h.ien Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Hiii there, so iv made an intro message but i thought id do another one in here just to make it easier for me! im not sure if iv posted in the wrong place so please direct me in the right place and i shall post again there!!! anyhow, My name is Hien, from melbourne and have two beautiful longfin bettas! Blue (Vin Diesel - yes im a vin diesel fan!!) and Red (Edward Cullen - and yes im a major twilight fan haha) im a newbie! a week old owner! i have no experience what so ever! just decided one day that i wanted a pet and decided on fish! my local fish shop did not really give me any help at all, didnt suggest anything either! iv been reading up on them so i feel like iv done a lot of things wrong starting with there living arrangements!!! when going in to my local fish shop (LFS - Coburg Aquarium) i decided on what i wanted and chose my new beloved vin and edward, because they were the most active ones in store so i snatched them up and let the worker know i wanted them, they were given to me and that was all. so i didnt know how to look after them or what i needed so i just bought whatever was there which was one of them AquaOne Duo Tanks that have a clear divider! after the first day of having had them both vin and edward werent very active i started to get worried already so i read up on them, and what do you know, i figured out that my water was too cold for them so i went out and bought a heater pad that sits under the tank and a thermometer and now it sits at 24ish and guess what theyv been active everytime iv sat there and watched so kudos to me!!! now moving along to a few more days after... my beloveds decided to flare all day... i decided to post a pic up on instagram that showed vin and edward flaring at each other and got a comment on my pic saying "just a heads up they shouldnt have a clear barrier since they could focus entirely on flaring and refuse to eat." now i decided to google the hell out of that as well and came to lots of info that it may stress out the bettas and what now but when its time to feed them they defintely dont hesitate to ignore each other and come to the surface as they see me dropping food for them and they eat like champs! so i dont think that applies to them! again moving on to a few more days after which brings me to 2 days ago! tomorrow will be my official 1 week owner of bettas YAYAYAYAY! looking at Vin and Edward they seem to be happy! they both have bubble nests on top of their sides of the tank. iv also read a little about bubble nests and i guess that means that their happy? which makes me happy! iv added or am going to add up some pics iv taken of them! please leave me some advice as to what i should do to keep them happy and keep them for a very long time cause i have come to love them very much!!! i was thinking of buying another duo tank and just putting them in different tanks! im not really eager on getting a much bigger tank then i have already got but and willing to separate in two of the same size tanks i have atm if thats better for them. but yes please let me know what you think so far! and do tell me how i can improve!!! thank you all in advance to whoever took the time to read my long length post! i do also apologise that it is very long!! Much Appreciated Hien https://www.dropbox.com/s/2rcpmpg3msbeh6r/firstmeet.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/p4m94hqcb4tg0kz/flaring.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/8d7ktvqse1b59cu/topTank.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Nice boys. Our bettas like 27 degrees & minimum tank size of 10L is ideal as it gives them room to swim & exercise. We have live plants, driftwood with anubias or silk plants are fine also. Bubble nests are instictive to them & because they can see each other, it's probably a case of my nest is bigger than yours. Filter is preferred too. Flaring tires them out. Can also lead to stress & disease so you'll need something so they can't see each other 24/7. Any more questions ask away & hope that has helped some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Hi Hein You are the proud owner of two very lucky veiltail (VT) boys. They look very handsome and healthy. There are a couple of myths around about Betta you may have come across in your research: 1. - they can live in small spaces because they live in the puddles created by a buffalo's hoof print in Asia so small bowls are perfectly fine for them 2. - they build bubblenest when they're happy and healthy Yes - Betta are a very hardy fish who can live in a wide range of temperatures and water parameters, but living is not thriving, and we all want our favourite fish to thrive, so there is no such thing as too big a tank. Betta love room to move and stretch out. They love to explore and check things out. They are a very intelligent and curious fish. Their natural habitat is the rice fields of Asia, so very shallow, murky water, but spread over huge areas, so the volume is immense. The flow of water through these areas is very slow resulting in poorly oxygenated water. This has led them to evolve the labyrinth organ to allow them to supplement the minimal oxygen intake direct from the water, by breathing directly from the air. So, they like big volumes of water, but a minimum of 4L per fish is the starting point. 