*What's the #1 thing you wish you had known before getting a betta fish?* If you're new to bettas, get started by checking out my Betta Fish Care 101 videos: ru-vid.com/group/PLlBBJ7xBuquZ99Swlttl7nLIMHTqc3mMy
My beta, Shoto, lived to six full years and passed on yesterday. It was so hard to part with him after so much but I couldn't bare to see him struggle for life anymore. I had him since my first job in the pet store and took him home when I moved on from that store. I miss him.
My son, who was 8 at the time, fell in love with a female Crown Tail Betta. He didn't even realize she was a girl but he fell in love with her spikes. She's in a 30 gallon community and is very happy. People overlook the females but they are just as cool as the males and are easier to take care of. You don't have to worry about fin issues and they still have the water puppy personalities.
I have a male beta he is a delta tail. With extremely butiful colors he enjoys his 10 gal with 3 fish friends one small female pindani a dojo loach and pleco they get along super well tjey dont nip or fight they are all chill
Thank you for being a parent who understands pet care needs. Most parents just get a tiny glass bowl for their kids pet fish and say if it dies it dies.
@@xBloodxFangx yah my dad bought me the 10 gall but we took out the pindani after it bit a hole in the bettas fin but its regrowing now and the dojo is nice the betta i also added a bristlenose pleco
My number 1 tip would be to either GET A LID or keep the tank waterline lower. My betta fish is a super active female, and even though she has a 6gal planted tank all to herself with healthy water parameters, she has jumped put of her tank TWICE! Thankfully I discovered her relatively soon both times, but bettas are jumpers and even if they've never done it before, it's better to have a lid on the tank than to accidentally step on your fish one morning 😬
My fish loves the filter in the tank. He spend a lot of his time just chilling in the flow. He’s so odd. He has plants, a lil hammock, and everything but he spends his time nestled in between the filter and thermometer
@@l01s it’s just a little leaf with a suction thingy. You can get them anywhere really. Just ask a store clerk. I see them at petsmart, petco, Walmart…
I just randomly came across this video because my son was gifted a betta and I unexpectedly fell in love with the thing😆 and now I’m constantly worried he’s going to die or get sick. My son is way too young to take care of a fish so it kind of became my fish and I’m attached to it so I’m learning as much as I can so it can live as long good little fishy life. Thank you for making these videos!
I had a half-moon betta (creatively named Moon) that lived for five years! He was a delight to have around and I do miss him sometimes. I definitely noticed that he kept trimming his fins and he grew a lot more slow in his old age, but he was still happy to see me until the end.
i had a betta that lasted almost 3 years and died recently, today I got a bumble bee betta and he's a lot more active and curious. lets hope this one lasts as long as the last.
I just wanna take the time to say I love the effort as well as the information that you put into all your videos, I refer to them all the time for my little community tank. Thank you for everything! :)
Thank you, Irene, for constantly educating and enriching my fish keeping experience. Even after 2 years and two bettas going strong, I still learn something new every time I watch one of your videos. Keep ‘em coming!
In my experience I think y’all should find a beta fish you connect with and not just the one that looks the prettiest, I went to a couple different pet stores while my fish tank was cycling and I found one that didn’t look that cool in the cup but he was so chill and every time I put my finger up to the cup he would come to it and just be really aware Vs the other “cooler” ones that just freaked out or whatever so yeah long story short once I put him in the tank he started thriving and he’s now BEAUTIFUL more than the ones I thought were cooler so now I have a beautiful Beta that has a cool little personality and I love him
The first betta I ever had lived for 5 years! It was just him and a gold snail in a 2.5 g tank and I had such fun decorating that tank! Now things have got more complicated - a 5 gallon tank with a too loud of a filter that I will replace, but can only use an internal filter because the lid opening for the filter is too narrow to accommodate a hang-on back filter, the lights are blue and too dim for plants and ... I miss the old days where it was just my betta Puddles and Sebastion the snail.
