Beta Phish's topics - tribe.net

1 Gallon Bowl Question

Joe — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:46:01 GMT

My Beta "killer" I had him for about a year and a half, he got quit big I had him in a small bowl for a while and moved him up to a bigger 1 Gallon bowl last week, I have a problem keepin the water clear for longer then a few days any tips on a 1 gallon bowl to keep the water clear

here is what i been using to prep the water each week when i change the water for him every Sunday
I use
12 drops of Splendid Betta Water Conditioner
12 drops of Splendid Betta BettaFix Remedy
and 1 Bowl Buddy Fix tab sometimes I use 2 fizz tabs depends on how many I have

Inside the bowl i have blue stone gems and white pearl like gems, I rinse them off with hot water each week to make sure they are not slimey also have a lil fish bowl shark guy I rinse off also each week,

any suggestions on what I should do to help keep the water clear longer would be appreciated
Thanks
Joe

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

Cloudy water problems

morgen — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:10:53 GMT

I have five bettas in a 20gl L. tank with dividers, filters and a heater. They seem happy, eat well and are active but the water will not stay clear. If they swim to the back of the tank you have trouble making them out!!!! I sifoned out half the water and put freash water in yesterday and its ever worse than before!!!!!! Not even 24hrs!!!!! Is this normal or am i doing something wrong????? Please let me know if I am! Thanks

posted in Beta Phish - 10 replies

Shedding

Sandra — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:24:05 GMT

My beta fish is shedding. I don't know the type, but He's got thin fins that are somewhat long.
I just moved into a new apartment, and we don't run the heat much because it costs so much. I'll be getting a space heater in a couple days just to make sure that it stays warm enough for Buddy (not creative, i know).
It got cold in my dorm a lot, but I never noticed this.
There's almost a strange sort of film forming on the surface of the water. It's pretty clear, but it looks like solid/sheets. I'm thinking it's almost looking like skin, but fish shed scales right? He can't be shedding skin. I've washed the bowl out twice in the past week. It's a small glass bowl, just under a gallon.

I'm starting to get worried. I've had him for a year and a couple of months, and I'm not sure how old he was when I got him. He was in a mall, and they don't care so much for whatever animal they're watching.... I know they're only supposed to live for two years. But I've seen some live for five.

The fish himself hasn't slowed down or discolored, and looks perfectly healthy. The 'stuff' is only on the surface, not actually in the water.

I was buying spring water buy the gallon and using it, but I just started using water from a purifier that hooks up to a pitcher.

I want to know if this is natural (considering he's actually shedding), if it means he's sick, if there's something in the water, or if it's not him shedding, what it could be.

Please help.

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

Attack Mode

JeanPowers — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 03:33:53 GMT

I put up a mirror on one side of the bowl.

Is it ok for my betta to always be on red alert and flexing his skills.

<his name is Big Red cause he's small but very red - pics later

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

Female betta problem

Tiffany — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:34:40 GMT

I just bought a female bette. Was doing fine but has a hard time swimming and seems to be trying to gulp air. She even pops up out of the water to get air. This morning she was swimming sideways, i thought she was gone. But she is moving, she just has rapid gill movement and not swimming well. Is there anything i can do for her to help or make her more comfortable?? Please help thank you =)

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

Ulcer on his dorsal

Samantha — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:30:50 GMT

Hi

My Betta has developed an ulcer type thingy on his dorsal fin. Anyone have any experience with this
type of thing?

I change his water every two weeks (full tank change), but will now do it every week. I have been putting in
a multi cure that helps with fin rot. I had his water checked at the fish store and they said all was well. So,
the only thing I can think of is that his poop is polluting his water. I feed him blood worms (not the
dehydrated ones) and he poo's a lot.

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

New Betta! Some questions about the tank...

Bo — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 21:03:08 GMT

Hey, I'm Bo. I used to keep a Betta, about five years ago (his name was Pugnacious Fitz). Recently, a friend who is moving out of state gifted me with her Betta, who has now been dubbed Thrakazog/Two Rats and a Dog/Susan (for you "The Tick" fans). He is a lovely blue and black with white tips on his long front fins. He came to me in a large vase-type container with gravel, some glass stones, an old sea urchin shell, and a large piece of coral. There is also a cutting of philodendron rooting in the top of the vase - the roots hang free in the water, so it can easily be taken out to clean the container.

To me, it seems really cluttered. I need to clean his tank, and when I do I plan to remove some of the stuff, especially the urchin shell - it collects gunk really fast. My question is, is the planet all right to leave in there? I don't know how the planet chemicals or life cycle might interact with the fish. Any idea? He doesn't seem to mind it at all. He's a very healthy, energetic little guy, he eats and swims and doesn't seem out of the ordinary. But like I said, I have no idea how long my friend has had him in there like that.

