Betta's right for be?

[SugarPlum]

..Sorry to start go as an annoying newbie. But I think bettas are just so pretty, so I had to ask some questions to see it I would be a good mom. And I know there tons of material to read, but I rather info from ppl who really know what they are talking about because they have pet bettas.
So...
1. About how much is it to got started?
2. What else do you need aside from a (..I was thinking 10 gal) tank, lights, (just saw the gravel post, so ;)..) marbles or rocks, filter, and plants (are really ok?)?
3. What other fish can be kept with bettas, without any chance of trouble?
4. Is there any good breeders/rescuers in New York City?
5. And what food is best?
6. I am I missing anything??

Thanks for the help! ;D

..Sorry to the mods, I wasn't sure were this should go, so I put it in Chit Chat and non-urgent betta, hope you don't mind...#nosmileys

[SDRoach]

You can buy a Bettas at most pet stores for $2.50-$3.50. If you buy good stock from a breeder they could run $10-$100 a Betta.

I have both of my males in a 2.5 gallon tank by themselves. Each of their tanks has a small Whisper filter I got at Wal-mart for $10, 2 fake silk plants, a glass lid, a stick on temp strip, and some gravel. I bought the tanks from Petsmart for $9.99 with the lid. They do not have a heater because their temps stay between 78-82.

I have 5 female Bettas and 3 glo-lite Tetras in a 20 gallon tank with 2 filters, a heater, a flourecent light strip, bubble curtain, 3 caves, 2 silk plants, some large river stones, a stick on temp strip, and some live micro sword. I bought their whole set-up at Pets mart.

You can keep cory cats with Bettas. The tetras gave my 1st male some major fin damage, but seem to be ok with the females since the Tetras are out numbered LOL.

A good variety of quality food is best for the Bettas. Mine are fed twice a day. I give them Betta Bites at one meal and BettaMin Tropical Medley for the other meal. I also give them a treat 2-3 times a week which (for me) replaces one of their meals. For the treats I alternate between freeze-dried bloodworms and freeze-dried plankton. For the treat I try to give 2-4 pieces to each one.

To find some good breeders in your area, you should check out IBCBettas.com. You can join their group or just find information on local chapters/breeders in your area. Their web-site has lots of info.

Another GREAT forum to check out is bettaaddicts.com. They have lots of info for newbies.

You also need to have some Stress Coat or Splendid Betta Complete Water Conditioner on hand for water changes. Also buy a small thing of Aquarium (NOT TABLE SALT) salt to use in case of injury or sickness. Some good meds to also have are Aquai-sol, Melafix( Heals tail & fin rot, Speeds fin regrowth, Stops mouth fungus, and Treats eye cloud) and something for fungus such as Jungle Fungus Eliminator.

If you have any more questions that no one answers, feel free to e-mail me at:
[e-mail]

Good Luck!
Shelia

[SugarPlum]

Thanks Shelia!... I have one little question- would the corys eat the same things as the betta?..I am going to save your email if you don't mind, if I need it later..Thanks again

[SugarPlum]

oh and since you have a filter in the girls tank...if I have a filter and cory(s) (or some fish to clean the bottom) do I still need to change the water? Thanks again...

[SDRoach]

Even with a filter, you will still need to change about 25% of the water and suck any gunk off the bottom that the corys miss about every 7-10 days.

You also need to read up on what they call "new tank syndrome" also known as cycling a tank. You can find good info on it at www.aquahobby.com/tips/fishless.html

Also go to www.petfish.net and read "Guide to starting and aquarium part 1 & 2 in the General Articles Heading. They also have some good advice in their Betta Section.

Cory cats will eat the same things as Bettas as long as it sinks to the bottom. They make pellets that sink and slow sinking ones.

I hope this helps. You can e-mail me anytime.

[SugarPlum]

WOW! Those are great sites..I'd have dead fish without them, or ones with burning gills ...[glow=teal,2,300]Thanks so much![/glow]

....Now I think its time to find a place to get a crown or half moon betta, where ever them maybe...Or maybe the bottom feeders first..hehe and set-up the tank

[SDRoach]

A good place to get Bettas is on Aquabid.com. I buy from a nice seller there. Here aquabid name is Aquadream. She has some up for sale their now. I can give you her e-mail address if you e-mail me.

If you don't plan on breeding to start with, I have another person you can get nice Bettas from.

I would suggest going to get the cory cats 1st and using them to cycle your tank. You can also buy a product called Stress Zyme that will help jump start your cycle.

E-mail me with the details of what kind and size of tank you will be getting, ect and I can help you more that way. It is better than taking up space on the forum.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Shelia

[SugarPlum]

...Ok I emailed you with all the details I have so far..well at least as far as the betta itself goes..

[ana]

i keep my bettas in gallon tanks with no tank mates but they each have a betta friend next to them, bettas tend to not like water movement so many of us dont use aquariums, they dont need a filter either and like to be in a tank alone as long as they have lots to see

i use pellets only and never give treat food, treat foods such as bloodworms can cause the fish to get an illness called swim bladder disorder. food can be a contentious issue among betta owners, some believe that they need other foods besides pellets, some do not. i have 9 bettas who have nothing else and are very happy and healthy. some treat foods can also carry parasites, so never using fresh ones is a good idea. treats are recommended to be given never more often than once a week

bettas like to have clean water and warm temperatures. i use a hagen thermometer that goes inside the tank so that my readings are exact, they can be very picky about the temp of their water

plants should be very safe for their fins, nothing that can catch on them, their fins will tear

i prefer gravel, the kind of tanks i use have a sort of built in colander for cleaning so gravel is handy. i also kind of cringe at the thought of anything but the thermometer, which sticks to the tank and never moves except when removed during cleaning, in their tanks

if i were starting over i would buy some medications at the time i buy my betta. melafix, aquarisol, maroxy and maracyn and maracyn 2 would be my absolute gotta-have-ems

if you have an aquarium and corys you still have to clean the tank, vacuuming the gravel, partial water changes to remove waste and buildups

placos and corys would both be safe but i found that my bettas who are all males, prefer to have no one else in their water

its probably a good idea to start with a veil tail, you can get them at most pet stores. and i would recommend a one to two gallon tank for a first guy, heck, i do for them all

[ana]

i imagine that what youve seen are males, if youre getting females an aquarium setup is good, but if males then full water changes in a smaller tank is better

and you shouldnt cycle a tank that is less than 5 gallons in size

[SugarPlum]

Thanks Ana,
I'll stay away from live food treats, with that in mind.
I was planning on doing a fishless cycle, and getting a 5 gal. I've seen both males and females. And at first I was thinking about getting a CT or HM male with some bottom feeder and maybe a few tiny timid fish with lve plants.
I have some questions about females now, so I think I will start a new tread for that. Like how many you are have in a 5 gal comfortably and if there are any that have big finage??
Either way I have a bit to research before starting my tank.

Thanks again!

[ana]

you're welcome, let us know how it goes