OK, this seems like a small thing but I want to thank you for saying "congratulations" if your betta reaches even 2 years old. We've had my 9 year old's betta for over 2 years now and he was likely nearly 1 when we got him, making him nearly 3 and it's very clear he hasn't much time left. We were 'newbies' when we got him so we made lots of mistakes at first -- he was in a betta bowl the first month we had him-- and my daughter knows she wasn't perfect at everything so she is feeling really rough about it. When you said 'congratulations' and that two IS an old age for a betta I saw the look of relief on her face. It means a lot.
Just to give an update: our daughter's fish passed away today so he lasted a little over a month after my post. She has talked about this video A LOT and how she felt like Irene was talking straight to her. It has brought her so much comfort. And the tips helped make her fish as comfortable as possible as his time neared. We slowed down his filter flow (it's a sponge) and did smaller water changes because it was knocking him unconscious when we did the usual amount. We have two other betta tanks we've started since and they are getting the correct treatment from the start. And eventually, we will get another betta for the current empty one.
@@kimp7160 can you please share more about the "knocking unconscious" part? We just got a betta and have yet to do our first cleaning cycle and am sooo scared something will go wrong :(
Great vid!! Something to keep in mind also is when you are buying a betta, think about how long it's been in the cup. My last Betta, Irving, died after 2 to 3 weeks despite having a 5gal with live plants, regular water changes and being fed Hikari Bio Gold. He developed Ich, which I treated, but then he got Dropsy and died. When I went back to the fish store one of the employees told me that Irving had been in a little unfiltered tank for like 2 weeks. Dont think they did water changes as often as they should have either. Got a new betta from the same store when they advised they had new bettas only been in for a day or so. New betta Marvin is doing much better (lol) and so far so good
When I was in a college program, I had a hard time taking care of my last two bettas and live plants because of my packed schedule. They had bit their fins so much (halfmoons) and my "low-maintenance" live plants just kept dying no matter how hard I tried to keep them alive. So now I'm done with school, I have a female betta crowntail with fake plants, and her fins look so amazing with no nips in them at all and her water looks clearer than when I had my last two. I'll eventually switch back to live plants once I figure out how to properly care for them, but for now, the setup I have works great for me and my girl.
i don't even try with live plants anymore. they become such an irritant to my aquarium hobby when i don't even care about them lol. they hate my terrible public water.
Java fern and anubias are some great easy plants. Be sure not to bury the rhizome (the part the leaves grow from) if planting in your substrate as it will rot. I have never used planted tank substrate, just gravel.
Thanks for the tips everyone, but my female betta is still thriving for close to a year in her current setup! I have used low maintenance plants, gravel, soil, ferts etc during my time in college already with my previous bettas with little to no success. You'd think a green thumb would work on aquarium plants also, but I guess not for me. :/ I'll try them again for my next tank setup with more research now that I have the time. Looking to buy 10gal in the future for another female betta using the walstad method! Like foo the flowerhorn. c:
I have an extra one! Exercise your Betta! It kind of links to the old age tip you give. My brother used to be a big Betta fanatic and at one point he actually went so far to put two in a tank with a black divider in the middle and then sometimes he would replace the black divider with a glass one for like 30 minutes. The Betta would find each other and start flaring their tails and making aggressive moves near the glass but since the glass was there they couldn't actually fight. We feel like this natural behavior is good for body and spirit of the fish. The idea was borne from having a Betta in a community tank where he would be active and kind of chasing some Danios (who where way too quick to really be bothered about it) and then when he was placed alone for a while he really became lethargic and we interpreted that as being bored and lacking challenge. When we put him back he really perked up again and became quite a little proud rooster once more. After the tank divider sparring sessions we saw the same thing. They would be more active, eat more and do more. Since the old name at least in my country is "Siamese Fighting Fish" it kind of makes sense that they need a place to direct some of their natural fighting spirit.
Instead of two bettas,and a divider,you can use a mirror, at the outside of the tank where he can see himself,you can leave it for awhile,and remove it when you think it's okay.
Best thing for bettas fish are longer tanks than taller tanks. They love the length to swim. Plants the are tall an have little to lots (not too much) roots. They along love little water flow if you can get a filter that runs no extra water and get an underwater bubbler 💕
I’ve had betta fish on and off since I was about 8 I haven’t had any fish in about 4 years but I’m ready to get a new betta. Your video was super helpful. I can’t wait to get started again.
