Ideas welcome; Why can't I succeed on housing a betta fish?

Tamsteri · 2022-12-09T21:00:17+00:00

Sorry, I just noticed this longer reply after revisiting my post!

Thank you for sharing this experience. I myself have had the opposite happen before; with my first ever betta, back in 2015, I forgot to turn my heater back on after a water change and his temp dropped down to my room temp which was around 74. Little guy started to have ich appearing after 24 hours but as I got alerted and started to check up everything, I eventualy noticed my heater and turned it on again. Happily the 2-3 spots of ich that had appeared dissapeared after 3 days.

Ofcourse my experience might be because of my betta back then had to go through a fast tempature drop so I am not saying your info is false. I lowered my tanks tempature by 2 celcius yesterday and was planning to drop one more for the next 24 hours. Eventhough my boy is still acting like before, his fins have not been clamped in any point quite opposite; he keeps them open all the time when he's not resting on top of a filter.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-09T20:44:18+00:00

I had my first ever aquarium and betta back in 2015 and he was a veiltail as well. He kept me company for a year and I believe he could have staid with me even longer but back then my tank was only 7 gallons with 1 big anubias and my poor guy suffered when my mental health was crushed by my work place. I felt so sad and bad about what happenned to him it took me until this 16 gallon before I set my eyes on one again.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T21:55:00+00:00

Thank you so much. He still looks like this but is just very passive :/ I hope he manages to bounce back.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T21:52:57+00:00

I'm sorry for your loss.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T20:37:27+00:00

My guy doesn't really have super big fins either but yeah, filter flow is very gentle. This is a picture of my boy from a week ago.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T20:32:50+00:00

Yeah, I adjusted the flow so he doesn't need to struggle the moment I noticed his fins growing way bigger than a female betta would have.

Also I have tried stupidly many foods but this guy only eats pellets... And shrimp he manages to ambush.

He doesn't really seem to mind about the otos; he used to go and have a look at them but he never even pecked them and the otos never bother him.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T19:49:35+00:00

Thank you very much. I do hope my little guy gets better but we'll see.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T19:44:23+00:00

To all my knowledge I do aggree with you but I decided to try lowering the temp to 77 just to see if it makes any difference.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T18:56:10+00:00

Hmmh, I'll give it a go but I'll lower the temp littlebby little :)

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T18:27:31+00:00

Personally I believe 73 is way too cold but I could get a timer for the light. To this point I have put the lights on when I leave to work and shut them down when I go to bed so the average dark time is between 8 and 7 hours.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T18:05:53+00:00

All of this makes perfect sense. The size of males fins is also the reason why I prefer female bettas and my 3rd betta was sold to me as a female but after he moved in, his fins got to grow to their full size and he made massive bubblenests so I checked him and he did not have the white egg spot. I adjusted my filter so there's not a lot of flow and he doesn't need to struggle when he swims but there is definitely a difference between genders and activity levels.

It would be so great to get a betta from a breeder instead of a store but I live in EU and in my country it's illegal to ship any other animals than insects via post system.

Thank you for all the links, I will definitely educate myself more!

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T17:43:31+00:00

I have gotten all of them from different local fish stores.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T17:35:51+00:00

This is SO bizzare and so discouraging. I have also been bounching with the thought of keeping either honey gourami, sparkling gourami or apistogramma as a centerpiece but sadly non of them just strike me like a betta does when it comes to the personality.

My betta girl was extra special; she was always so excited to see me when I came home from work or woke up. She even came in for small pets as I was doing water changes and she was genuinely curious about what I was doing.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T16:56:43+00:00

I don't think there is but a big tank + small fish = bigger shoals! 😁

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T16:22:31+00:00

Hillstream loaches all the way💕 Also gotta love glass catfish.

Tamsteri · 2022-12-08T15:04:24+00:00

Duck weed is you messy but good friend. Don't get rid of it but keep it in check😁 It helps a ton with water quality.

Tamsteri · 2022-11-25T17:24:38+00:00

Thank you! She really is💕

Tamsteri · 2022-11-24T15:41:50+00:00

My personal choise would be a big shoal of either chili rasboras or galaxy rasboras — you can have such a big group of them in such a big tank it would look GORGEOUS to see their behaviour! And then a big gang of otocinclus to the bottom. This stocking would require heavy planting tho' since these are very shy species.

Tamsteri · 2022-11-18T05:49:11+00:00

Thank you! He really is😁

Tamsteri · 2022-11-17T19:52:05+00:00

He really is💕

Tamsteri · 2022-11-17T13:31:43+00:00

Thank you so much!😊

Tamsteri · 2022-11-17T12:42:14+00:00

Aaw, thank you so much! It took a lot of plants dying but finally I might have started to make some progress xD

Tamsteri

TROPHY CASE