Keeping Fish

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I know, I get sad looking at the sick ones, I wish I could save them all, nice names. It's fun picking out fish, good luck choosing.

 

[Shellybean02]

Thanks! I don't think I'll be bringing a veiltail home. They're all amazing fish; but the gene will dominate every other tail shape, and it is such a common, plain tail.

 

[Shellybean02]

Online I found a list of some foods to feed bettas to build them up for healthy breeding(besides pellets). It includes things like tiny shrimp, worms and flightless fruit flies. I can definitely feed bettas live flightless fruit flies and the little mealworms I have. But I see a lot of controversy over whether to feed live, frozen or freeze dried worms, shrimp, etc. Live can carry diseases, freezing doesn't kill everything off, and freeze dried is, well, dried. What do you betta owners suggest? And are bettas carnivores or omnivores? If they're carnivores then are pellets really fine for them?

 

[jak2002003]

I know, I get sad looking at the sick ones, I wish I could save them all, nice names. It's fun picking out fish, good luck choosing.

Don't save any....

NEVER buy sick fish from a pet shop... they don't know how to care for the fish.. and they don't care about them.... selling sick animals is wrong.

Only buy fish from pet shops that take pride in selling healthy fish. They took the time to care for them properly.. and get them form good fish farms.

If you buy sick fish from shops.. they will only ordrer more.. may of which will die.

These shops don't give a dam about the lives of the animals they sell.. they are only concerned with profit.

Think about all the fish that die in those shops.. and all the sadness that people suffer when they buy a fish from them only to have it die a few days later.

These shops are unethical and cruel.. not caring about the fish or the customers... only care about making money.

 

[Shellybean02]

That's why when I go to pick out my fish I will make sure I only get ones with signs of good health, like bright colors and eyes, full fins, and activeness. I would get bettas from ebay breeders if they weren't so expensive... I'll look into more local sellers and breeders

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't have much choice around here, petco or Wal-Mart, so I will continue buying what I buy.

I feed my bettas freeze dried blood worms, tropical flakes and some enjoy the frozen peas I feed my goldfish, thawed, skin removed and squished.

 

[politicalcenter]

That's strange... at the bottom of the tank? If there is no top on it they will obviously get out; if there is a top, they won't be able to surface breathe. You mean the box I got is good for fish besides bettas, right?

A breeder box is used for live bearing fish like guppies and sword tails. There are usually slits or a barrier to let the baby fish get away from mommy before she eats them. Fish breathe under water so they don't need to come to the surface unless there is not enough oxygen in the water. Bettas can take air from the water surface when the water is low in oxygen. Theu will also come to the surface to build a nest. The males build a nest of bubbles and the female lays her eggs in the nest.

When you set your tank up let it run for a while with no fish at first. You can add a little food or something to decompose (not a lot...just a little) to get your bacteria started. Then let your pumps and filter run for at least a week. This will cycle your tank. Then add one fish. I like to use a very cheap goldfish because they help with the cycle...and if it dies you lose little.

Being a pond owner the worst thing you can see in a pond...other than dead fish...is fish gasping for air at the top of the water. If this happens you are looking at a future fish kill. Get air into the water fast!

And set some water aside in a clean bucket or something for water changes. Make sure absolutely no soap or perfume gets anywhere near your water. It clogs the gills and will kill fish.


Good luck!!!

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Shelly, I hope you have fun with your betas! Today was a hard day for my fish. Many of my tetras from my hobby tank have some sort of fungal infection with which they get nasty white tumors around their mouths and bodies. I culled many fish today, even a baby, which definitely wasn't fun. I also treated for the infection and set up a new tank with some shrimp, my blind turtle, and a few feeder fish. They haven't been added yet, but the tank is getting to a good temperature as I type. It was pretty horrible to have to cull almost all of my grown fish, but it was necessary. I've found that the best way to cull is to remove the fish from the tank with a net, set them in a sock/paper towel, and smash their heads. It sounds horrible, and it is, but it's fast and relatively pain and stress-less. I also bought several small guppy fry, well, actually, they were free, today and added them to my breeder box after culling all of my infected fish. I look forward to managing another tank, but it'll be hard to find time to clean it for sure.

Leaf

 

[LeafBlade12345]

That's why when I go to pick out my fish I will make sure I only get ones with signs of good health, like bright colors and eyes, full fins, and activeness. I would get bettas from ebay breeders if they weren't so expensive... I'll look into more local sellers and breeders

There may be some inexpensive or free betas on Craigslist, which are usually healthier then pet store bought fish, since they must have survived in captivity for a while before being sold or given away. I plan to add some betas to my koi pond, maybe ten or twelve, mostly females with a few males. Does anyone have any advice for keeping betas outdoors?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bettas are anabantoids, they take up oxygen at the surface, if they can't get to the surface they will drown. They evolved in Siam, Thailand, they live in hot shallow pools of water low in oxygen.