I’m really glad you gave the bonus tank, my beta of two years just passed today, and even though I’ve kept several bettas i always worry that I did something wrong. Even when I know I didn’t.
Last week my betta fish, which was 4 months old, died. And I try to document myself so that it doesn't happen again. I have a 10 l aquarium, a natural plant and a heater. The problem is that it had fin rot. A disease he contracted in the first month. I treated it with special drops for fin rot. It got better, but in each month the tail was damaged again and it was not active at all. What did i do wrong? If you could answer me I would be very happy. Thank you!
@@mianakerekes1388 sometimes when I see repeated injury I try to think what they could be hurting themselves on, I removed some coral I used for water quality when I discovered the cories kept hurting themselves on it. Sometimes longer fin fishies I have are too fast and hurt themselves on bits of wood if it’s sharp enough or they whip by too fast. Wounds won’t keep getting infected if the water quality is well maintained. Follow the med dosage exactly, provide lots of air since meds can lower the water’s air levels. keep checking the water ph, kh especially. If your kh is too low the ph can swing widely with any little change, ammonia or nitrate spike.
Thank you so much for this video. I wasn't looking for it and it just popped up, but I have recently lost our first family Betta (I'm a mum of two) and I felt so guilty and ashamed. Your video helped me to realise that he was probably a bit old and it's nice to know that other more experienced fish keepers have also shared the same struggles with keeping Bettas. You've really helped me to release my guilt and I feel that I want to try again with a new Betta. I will definitely be checking out your other videos too. You're my new go-to fish gal :)
I chose a plakat betta to try to avoid the fin issues I've seen so many times. He's in a 10-gal and the maintenance literally could not be any easier (gotta have plants tho). Even after a month my nitrates are
I have a golden betta in a 80l tank with blue neon tetras and bronze cory doras as compatible community fish. He really likes the cory doras. 🌟 Bloodworms are their favourite foods. The Hikari pellets are quite good. Bettas are intelligent enough to get bored of the same foods.🌟 I tried a few plants and so far only the sword grass and anubus plant grow. I use silk plants as any hard decoration can cut the tails. 🌟 I also agree with the sponge filter being a nice gentle option.
My very first betta tank was a 4 gallon bin from Target. I did 2 years of research before I got my first girl, Bluestar. It wasn't the best setup but it was far better than a bowl. I then moved her into a 5 gal MiniBow which she lived in for maybe two years. I then upgraded her to the 5 gal Retreat where she lived her last happy year until I had to move her into a 1 gal. She passed a month before her fourth birthday due to a malfunctioned heater. Though that was 2 years ago, I miss her to this day :'(
@@CookingwithArjun I was downsizing greatly and afraid she'd get knocked over if I didn't temporarily move her to a 1 gal. Sadly, she passed a month before her 4th birthday. I was going to gift her a heavily-planted 29 gallon to herself :'(
I'm excited to watch this video! I got my own first betta in October of last year and I hope to have several years with him! Its just said that someone can say they have had one "for a while" and mean a few weeks, maybe months! It shouldn't always be like this!
One of my biggest tips on raising bettas is never overfeed them, especially with dry pellets. Feed only three or four small pellets. I’ve lost bettas from bloat and constipation from overeating.
Thank you so much for these helpful tips! We recently got a beta after struggling with guppies for more than a year. I grew up with betas the way you first described with the tiny tank and marbles, but knowing what I know now, I'm hopefully better equipped. This video was super helpful!
I agree with you about fish with bigger fins. What I realize is that a lot of fishes are inbreded due to selective breeding, so overtime their fins tend to wrinkle. And also the stress of a fish having to swim with fins that are too big will stress them out. So I’ve been mainly raising plakat kois.
I love how much good information goes into these videos. I also love the suggestion of short finned bettas, I just got my first plakat betta from prism bettas in Chicago and he is awesome.
I recently got a 10 gallon tank that Id love a betta for, your videos have been super helpful for learning about bettas and what tank buddies I could have with it, so thank you!
