betta femmina, originally uploaded by altiebassi. Q: AC wrote, I just got a betta fish a few days ago and have been keeping him on a heating pad to make sure he doesn’t get too cold. However, I think someone may have bumped the control accidentally, heating my poor fish to about 10 degrees higher [...]

Jonah, originally uploaded by Jon & Brigid. Q: JL wrote, I have a 10 gl tank that I started in December 2006. I purchased a goldfish and 2 snails. After about a month the goldfish died and I have had the 2 snails in there since. I change the water partially weekly (can you recommend [...]

Black Velvet in motion, originally uploaded by RyanThomas. HG wrote, I have a black betta fish that is living in a feng shui glass containerwith bamboo and rocks. How would I go about cleaning the glasscontainer? A: I’m not really well versed in feng shui but I can tell you that spring is good time [...]

Photo provided by reader JE. Here you can see all the floating debris suspended in the water. Is this detritus or something else? Q: JE wrote, I hate to be a bother but I can’t find any literature that describes what on earth is going on with my Betta Elton. I’ve had him since October. [...]

Were big bettas, originally uploaded by liyah73. Q: NB wrote, I’m setting up a divided 10 gal for my two males. I have a store bought mesh tank divider, which should work fine but I’m afraid the filter is only going to clean one side of the tank. The holes in the mesh are so [...]

Dirty Tank (which has been cleaned!!!), originally uploaded by blaqphlegm. In the aquarium, detritus (often called mulm) is organic material made up of fragments of fish waste, uneaten food particles, dead animals, mucus, shed skin and decaying plant matter. It is commonly suspended in the water and sucked into the filter but in conditions where [...]

Black Velvet in motion Originally uploaded by RyanThomas. Happy New Year Betta Blog readers! I hope you had a terrific holiday. Mine was wonderful as I spent it at the not-so-sunny Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fl. No bother, a rainy vacation in Florida is better then a sunny one in D.C. anyway. Still, I’m [...]

Miles with Glass Fish Originally uploaded by Unkoine. Q: TI wrote, What is the best substrate to use in a Betta tank? A: There is more than one answer to your question because, truthfully, it depends. There are a variety of substrates out there ranging from fine sand to gravel to rocks or marbles. Choosing [...]

Q: Anon wrote, With the colder weather coming I’m noticing my aquarium temperature is fluctuating a lot and it gets pretty cold at night. What kind of heater do you recommend for a 3 gallon tank? A: Ah yes, with Autumn comes cooler weather and fluctuating aquarium temperatures that can lead to stress or illness. [...]