Very sad looking betta!

HI I have a betta fish that is 2 years old now and it's been living in a tiny betta bowl. I gave him to my mother as a gift and decided today to bring it home to put in with my other tropical fish. (red tailed shark, roloff kribensis, angel fish, platy and tetra). I put it in and the others started picking on it so I had to take it out and put in a small goldfish bowl alone. Just wondering is it too much for it to put it in the heated tank when it was in the small betta bowl with no heat for 2 years. Also it's (blue is it's name) fins are a yellow kind of color what is that? Blue has been like that for a while now. Anyways can I put blue in with the other tropical fish and if so how do I do it without loosing blue? Thanks

Gina

 

If you haven't done so already would you please read the Welcome to this Section to this Betta Section and it will explain some of the emothional problems Bettas have in dealing with other fish and Blue is going to have more of them because of the last 2 years of being alone. Bettas are kept secluded almost from birth on and I am not sure that he can be taught to accept the other fish at this point and they are not accepting them. Bettas NEED to be in a heated tank. It is an absolute wonder that you have kept this Betta alive this long without filtration and heat! He needs a tank of his own where he can have a quiet life and some heat and filtration and a cycled tank that is not going to make him sick. He is already quite an old Betta and probably won't live more than another year but that does not mean that he should not have the best year possible. If you could even get him a small heated and filtered tank and put an old piece of your old filter media in it to use to cycle the tank quickly or get some Bio-spira to do an instant cycle. Then if you want him to have some company get him a snail or an Oto or a little peaceable fish that won't fight with him. I am afreid as sad as it is you cannot plan on him being a community tank fish. You are going to have to be his family. He has been a lonely, lonely little fish.

I am so sorry not to be more encouraging, but I do not want you to terrorize this poor little Blue. His fins may also be starting to have some finrot due to the lack of heat so watch for shortening or becoming transparent. If so get on the heat and Melafix right away as since he is weakened already it could be very bad.

Rose

 

Obviously the fish can live in a bowl, and they frequently have. Rose however sees bettas like children and truly loves them. Hers are in beautiful little tanks which you might want to check out the pics of: it's also fun for the owner to have a good tank that is attractive to look at. A tank requires more complex maintenance than a bowl though.

Blue probably got the best care you knew how to give, so I think it is cool that you are trying to expand your knowledge. It does depend in part on how warm the room he's in is: if it is fairly warm then the bowl might well be fine for him as far as temperature goes.

The difference is this: I briefly had to keep Rusty in my spare bowl while I was fixing something to do with my tank when I brought him home, and he calmed down and got used to it but didn't really do too much. I don't know what yours is like but bowl bettas tend to just sit there most of the time. If it is a bit reflective they will dash around now and then but mostly they swim slowly around not doing much. By comparison, when I put Rusty in the 10 gallon tank at first he seemed wary, cautious, not moving a lot, but now he is constantly exploring, swimming around, puffing up his fins and so on. I don't speak fish really but he seems happier, healthier and in better spirits.

There are a lot of small tanks that are still better than a bowl that you might want to look into. A 5 g tank is a good size for one betta, and you can the bigger the tank you have put more decorations, it is easier to filter and clean it, and you can also buy him some peaceful companions. Fish like corydoras catfish, oto catfish, some of the livebearers are good.

here are a couple of good sites you might want to look at. I hope you continue to enjoy having Blue.




(btw, the above is one of the best pet sites I've ever found)

 

Hey thanks for all the advice I really appreciate it! I love blue and only want the best for him! I think I will be leaving him in the gold fish bowl for now because I have nothing else to put him in he should be a litlle happier now because ha has a bigger environment than he had before. I am disappointed though that it's not going to work out with him in the 36 gallons tank I have with all the other tropical fish. Maybe I will get another one and try it in the tank. Hopefully it will take to the other fish as well as them taking to the betta! TKS for all your help
Gina

 

Please do remember that Bettas are not FISH fish. They have been alone from the time it was determined that they were male and many females are kept in containers now too. It is not a good idea to plan on them as a community tank fish without having a back-up plan if it doesn't work out. Try to have another choice for the fish to go into if he cannot handle being taken from being alone to a tank full of fish. Some of the fish you mentioned in your tank are semi-aggressives as well and it is never a good idea to mix aggressive fish in a tank.

Please don't put another Betta in your tank until you check on the compatibility with all the other fish in your tank. (they do not usually do well with angels or red tailed sharks and sometimes not with tetras) All of these fish have been known to be fin nippers at one time or another. This just doesn't work with a betta.

Rose

 

I don't think you should try to put a Betta in the 36g. RTSs, Angels, and most tetras are not really compatible with Bettas. A few fish that may work with Bettas: catfish should be fine, very peaceful tetras--Cardinals, Black Neons--may work, short finned livebearers--Mollies, Platys--may work, not the hi-finned varieties, and I've heard danios are compatible though not sure. Notice I did not say WILL work--it all depends on the Betta's personality. One like Blue who has been kept alone for so long will probably never learn to accept other fish. As a general rule, nothing nippy and nothing with long fins can be kept with Bettas.
Sorry I can't sound a little more encouraging. :-\ You just have to be so careful with Bettas...

 

Yes, I do love my Bettas and they are indeed treated like small children in my home. LOL They do have their own personalities.

The issue here is not whether or not a Betta can live in a bowl. Blue has obviously done it for 2 years. You are lucky. There are a lot more who did not. I am so happy that you are doing the best you can for him and I do definitely agree with everyone that there is no way he can go into the big tank. If the only other thing you have to put him into is the bowl, then the bowl it will have to be. Just keep an eye on the ammonia levels and Nitrite and Nitrate levels. You will have ammonia to deal with but perhaps water changes will be enough.

I hope you have the best of luck with him and perhaps you will sometime be able to find him some tank mates that he is compatible with and he can have some company.

Rose