Caring for shipped fish

[dana]

Hello! I am a somewhat new convert to the wonderful world of bettas, and I am HOOKED! I have read nearly every post on these forums, and need to ask a question I did NOT see addressed before.

I purchased a fish via aquabid, and the little beauty arrived today. He looks - to my beginner's eye - to be VERY healthy, spunky, and energetic. I have a 2-gallon tank arriving TOMORROW (didn't QUITE guess correctly on the shipping timelines, but hey...).

When he arrived, I gently unpacked him, and floated him in his wee bag for about 15 mins. Then I put him (and his shipping water) into the bowl. The water has been treated with standard water conditioner (to quantity) and I added a few drops of betta fix. I allowed the water to "relax" for about a half hour before putting him in it -- so that the bubbles could disapate (my FIRST betta had to endure the discomfort and embarrassment of being COVERED in microbubbles because I DIDN'T do this! I'm learning!)

Currently, he is a a 2-qt glass bowl, and he SEEMS to be pretty non-stressed. He is swimmimg around, exploring the bowl. (He has proven his obvious superiority over the stapler which was on the desk next to his bowl -- that baby is totally intimidated by my new guy and the stapler is now cowering in terror on the OTHER side of my desk.

I placed his bowl under a 40W desk lamp, and the temp is stable.

He has eaten the TWO betta kibbles I offered, but that's all he's getting for now as I was told to give him ONLY that for the first day, to give him a few calories to help with transition, and then, after two ro three days, take him up to 4 per meal, twice a day. Do you concur?

He alternates between swimming at a "normal" pace, exploring, and resting, either on the bottom or on a leaf of a silk plant. While resting, his fins are relaxed. While swimming, they are SLIGHTLY more extended. He put on a VERY impressive show for that stupid stapler, I tell you what! ;D

What else can I/should I be doing to help him recover from the stress of being shipped in a tiny bag? My plan is to simply let him BE for a few days, making sure that his water stays warm (I have a 25W for his new home) and clean. Once his new tank arrives, I'll get him transferred into that. But I could certainly use any advice you folks can offer.

I have absolutely FALLEN for the bettas! They are so BEAUTIFUL and interesting. Why, oh why, did it take me 43 years to discover these beauties??? I pride myself on being a responsible pet owner, and I want to do what is best for my new boy.

Thanks folks. I'm proud to be a part of the community.

[Rachel]

dana said:

I have absolutely FALLEN for the bettas! They are so BEAUTIFUL and interesting. Why, oh why, did it take me 43 years to discover these beauties??? I pride myself on being a responsible pet owner, and I want to do what is best for my new boy.

Hello and welcome to Healthy Betta! I apologize that no one has answered your post until now. It sounds like you'll be a great betta keeper!

How is your new betta doing? Does he have a name yet?

The care for shipped fish is essentially the same as any betta. As you suggested, you want to give them a week to settle in with little disturbances, while you examine their behavior and check for illness, etc. Keeping their water clean and at a stable, warm temperature is always important -- to help them settle in and stay healthy.

One thing to keep in mind with fish coming directly from a breeder is the water chemistry (well, this is always important). Halfmoons, crowntails, and fancier tail types are more sensitive to water conditions. Most breeders keep a neutral pH (7.0) to raise their fish in, which is ideal for bettas. This is something to consider when bringing the fish into your water. Changing the pH of the water a fish lives in dramatically isn't ideal and if done, it should be a gradual change.

Also, just to keep in mind for next time, a longer acclimation period from the bag to his tank would be beneficial. Removing a bit of water from the bag and adding some of your tank water multiple times for a few hours while he floats in it would be a good idea. If you see those bubbles in his tank after a water change, try to stir the water around a bit to get them to outgas before putting the fish in there or let the water sit out for a bit longer.

Here are a few betta basics that I'd recommend for anyone:
*25 watt heater for the new tank
*thermometer for inside the tank (bettas should be kept at 78-80 degrees F)
*pH test kit
*ammonia test kit (this will help you determine when it's appropriate to do water changes. You never want to get an ammonia reading from his tank, so ideally you should schedule water changes before you detect a reading).

Feel free to ask if you have more questions or if I didn't answer them thoroughly enough. I also recommend checking out the HB Homepage and other posts at the forum as this is just a brief overview! Welcome to betta keeping. It sounds like you're already hooked .

[dana]

And sorry for my slow reply! Life got busy and I didn't check back!

Yes - he has arrived and he is a DELIGHT -- so much fun! Very active, and social, and he will actually take food off of my fingertip! He is a bubblenest-blowing fool; makes me sad to destroy his creations when it comes time for a complete water change...



Everyone, please welcome "Southern Comfort" -- so named as he came to me from Texas, and he made himself RIGHT at home immediately -- so he became "Comfy." (The other fish he shares my desk with is named Cozcatl, or "Cozy" so now his name makes a bit more sense -- "my fish are comfy and cozy" is a the big joke with the neighbor kids!)


He loves to sleep headfirst in his soft, gelatin gravel...and he's a big fan of swimming through it. He's FUN. I used to think that oscars were the most interesting fish...no longer.

So thanks for all the info. When I get my NEXT betta baby shipped in (which won't be long, I suspect!), I now have a great resource for some skilled TLC for the new arrival.