2 new bettas!

I was at walmart this afternoon picking up the fungus clear and of course I had to look at all the poor fishies. They had at least 100 bettas in the tiny cups... I wish I could have rescued them all! I picked up one that I had to take home with me, a beautiful red and white one. Then I wandered around the store and was drawn back to the bettas again. I found a white one with amazing blue color (or at least it will be once he's not so stressed). I'm dividing my 10 gallon tank for them, then getting a new 10 gallon for my other betta (hes in the 3 gallon Q tank right now). Will it hurt the new 2 to put some of the fungus clear in the 10 gallon? I'm sure they have fin rot. What else should I put in becides stress coat? I've never gotten a betta that wasn't in good health before. (my betta now has finrot but that't the only disease i've dealt with for bettas.)

 

I wish I could help, i've just brought my 3rd Betta home today. First arrived just over 2 weeks ago but sadly died.

Advice to me has been warm water, 80 degrees, water conditioner ( tapsafe for me in UK) stress coat and good food. I have HikarI betta bio gold, daphnia, brine shrimp and peas.

Fin rot meds in uk are different, wish I could get yours. I have to say that the simple thing of warmer water for them has made such a HUGE difference and from what I have read is aids recovery with fin rot.

Sorry I can't help but Good Luck

 

I ordered trisulfa and should get it weds. I had a divider on my 20 gallon, so I'm just gonna cut it down to fit the 10, that way they can be out in the living room instead of stuck in the bedroom. I've got the hikarI betta biogold that my other betta LOVES. I hope these guys make it, I love them already! they are so tiny too, i've never seen them this small at a store.

Here they are! The pictures make their coloring MUCH better than what it really is though. The white/blue one is mostly white with "tie-died" blue and white fins. I'm hoping that with proper care they will show more color. They definitely have fin rot (very clear once they are in the tank). The only problem I'm having is with the divider, it's a little more see-through than I would like, and the red one is constantly flaring up athe the other one (he could care less). Anyone have any ideas on a divider that isn't so see-through?

 

the fungus clear is fairly mild and would be ok to use, but if you're certain of fin rot, Triple Sulfa would be a better treatment for them so i'd wait for it to arrive. (plus it wouldn't dye things blue). Fungus Clear is good but we weren't able to clear Aslan's recurring fin rot until we put him on sulfas.

congrats on the double-rescue.. they're beauties!

 

If you don't already have it you should get some NovAqua+ water conditioner. It's the best one. It not only conditions the water but adds electrolytes, slime coat replacer, echinachea (for building the immune system) and vitamins. It's especially good for stressed or sick fish. Also, if the tank isn't cycled yet, some AmQuel+ to detoxify the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

The Bettas are beautiful! The blue and white one looks a lot like Frasier. Give them 2 weeks and they will color up even better. Have a look at the before and afters of my two little guys.

 

I'll have to add the water conditioner to my list. The tank is cycled, so luckily I don't have to worry about any of that.

Should I be worried at all that they are flaring up at each other through the divider? Is this going to stress them? Its a penn plax clear divider with a ton of little holes in it. Also, the side of the tank with the filter has a lot of water movement, while the other side doesn't, is this a problem?

 

they should get used to each other and stop flaring so much, but if you can put more plants or decor around the divider to make it harder for them to stare each other down so much, that could help.

I think the water is still getting moved around although it is lesser on the far side. it shouldn't be a problem. we've got a platy tank setup like that now and it's doing fine.

 

Will it help if I put an airstone in the side without the filter, or won't it matter since it's a betta?

They are really loving their new home. The red/white one is still shy about swimming around, but the blue/white one just swims and swims, enjoying his freedom!

If anyone has suggestions for names...my daughter wants them all to be "Betta" but I think they need different names ;D

 

I think that's a good idea to put the airstone on the other side.. help keep the water surface moving.. if it becomes a problem for feeding, then you could put the airstone under the filter.. the red/white one will come around i'm sure.. they all are different so you'll find the personality that each has coming out as they get comfy in their new home. and if they're have as cute as your little girl, you'll love them!

red fish, blue fish.. does your little girl like any other names? maybe from a tv show she's into?

 

Well I ended up moving Betta back into the divided 10 gallon so he can move around a little better. Since the red and white one is so little, I moved him into the 2 gallon. He seems a lot less shy in there. I think he'll do fine in there until I get a chance to get either a 5 gallon or another 10 gallon. Betta seems so BIG compared to the other 2! As soon as I put him in the 10 gallon, he swam over to the divider and looked at the blue one, then spun around and proceeded to flare up at everything but the other betta! (the filter, the plants, the gravel, everything!)