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

When it's time to say goodbye?

cognizance42 — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:54:07 GMT

I have a little male that I've had for nearly a year. Early this year, however, I noticed he got sick. Fin rot... I've been trying to save him for the last several months. A times he seemed to get better. Being more energetic and seem to get his color back. However, no regrowth.

Now it's gotten so bad that he's barely able to move around properly. He has a hard time eating even! He shows the same symptoms I've read in many posts in this tribe, but I feel like he's just pretty much done. (It looks like he's going blind as well!)

So.... my question to you guys. What do you do when it's time to say goodbye? What's the most humane way to put my baby to rest? Cuz it's just KILLING me seeing him like this. And I got him to cheer me up, and not it's the exact opposite.

I'm taking him home this weekend to do what needs to be done.... as soon as I figure out what that is.

Do fish feel pain? Or is it just the fish parent?

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

Frozen Bloodworms

Samantha — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 10:14:09 GMT

The bloodworms I bought for my betta come in little frozen cubes. Way too much to feed
one betta. I defrosted most of the cube and then put the remaining cube in the fridge.
Does anyone know if I can use the worms for another feeding once they have been defrosted??
If so, how long can they stay in the fridge. One little cube could last practically a week!

Thanks.

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

Tank size

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:25:00 GMT

Hi, I’ve been thinking about getting a beta again soon. Like having them around :) But. I’ve moved out form my parents, and my old tank wouldn’t fit in my new place. How small do you guys think the tank can be before he’ll get uncomfortable? I heard that they actually prefer small and dark tanks. is that true?

posted in Beta Phish - 8 replies

little bump on his tail

Anju78 — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:23:05 GMT

Just today I noticed a little whitish bump on my betta's tail. It looks like it's right where the fin starts. Any ideas of what I should do, before anything gets worse?

I've had him about a year - he's in a five gallon filtered tank all by himself....

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

crystals in fresh water aquariums

AnnaNavi — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:43:30 GMT

I recently picked up some quartz on a beach and want to put one of the pieces into my aquarium, I have a Betta (Narcissus), 2 minnows (thisty and fluffly) a goldfish (veca) and a catfish (blixa).

boiled water and left the quartz in it for a while to get rid of the salt and other stuff sine I did get them off a beach, any other suggestions as to how to put them or one of them into the tank without harming the ph or doing something damaging to my fish? They're small pieces by the way.

Anna Nimity

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

some like it hot

Zulieha — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:33:57 GMT

i have a 1 gallon tank and i want to warm it up a little i have a light on it...just like a room light and i wraped a shirt around it when i am gone to try to heat up the water...i want my Brucie's to be extra happy (my dad named the frog and the fish Brucie...boll-o-Brucie) but the water it still pretty cold. any ideas

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

BABIES!!!

Rachel — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:39:29 GMT

The eggs that Flanders has been so carefully looking after for the last few days have finally started hatching!! The babies can't swim yet, so when they fall out of the nest they just sink. But Flanders picks them up and puts them back. I'm so excited!

posted in Beta Phish - 5 replies

Help!!! interupted spawning! Male wont pick up eggs!

Alisha — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:16:25 GMT

Hi,
My betta's just mated and she let some eggs out, and thought that was it. I didnt know they did the embrace more then once !
I tried to put her back in but shes not in "the mood" anymore and hes chasing her. She keeps going up to the bubble nest and biting at it.
I saw eggs at the bottom of the tank like 20. But they were under the stones, and he couldnt get them I guess ( this is like 15 minutes later)
I moved the stones with something, and could only let some of the eggs free without having recked his bubble nest.
But he's not picking them up? What can I do? Should I put her back in?Or am I out of luck?

Thanks

alisha

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

sick fish

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 01:34:14 GMT

I have had my betta for six months. He was very healthy the first several, less so the past several since moving his bowl out of one house and into this dorm. He was still ok though; but he has totally crashed over the past four days or so. I noticed right before i did a water change (about 70%) that he was subdued and hanging out on the bottom a lot not really moving. He has grown less and less active and responsive since then, to the point where he hardly responds to any stimulae with more than a vague gesture. He was a bit bloated and discoloured (with some odd white stuff below his gills, it's still there) so I have been fasting him, which has made him better before. He isnt bloated now, but still discoloured and inactive. His fins look fine, though his tail seems stuck together a bit. The white stuff doesn't match the descriptions of bacterial infection that I've seen, it's got a somewhat metallic sheen though? He mostly -looks- fine, he just acts like he has zero strength or interest in anything left. He was eating last time I fed him. Any ideas anyone?

posted in Beta Phish - 20 replies

extra stuff

MickD — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:46:52 GMT

No more bettas in my house. I don't think I'll be getting another any time soon. I have a bunch of leftovver food and stuff I will have no need of for a while. Would anyone like this extra food & stabilizer, & such? Let me know. I'll pop it in the mail to whomever first sends a snail-mail addy.

posted in Beta Phish - 6 replies

sad

Sayari — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:32:49 GMT

I woke up to a deader this morning, old siam, I had him for 2 years.

