Follow-Up, regarding Maximus the Betta 10/20/2009 Two photos of Maximus are attached. In both he is prowling his holding-jar; in one of them the lower-portion of his aquarium can be seen in the background... now being "cycled" by eight Minnows. ....Michael, proud sponsor of Maximus the Betta. <Glad to see your Betta is feeling happier and healthier. I'm sure he's looking forward to moving to his new aquarium. Do remember you can use filter media from an established tank to quickly cycle a new tank. Moving water between tanks is pointless, but moving filter media dramatically speeds up the cycle. Cheers, Neale.>

And This Month's Award Goes to.... Betta sys. - 10/21/2006
Hi Gang, I just realized it has been some time since I received your help and just wanted to reply with thanks. Your site is the first place I look when I have questions, and it continues to guide me through this sometimes very confusing (and rewarding) hobby. I also love that you demand correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation :)   
Anyway, I ended up trying all of your suggestions. I threw out my old conditioners and switched to Stress Coat, and eventually Prime, with the same result. I also thoroughly cleaned out my litter box (even though it wasn't all that dirty) - but I wanted to make sure. But perhaps I just have dirty fish. *shrugs*   
What I ended up doing was making a bit of an investment. I purchased four 5.5 gallon glass tanks, and hooked up four sponge filters to one air pump (to cut down on plug-usage). A four-way gang valve also allows me to turn down the current so the boys are able to swim comfortably. I have two of these tanks side by side on two different shelves, and one strip light running across each set of tanks. I'm in the process of planting them, too, and with the help of a little BioSpira, my boys now all live in ammonia-free, completely cycled water. I'm quite happy using sponge filters, and still vacuum the gravel about every two weeks, but it's a lot less work than before. The boys are thriving, and love having all that room to stretch their fins! It's amazing how NOT lethargic Bettas are when they are allowed to move. (I know I could have divided a tank or two to make it cheaper, but I would probably always worry about escapes, disease, and water-flow.) Anyway, sorry this was long! You guys are awesome, thanks for all your good work. Have a great day!
Shannon
<Wow! Nice set up! You get my 'Betta God/Goddess Award' this month! And yes, sponge filters are great at bio filtration. Only one suggestion that you may have already taken care of. Put a solid divider between the tanks so they can not see each other. They will flair at each other all day long which causes stress. Don>

Betta article  07/02/05
Just read your article in Pet Age.
<An industry periodical>
Just wanted to tell you great job.
Schuyler Sloane (Mr. sky)
Founder and president of The Northeast Philadelphia Aquarium Society
Visit us on the web @ www.phillyfishclub.com
<Thank you for this... Want to impart my thanks to the editor there... We had a "misunderstanding" or better, lack of understanding re the content of this piece... This series is more "pro" toward advertisers, extant products... But I am adverse <<or rather averse... >> to promoting poor practices, products and techniques that are harmful or just non-beneficial to our aquatic charges. In this case, the little death traps which are unfiltered, unheated "bowls" for Bettas mainly. To her credit and perseverance, the article was not tossed... or much modified. Bob Fenner>

Dual Betta Tanks 8/29/05
Hi, great site. I currently own a red male Betta named Fuego. In the next few months, I would like to purchase a 10 gallon tank and add a partition in. On one side, I will house Fuego, and some other tank mates and a plant or two. On the other side, I would like to purchase another male Betta and create a similar system.
Will having the two male Bettas close to each other cause stress and problems for either one?
<To an extent, yes... shouldn't be in constant visual access... can try, separate if/when this appears to have become too much>
I've seen the dual tanks for Bettas but they seem too small, which is why I'm planning on the 10g.
<Much better>
My desire isn't to have them see each other, just to have the two tanks connected and side by side. Maybe I should get an opaque partition?
<Ah! Yes, great idea>
I haven't looked into partitions so I'm not sure what's available.
<There are darkened glass and acrylic>
Any input is appreciated.
Best,
Alex
<Bob Fenner>

Betta splendens
Bob, I just received a Betta as a gift from a neighbor. I really don't want to maintain this fish in its own tank if I can help it. Do you think it would survive in the fireplace tank with the Kissing Gourami and the Loaches?
<Mmm, yes... most likely... or if push comes to proverbial shove you can arrange something like a glass cylinder (hurricane lamp covers work great here) to keep it separated... Two things to look/out for... that it's not getting too bugged by other fishes, and that it's getting enough to eat... In your care I think it will do fine. Bob Fenner>
How about the small tank with three guppies and a butterfly Goby or Goby?.
<Mmm, better in your main tank... Betta's go after male guppy tails... and for certain eat all young.>
Thanks!

