Cleaning the fish water

[rebelcowboysnb]

They raise beta's in little more than shot glasses so anything is better than that. But they sell them in those flower vases an tell people that it eats the roots of the flower. Yea it will to survive but betas are carnivores not vegetarians. They deserve a tank for the short time we have them. They live to about 2 years old but there over a year old by the time they they get to the pet store.

 

[usschicago1]

Sorry i didn't feel like reading everyone's response so i;ll just tell you what i do. I raise guppies and as many of you know you usually have many many more than you bargain for. In my 5 gallon fry tank (that has around 30-60 guppies [have to count them today]) the poop and food goes to the bottom. i use a turkey baster to get all the poo-pie water out. This is where the nitrates ext us. I don't do gravel in any of my tanks because the poop is too hard to get at and destroys water quality. If you just have a hobby tank and no mass breeding going on then yes i would have gravel and everyday or other day go in there with a turkey baster and get everything you can (; You will have great water with this method.

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:
They live a year under those conditions. I had a petco betta live to be 3 1/2 and would have lived longer..it died of a bacteria infection. So it depends...i had an aunt have a 5 yr old betta!

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:
LOL, oopsie

That's really not very good living quarters for a betta, no matter what the guys at the store probably told you. It would be a WHOLE LOT better to get a small actual fishtank for him -- even just a 5gal would be a big improvement -- with a small filter, and then you can reread the previous posts and go by them

For now, though, in the fishbowl, it may indeed be better to do 100% water changes. I still think that the best thing is to use good wellwater if you know anyone whose home faucet you could borrow

, or even buy a big jug of bottled spring water with dissolved solids below about 250 ppm; or if you have to use municipal water, I would personally let it sit out in a large bucket (so the layer of water is fairly shallow) for a couple days to blow off the chlorine *that* way. But, if you really want to use the dechlorinating drops, go ahead, just follow the bottle directions (basically you will have to get a measured quantity of water, probably larger than you end up using, and put X measured #drops or tablets into it).

I am not sure what 'pH stuff bottle' you are referring to, but unless it is a brand name and the stuff IN the bottle is dechlorinating solution, do not use it.

Pour the fish gently, with its preexisting water, into an IMPECCABLY CLEAN (no soap residue whatsoever!) GLASS container; scrub the old one out under the faucet using lots of scrubbing but no soap or bleach; rinse one final time; refill with your new water; then put fish back in gently with as little old water as possible.

Then, step six, go get him a tank and filter, honest

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Err i wouldnt go with 100% water changes thats way to much stress on the betta. Maybe 50?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Enh, if you only change half the water at a time, you have to do it twice as often, and even a 50% change is pretty stressful for a fish. Not sure you gain anything that way.

Also, considering that 100% water changes (or nearly that, since usually you keep the water the fish is transferred in, which in such a small volume can be a significant percentage of the whole) have been the usual means of managing bettas in bowls for the past hundred years or more, I think it is at least as reasonable an option as partial changes.

I should probably have mentioned in my earlier post, even if you are using good wellwater, LET THE WATER SIT AT ROOM TEMP FOR HALF A DAY OR MORE to make sure it ends up the same exact temperature as the betta's existing water. You do not accidentally want to be doing a temperature change along with the water change!

Again, a small tank would avoid all of this and be MUCH healthier and more suitable for the fish.


Pat

 

[usschicago1]

I agree pat!
Quote:
Enh, if you only change half the water at a time, you have to do it twice as often, and even a 50% change is pretty stressful for a fish. Not sure you gain anything that way.

Also, considering that 100% water changes (or nearly that, since usually you keep the water the fish is transferred in, which in such a small volume can be a significant percentage of the whole) have been the usual means of managing bettas in bowls for the past hundred years or more, I think it is at least as reasonable an option as partial changes.

I should probably have mentioned in my earlier post, even if you are using good wellwater, LET THE WATER SIT AT ROOM TEMP FOR HALF A DAY OR MORE to make sure it ends up the same exact temperature as the betta's existing water. You do not accidentally want to be doing a temperature change along with the water change!

Again, a small tank would avoid all of this and be MUCH healthier and more suitable for the fish.


Pat

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
They live a year under those conditions. I had a petco betta live to be 3 1/2 and would have lived longer..it died of a bacteria infection. So it depends...i had an aunt have a 5 yr old betta!

Bettas average 2 years in nature. 5 is possible but not normal.

 

[blue fire]

It is kinda not my fish.....

I am house sitting and I feel responsible for him, I really have no ability to change the living quarters, but it is not a really tiny vase. It is just large enough where I could stick my hand in it past my wrist and be able to spread my hand out, like I am picking up a ball.