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

aggressive female bettas

Rachel — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:50:09 GMT

My male betta Flanders built a bubble nest. So I decided I'd buy him a female. I bought two and they were living together without too many problems. One of them was slightly more aggressive and would chase the other one around sometimes. So I put Maude in with Flanders and they did their thing and then Flanders started chasing her around again. So I took her out and put her back in with Nellie. But then those two got into a huge fight and Maude ripped a big chunk of Nellie's fin off and then ate it! I took Maude out. Why did this happen? They never actually fought before.

posted in Beta Phish - 5 replies

anybody breeding here?

aneesadesign — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 07:46:05 GMT

no, not YOU but your bettas... are you breeding your bettas? i have a new boy, Zulie; and i just found a match for him, Huda... at least she's a 'pheno' match... umm, she 'looks' like him. i don't know what she's got gene wise.
anyhoo, i'm going to start conditioning them for a spawn attempt, and was just wondering if anyone else is breeding their babies

posted in Beta Phish - 12 replies

Fin Issues

ToughBroad — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 05:27:50 GMT

Piglet, my lovely litle red Petco rescue,keeps having fin rot issues. It seems to have been a problem since I got him (I don't think he did much flaring before, poor little guy). I put him in his own ten-gallon tank at work, gave him a bit of medication, and his fins became gorgeous.
We reduced our hours in the summer, so I took him home and put him in a ten-gallon tank already inhabited by my little Spectra girl (with a divider, of course). He loved blowing bubbles for her! They would play for each other for hours, but they both had plenty of hiding spots for when they got tired.
About 2 months into Piglet's new home, I noticed the fin fungus coming back. I moved him to a hospital tank, dosed him, and no more fin rot. Within two days of being moved back in with Spectra, the rot reappeared.

Put him in the hospital tank again and tried a little sea salt and slightly elevated heat. No good. Gave him another course of meds and his fins clear up. At a certain dilution point after a few water changes, the fungus comes back.

Any suggestions? Those meds are way harsh, and I don't want him living the rest of his days swimming around in something that carries a cancer warning for humans. Plus, he and his girlfriend really miss each other. The hospital tank is right next to Spectra's, and they spend all day swimming next to each other.

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

teeny black things in my beta bowl

DEB — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 03:34:23 GMT

anybody else have them...??? and my beta is about to explode his stomach is so huge......help !!!

posted in Beta Phish - 6 replies

size and overfeeding

erin — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:12:09 GMT

someone I know way overfeeds her bettas, they are much bigger than normal bettas and very beautiful but also cbviously fat. I'd love to have big bettas like this but it must be bad for them to be so fat. any input?

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

i know this is a bett tribe but does any one know about mickey mouse tailed fish ??????

Tandice — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:22:36 GMT

i have four mickey mouse tailed fish and some others in a 35 gallon tank and one is pregnet i have never had this happen any suggestions to make her feel more comftable???

posted in Beta Phish - 5 replies

What to do, what to do.....

Cherie — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 19:32:57 GMT

Boo-Boo has dropsy, and he is not doing well. He looks like he is suffering. I have made the decision to put sick cats to sleep, so they don't suffer. How does one do this humanely for a fish? Some people might argue that he is "just a fish, they HAVE no feelings". Not me. This is a living being with QUITE a personality. That's why I chose this fish from amongst the others. He ALWAYS would flirt with me whenever I put my face up to the tank. Sweet fish! Well, I guess that I am preaching to the choir, here.

Well, after a thorough bleaching and replacement of gravel, plants, and house, we will get Boo-Boo II. There have already been Ozzy I and II. Life goes on!

posted in Beta Phish - 4 replies

Hi I am new here

VidKitty — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 21:22:57 GMT

I just wanted to say hello to the other Betta enthusiaists. I have had a betta or two since 2001. I am very interested in these little jewel fish. And I look forward to what ever discussions can grow from this hobby.