Wild Betta's living quarters
I am confused on this subject.  Two pet store owners have told me that Bettas come from very small muddy pockets of water and may be kept in very confined containers. I just read on several different web sites that they need plenty of room to move around.  Who is right?
<Mmm, actually both. The original Bettas (splendens) do hail from muddy bodies of water... and do possess an ancillary aerial breathing apparatus (the labyrinth organ) to "breath from the air". The recommended larger space is mainly for stability (larger bodies of water stay physically, chemically the same longer... given over-feeding, pollution from same, vacillating room temperature...). Though male Bettas (females are raised in tanks together) are grown out in less than liter volumes, they are best kept in larger quarters>
  It does seem sad that Wal-Mart has them in those extremely small cups all of the time.  Is it cruel to keep them in such cramped quarters?
<Not so much cruel (as the store temperature is kept warm, constant, and am sure that they have excellent programs for (temporary) maintenance... this is the prudent method of displaying, holding, selling these animals... and Betta's are toward the far end of "unawareness" as fishes go... not seemingly mal-affected. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Dianne All

Can a Betta live in a vase with a plant at the top?
My wife just put our Betta in a big clear vase with some fancy clear marbles in the bottom and some kind of bare root plant at the top.  there's a cover over the top of the vase with a whole in it for the plant's roots to be in the water, and some more of the marbles around the edge of this cover...Can our beta live like this?
<These vases are sold all over the place and I have seen Bettas live quite a long time in there provided you keep the water clean and he's fed well.?
It looks like he wants to get to the top, but the roots are in the way.
<make sure the Betta can get to the surface of the water!  If there is no airspace in the vase then your Betta will not be able to get the air it needs.  Bettas are one of those few fish that can "drown" in the water.  They are air breathers, and need to be able to get air from the surface.  So, make sure that you give it some room to get to the surface.>
It's nice and artistic-looking, but I am concerned for the fish.
<They can be very pretty, but I still like seeing my Bettas in tanks with filters.  Mine are all happy, and I worry much less. -Magnus>

Betta Fanatic Needs Advice
Okay...I am a Betta fanatic!  It all started with my Dad's girlfriend, who is also a Betta lover (she has had her for three years!), told me about a purple and black Betta she saw.  Apparently the little bugger cost the owner $200.  I couldn't believe it so I did a little search on the Internet and the next thing I know is that I found myself wanting a just not a purple Betta but a half moon purple Betta.  Well, I found one and bought it and yes it was quite pricy.
So now that I have invested in Mr. Purple Price, I must make sure he is happy in his new home or my
investment will go down the toilet (literally).
So my question is this...what is the best aquarium setup for a Betta?  I already have one in a tank.  He
is Mr. Blue Buck.  I bought him for $3 at Wal-Mart.  He is a lovely little thing but quite shy. He hides when
he see me coming; otherwise he is pretty healthy!
Anyway, he is in a 2.5 MiniBow with a Penguin Mini Power filter.  The light keeps the temp around 80
degrees.  During the night when I turn it off it fall to about 75 degrees.  The filter seems to circulate the water too much so I turn it on for 30 minutes once a day to clean the water and exercise Mr. Blue Buck.  
For Mr. Purple Price, I was thinking about buying another MiniBow but this time a 5 gallon.  But then I
ran across Marineland's Eclipse systems with the built in power filters in the lid.  I was think about buying
a 3 or a 6 gallon one.  But then I started to think about buying a 10 gallon tank and dividing it up into
5 gallons with a Plexi glass divider (with holes for water circulation, of course) and keeping both Bettas
in the same tank.  So I did a little more internet research on the topic and now I don't know what to think. Can you give me advice on how to create the perfect environment for not only the Mr. Purple Price but also
Mr. Blue Buck?  Am I at least on the right track?  
Thanks for your help, Kathryn, Alaska USA
<<Dear Kathryn, congrats on the new Betta addiction! Aren't they great little fish? I have always loved these, the way their little bodies move, the long, flowing fins...these are truly gorgeous fish. Anyway, you are on the right track with the small tanks. I have found that they prefer small quarters (not TOO small, though) since, in large tanks, they tend to hide due to the fact that most of these fish are being bred and raised in small tanks and are not at all used to large tanks, they seem to lose their confidence and hide all the time. I suppose they feel too vulnerable in large tanks. I would probably go no larger than a 20g, depends on the fish though. Some are bigger wusses than others...:)
I am ambiguous on the whole two-Bettas-in-one-tank thing...they do flare and look pretty when kept together with a clear separator, but the constant presence of another male can be stressful to them, so excellent water quality and good foods must be given to make up for that stress. Too much stress from too many things will cause them to become ill more often. The trick to keeping any fish healthy is to minimize as much of the stress as possible. Hence, keeping them separate reduces their stress, keeping their water clean reduces their stress, etc. So, you may draw your own conclusions and act accordingly. Best of luck with your new pets! -Gwen>>

