Buying a Betta Question

I may be buying a male betta to go along with my 3 Emerald Cory's. When I go to various pet shops, they look terrible in their little containers. I will try to pick one up from a local breeder, but if I did go the pet shop route, besides torn or clamped fins, how do I pick a good one? I may just wind up not getting the beta, and rearrange my three tanks with the multi's in the 10, most of the others in the 20H, and the pleco and neons (until tubbin' time) in the 29 with some docile mbuna. Plans for the 75 set up are on hold for a while.

 

When you set the cup next to another does it flare? Color? torn fins? swimming well?
I love my females, and some of them get rather pretty fins also.
Carol

 

I would follow Butterfly's advice. If they don't have the energy or fight left to flare, they are probably too sick to last long. Also they are probably pretty aged at the pet store. If you go the the breeder you can specify a young betta. I get mine no older than 4 months so I am sure that barring disease which I can watch and control, I may have another 2-3 years of good betta or more if I am lucky. I do love my males, but I have totally fallen in love with my new little female. She is a darling and 2 months old. She will eat out of my hands and totally knows me by now. I can tell she is going to be a real sweetheart where the males are more aloof. It totally depends on what you want in a little one.

Rose

 

The ladies are the real betta experts, but to share my own experience, the one I picked had a nice looking colour, seemed alert and responsive, and had nice looking fins. You can always get one from a breeder but mine is doing well.

Also, check out the thread I stared called "Territorial Betta". He could still respond with hostility to the corys at first and have to get used to them.

 

Any pictures of a female Beta with longer fins? Would a female be less aggressive?
Thanks, Glenn

 

Females are not usually nearly as fancy as the males, but they can have just as pretty coloring. They don't seem to be as aggressive as the males, but there are always exceptions. My experience with the females is that they are much more active than the males at least in a community tank setting.

 

Females do not have the long flowing fins that the males do, but the crowntails do have the little spread out tails that look like Marty's did when he was little and not fully finned. They just don't grow any longer. There fins on their back and tummy stay shorter and never get flowing. I would try to photograph Misty but her fins are cellophane and hard to see and she is such a tiny thing it is not fair to use her as an example of how beautiful a full grown female can be. I borrowed some pictures from the betta site. I hope they don't mind. If I knew all the people to ask I would have asked permission. Oh well, I won't break any more copywrite laws today. These are all little females and good representations of what a full grown female will be like. There are many more pictures at the above site.

Rose
:

 

Very nice! Thanks for the imput and the picture show! ;D

 

"Hi, I'm buying a betta question, how much are they?"

That title is funny

 

Another cool thing about females is that some of them have horizontal dark stripes, which no males have.

 

when they have those stripes it generally means that they are ready to spawn

Rose

 

I read that too, except that I have seen half-sized females in the fish store with stripes. Could some of them just have that coloration? ???

 

I haven't ever seen any or read about them but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

Rose

 

Okay, I really can't stop thinking about that poor pink Betta.I already have an extra decoration that Chuck doesn't need, I have extra gravel, I have a rock on which I am growing some moss, I am about to receive 5 small pots of Flame Moss(and they would not all fit in Chuck's tank).All I would need to buy is a tank and I think I could get a 3 gallon critter keeper(they are much cheaper) in which I would put Chuck and then I would put the new Betta in Chuck's old 2.25 gal.It would basically cost me about 13$ which I have. I also have TetraMedica General Tonic(against finrot, fungus, infection,it's broad spectrum) so I have what to treat him with for his injuries.I just can't stand the idea that he's going to die of a slow and painful death in that Guppy tank.So what do you think, could I do it? Is it a good idea? I def have the time for two Bettas.

 

He would need a cycled tank, filter and heater. So would Chuck.

Your heart's in the right place, but be sure you're not overextending yourself. That doesn't work for the fish or for you.

 

I know *sigh*

 

Our motto with dog rescue is: "we can't save them all"

If you don't accept that, you crash and burn and die of guilt that shouldn't fall on your shoulders to begin with. What you CAN do is to provide the fish you already have with the very best life you're able.

 

He really doesn't need a heater right now, but since I have this money, what kind of filter could I get him that would work in his 2.25 gal tank?

 

I have no experience with that small of a tank. I've never had anything under 10 gallons for bettas. Temperature needs to be consistent year-round, so it's always a good idea to keep a heater in the tank all the time.

 

Oh okay, I'll just ask at the store.But once I'll add the filter will Chuck be in danger? I mean because of the Nitrogen Cycle

 

Bettas, you can get away without a cycle, basic needs are a heater, and a tank at least 2.5gals. To work with an uncycled tank you just perform 1-2 weekly 100% clean outs. Use prime inbetween. Always let the water heat back up before adding the betta back in, it works best bare bottom.

 

You could add some filter media from your cycled tank to your uncycled tank! That would speed things up.

 

I don't mean to get too far off topic here but while speaking of bettas... how can you sex them?