Great helpful video and tips. Thank you very much! We lost a Betta in 2-1/2 months and then bought another one which we lost in 3 weeks. I’m informing myself more now before purchasing another one. I found your video very informative. 😊
Your videos are so helpful, thank you. I’m 1 week into cycling my new 57L tank I eventually want to use for my 1st betta and some little tetra friends😊 Can’t wait!
Congratulations! This is a great hobby, and I hope you have an amazing experience with your first tank. May I suggest researching best ways to set up your tank when keeping a betta with tank mates, and how to actually introduce them? Things like using plants to break up line of sight, and introducing the betta last, so you aren't adding fish into "his" territory. And do have a plan in mind for if it doesn't go well. Have a clean, decently sized jar, plastic bin, or second tank at hand so that if your betta immediately starts attacking the other fish, you can remove him right away, and have time to figure out what to do. Some are fine with tankmates, others are stone cold killers, LOL!
@@pjp9383 It’s my 3rd tank, it’s a very addictive hobby😆, but my 1st betta tank. I’ve watched lots of videos and will no doubt watch many more before I actually get a betta. Thanks for the advice👍🏻
@@scottie_lassie6045 Oops! Sorry that I misunderstood. Maybe the advice will help someone else reading the comments though, now or down the road, if they're considering doing the same thing. What fish do you keep in your other tanks? I have guppies, corydoras (pygmy and panda), ember tetras, neon green rasboras, and amano shrimp. Plus nerite, ramshorn, and so-called pest snails (I don't mind them). Oh, and 1 rabbit snail too. 9 tanks total, and counting. 🙈
@@pjp9383 I have kept fish for many years but I am still grateful for advice. I’ve got neons, rummy noses, emperor tetras which are having lots of babies, Buenos Aires tetras, blue gourami, pearl gourami and bristle nose plecos. Oh! And snails, lots of snails😆
@@scottie_lassie6045 Very cool. I want to try some more tetras ... lemon and green neon are on my desired list! Moved recently and in the process of re-scaping and re-organizing some tanks, which means deciding on stocking lists. They are both in the running but it will depend on what else I decide on.
Always so enjoyable to watch your videos, Irene - beautiful footage and great information. I completely agree about the plakat- After several years of owning a couple of long fin bettas with fin issues, I had great success with a double tail (I think because the top fin stays more buoyant/ less heavy) and now just got a galaxy koi plakat (Peter Quill ;) who is SO gorgeous and so active since he’s not dragged down. Happy Saturday!
I just got my first betta (as an adult), she is so beautiful she looks like a wild type, but I don't think she is because she was the only one that looked like that. Anyways she has a 20g long with plants, after she settles in I might get her some tank mates.
Thanks for the great tips! I used to have bettas in a 50 gallon tank with lots of plants and decor. Had about 20 in one tank for about a year. They had their territory spots and for the most part lived in peace and harmony. Eventually nitrates took them out instead of a gang fight. Fast forward four years later a friend gifted me a male half-moon and I freaked out. Said, no..I don't want it. After about two hours decided to accept the gift. (I have 5 parakeets and 200 tropical plants, so didn't want to be responsible for another living thing.) Well, Gustavo worked his way into my heart and is doing very well in his large vase / bowl. He arrived last Friday, so today completes a full week in my care. Previously (4yrs ago 50 gal) used chemicals to treat tank but now using sun to purify for two days before use. I feed him 3 pellets twice a day (6am,6pm). Sometimes I may drop 2 in and the 3rd after an hour or two. Started out with 5 pellets, he didn't want that much so had to scoop out a couple. Came here to get info on frequency of water change. Glad I did because the retirement home/senior center concept was definitely new info. Thanks for such great information. I am looking forward to seeing where this new journey leads.
@@kjdesignsltd1 purify with sun.... I simply mean I fill containers with water and let them sit by the window a couple of days before use. I do this for Gustavo betta fish and for 200 tropical plants. The birds had been receiving straight tap water, but now they are on the bottle two days b4 schedule also. Six parakeets now. Bacardi had a baby 🐣 Amarillo | Yellow
Hello Irene. Great Video! Your videos are always informative especially this video on what you should know before getting a betta. I am blessed to have three male bettas in their ten gallon and five gallon tanks with their favorite plants and decor for a good three years. I look forward to them to continue living a healthy and long life with lots of love and tender loving care!