We Got a Jumper!
Hi Don, Here I am again, begging for your help with another Betta. My neighbor asked me to watch his male Betta (named Mattie)  for a few days. He arrived in a bowl without a cover (I know - bad idea, but you can't tell other people what to do). I put him under the same covered glass terrarium that my Betta lives in (separate bowls of course).  I have cats and the glass cover keeps them safe. There is a string of white Christmas lights around the base of the terrarium that keeps the water warm and at a steady temperature. My Betta, Ian, is thriving in that environment.
<Read ahead, so I know what's coming. If they could see each other this is a little risky. Some are so aggressive the will jump out in an attempt to get at the other. Even if covered the stress is not good>
Well, I  guess you know what's coming ....  I got a phone call and was out of the room for about 30 minutes. When I came back and went over to check Mattie, he was not in his bowl. I found him on the bottom of the terrarium, under the  lights and he was pretty much shriveled and dry. I quickly put him in some clean water with a bit of aquarium salt and water conditioner in it and he came back to life right away. He swam around for awhile and appeared to re-hydrate. But now he is either hanging head up, tail down and the top of his bowl, or lying pretty much motionless on the bottom of his bowl. BTW - I covered the bowl with some Press and Seal with a lot of holes punched in it and put Mattie up on a high shelf behind some plants where hopefully the cats (the Bengal's in particular) cannot see him. Is there anything you can suggest to improve this poor little guy's chances of survival?  As you can imagine I feel just awful about this.  I called my neighbor to tell him what happened, and he feels that Mattie was upset by the lights. He has no previous history of jumping. Perhaps he was upset by Ian being near him in the other bowl. I did not think it would be a problem because last week I had another neighbor's Betta in the terrarium with Ian and they were happy as anything.  I jut feel terrible about this. I want to wish you and your family a very happy holiday season. <Same to you and yours> Thank you so very much for your help. Jaime P.S.  On a happier note, my Ian is really doing well. He eats from my finger now and happily swims around his new large bowl all day and blows lots bubbles. He was kind of a scrappy looking fish when I got him but he is filling out beautifully now.
<Great to hear about Ian. Hope you have him for many years. As for the jumper. This is a problem. Most other species would have died. Bettas can take O2 from the air as long as the gills are moist, so we got lucky there. But his skin and fins drying out is of great concern. That tissue is dead. This opens him up to infections. But as stressed and weak as he is, a strong med is out of the question. Try a few drops of Methylene Blue. Most pet stores will carry this. It helps kill fungus and is gentle enough to use on eggs and fry. It will also raise the O2 in the water helping the gills. An airstone would also help. Keep the water clean and warm and cross your fingers. But I have to say, I don't think his chances are good. Sorry. Don>     

Betta Set-up
Hey All!!!
<Hello Megan!>
I'm in the process of setting up a fish tank for my younger sister (I'm downsizing and don't have the room in my apartment for it!).  For years she has wanted a Betta, so we thought that at this point she was old enough.  I used to breed Bettas, but it's been so many years, that I've forgotten what the best setup would be for the tank.  Right now, we have an 8 mo old completely cycled 10 gallon glass tank (my old tank) with a dinky little in-tank filter.  Their water comes out of the tap with a very very very high nitrate level (they're on well water).  So, instead of putting plastic plants in there, I'll be putting in Anacharis and Java Moss to help control the nitrate level (she'll also be doing weekly H2O changes).
<Sounds good>
  Since this will be a community tank of sorts, I told her to put the Betta in last because if my memory serves me correctly, if the other fishes territories have been established it'll, hopefully, help to keep the hostility down in the tank.
<Yes... as long as the other fishes aren't slow, have long, flowing fins (like fancy male guppies) or too fast and nippy towards the Betta (e.g. Tiger Barbs)>
  I want to put two Otos in the tank along with the Betta.  She's also curious as to what else is compatible.  I'm not real sure as to who would and wouldn't be fin nippers and such.  
<Much else... small/er barbs, Danios, Gouramis, catfishes... Do make sure and add a heater (remember, they're all tropicals), and leave the water level down a few inches if you don't have a top... to prevent jumping! Bob Fenner>
Any help would be great!
Thanks guys!!!
Megan

Betta in a Pickle (jar)
Hi Crew, I was at a friends house and I noticed his Betta had a tiny white cotton growth on his right pectoral fin only. The Betta is eating, swims and looks health. The Betta is kept in a 2 litre jar (approx. half gallon), and the water is changed (100%) once a week at a temperature of approx. 70c. We did a complete water change and added some aquarium salt. What can it be? What my have caused it? Is there anything more he should be doing? (Example: change the water more frequently, add some medication) Your insight would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mario D.
<Hi Mario, Don here. My first suggestion is a 2.5 to 5 gallon tank with a heater and sponge filter. This sounds like a fungus that appears when fish are kept in less than ideal conditions. Like a half gallon jar at 70 degrees. Bettas are tropical fish and need a steady temp in the high 70s, up to 80. What you have done so far is correct; A water change and salt. However I would only change about 50%, siphoning from the bottom, twice as often. Daily until the fungus clears. Mix the salt in the replacement water before adding it to the tank. Be careful not to let the concentration rise. But I'm afraid these problems will continue until a better home is provided>