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

Boo-Boo is sick (I think)

Cherie — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:15:02 GMT

He looks a bit bloated, is hiding in his house, and is not eating. A few months ago he was hiding and not eating, but I figure that he just got a little freaked out because we had to move his tank a bit. He returned back to normal within about ten days.

Any thoughts?

-Cherie

posted in Beta Phish - 10 replies

Don't understand

Tandice — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 03:37:38 GMT

hi i just joined this tribe b/c i was searching for some information and was wondering if some one could help. i have a 35 canadain gallon tank and i had my betta in the tank with sevral other fish. i am aware that betta's perfer to be in there own single tank, but my mother has had hers for years in her tank with others. i thought maybe she was sick b/c she was a qiet fish and some times leand on rocks. but he died and i didn't see any signs of any tail rott or gill .....ect so i bought a second male betta it was pritty chipper and all over the tank at first was a little agressive towards the other fish and then was just towards those in his area. but then he had skin pealing and maybe a funguse i think shortly after he died is it my water? my tank ? are the other fish in danger now ? some one plz help

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

female betta fish problem

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 04:45:22 GMT

Hello!
I've had female bettas before and everything was good. But this i have 2 bullies that pick on 1 fish that is very tiny. They were all the same size when I bought them. Anyway this fish is not growing right because they wont let her get any food they chase her away and she hides underneath a plant in between the gravel all you can see is her eyes peering out. I took her out of the tank tonight and put her in a bowl. Should I keep her out untill she's bigger?
Any suggestions Anybody??

posted in Beta Phish - 6 replies

Zulie and Emma sittin' in a tree... K.I.S.S...

aneesadesign — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:49:53 GMT

you know the song...
they got fry!! more than a 100 or so hatched on 12 Jan 06... and they are doing well
i'll post a pic if i can ever figure out how to do in this new tribey thingy :p

anybody want some DTM pastel X MG/black copper F betta babies??? around April or May?

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

Help! Sick fish!

lemonhead — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 19:37:03 GMT

Grasping at straws with a ticking clock, guilty conscience, and lots of love for the fishy!

He's a Crowntail Betta, who's been ill for a few days, clamped tight, some fin loss, and loss of range of motion of his tail. He stays near the surface mostly, not swimming around, mostly sort of 'resting' against the side of the tank. Occasionally he drifts to the bottom. He seems to have trouble swimming with his tail, but he can somewhat. He can make it to the top, but it's not easy for him, takes him awhile. Wife saw him "spasm" a bit this morning. He ate & pooped Sunday, but wouldn't yesterday or this AM.

No ulcers, but does appear to be losing some skin or perhaps have some wisps of slime (or skin?) drifting off? I see it when an occasional bubble sticks to it. We've got him in an isolation tank, with antibiotics, and I'll be making an attempt at some salt bathing tonight, but I don't want to wait much longer...poor guy can't feel good.

Any suggestions? Any ideas on what might be wrong? He'd been with us less than a week before showing symptoms.

Any ideas y'all might have would be much appreciated, even if only for future reference. :-(

posted in Beta Phish - 13 replies

new to the fish world

mixed up bob — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 02:56:17 GMT

hello everyone i just got a beta fish.. it great his name is egor.. can any one give me some suggest on how to take care of it

posted in Beta Phish - 6 replies

female bettas

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 04:37:07 GMT

hello!
i have had female bettas before in the same tank and they were good,But this time I have 1 betta that is bieng picked on and is very small because the others chase her and she cant get to the food.when I bought them they were all the same size. she hides under plants trying to stay away from them. I took her out and put her in a little bowl. Should I leave her in this bowl untill she gets bigger?

any suggestions welcome?

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

Strange...

bstring — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:34:06 GMT

ever notice how I am NOT the only person from fresno in here mr cooper!!! I am being stalked i swear. she is just as bad as you thought I was and really wasnt aaaahhhh... I want to deliver a new fish or have you come over and pick it up. steve and I could pick you up and have you stay at the apt for a day whenever you are in the bay...
yo
PRODUCTION...
B-

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

LIVE cultures in SF???

aneesadesign — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 00:58:19 GMT

anybody know anyone, any LFS, with live vinegar eels, baby brine shrimp, micro worms, etc. ??? i have brand new betta fry... yep!!! Zulie is a big poppa now ! :o) and his young'ens are growing up fast. i have some live cultures going, but they could use some new peeps to strengthen them
lemme know... pm me?
thanks a bunch!

