Hello Nippyfish Readers (new and returning) and welcome to the busiest time of the year to be a Betta Fish blogger. Mid December kicks off an upswing of visitors to the blog and the Nippyfish main site as people receive well-meaning (if not poorly-planned) bettas as holiday gifts. The first flood of people are those who have turned to the web to learn how to care for their new pet and have landed here. I say to you, Welcome and congratulations on receiving your new betta fish.
First I should tell you that Nippyfish.net was born in 2004 as a place for me to assemble reliable betta care tips and advice based on science and personal experience. There is so much misinformation out there on the web that I was finding myself overwhelmed. I vowed to put together my own site where facts are listed as facts and opinions are noted as just that. You can take from it what you want and hopefully it will help ease the stress of learning to care for this complex and sensitive animal. Here are a few links to get you started. Also, this blog is a good resource as there are hundreds of Q&A and helpful articles listed. Use the search bar above to find what you are looking for or browse the drop-down menu to the right.
Choosing a Tank – Don’t be fooled, a small open bowl or vase is not a safe environment for any fish
All About Water – Learn the basics of water testing and need-to-know water chemistry info for betta fish owners
Feeding Bettas – Overfeeding or underfeeding are common beginner mistakes. Learn what bettas eat and how much to feed.
The second flood of visitors to this site will come in January. This group I affectionately call the “ALL CAPS, HELP! PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL” group of Nippyfish readers who have rightfully worked themselves up into a panic because the betta they received for Christmas/Chanukah is sick or dying. The reason they are in this situation is not their fault and is usually the result of a well-meaning friend or relative who gave them the fish and relayed inaccurate advice from the fish store clerk about its “proper care.” Don’t get me wrong, I love fish store clerks – many read this blog and passionate ones often know more about fish keeping than I do. For every one of those clerks, however, there are 10 who have learned everything they know about bettas from 8.5×11 pamphlet provided by their store (if they’re lucky).
If you have found yourself here with a sick fish I first want to tell you that I was you once and totally and completely feel for your situation. Chances are you received this fish because your friend/family member recognized that you are an animal lover and saw you as a responsible pet owner. Because you are loving and caring of animals you are freaking out and either blaming yourself, the fish store, or cruelty of the universe for the sickly-state of your betta. Hang in there, many betta fish diseases are curable and even if the worst happens and he doesn’t make it, you should be proud of yourself for doing the right thing and researching the needs of your pet.
You should start by reading the links in the section above and then check out our disease info here:
Sick Betta– A guide to the most common betta fish diseases and treatments.
Ok my friends. The holidays are almost here and I am anticipating your emails. I will be traveling a lot enjoying my time off but will do my best to get to as many emails as possible. Please don’t overstress and do enjoy your new pet. Bettas are extraordinarily interesting animals and have a lot to teach us. But a word of warning- they are addictive.
Photo by B. Gandy
View Comments (50)
I am a new betta owner and have put her in a vase. It's a large vase, I'm cleaning it once a week, being careful not to overfeed her, and have put a small fake plant at the bottom for her to hide in. I have also put the vase on the counter where our dishwasher is because it's the warmest place in the house and remains pretty constant. Will she be happy here?
Vases can be a real challenge but it sounds like you are off to a good start. Keep an eye out for signs of stress like loss of appitite or sluggishness and make sure you monitor the vase well with a thermometer. Keep up with those water changes too. If your betta show signs of stress or illniess you may want to provide her with a proper aquarium with heater and filter.
I have two bettas. They both seem fine, they have healthy appitites, they're active but not overly etc… My concern is this: I was told to watch out for red, bloody looking gills because it is a sign on ammonia or nitrate poisoning. Unfortunately, both of my bettas are significantly red. One is totally blood red the other is dark blue and crimson. How would I know if the gills are red abnormally?
It can be difficult to discern if your betta's gills are abnormally colored because they are usually hidden behind the gill covers. But as long as you don't allow ammonia to build in your tank you shouldn't have to worry about it. A better plan would be to keep ammonia at bay in the first place rather than wait until your betta shows signs of stress or disease. You can do this by frequently changing your betta's water and testing for ammonia in between water changes. Thanks for writing in Valela! Happy Betta Keeping.
