could get a few mystery snails and maybe a single assasin snail.

 

are there any kinds of shrimp they won't eat that I could add? Most shrimp will actually be fine if your tank is planted enough

 

any cool aquascape examples? (because I have no ideas at all and no creativity haha) https://www.youtube.com/c/AquariumInfo

[hotglue01]

 

how much and how often should I feed them? I feed my fish 2 times a day, but then skip Sunday.

 

I've heard that frozen food is good, is that an every time thing or mixed with pellets? flakes and frozen are probably the best. A betta doesn't need a whole cube of frozen food, so probably a quater of a frozen food cube a day is good.

 

what are some good beginner plants? Hornwart (it gets M.E.S.S.Y), uhhh... Java fern (but they get big), anything with big leaves are usaly hardy and really good for bettas

 

good snail species? omg i love this question (snails are the best. if you have and aquatic-snail-related questions you can ask me (: )

I've found mystery/apple snails to be thee most hardy, but they poop most, and are fairly large for a snail, and lay eggs most. Assasin snails will eat snail eggs, so if you don't want any snail eggs, you could get a few mystery snails and maybe a single assasin snail.

 

are there any kinds of shrimp they won't eat that I could add? Most shrimp will actually be fine if your tank is planted enough

 

any cool aquascape examples? (because I have no ideas at all and no creativity haha) https://www.youtube.com/c/AquariumInfo

 

I think feeding twice a day is fine, but I'm not sure why you would skip Sunday! Betta fish can bloat, but that's only if you're really overfeeding them.

We use a variety of foods, including pellets made in Japan called BioGold that our Lonnie LOVES, and some flakes by Tetra. We also got him Bug Bites flakes which are kind of fancy, but he doesn't really like them. Last, we also feed him blood worms as a treat. I don't really do much with frozen food...

Java Ferns are great, as is bamboo! Lily bulbs are good, too. We also got these "betta tank cleaning plants" that look kind of like bamboo stalks that are nice, and which he rests on

WAIT I JUST REALIZED I"M REPLYING TO THE SAME QUESTION SOMEONE REPLIED TO! LOL! I'll just leave this here

[Lightning~]

I think feeding twice a day is fine, but I'm not sure why you would skip Sunday! Betta fish can bloat, but that's only if you're really overfeeding them.

Well, i mean, in the wild they wouldn't  get food every. single. day.

 

Fish are more likely to die from over-feeding thank under-feeding (they rarely starve to death, i mean, i would go weeks without feeding my bettas when i was seven and they lived)

WAIT I JUST REALIZED I"M REPLYING TO THE SAME QUESTION SOMEONE REPLIED TO! LOL! I'll just leave this here

Don't worry, it's cool

[AliceIII]

If you want to buy a betta fish, you actually need an aquarium heater.
Bettas need have a heater to keep them warm because they are often kept in tropical settings all year. Bettas are more cold resistant than other tropical fish because they reside in small canals and ponds where temperatures can fluctuate fast. However, prolonged cold spells are extremely harmful to their health in the long run.
Warm temperatures help them keep a healthy appetite. If your Betta isn't eating, one of the most common explanations is that it's too chilly outside.
Bettas, like other fish, are ectothermic. This implies that they rely on their surroundings to control their metabolisms.
When things are warm, their cells effectively handle food and waste, and your Betta will develop appropriately. However, when it becomes cold, all of this cellular machinery slows down significantly.