My first ever tank is a 40 gal Ciano tank. It is planted and has 4 corydoras, 8 phantum tetras, 1 black nerite snail, too many to count ramshorn snails, and 1 betta. Some thing I wish I knew before hand was the flow rate of the aquarium. my betta has a very long tail, and struggles with the water current. However I need the water current to regulate certain parameters in the tank. Make sure to take into consideration the things you cannot change before getting your fish. Notice all the issues in the aquarium an think: Will this fish fit into the environment (even if you planned to keep the fish originaly) I also recommend NOT keeping phantom tetras with bettas. The phantom tetras are very territorial and pretty aggressive. its not uncommon for 1 or even 2 tetras ganging up on my only slightly larger betta fish. Coupled with the fact that he cant swim very much, he tends to run away into the dense plants. I have once or twice seen him facing off to the tetras, but its clear that he is the one losing here. For my second tank, i'm getting a 20 gal, ADA tank with a twinstar light, tidal hang on filter from Seachem, and a lot of plants! I will be moving the betta over to the tank in hopes of giving him a better environment, away from strong water currents and phantom tetras. I gotta say I am really feeling sorry for the betta, since I basically control his life and his problems are mine, his pain is mine, and those phantom tetras are my fault.
great video with good information. however, i know you're affiliated with a certain company which produces coarse filters, but i really recommend against using those for fish with flowing fins. i personally witnessed my betta snag his tail on a particular popular green sponge filter. fine sponge filters are the way to go with bettas.
#1 thing I learned was that because they're a type of lungfish, they need access to fresh air, so overabundant top cover plants or no space between lid and water is going to hurt them. Also, they like to stay near the surface if possible, so for deep tanks get tall plants to rest on
Great information. I enjoy my betta Monet everyday. I've been adding more plants to his tank. It really looking better and I am doing water changes less often. Once every two weeks instead of once a week. I changed it once a week before adding live plants.
Hey Irene. You should look for a betta pellet that has a minimum of 40-45% crude protein, compared to hikaries 38%, as they are carnivores and need lost of protein. I recommend fluval bug bites betta flakes, or Northfin betta bits
@@TonyVainosky live or frozen or freeze dried should always be supplemented into your fishes diet, but not as a staple, so you can’t feed it everyday. What I do is I have my staple pellets for my bettas and than on Friday I feed freeze dried brine shrimp, Saturday is frozen bloodworms, Sunday is frozen mysis shrimp, and Monday is fluval bug bites
@@arthurheine5631 I agree (and feed all my tanks) frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, spirulina brine shrimp, baby brine shrimp etc.....their comment, to me, seemed to suggest that frozen doesn't provide the type of protein value they're saying another food has
I usually feed frozen blood worms once a week, and frozen brine shrimp once too. Recently started pre-soaking them in Vita-chem. I tong feed those foods, and love interacting with my bettas that way. Time consuming though! (I have 5 bettas, and 6 other tanks) So pellets the rest of the week, and I mostly use the Hikari ones. But I would love to change that up, just have had trouble finding pellets that are small enough for a couple of my bettas. For example, I have some Cobalt (I think that's the name) and they're big, so I'm standing there rummaging around in the jar for the smallest pellets to feed 2 of my bettas. Just *try* to pick a particular pellet out of a jar! And then do it 10 more times! And they also *must* float, because the fish are so conditioned to come to the surface for food that they do not eat any of the pellets that sink! Any suggestions for high quality pellets that are small and also float?