10L+ is good. Bubblenests are very much an instinctual thing. If they see another male, they may build one. If they see a female, they may build one. If they're bored, they may build one. Victoria Betta have a very good care sheet for looking after a Betta: http://www.victoriabetta.com/care-sheet.html You've made a great start by getting the heater for your boys. Getting something to block their view of one another would also be good. A piece of perspex or corflute would do the trick. Small silk plants, one for each, should also be good for them, but, when you can, bigger accommodations would be the way to go. Filtration and/or water changes. In the containers they are in, they will require 100% water changes at least two or three times a week. Getting bigger tanks tends to allow you to get filtration as well. Depending on the size of the tanks will dictate the size and amount of water changes required. The bigger the tank, the less often and the smaller the amount required. Make sure you use a good water conditioner, and research your feeding options - not all pellets are equal (tropical fish flakes are not what these guys need). Enjoy your new friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper the fish Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 (edited) Wow congrats on your new fish!!! I was very much the same as you, I decided on fish as a pet, but I didn't choose betta's at first because I didn't even know about them! Actually, I had a 3 gallon tank that I was intending to keep a goldfish in, but after research, 5 gallons was way too small for a goldfish, but just perfect for my one betta! So I think you and I started around the same, we're both new. I do agree with Brenton though that the tank you have is a bit small, but that's okay, I'm sure you can find a suitable tank at a bargain price eventually. I found a 10 litre tank for $30 at a general furniture warehouse, which was good for me because everything else in my area was too inflated (mainstream products of 10 litre fish tanks go up to $50). The only other thing that is fairly pricey is the water testing kit but the kit lasts for quite a while. You don't have to get a test kit necessarily, but you can be better organized if you're able to test your water and have an understanding of what their normal conditions are... so that you can just generally understand how your fish feel swimming around in that water. Ammonia can rise slowly, and other days it can do a spike upwards. You can get around it by frequently changing their water but you will get tired of water changes every time you "think" the water is bad, and other times you may not catch it at all and it could be harmful to them. So I think, depending on how you want to maintain them, you might be better off getting a test kit once you have a bigger tank. I'm not an expert though, just what I think might be easier. I used to think my betta was super happy because he was building a nest left and right. But in reality he had been spotting himself in my mirror. He kept building bubblenests to compete with his reflection, the "other" male betta. I've noticed it in the pet store also, since they don't really put a barrier up between their bettas during open times. All the betta tanks at my petstore have bubblenests in them because (I think) it's just another way for them to show off their skills and show them who's the better male. I also wanted to add that once you get a bigger tank, I highly recommend a sponge filter! They can be purchased on ebay from as much as $1. I have tried other types of filters but I find that sponge filters (and I got the idea from the people on this forum) are much better! They don't create much of a flow which is good, because my betta hated swimming against the current of his tank with his old filter. Also, with a sponge filter, you only need to keep an air pump running. And you can change the flow of the sponge filter by changing the flow of your air pump tube thing (which you will need a flow controller and a one-way valve on the tube, both of which are only a few cents each). Goodluck with your boys, they are beautiful ! Once you get a bigger tank, you will be addicted to decorating it. Plastic plants will rip fins, but silk (or real) plants are fine. They will love the extra exploration and hiding places. Edited April 23, 2014 by jasper the fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 Yep - sponge filters are cheap - air pumps...not so much, so keep in mind that you will need an air pump to run your sponge filter when deciding on a filtration system Test kits - are a good idea, but expensive. Most places sell the master test kit for around $50+ - but shop around online. I've seen it for a lot less. Try and combine any online purchases though - so get a test kit, conditioner, and some meds all at once - it is a bigger single outlay, but it spreads the cost of postage, and, in the end, is cheaper than doing it one item at a time. It's always good to have test kits and medications on hand for when something goes wrong - and something will at some point - but it takes time and money to get properly setup to look after your fishy friends, just take your time and accumulate. And don't panic. If something doesn't look right, don't do anything - take a pic, post it, and a question, on this forum and there are plenty of people who will offer advice and try to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h.ien Posted April 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 wow okay so you guys are amaazing and very informative!!!! thanks so much for your responses!!!! so i will be reading up on more about filtering and sponge filters and what not so i can start on getting a bigger home for my bettas! okayy when i get a bigger tank, how will my bettas live together without a divider ?? if i was to buy a bigger tank can i put them together? i dont really want to have them killing each other so do i get two different bigger tanks?? oh im actually pretty excited to get a bigger tank and buy all the decorations and all that jazz! i think thats all the questions i have for now... but thank you guys !!! and thank you for the compliments to the boys theyr quite adorable ! they lie there next to each other with the divider between them of course, i think they get along i always want to take a picture of them laying so close to eachother but everytime i get close they swim to the top wanting a feed... haha anyhow thanks again!!! and is it okay if i keep this as my main place to ask questions? much appreciated Hien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper the fish Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 okayy when i get a bigger tank, how will my bettas live together without a divider ?? if i was to buy a bigger tank can i put them together? i dont really want to have them killing each other so do i get two different bigger tanks?? Big tanks can still have a divider down the middle. Even in a bigger tank, your two bettas will still fight. The divider is not always glass but some are sold as "adjustable" dividers of plastic or straight net mesh, and some of them can fit a 10Litre tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts