# Three betta questions?



## VincentK (Oct 6, 2009)

Pretty blue and red betta with kinda spiky fins, i don't know what they specific with white tips in the two small fins in front, in a 2.5 gallon planted tank. First question, why is the top part of the water kind of tinted light white, i don't know how to explain it, you can only see it if you look from the top, not from the side? Second question i put 2 betta bits (i know, im planning on going to get some bloodworms) in there in the morning and in the night, when i look later they're not there, i think they might have sunken to the bottom or it ate them, altho i've never seen it eat? Last question, i put the top part of a styrofoam cup in the top, for its bubble nest, but it never makes bubble nests inside the ring, why??


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## betta0fish (Feb 16, 2009)

first of all, is your betta a male or female? if its a female, then they wont blow bubbles. the male will usually only blow bubbles if hes happy or during spawning. FYI bubblenests are only when they spawn(breed). try to watch your betta when you feed it. if its wont eat, then push it around and make it interested. if it still doesnt eat, get a different type of food or it will probably starve itself. im not sure why your water is tinted, but it might be a bacterial bloom. you can change its water a bit and see if it goes away. how long have you had the betta?


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## VincentK (Oct 6, 2009)

a week now, its not tinted water, it just looks like a film on top of the water, but no film


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## betta0fish (Feb 16, 2009)

does your tank have a filter? does it have a tank top? i had that problem too, it might be dust. you should change the water about 50% and see what happens. im geussing you use water conditioner


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## VincentK (Oct 6, 2009)

i don't use water conditioner as it is a planted tank, and i did have a filter, but since it is a betta tank, my power filter is useless, plus its a 2.5 gallon tank, i'm going to do 30% water change this weekend


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## betta0fish (Feb 16, 2009)

u NEEEED to use water conditioner!!! its neccessary!! u have to remove the chlorine and the chemicals in the tap water. plants are useless for removing chlorine. no wonder your bettas not blowing bubbles or eating, try getting an airpump and a small airstone for aieration and get water conditioner before you do the water change or else the new water chemicals will kill or sicken your betta


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## VincentK (Oct 6, 2009)

umm, i never said it wasn't blowing bubbles, i said it wasn't blowing them inside the cup, and the water I use doesn't have chlorine


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I had the same problem with the filmy stuff on the top of the tank. Take a cup or bucket or something and scoop it out of there. A siphon wont work because it pulls the water from under the film and doesn't get the film. 

Also you MUST use water conditioner. You need the kind that says it takes out chlorines and chloramines. It will not hurt your plants in the slightest. 

Bubble nests do not necessarily mean they are happy, but it does suggest the water is good enough for breeding conditions. A betta will blow nests even in tiny little cups. My betta rarely blows bubble nests, but he has a tank with a filter, no styrofoam cup, and other fish in it. If he tried to blow a nest, there is no way it would survive. Don't expect him to use the cup as the spot to blow the nest. Some bettas will fancy a different spot sometimes.

EDIT: I didn't read the comment above since I was still typing it when you posted that comment. If you are absolutely certain there is no chlorine or chloramine in your tank, you don't have to use it. But if you are getting the water from the tap, you had better use it. Almost every city in the US uses chlorine to sanitize the water.


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## betta0fish (Feb 16, 2009)

well, if your water doesnt have chlorine in it, then you wouldnt need a dechlorinator, and dont worry if ur betta doesnt blow bubbles inside the cup, they dont have cups in nature , the filmy stuff is like oil from food or dust, i had that problem but if you do weekly water changes, it should be fine, it doesnt seem to affect the fish


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## VincentK (Oct 6, 2009)

and to bmlbytes, if i condition the water, won't it remove the iron and stuff? which plants need?


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## betta0fish (Feb 16, 2009)

no it wont


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

VincentK said:


> and to bmlbytes, if i condition the water, won't it remove the iron and stuff? which plants need?


It removes some hard metals, but not enough to make any difference to the plants. I use dechlorinated water in all of my tanks and most are planted. One is very heavily planted and I use nothing more than lights to keep them alive. They are getting very big and are very healthy.


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