Q: JP wrote, Hi Christie! I recently discovered you site and have a few questions…. A couple of days ago, I received a betta fish for a Christmas present. I am very excited, but want to make sure that I take good care of him. I got a small bowl with him… but its only 1 gallon… I know you said 2.5 was the smallest you would go. What do you think? Also I’m worried about … [Read more...] about Helping New Betta Fish Owners Start Off Right
Betta splendens
Betta Tail Injured by Aquarium Net
Q: DA wrote, Hello! I have found so much useful information from your site. Thank you for all of the time and hard work that you put into it!I have had this little guy for two weeks. He was in a small bowl, that I did water changes on every 2 days. When I bought him his tail already had a “fringe-y” look to it, but did not seem to be anything wrong to me. He eats good, and has … [Read more...] about Betta Tail Injured by Aquarium Net
Heating Small Betta Fish Bowls
NS wrote, Hey. I just arrived at my college today and got a fish. I’m currently housed in a triple which leaves very little room for a fish. Before heading out to the store to get my new little bud I was just wondering what type of heater i should use on my 1 gallon corner tank? The tank has an undergravel filter, and live plants will be going in with it to help keep it a … [Read more...] about Heating Small Betta Fish Bowls
Curing Dropsy in Betta Fish
I received a wonderful letter from a reader describing how he successfully beat Dropsy in his Betta fish. As many of you know, Dropsy is symptom of another underlying illness which manifests as severe abdominal swelling or general body swelling leading to protruding (pineconing) scales. It is believed that these symptoms are the result of internal organ failure and the … [Read more...] about Curing Dropsy in Betta Fish
Woops! Betta Food Dumped into Fish Tank
my gold crowntail, originally uploaded by louie imaging. Q: EB wrote, I’ve had my betta fish for a couple months; it was a gift from a friend. Usually he shows the usual healthy signs but I noticed that his color has dimed and he doesn’t have that shininess to him anymore. His eyes aren’t clear and seem clouded. He also seems a little uninterested in food but he will eat. … [Read more...] about Woops! Betta Food Dumped into Fish Tank
Treating Stubburn Fin Rot in Betta Fish
Shelbi with Fin Rot. Image provided by BS Q: BS wrote, My betta fish Shelbi has fin rot now. His water is and has been pristine with the parameters at their perfect spots. He had blackened tips when I bought him but I thought it was just his coloring. Now his fin tips are damaged and broken. I did water changes and checked his water repeatedly before getting medications to … [Read more...] about Treating Stubburn Fin Rot in Betta Fish
Can PH Fluctuations Lead to Illnesses in Betta Fish?
DSCN9841, originally uploaded by starlessdesigns. Q: C wrote, Remember me? I emailed you awhile back about my male fish named Sushi. He had the mysterious disease. He finally had gotten better with the inside/outside anti bacterial food. He was all back to normal. But that only lasted about 3 weeks or so.I have been doing the water changes AND I got the test stripes to test … [Read more...] about Can PH Fluctuations Lead to Illnesses in Betta Fish?
New Betta Fish is Sluggish and Not Eating
Q: H wrote, Hi there – Firstly, I wanted to say that I’ve been reading your (beautiful) site for a while now, before I bought my first betta, and it helped tremendously – many thanks! Secondly – I’m hoping you can give me some advice or suggestions. My betta came home on Saturday of last week, with four WCMMs (White Cloud Mountain Minnows), from a really good LFS (all of … [Read more...] about New Betta Fish is Sluggish and Not Eating
Nippyfish – Swimming Upstream
Hi readers. Sorry I have been absent these last two weeks. I am in the process of buying a house (yay, more fish!) and have a killer deadline looming at work. My email is overflowing with reader questions which I will get back to answering next week when life slows down a bit. Thanks for hanging in there everyone. In the mean time, if you have a fish related question try … [Read more...] about Nippyfish – Swimming Upstream
Betta Fish Twitching
Q: AH wrote, I have a question about my betta fish and, because your site is so informative, I thought you would be a great resource. I’ve had my little betta, Sam, for about 3 weeks. He lives in a 2 gallon tank filled with tap water and conditioned with TopFin Betta Water Conditioner. I have a thermometer and his water temp is usually between 76 and 78 degrees. I have a small … [Read more...] about Betta Fish Twitching