i dont want my bettas to die!

[RogueCheddar]

i bought two females today with one tank. i installed the tank and everything, but it says i need to wait 48 hours before i can put the fish in. Right now they are chilling in the tiny bottles that they came in. Are they going to last two days in there or is there something else i can do? do i really have to wait 2 days or can i put them in sooner? thanks!

[emc7]

If you use water conditioner (dechlor) and rinsed the tank before use and the temperature is reasonable, you can put them in the tank. You can also keep them in the tiny bottles, but use must change the water everyday (put the betta in clean, dechlored, same-temp water in a glass, replace the water and move the betta back)

[RogueCheddar]

i conditioned the water and rinsed it out with hot water beforehand. im not sure what temperature the water is, i got them at petsmart and they didn't say anything about temperature, however there is a light bulb on top of the tank that has been on for a couple of hours. (im not sure if the water is supposed to be warm or cool)

also, i'm in a dorm and don't have a thermometer, so i can't check the temperature exactly. i could stick my finger in and estimate, but will that contaminate the water? i also don't have a net for moving the fish in and out of the tank (i will get one ASAP) but until then is it a big problem if i use like, a metal spoon to transfer them, or even pick them up?


i know i probably sound like a jackass but i know absolutely nothing about caring for a fish. i would like to learn to do the best job possible though, so thanks for the help.

[emc7]

Don't use metal, use a plastic ladle, measuring cup, something like that, or even your clean hands. Yes, you can stick your finger in the tank to check temp. Its not good practice but we all do it. Just wash hands first and rinse extremely well. What temp it is it is not as important as that the temp is very close to temp the fish is in now (slightly warmer is ok, cooler is not). If the tank is noticeably different, float the fish in its cup until the temps match. If your room gets cold at night and the pump and light on the tank don't keep it warm or if you plan on leaving the fish there during break (dorms turn off the heat), go buy a heater, too (I'd guess you have a few months), or you may face ich later on.

[RogueCheddar]

so i guess im going to get a thermometer to monitor the temperature. i don't plan to leave the light on all night though, so that may affect the temperature. im in boston, so its going to start getting very cold here soon, and the tank is by a window. so ill be getting a heater too. its a small tank though, so i guess ill get a heater that goes underneath or something. thanks for your help!

just thought of something else, should i leave the light on all the time or is it ok to turn it off when im sleeping?

[RogueCheddar]

well theyre in the tank but they seem to be acting strangely. they are moving quickly along the perimeter and continuously putting their mouths on the glass, as if trying to inhale the oxygen bubbles located there. are they going to suffocate or am i just being paranoid?

the blue one's gills are turning red, i dont remember if they were like that before, or if it is a bad sign.

[Steve155]

just some advice: the tank should be out of direct sunlight. i am unsure why but that is what i have been told many times.

[RogueCheddar]

thanks ill remember that. it's morning, and theyre still alive, so im going to assume that everything is peachy right now. thanks for all the help

[Sowilu]

Originally Posted by Steve155

just some advice: the tank should be out of direct sunlight. i am unsure why but that is what i have been told many times.

I think its because of algae. You tend to get alot (I believe) with direct sunlight.

[Buggy]

Keeping it out of direct sunlight is to prevent temp fluxuations and help control algae.
BTW, what kind of water conditioner are you using and how big is the tank/bowl?

[RogueCheddar]

the tank is 2 gallons and i used a bit of the stuff that came with it. not sure what it was because it came with enough for thirty gallons or so, so i threw it out after using about 1/5th of a tablespoon.

for future water changes / etc i have bowl buddies fizz tabs, which i was instructed to use every two months when i change the water.

will it do any harm if i use it more often though? and do the fish have to be out of the tank before i drop the tablet in?

[Kyoberr]

I think they will be fine, but this will be a stressful time. I would think if it didn't work, then they wouldn't tell you to do it (I hope).

[Glitch]

I would leave the bettas in their cups until you can either get them a larger tank or their own individual bowls. The 2 gallon would be fine for one of them, but definitely not both. Generally to keep multiple female bettas you'll need at least four, but the more the better to a reasonable extent; This is to disperse the aggression. So you would also need at least a 10 gallon tank.
As for water changes, I'd do one 25% water change every week at the very least. The new water should be dechlorinated before it is added to the tank.

[RogueCheddar]

what do i use to remove 25% of the water?

and as far as a bigger tank goes, i was told the females wouldn't fight, and they seem to have plenty of room to move around. i made sure to get two small ones. (i think they're friends though it's hard for a noob like me to read fishy behavior)

[Glitch]

The easiest way to remove the water is with a siphon.

A two gallon is much too small for two bettas not only due to territorial needs, but water quality as well.

[RogueCheddar]

there are a lot of bubbles floating on the surface of the water. i might have put in too much water conditioner, but the fish seem fine.

i have top fin 7 day betta food tablets, but if i leave for a month (like christmas break), is it ok to put four of those tablets in, or will they eat them too fast and then starve?

[Willow]

If you're going somewhere for a whole month, you'll need to transport your fishies, either take them with you, or to a local friend's house where they can be fed and their water changed. You can transport them in their regular tank----just drain about half of the water so it won't slosh. They simply can't stay alone for an entire month if you want them to be alive when you get back. The vacation feeders are designed to dissolve after a week, so even if you put 4 in there, they'd still all dissolve in a week, and then you'd have 4 times the proper amount of food fouling the water, which would actually kill them faster than lack of food would. If you don't know anybody who could take care of them, maybe the receptionist at a vet's office boarding kennel, or even an animal shelter could watch them (I've seen small Betta tanks sitting on the receptionist's desks at these places). But they just can't be left alone for a month.

You'll have to watch the 2 females very carefully. Sometimes the females are just as bad as the males when it comes to being territorial. They can usually live together in large tanks, where they can each stake out some territory, but 2 gallons is a bit small for that. But then sometimes females can get along even in tight quarters. It depends on their personalities. So just keep an eye out, you may have to get separate tanks for them. But since the tank is so small, if they're kept together, you'll have to do a lot of water changes to keep the water quality high.

[RogueCheddar]

i have been keeping a close eye on them and they havn't fought at all. they seem to just be curious and even playful with each other. i realize that ill have to find someone to take care of them over break.

[Willow]

They're probably young right now and therefore not very territorial, but that could change with time, and at any time. You'll just have to be aware of that and keep an eye on the situation for as long as you have them. They could be fine together for the rest of their lives, or someday they may decide to kill each other. Just something to watch for.

[anasfire23]

I don't mean to stress you out but watch for any kind of male behaviour. On more than one occasion I've bought 'female' bettas that have ended up being short tailed males and I even got one to breed! Many chain stores don't know how to sex their juvenile bettas properly and just put any Betta with short fins in the female tank assuming it's female, this isn't always the case. Females will squabble amongst themselves to establish a pecking order, once the alpha female is established she will swim around trying to 'frighten' the others into submission but won't necessarily harm them.

If they are making bubbles at the surface of the water this is a good sign, it means they are happy and want to spawn, just like it does when males do it. Some females will even expel eggs and put them in the nest even though they are not fertilised! Sounds like you are enjoying them and are trying to be responsible Betta owner, which is more than some do! Good job!


Good luck with them!