Betta Rescue

[Mojo Jojo]

Found this gal at Walmart in some pretty fowl water. I don't know how she was still living. A friend told me to name her Debris because that was the condition she was found in. I'm going with Debbie Debris. This will make naming the male that I eventually get rather easy...

 

[loreleisg]

She looks a lot better now! if you haven't already done so, I would suggest yout try to gradually raise the temperature of the water to around 75 degrees F by initially adding some warm water to the tank every few hours. That way she can get better adjusted to the tropical temperatures betta belong in. And that plant looks great for a betta because they like to lie on top of the leaves so that it's easier for them to get to the surface of the water.

But here's a teensy suggestion (I used to breed betta fish so I'm nit picky). Bettas breathe air more than they use their gills. Therefore a sphere shaped bowl is not ideal because it limits the amount of air in contact with the surface of the water. But I wouldn't worry about it unless you have another 2.5+ gallon rectangular tank lying around

And yeah... bettas are some of the most mistreated fish out there. I said this on a thread earlier but just because an animal CAN live in a cup of water doesn't mean that it SHOULD.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I knew the principle of tank shape in regard to other fish. You want more surface area for oxygen transfer, but I was thinking that because they can breathe from the surface of the water, that as long as they are unhindered to get to the surface they are fine?

This is a one-gallon bowl. I intentionally stayed away from the Betta specific tanks because I feel they are too small.

That being said, I'm planning on getting her something else because of the way the globe distorts the way she looks when looking at her at an odd angle.

 

[NikiP]

Suggestion, get a larger tank & do a sorority tank The females can be very fun to watch interact.

 

[InsectChick]

Suggestion, get a larger tank & do a sorority tank The females can be very fun to watch interact.

I have a sorority tank and they are super fun to watch! But I have added females that nearly killed all the others, and this one is probably pretty stressed and weak from being in that disgusting water, so if you do a sorority you may want to wait a while first

 

[beetleman]

awesome betta! good job saving it,looks like a crowntail,bettas rock:worship:ive got 18 there are soooo many different variaties out there now,crowntails,deltas,veiltails(classic)kings,halfmoons,dragonscales,doubletails etc. they are a blast to keep,enjoy yours yeah, i hate to see them in crappy water like that,they deserve better than that.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Yeah, it is a crowntail.

 

[ZergFront]

Walmart has very sloppy care of fish. Can't tell you how many dead I've seen in tanks.

The only ones that I got that ever last more than a few months from Walmart were three oscars and a betta much like this one. Lived for four years.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

This Walmart doesn't even have a live aquatic section like some do. They just have a few Bettas being sold in the dry pet goods aisle.

 

[OphidianDelight]

I knew the principle of tank shape in regard to other fish. You want more surface area for oxygen transfer, but I was thinking that because they can breathe from the surface of the water, that as long as they are unhindered to get to the surface they are fine?

Agitation of the surface of the water will oxygenate more, if you wish. An airstone or the disturbance from a power filter in a larger aquarium can help accomplish this.

 

[Verneph]

Walmart has very sloppy care of fish. Can't tell you how many dead I've seen in tanks.

The only ones that I got that ever last more than a few months from Walmart were three oscars and a betta much like this one. Lived for four years.

Yea, around here a lot of the petstores I frequent know exactly what I mean when I say "Walmart fish." I rescued three goldfish from my local store. The first night two of them died. The third, who I named 'Simon', managed to keep going for another week or so, poor sod...

I've had a few tropical algae eaters live for a bit longer, but they almost always die after a few months. I would not recommend ever buying a fish from Walmart. I feel bad for the little guys, but the more we 'rescue' fish from there the more money they make and the longer they'll keep their fish sections in place.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

To be fair, I "rescued" the betta because I liked the coloration. There were three more that I didn't even consider.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I got it a 1 gallon acrylic aquarium with an undergravel filter.

 

[NikiP]

I got it a 1 gallon acrylic aquarium with an undergravel filter.

Don't forget a heater They've come a long way & have many nice smaller ones in the market for the 1-5gal range.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

An incandescent bulb is as much heat as its going to be getting for the foreseeable future.

 

[NikiP]

Keep an eye out on any local yard sale websites. A heater is more important then a filter for a 1gal container since that's really to small to cycle anyways. You'll still need to do regular 100% water changes. Walmart even has them for $10.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I've never heard of doing 100% changes. I've been keeping about 30% of the old water each change.

 

[NikiP]

Since the tank is uncycled, each time you keep 30%, you're still adding back to the growing amount of nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.

Now in a larger tank, each would build up then ideally all three will level out.

Tanks under 5gal, can be cycled. The nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia would need to be watched carefully. The downside to small tanks is that because there is less water, just a tiny spike is needed to offset everything. Thus smaller tanks are less stable if cycled.

With a 1gal it would be better to do 100% water changes with water that's been allowed to age

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Picked up a male a few days ago.