I remember at Petsmart when we cleaned bettas. We'd get a bucket of water from the aquarium system in the back. Then just quickly strain the cups like they were bowls of pasta. And fill up the cups with the clean water. Thise lil fish are troopers
so I had a betta fish that was 5 years old and she had some SPEED that fish was so strong and she was odd she was definitely female but she had long fins and she was very healthy that fish lived with two of her little sisters both only two years younger for a very long time one of her sisters ended up having babies with a male betta who was very calm they lived together for about a year until they had babies and now three years later we have their great-granddaughter snowflame and her mate muffin :D
Another tip for helping bettas to eat - try SOAKING the pellets in a little bit of their tank water. Doesn’t need to fall apart, just get them a bit soggy :p my fish in the past have always eaten better that way! If your fish is smart enough to let it soak in their tank before eating, even better lol but mine was always ready to eat when I came over with their food ♥️ However, like you said, it can make their tank a bit messy, especially if you feed a large amount at once. Remember they’re tiny lil guys, they won’t eat more than a few pellets per feeding ♥️
I also liked spoiling my Bettas with little treats- you can buy frozen feeder creatures from most pet stores! I still have a tray of frozen blood worms in my freezer :p they LOVE them and it’s a great nutritional snack for them compared to pellets! ♥️
Thanks for the Tips! I also live in CO. I herd you gave a talk recently at the CAS thing. I came home today with a twintail halfmoon , beautiful fish but after 30 yrs of keeping fish off and on , I have never kept a betta. He is going to be in a project Im doing for growing erbs in a water garden. Have you ever done a water garden with your bettas?
I’ve been keeping bettas for years. One thing I noticed is that veiltail bettas are probably the most friendly and engaging bettas. They’re also the most intelligent of all the betta varieties. Crowntail bettas are the most aggressive and least sociable.
I have a crowntail betta, his name is Eragon. I have a fast tank filter, but I found that if I aim the waterflow up (It's a little tube with holes) it actually stopped him struggling with the current. There's still a little bit of him coming out and freaking out and hiding in his tree, but thats usually when the filters been freshly cleaned out, after a day of it picking up anything I stirred up it slows down. He's got 6 tank mates. Three shrimp that he just pays no mind to, a bottom feeder white and black spotty corydora. They don't interact, seeing as the corydora blends in with the gravel. Then there's the two neon green rasboras. He ignores them both. Every time I come to the glass he's there. Eragon for sure has a personality. Only time I saw him really upset was when the tank light was just plain as it was. He hated how bright it was. I ended up arts and crafting a colour filter. Still allows a pleasant amount of light in, but not so much he's uncomfortable anymore, he's out more since. But the tree is his territory, he'll chase the rasbora's out if they dare enter. Probably because it's a nice space for him to relax (And the tank heater is there...)
Thank you for these tips! I'm still figuring out the filter sitch; the sales associates at the commercial pet store are all very anti sponge filter; every time I go in looking for that they talk me out of it. The most recent one said he doesn't recommend them if you have substrate and live plants.
Sponge filters were a game changer for me, and are one of the best ways to develop the good bacteria needed to cycle a tank and keep nitrates/ammonia levels low. I can't comprehend why any pet store employee would say not to use them... that would definitely make me question their knowledge on aquariums.
From my experience, pet store employees are rarely the best sources of information on much of anything beyond the most basic. Sponge filters are an excellent option for bettas and there's no problem with using them with live plants, any more than if you had a hang on back filter with plants.
I'm assuming it has to do with activated carbon. A lot of sales reps are trained you need it but it's really only necessary if your local water is absolutely awful/contaminated or you're cleaning up after medicating. Plants don't care what kind of filter you have unless they're a super niche plant or something
Most big box pet store employees have no idea what they’re talking about. I’ve used sponge filters on my 20 gallon and below tanks for 8 years now, and they work really well, especially for more “delicate” fish like Betta or shrimp.
I have a 2.5gal for a Betta with 2 tiny green neons and some snails. Tons of plants (took 2/3 of the plants out for my 10gal). He seems pretty happy. Got an internal that has really slow water movement and an air stone. About to set up a bowl/drum with an under gravel filter. Getting bamboo for it because it is what I want to do. It's going to have marbles since it is what I have. It will be another Betta. Also going to set up a frog tank with live bearers and a Betta. Small tanks, I use a turkey baster to clean the gravel. Super easy. Also great for spot cleaning. All Betta in my house are named Frank. We are on #4 in 2yrs. Previously I had one for about 4yrs. My husband likes them because they are pretty to watch move.