 

I only have one tank right now...I am planning for a 16 gallon in the fall.Would it work if I wouldn't clean the substrate and only change 50% of the water? Wouldn't there be some beneficial bacteria on the substrate that hasn't been cleaned in almost two weeks?

 

I don't mean to get too far off topic here but while speaking of bettas... how can you sex them?

Males have long fins(except for plakats I guess) and their colours are a bit stronger, females have shorter fins and appear smaller.

 

.......Long fins are males, shorter fins are females. They are a very easy to sex fish.

Males that I own/ed:

HMPK Halfmoon Plakat, Plakat means shortfin(its a tail type, this is a male) you won't find these guys at walmart or petsmart, but you will find them labeled "dragon" or HMPK at Petsmartco.

CT Crown tail, long finnage, male.
Females:

VT girl

VT girl, she has some long fins but is a female.

Also check here

 

No see that first picture and the 3rd one down look the same size to me so I would have guessed them both female because their fins are short no? The picture on the bottom I would for sure say was a male because she has real flowing fins so no I am confused!

 

Its a subtle diffrence of body build. PKs are always throwing people for a loop. Look for the egg spot, a small white spot below the female belly between her ventrals. And yes the girl on the bottom...shes special lol. BUT you may encounter those long flowy female fins occasionally.

 

Bettas, you can get away without a cycle, basic needs are a heater, and a tank at least 2.5gals. To work with an uncycled tank you just perform 1-2 weekly 100% clean outs. Use prime inbetween. Always let the water heat back up before adding the betta back in, it works best bare bottom.

I'm sorry, but I must respectfully disagree with pretty much your entire post.

All fish need a cycled tank. If it is not cycled and there are fish in it, you should be doing daily water changes, not 1-2 times a week. Prime should be dosed at water changes, not as a safeguard against ammonia rising in an uncycled tank. There's no need for a bare bottom tank unless you are raising betta fry in it. You should match the temp when you fill the tank, not wait for the heater to bring it back up to temp. This puts additional stress on the fish while it hangs around in a tub. I would also highly recommend a minimum of 5 gallons per betta.

 

@solitarianknight, some people may get away with unfiltered Betta tanks but it looks like I'm not one of them.Chuck had a mild case of finrot(he is going towards better) and now he has some white puffy stuff on a couple of his fins which makes me think he may have picked up a fungus.I thought he would be fine without a filter until fall but I was wrong So, I am buying him a filter on Friday. I am getting an internal one since I heard sponge and undergravel are not so great.Another reason for getting a filter is that Chuck really doesn't like being taken out of his tank once a week, he doesn't get extremely stressed but he sure isn't enjoying it either.

 

With all due respect, its done by many professional keepers and breeders with no problem.

If its not your forte then a cycled and heated 5gal will suffice.

 

Well I'm heading to Petco tomorrow in search of a Betta for a cycled 5 gallon. I'll post pics up as soon as I get them home. Anything in particular I should look for in the Betta that's just sitting in a cup? Other than obvious external sores or laying on their sides.

 

Mine pretty much picked me...

I'd say make sure its water is clean and it is responsive to having the cup picked up and moved around. See if it responds to you wiggling your figure at it and such.

 

The fish chooses the keeper

 

The fish chooses the keeper

yup! I was all ready to put my name on a waiting list with my high-end local fs to get a betta that was bright orange.

Then one day I saw my Smaug in a cup at petsmart and he pretty much threatened me with immolation if I didn't take him home with me.

 

Try to see if the fish can actively move from the top to the bottom of the cup. Many of the bettas at nearby big chain stores near me have pretty bad SBD.
I do agree that the fish chooses you, I couldn't walk out on my little guy.

 

Mordin chose me the maniac lol and Henry was ordered in specially for me so I decided I was going to spend some time watching him before I commuted myself and as soon as I walked up to the tank he was in he swam to the front and burped lol he was definitely my fish

You'll find the one and fall in love

Thankfully we don't have bettas in cups over here and my LFS' are very good but there are bad ones out there.

Looking forward to pictures

 

As far as decor goes, if you don't have any set up yet, make sure there aren't any rough or jagged edges or anything they could get their fins torn on. You'd be surprised how easily they can get snagged swimming through or around things, especially plastic plants. If you do have plastics, be sure they have round edges, no pointy leaves. Not sure how well silks hold up in the long run.

I'd go with a live plant, maybe an annubias, since they provide a good resting spot and are easy to keep. One of my bettas likes to either prop himself between a few stems or sprawl across a leaf... talk about an aquatic lazy-boy!

 

I went in for plants and came out with a betta. Luckily my 5 gallon was already cycled.

Cerberus was the only white/black marble betta there. He caught my husband's eye immediately and flared at both of us. So, naturally, we took him home.

Pretty much what everyone said. Clean water, alert and aware of his surroundings. Check for fungus, white dots, sores, or anything hanging off of him.

 

Fish acquired! I hadn't looked at Bettas for a few years, couldn't believe that some at Petco were $15 Ended up with a blue veiltail. Pics are forthcoming!