5 Gallon Tank Hi! I'm new! - Betta Fish

hctwins

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Hi everyone!
I'm Corey and I'm new to this forum. Im in my 4th week of fishless cycling and hope to soon welcome my new Betta fish!
Are there healthier kinds of Bettas compared to other Bettas?
 

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Welcome! I have had a few different bettas, and next one would definitely be a short fin like plakat. My current beauty has such long fins they impact his swimming.
 

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Hi Corey!

Welcome to Fishlore!

I wouldn't say that there is a certain type of betta that is healthier than others. There are a lot of betta types to choose from, and it also depends on where you are going to buy your fish. If it is from a breeder, then you might get a fish that is a bit healthier than you would if you were to go to a big chain store. If you are going to a local fish store, then depending on their stock and knowledge, then you could get a pretty healthy fish.

Long finned bettas will move slower and won't be as active, but they are so beautiful! Some people shy away from them because of the issues that can come with them having long fins. Then the shorter finned variety are beautiful as well, but seem to have more energy and move around more (plakats).

When you pick your little boy or girl, look at the fish very closely. I personally try to get a young fish if I can. Look at the eyes to make sure they are clear. Check the fins to make sure that they are not ripped or have pieces missing. Check the body to make sure that the fish is not bloated in the tummy area, or does not have any fuzzy spots or sickly looking white patches. Look at the fish from above to make sure that you don't see the scales sticking out, or make sure there are no missing scales. Make sure that the spine is not bent.

These are just a few things to look out for when you are picking out a betta. If you are totally new to bettas and have not done any research, then I would check out some pics of healthy bettas on the internet. I would also look at some diseased bettas, so you can see what to avoid.

Personally, I love veil tales. They are the more common type, but I just adore them!

If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to help!!!! :)
 
A short-finned mail Plaket or a female will likely have a leg up in life, but they are still subject to overbreeding and inbreeding and living in cramped spaces and cold water for long periods. So they are not necessarily healthier.
So, like rose said, you want to look for an alert and responsive fish. And you want to slowly up the temperature in the tank to 80 degrees.
 
One note I would like to make is that though plakats are know to be more active log finned can still have the same level of health. Being a bit slower and less energetic doesn’t always mean less healthy. Since plakats and females (always have short fins) like to move around so much I generally don’t like putting short finned bettas in a 5 gallon tank. They will definitely love more room to be active, and the long finned would be a bit more fine with just chilling in a 5 gallon. So typically I would really only keep bettas with log fins in a 5 gallon, not short finned ones. That’s just my suggestion.
 

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Welcome! Always remember, no matter the quality of fish, sub-par care will result in sub-par health. A lot of people forget that.
 
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Thank you all for your thoughts and advice!
 
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Welcome! I made this thread a bit back about health predispositions. This doesn’t mean that any one fin type is healthier (Environment and breeding certainly play a role, as everyone mentioned!), but I hope it offers information as to what problems may be more likely to occur.
 
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Welcome! I made this thread a bit back about health predispositions. This doesn’t mean that any one fin type is healthier (Environment and breeding certainly play a role, as everyone mentioned!), but I hope it offers information as to what problems may be more likely to occur.
Just read it. Thanks!
 
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