The standard recommendation for a 10G tank is 50W so I don't think the standard for a 5G would be 10 or 15W - it would be more like 25W. The thing is 25W would already be more than powerful enough for most climates unless you're keeping your fish outdoors in Antarctica. I would say use a heater that struggles to keep your tank warm so there's SOME fluctuation. I have personally (in my warm climate) been using the heaters that are always on... On cold days the water is 75-78 on warm days 78-82. My betta can rest at night and be active in the day. PS Sonic has way too much eye-protrusion; that's mild pop-eye. There's also footage of "Sound wave" with major pop-eye but no mention of it. I think that's important to mention so people don't think "Well I guess it's normal if mine has that..."
I have to use two 25ws in my 5 gallon because I let my room dip to the 60s and they can't keep up otherwise. When it's really warm out I can take out one of the heaters but small bodies of water can fluctuate easily, especially if the tank has a lot of surface area
I killed my first three Betta's. I thought they were pretty, but knew nothing about them. I had a 2.5 gallon tank, no heater, and kept throwing them in oblivious of the "cycle".... And as a aquarist, I've never gotten past wanting to keep Betta's; my current "betta" tank is a heavily planted, 70 gallon display. I adore these little guys. For that reason, I love the starter video's you put on on these. After more than 10 years, a biology degree, multiple tank upgrades, and an unhealthy fixation with automation and lighting technology; my husbandry many have improved. But I remember making every mistake on this list and more. Good Tip's Miss.
I also lost several bettas sooner than I really needed too due to not having enough knowledge and understanding. Now I have 5 bettas, mostly in divided 10 gallon planted tanks with filters that are just right, etc. One of my current ones is a LFS purchase, but 3 are Craigslist / Kijiji re-homed bettas (my newest came from the LFS, but from the customer drop-off tanks, so same idea). I've had the 3 rescues for about 2 years, and not sure how old they are now. 2 have definitely been doing less well lately, and showing those old age signs Irene talked about at the end of the video, and I know I won't have them too much longer. But even though I've gotten bigger other tanks, and branched out into other less common types of fish, there'll always be a place in my home for these special fish!
My tank has quite a strong flow, but I also placed decors and betta-friendly plants to redirect that flow and create "dead zones" where my betta can simply float and stay in place without having to move much. He also like to just get stuck in plants and sleep there for a while.
These are amazing, amazing tips!! I’ve had my betta for close to 3 years and have done all your tips via trial and error. The bio-gold pellets are by far my betta’s favorite. Also the heater is a game changer. We noticed he would lay at the bottom of the tank all day. Once we added the heater, he was MUCH more active. Anyone who is watching this as a beginner, I can confidently say these tips are GOLD!!
Fantastic capture!! that's very beautiful watching to your video The betta fish is really beautiful in the world, thank for sharing video. Have a nice day friend!
My group home keeps our a/c on during the summer and my tanks stay between 70 to 74 degrees. My 3.5 gallon tank is at 74 degrees which is a brand new tank. And I absolutely love it. The thing I wish I knew before keeping Betta fish or any fish. Was learning the proper care in beginning. And proper food.
I use silicon air tubing (the narrow ones) to clean up the gravel, I find it better because it syphons slowly, n I get more poop out than water, after that I water change! I attached a hard plastic rod to the end of the tubing for better grip!
i got a giant vase of flowers for my birthday and my dad said that i could put a betta in the vase when the flowers died and of course i did, i got a beutiful female betta sunday but i started doing research on bettas so now im going to put her in a 10gal tank by herself with a big fake log to hide in and a betta hammock, heater and sponge filter is on its way so i can put her in the tank (btw her name is natatlie)
I got my first beta today knowing nothing I got a 10 gal tank and I was so worried about the cleaning and I’m so glad I got a huge tank for him and it’s just him with so many plants and houses
Fantastic general help for betta setups and beautiful little tank. I have a gold/teal betta like the beginning of this video I found at my local Petco 👍
Amazing video. Before the internet was around I had to learn half of this the hard way.. small tip for anyone that happens to find mosquito larva, (maybe in your back yard,). Beta natural food is mosquito larva, get a fishing net and put in the beta tank and the beta will go nuts, like how a cat go nuts over cat nip
I have a male red&blue two tailed betta fish, his name is slushy and since im a new fish owner, his tank wasnt that clean and because of the light, it looked like the tank was clean, after a few weeks i got suspicious and low and behold found algae growing on the filter, luckily the algae isnt harming slushy in anyways. But i still cleaned the tank since its not okay to keep it dirty for too long
I just... I just love you. Know that you are such a lovely woman and you have an amazing alignment with life! You are a gentle woman and I think that's lovely!
