You Betta believe I need help

[16Chickens Keeper]

So I am completely new to having Betta fish, because for Christmas I got an aquaponics tank. That requires me to have a Betta (or any other fish but I chose to use Bettas). So yesterday I bought well my dad bought me a female Betta and today I got another Betta fish (koi), at best there about seven weeks old And have so far been getting along. Currently there in a 3 gallon fish tank which I know some people will say that is too small for them because when they get bigger they will need more room because they get territorial and I understand that, and don’t plan on keeping them in that small tank. And will be upgrading by hopefully come spring, but I did have a few questions that the Overseer of the fish department in the store was not able to answer and turned here.

What type of flooring would I need to use currently I am using gravel would I need to add some sand?

Besides other female bettas what other fish would I be able to add in I heard Neon Tetras and Cory cats are ideal is it true?

Also lately my tank water has for some reason frequently become slightly opaque and I’ve had to frequently change it, what could be the problem?

Also is it common for Bettas during the night to stay in one place because I’ve been noticing that my betta Jem has been doing it and whenever I turn on the light she “unfreezes”

And the last does anyone know what my betta could be I got her in container labeled assorted females ? She has a blue body and pink/red fins?

Thank you to anyone who answers any of these questions I know I could do online research but I find it best to get advice and feedback from owners themselves because they have more experience than someone who is simply writing about it in an article. I’ll post some pictures of the fish and tank. Also I tried to post avideo but it was too large at best in my words she will “ hover” in the air almost not moving then when I turn on the back light she begins to move ( this occurs near and into the night)

Here’s my Aquaponic tank

Here is the Koi Betta I named her Jem from To Kill A Mockingbird.

Here’s Scout also a character in To Kill A Mockingbird.

 

[scrambled please]

It looks like a regular Betta, I’ve bought fancies before. I found live plant helped murky water, this is my experience, I’ve had a few over the years. Oh, the setting still, hovering is very normal, mine seemed to stay in a 3-6 area all the time, once I added other fish.
You don’t need to buy plants, I used to place them in the top of a much smaller tank, the betta would hang around in the roots. Berta’s don’t need much room, but mine set a territory in my bigger tank. I didn’t need a filter with the plants, a filter would help with the water.
Are you feeding more then a few of the pellets, to much food will cause the water to do that. Good luck and God bless.
I can’t fix the type errors, way too much work with this app.

 

[Criticalicious]

Most likely you have new tank syndrome. Have you tested the water pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Your tank needs to cycle - that's why it's cloudy. Frequent water changes will help, but you may lose your fish.

Rule of thumb is 1" fish per gallon of water. I would not add any more fish to this tiny setup, especially not corys as they get large. Female bettas should get along with each other just fine.

Gravel is nice, you shouldn't need to add sand unless you prefer the way it looks.

 

[PirateGirl]

What type of flooring would I need to use currently I am using gravel would I need to add some sand?

I would not recommend adding sand, because of the size of the gravel it allows waste to filter/settle down nicely where it can be siphoned out if needed. Siphoning and cleaning of a tank is generally needed in early days, but the longer it is established the better your ecosystem gets and it will become more self sufficient in terms of breaking down waste and adding nutrients back into the water. New tanks may need cleaning as often as once a week, whereas established tanks may only need it annually. It's like a compost pile, the longer it's going, the less work it becomes and the more efficiently the waste breaks down.

Besides other female bettas what other fish would I be able to add in I heard Neon Tetras and Cory cats are ideal is it true?

Bettas are unique in that they come up to the surface to breath air, also they prefer shallow waters as their flowing fins are cumbersome (in the wild they live in rice fields). They really do best with other bettas, but no so much other kinds of fish. They do come in a wide variety of colors and I'd probably just stick to that.

Also you should not add any sort of catfish or bottom feeder to a tank until it's well established, at least 6 month in.

Also lately my tank water has for some reason frequently become slightly opaque and I’ve had to frequently change it, what could be the problem?

You need to break this cycle. If you are using tap water and it is city/town water (chlorinated) be sure to let your new water sit out at least 24 hours at room temperature for chlorine to dissipate and temperature to equalize. When you do a water change you should try not to change more than 50% of the water in a new tank. The bad stuff sits at the bottom of the tank and the good water is at the top, so you ideally either need to siphon out the bottom 50% of the water (sucking the gunk out of the gravel), or if you cannot do this, pour off the top 50% and save it and discard the bottom half (putting the top half of the water and the fresh water that's been sitting out back into the tank). Do not do this more than once a week.

Also is it common for Bettas during the night to stay in one place because I’ve been noticing that my betta Jem has been doing it and whenever I turn on the light she “unfreezes”

Yes. Bettas will often just sort of hover in a spot for awhile.



Enjoy your new fish set up! I love having a fish tank (and live plants), but do not have one currently. It's a great hobby!

 

[theVulture]

Poor girl looks so stressed. That can kill a betta quicker than any disease or bad water condition. Bettas are very hardy fish. But i wouldnt keep them with any other fish than cory cats or kuhlii loaches. They are relatively slow fishes and get easily stressed when kept with faster fishes and have hard time feeding

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

Poor girl looks so stressed. That can kill a betta quicker than any disease or bad water condition. Bettas are very hardy fish. But i wouldnt keep them with any other fish than cory cats or kuhlii loaches. They are relatively slow fishes and get easily stressed when kept with faster fishes and have hard time feeding

Hey, I wanted to ask how can you tell when a Betta is stressed?

 

[theVulture]

Hey, I wanted to ask how can you tell when a Betta is stressed?

I used to breed show bettas. Body landuage is everything.
Their body language should be confident and relaxed. But they are have stiff muscles and slightly closed fins. Fancy girls is feeling slightly bettee about all this but little female has very visible stress stripes. And hee fin colors are pale. Those stripes are often seen on overly stressed or sick betta . She looks healthy othervise.
Reason of the stress might be the other female or the small tank. I would try seperating them

 

[16Chickens Keeper]

Hey I wanted to give you an update. So I ended up Changing the water every now and then, and it’s been getting clearer. Except lately my water heater has not been working I would plug-in out of water to make sure it’s heating up and they would heat up but when I place it in the water it does not keep it warm or even warm it up. I’m using a Aqueon flat heater 7.5w.Does anyone know why or how to work it, I followed the instructions but for some reason mine is not working.

 

[townchicks]

Aquarium heaters work on a thermostat, it may not be turning on in the tank, because either the tank is warm enough, or the setting is too low. Do you have a thermometer for the tank? If not, you should get one, so you can check the heater. I personally would not add any more fish to that small tank. Bettas do well in a small tank because they are adapted to get some of their oxygen needs from the surface of the water. Other species of fish cannot do that, so the small volume of water may become quickly depleted of oxygen if there are too many fish in the tank. It is a lovely tank as it is, and if you find that you like having fish, you may want to get another tank, to have more species.

 

[Chickassan]

You don't need a heater with betta fish, in fact heat will only encourage nasty stuff to grow. Since you have a new setup leaving their light off more than on for at least a few weeks will help the tank clarify.
You have enough room for the two females, but don't add any more fish.
Question from me. Most people get males, why did you choose females? Was it so you could have more than one fish?