As for names, I haven't thought of any yet. My daughter says that they don't want new names. They just wanna be new bettas. Maybe I can convince her to name them one of these days!

How far does the divider need to be above the water? Can they jump over it or am I just being paranoid?

 

They can jump over it if there is any space for them to slip through. The divider has to be completely flush with the lid of your tank. I found the glass canopy works better than the plastic hood because it fits more snug. With the hood the part by the feeding door will always be a little above the divider and therefore a risk if one of them finds a way to get through.

 

Looks like I'll have to make the divider higher. It comes up to the top of the tank, but not to the hood. What about getting one of those wire tops for the tanks (which the divider would come up to) then putting the hood on top of that?

Also, do bettas mind if there is a ton of plants? I'm trying to put as many as I can by the divider so they can't see each other as well. I just didn't want to upset them by putting in too many.

 

Bettas and all fish love plants.
I don't think a wire top would be suitable because the humidity of the tank would make the wire rust and rust is poisonous to fish. You would need a glass or thick plexiglass top.

 

If I put a plexiglass top on it, would I still put the hood on so they had lights? Wouldn't the lights melt the plexiglass?

Just thought I'd update with some new pictures.
The blue/white one has been named Papa Smurf! (haha can you tell I grew up in the 80s?) caught him making a bubble nest already. Must mean he likes his new home?
The white/red one is named Strawberry Shortcake (that was my daughter's choice). He's still shy but doing a lot better in the smaller/heavily planted tank. The only thing I'm worried about is the little white spot on his side (you can see it in the picture) Is this anything I should be worried about? I'm treating them all for fin-rot will the meds take care of it?
And then I didn't want Betta to feel left out so I included a picture of him playing in the filter current.

For some reason the camera made the water look really yellow... it's really not I promise!

 

one thing you can do as far as dividing the tank goes would be to not fill the tank all the way.. maybe up to a few inches below the top of the divider?

congrats on naming them! :;ps and strawberry shortcake.. I don't know what those have to do with the 80s.. :;a

 

Well my daughter is obsessed with strawberry shortcake (the doll/cartoon) so I figured I might as well go along the lines of the cartoon theme.

I actually did leave the water down a ways when I did a water change yesterday. I also re-arranged the plants and put Bettas big sword plant in (he likes to sleep on it) so they are getting used to seeing each other. They are doing very well. I'm picking up a new 10 gallon tonight, and I have the option of getting another one this weekend (for $10 but it doesn't have a filter). I've decided to get rid of my 29 gallon and just have the smaller 10s instead, they fit in places better and I can have more bettas in them! = )

 

lol.. yea, we think around how to fit more bettas in, but need more big tanks now for breeding purposes and any freebies we get like the 30 gallon tall are fine with us.

 

Update: "Papa Smurf" has been renamed Scuba! It fits him So much better! He's doing great! He thinks hes a tough guy, but he's so tiny compared to Betta!
and "Strawberry" has been renamed Gary (like spongebob's snail). Their names just didn't fit before, now they match their attitudes better! Gary is really little still, but he's doing great in his 2 gallon. I plan on getting him into either a 5 gallon or divided 10 gallon in the next month or so.
The new additions to our betta family are doing great! Their fin rot is getting a lot better too!

 

lol.. well be sure to run the name changes thru social security so they can get updated cards. glad to hear how they're doing.

 

Wow, those are some beautiful fish.....congrats on the new little family members ;D

 

Wow, those are some beautiful fish.....congrats on the new little family members ;D

Thanks! They are looking a thousand times better than when I brought them home!

 

I almost came home tonight with new bettas. I was at walmart and they had very good looking ones! They were TINY, their bodies were about 1/2 long or so. And VERY long fins. If I would have had my checkbook instead of just cash I would have bought a few along with a new tank!!

They also had 2 females, and I have a question about them.... Do their fins stay short or do they get a little longer? (their back "tail" fin was about the size of a female guppy, really small...) Also, would they be happier in a divided tank with a male buddy on the other side or with a female on the other side? (I'm not planning on breeding at all).

 

The females do get larger fins, especially the analfin but not like the males and their color changes drastically as they get older. (they get more vibrant color) I find it's best to have two females in a divided 10 gallon rather than male/female mainly because having a male in the same tank can get her producing eggs and increasing the risk of egg-binding and the male gets a little stressed and starts frantically building a nest. Even having them within sight of one another can trigger this! When I had Dax next to Nile's tank he started building HUGE bubble nests and hasn't stopped since. He still keeps staring at the spot where she was and looking for her.
My females together in the divided are really adorable in how they play together and "talk" to each other through the divider. They have become best buddies and without the stress of being driven to spawn.