I kept my Betas in a bowl, I would siphon out the waste that settled on the gravel daily and use that fishy water to water my 🌿 plants....no nead 4 additional fertilizer...they grew lush. I would replace the water that was siphoned out with aged 💦 water. Of course having a water plant 🌿 in the bowl to provide oxygen was essential as well. They did well in a 1 gallon vase with the plant on top and the roots submerged.
Thank you so much for this video!! I think this is the only betta fish video that didn’t stress me out. I’m actually looking forwards to taking care of my fish now and am less stressed 😮💨
Gentle flow lol mine loves the water fall/filter and I made him a castle mansion on the otherside of the tank and he doesn’t even use his cave accept for once lol
Got a 68L tank with my 3 female bettas, 1 electric blue ram,2 sword tails, 2 peppered catfish and a brittle nose catfish with 3 armano shrimps. Absolutely love owning fish. I'll often just sit on the end of the bed just watching them whilst my fiance and dog are sitting there like- attention?? Pls?
Guys also tip if u have a old kinda slow beta I recommend a 3 or 4 gallon tank and if u have a super active high energy betta definitely go white a 5 gallon to 10 gallon I wouldn’t personally go over a 10 gallon
Our family's first betta, Blueberry passed today after living 1.5 years with us. He was struggling for a week, initially thought it was just bloating from constipation. Learned today the lower half of their body is not where the stomach is for a betta. He also had some white algae-looking stuff on his head for a bit. Thought he was recovering with API Bettafix medication and I moved him to a QT with a bit of salt treatment, hoping he'd recover but he didn't. Buried him in the flower garden, wrapped him his tank's last almond leaf and my daughter made a lil popsicle stick cross for him. Feel guilty that I wasn't more knowledgeable in helping him recover
I've started researching more about taking care of beta fish and the more I learn the more I learn I messed up as a kid. I did everything wrong and ended up killing many fish. I feel so bad but im determined to one day get another beta fish and make sure I don't make the same mistakes. There's so many things I didn't know and so many things I messed up on.
WHAT! My moma had a beta for 8yrs he lived she had him in a glass face with some rocks on bottom and a plant on top thats it cleaned once a week that fush was so happy
thx for the tips. My betta fish died last week because we had this decoration that had 2 holes,the big one wich he always used to pass thru,and the second one being a small one,I guess he tried going thru the small one and....he got stuck,no one noticed,until they came in my room,I was planning on buying another one but to not make the misake 2 times,I decided to watch a tips video. thz again :)
As a young kid who is into fish I can tell you that bettas are not what you think when I first wanted one I was going to get a fish bowl or tiny tank but my dad said do research, so I did and I found out it need much more then a fish bowl and food, is need 5 gallons or more and filters and stuff
I had my betta fish PIG for 4 years while i was in college !!! I was sad when he passed. I jus recently got a new one for my daughter we named Bubble !! So exited to go on our new Betta journey !!
some extra tips for your betta: -dried catappa leaves, just soak it into the water -live mosquito larvae, best food for betta -expose your betta tank to direct morning sunlight (between 9 - 10 am) for 10 - 15 minutes everyday -smaller tank, i prefer 15x15x20 cm³ solitary tank for my betta, easier to move, easier to swap, easier to clean, don't require too much dried catappa leave for the water -betta is also known as siamese fighting fish, fighting is kinda carved into their DNA so you might wanna keep their fighting spirit on higher level, you can use small mirror or another betta in separate tank, just like 2 dogs barking at each other separated by a fence, you get the picture love from Indonesia
This video was very helpful 👏 I did everything right. Just 4 days with my betta. They gifted to my son and it was just in tap water in super small glass cup it looked beige. In mins once in filter water heater and filter it went blue and purple. Putting them to sleep it is as pricy as putting a dog down?