Hi! So I've had Brad, my betta, for probably 6 or 7 months now and he's done just fine. :) Happy and eats well and is very friendly. The filter stopepd working before I got him (hadn't had fish for quite some time) but i cleaned the tank up and got it ready for him and all. Well I finally bought a new tank yesterday and it's been running for over 24 hours. I added Brad in. He's upset about the walls reflecting, but I'm worried about ammonia problems after reading so much about them. I adHi! So I've had Brad, my betta, for probably 6 or 7 months now and he's done just fine. :) Happy and eats well and is very friendly. The filter stopepd working before I got him (hadn't had fish for quite some time) but i cleaned the tank up and got it ready for him and all. Well I finally bought a new tank yesterday and it's been running for over 24 hours. I added Brad in. He's upset about the walls reflecting, but I'm worried about ammonia problems after reading so much about them. I added half of his old tank water (is this ok/good?) and half dechloranated tap water. Should he be hardy enough to withstand the cycling process? How often/much of water changes should I do to prevent stress until I have a decent bacteria colony set up? Also, I've never used a heater. Is this okay? I know it's recommended to have one, but should I still since he's lived a good part of his life without one? ded half of his old tank water (is this ok/good?) and half dechloranated tap water. Should he be hardy enough to withstand the cycling process? How often/much of water changes should I do to prevent stress until I have a decent bacteria colony set up? Also, I've never used a heater. Is this okay? I know it's recommended to have one, but should I still since he's lived a good part of his life without one?
So sorry that last post glitched a bit! Forgive my technical difficulties. :P
(Corrected) Hi! So I've had Brad, my betta, for probably 6 or 7 months now and he's done just fine. :) Happy and eats well and is very friendly. The filter stopepd working before I got him (hadn't had fish for quite some time) but i cleaned the tank up and got it ready for him and all. Well I finally bought a new tank yesterday and it's been running for over 24 hours. I added Brad in. He's upset about the walls reflecting, but I'm worried about ammonia problems after reading so much about them. I added half of his old tank water (is this ok/good?) and half dechloranated tap water. Should he be hardy enough to withstand the cycling process? How often/much of water changes should I do to prevent stress until I have a decent bacteria colony set up? Also, I've never used a heater. Is this okay? I know it's recommended to have one, but should I still since he's lived a good part of his life without one?
Certainly this is a attractive fish.And I had also this fish.This fish life is very few.Its can't live 1 year.
Okay, I need A LOT of help here!
I've always owned dogs and other "furry" pets. But I just moved to NYC and my dog couldn't join for a few months so I bought a betta and named it "Dog". No, the help is not for psychosis!
"Dog" is a crowntail betta. He's extremely active! Is that normal?! He swims around all day and sometimes darts (which I am a little concerned about) but he doesn't seem to be darting into anyting really…
I've realized from reading a few websites that I have been severly over feeding him! Ugh I feel like a horrible mother! So really? Only 2-3 pellets twice a day? This guy has eaten like 10-15 pellets 3 times a day!!! I hope I haven't potentially killed him…
He knows who I am. Everytime I walk by he swims over to me and looks right at me. Is this normal? Am I losing my mind? He also is rather aggressive–is that normal?! My apartment is severly over heated so I think he's in heaven since I read they like warmer water temperatiures.
I have him in a bowl (I know I read this is horrible)… But it's what I have, the room I have, and I'm not interested in getting a tank for a $2 fish! Don't get me wrong this fish and I are becoming close! (Joking–to an extent). SO! Could someone knowledgle please respond to this and tell me if I'm doing okay here?! Or if there are other things I should do/think about?! I'm going to go by the guidlines I've read and only feed him 2-3 pellets twice a day. I have freeze dried blood worms too that I've been giving him every couple of days but they freak me out. Feedback?! Help?! THANK YOU INTERNET WORLD!
K82006,
I believe that activeness is quite normall in beta fish. The same is true about reocgnition. Aggresssion is common in male betas. Yo are not losing your mind.
stumbled across your site today and it seems that I am right on your =
schedule of writing after the holidays with care questions. Sorry about =
that! :)
This past Christmas we purchased 3 bettas, 1 for each of our children =
(ages 9, 10 and 15). We are not exactly new to fish (I have an =
established 30-gallon community tank), but are very new to bettas.
It may make you cringe, but we do have the bettas in small "tanks", =
which are actually quart jars. We used treated tap water (just treat =
for ammonia, as our tap water has higher levels of ammonia) and perform =
water changes every 3-4 days. The fish seem to be doing fine in this =
setup.
My question is actually regarding travel. We will need to be away for 6 =
days and am wondering what to do about the fish. We can not have anyone =
come in to care for them, and I'm worried about leaving them. We did =
buy the "feeding stones" that are supposed to last for a week or so, =
which I assume would be fine. But, I'm more worried about going 6 days =
without a water change in such a small tank. I know my 30-gallon will =
be fine, but these poor bettas may suffer. I'm wondering if it would be =
wiser to try and take them with us (we are traveling by van and the =
drive is 10 hours), but I'm not sure how stressful that would be on them =
either. We only need 1-gallon of water for a full water change, so we =
could bring our own water to avoid any complications on that front.
Anything you can suggest would be appreciated!