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

do you have the 'F' gene?

aneesadesign — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 05:48:28 GMT

i found this on one of my favorite betta sites:
http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.asp?articleid=5871
i have the 'F' gene... sorry :p

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

Ernie

MickD — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:37:12 GMT

I think my blue Betta Ernie is seeing his last days. He won't eat. He doesn't swim around as much anymore. Today food landed on his head and he snapped at it once. Otherwise, it just doesn't interest him. This has been going on about a week. I can't see any signs of illness. His estimated age is at least 2.5 years, prolly more realistically 3 years of age. I'm thinking it's old age, but I put antibiotics in his tank, just in case. So far, it hasn't made a difference.

posted in Beta Phish - 17 replies

Paddy got married

aneesadesign — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 23:10:04 GMT

just today... Paddy's new wife was found wandering amongst odd fish, in Alameda of all places
she won't tell me her name, so i haven't formally cohabited the two newlyweds yet
... they are bowl to bowl right now
and she's giving him a show
... shouldn't he be giving her the show?
well, whatever... he's old so i guess he's taking it all in

he flashed a couple times and then went back under his plant
.... maybe he thinks he's seeing things
being that his one eye is still pretty swollen and his eyesight is hindered by it

we're only halfway through the treatment phase with meds... again!

any ideas on what her name might be?
she's looking a bit like a salt 'n pepper tabby with the stripes
... and sporadic blue flecks of light
i like her blue sparklies 'cause she matches Paddy's vibrant blue fins

anyhoo, i'll keep you posted on the honeymoon
wish my digcam wasn't on the blink

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

HELP!

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:51:30 GMT

It's me again. I came home and saw that there's a mass of tightly packed bubbles on the surface of Bruno's bowl. What is that? To be honest, don't know if Bruno is male or female. Are those eggs?

posted in Beta Phish - 4 replies

best habitat for office fish?

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 21:47:56 GMT

Someone gave me a Betta for my birthday and the jist is that it's going to keep me company in my cube at work. Any ideas of a small, yet happy habitat for Bruno (the fish)?

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

fry

Polymorf — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:47:39 GMT

Whoo. The few surviving fry are starting to show some color!!! I'm so excited, this is my first succesful breeding.

posted in Beta Phish - 14 replies

Spelling

Polymorf — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:24:18 GMT

Beta is actually spelled Betta, or Betta Splendens

posted in Beta Phish - 7 replies

bloated betta

MickD — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:45:33 GMT

I've done a little research on this, but nothing I've found explains what I'm seeing.

One of my bettas is bloated. It would appear just his tummy, maybe an air bladder, is distended (just behind his gills, on his underbelly). It appears translucent, perhaps filled with gas, but he has no problems swimming, and doesn't appear to affect his mood, appetite, or ability to function. He doesn't appear to have dropsy. He has had this condition for going on 2 months with no sign of worsening or improvement. The fish (named Bert) is at least 1.5 years old.

Should I try tetracycline? Everything I've read would suggest that whatever this is, it's fatal, and that by the time the symptom appears, it's too late. The thing is, he's far outlived any expectation for any condition I've read about.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

choke

JeanPowers — Sun, 10 Jul 2005 21:33:10 GMT

has anyones beta ever choked on a big blood worm

cause right now my little beta is swimming around with the worm half in his mouth trying to swallow it

what do I do

posted in Beta Phish - 3 replies

Beta Phish Updates Required

bstring — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 20:19:44 GMT

Water needs oxygen?! Updates required. Check is in the mail. yo.
B-

posted in Beta Phish - 10 replies

fin rot

Beibhan — Tue, 17 Aug 2004 17:27:55 GMT

Ok thought I'd actually post something about Bettas. I have a male Betta in a 12 gallon with White Clouds. I'd gotten busy and hadn't done a water change and noticed my Betta's fins were looking frayed. At first I blamed his tank mates but then checked water quality. Yep, my fault. Did major water change 1/3 or so and added melafin and took out the charcoal filter. Been treating the water for 5 days and feeding lightly. Water quality is perfect and he looks much better. Will do another water change today and put in a new filter cartridge. Over feeding and lack of water change was the culprit.

I should know better.

regards

posted in Beta Phish - 1 reply

So how long do they live?

bstring — Sat, 08 May 2004 19:09:59 GMT

Anyone know the life expectancy of a beta fish?
B-

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

Beta Phish

db_cooper — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 11:20:30 GMT

the beta phish is fed and happy!

no worries....

posted in Beta Phish - 2 replies

http://www.gremkin.com/fishies

bstring — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 17:04:50 GMT

http://www.gremkin.com/fishies

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies

New fish water today.

bstring — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 12:37:47 GMT

Today the fish's water bowl was changed with fresh water.

posted in Beta Phish - 0 replies