 

Ok thanks for the info! And I shouldn't keep the females together, correct?
Do the females have the same various colors as males? The ones I saw were all the same brownish color with reddish fins. (sorry again for all the questions but I've never seen any females at the store before and now i'm interested!

 

Don't ever keep females together except in a divided tank with one on each side. I've tried and and so have others here and it never turned out well. I was lucky to get mine separated before any of them were killed. They got along great for 5 days and then all **** broke loose!

Females come in many different colors and the really young ones you see in the stores have not developed their full color yet usually. Those females are usually about 6-8 weeks old and their adult color starts to develop at about 3 months. Females also pale out and get horizontal stress stripes in the cup which disappears once they are home in a nice tank. They have a remarkable color changing ability even more so than the males!

 

Ok thanks for all the awesome tips! I'm planning on getting a new 10 gallon tank (or 2!) next month so I'll have to find couple little girls for it! = )

 

you'll love the female bettas. they're my favorite.

 

you'll love the female bettas. they're my favorite.

I am new to Bettas but I think I am with dave on this, I adore my little girl ( was inspired to go for a female coz of his and stacy's Angel and Sweetie)

I experienced her first sulk the other night too, I put my fingertip in for her night time kiss and she head butted it out of the way and turned flicked her tail splashing water out at me, swam off and hid in the cave!! All because I left the room for an hour!!

 

you'll love the female bettas. they're my favorite.

I am new to Bettas but I think I am with dave on this, I adore my little girl ( was inspired to go for a female coz of his and stacy's Angel and Sweetie)

I experienced her first sulk the other night too, I put my fingertip in for her night time kiss and she head butted it out of the way and turned flicked her tail splashing water out at me, swam off and hid in the cave!! All because I left the room for an hour!!

Geez, how DARE you leave the room?

 

When I ventured near the fish area at Walmart on Friday, I had in the back of my mind that if I became a victI'm of the betta bug while there, I would get two females. I mentioned on a previous post, they were the smallest things I have ever seen, but there were two yellow girls. Unfortunately, the tank was under quarantine and being medicated. Soooooooooo this is how Tiny King came to own me.

Well I went in there today, to buy a thermometer for his tank..........those tanks are still under quarantine, there are no yellow girls and only two little females that I could find. This tells me they probably died over the weekend., cause I am sure they didn't sell that many.

They were keeping them in a community tank, and if I had bought them I would have also. Yikes..........thanks for saying they can't stay together Phlox...or I would have had heartache on my hands.

Good luck with your babies Mlinden!!! Val

 

you'll love the female bettas. they're my favorite.

I am new to Bettas but I think I am with dave on this, I adore my little girl ( was inspired to go for a female coz of his and stacy's Angel and Sweetie)

I experienced her first sulk the other night too, I put my fingertip in for her night time kiss and she head butted it out of the way and turned flicked her tail splashing water out at me, swam off and hid in the cave!! All because I left the room for an hour!!

lol.. she's a fiesty one! you really picked yourself a little ball of personality.

 

didn't I just!!

 

Congrats on your new adoptions! I love Papa Smurf!

 

They are beautiful!!! Miley

 

Thanks! "papa smurf" was actually changed to Scuba. He's started to turn a little yellow with the blue fins. I woke up this morning to see that his tail had split in like 5 places! Poor guy. So now he's in with Betta getting treated for fin/tail rot. But other than that my new bettas are doing good!

 

That blasted finrot!

 

That blasted finrot!

yea, the finrot keeps us stocking triple sulfa, rid fungus and vita chem.

 

yeah it's very discouraging. How long does everyone leave them on it? Betta has been on it for about 6 days and he's looking better, but I've read some posts here saying not to take them off too early or they'll get it worse. Should I keep him on it or move Scuba into the other 10 gallon by himself to treat him?

 

With any antibiotic you should always treat for at least 10 days. I don't know why the meds manufacturers tell you different. I guess they just want your fish to get sick again so they can sell more meds... Ask any human doctor and they will tell you treating for less than that is not only pointless but dangerous because it creates super bugs that are immune to the effects of the antibiotic.
If the fish still shows no improvement after 10 days switch meds because not all bacteria are suseptible to every med.

 

ok thanks for the info!
As I was feeding them just now I noticed that Strawberry's tail had split all the way to his body. So it looks like I'll have to treat both tanks. Good thing I bought a big bottle of triple sulfa online instead of just the the small one. Looks like I'll be needing it and possibly more.

I've also got another question. Lets say i'm dosing a smaller tank (say 2 gallons). I mix 10 tablespoons of tank water with the powder to disolve it, and add 2 tablespoons to the tank so the dosage is correct. Can I use the "leftover" 8 tablespoons the next day to treat? Or does it go bad?