# Betta temporarily in a vase - How to keep him happy?



## wodesorel (Mar 26, 2006)

I've never had a betta in anything less than a 5 gallon, heated, filtered, cycled tank - so I'm really at a loss on how to keep the guy comfortable for at least two weeks. I went to dig out an old acrylic 5 gallon and the bottom is cracked all the way through. (Explains why I kept finding damp spots on the desk.)

See, I may have a bacterial infetion in my fish tank. It's a very strong possibility, but not a certainty. I have one very very sick snail, and my female betta passed away on Father's Day for unknown reasons. I've QT'd the snail and am treating it, but I've also treated the tank as well because I have two other snails, three loaches, and a bunch of ghost shrimp - all of which could theoretically be carriers now. After having the betta die for NO reason (and I've been through every disease by now), I'm spooked. 

So I go to the one petstore I never go to (because they're a puppymill store), but they're the only ones carrying Maracyn Plus in about an hour's drive. They take VERY good care of their fish. Excellent care..... And they just got a shipment of new bettas in...... crowntail mixes..... in very pretty colors...... Nobody around here carries anything but blue and red veiltails..... Um... I walked out the store with two items instead of one....

I'm a very selfish person, but I don't care - he's gorgeous. A purple/coral patchwork with pink fins tipped in red and black eyes. (Quite different from what I'm normally attracted to - white, pearl, and yellow.)

Anyhoo, back on track. What should I do to keep him happy? He's got four different foods to choose from, and I'll change out 50% water every day until he gets into the soon-to-be safe tank. It's been in the 70s to 90s here, so I don't need to worry about a heater (no AC in the house). I've put in some floating plants in case he wants to hang out. Anything else I can do? I've had to tuck him up onto a shelf because a certain 20 pound cat decided that he looked like a very fun interactive toy. (Merlin acts like a two year old child sometimes, I swear.) Oh - and he has all his own cleaning tools and I'll be cleaning his tank first so as not to cross-contaminate.

Thanks!


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Depending on the size of the vase, you might want to 100% daily changes.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2006)

Well what is in this 5g? If you had a male and female betta in this tank that is the most likley reason the female died or even if you had 2 female bettas in a 5g that is the most likley reason it died because the minimum size tank they can be in is a 10g with at least 4 female bettas.


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## wodesorel (Mar 26, 2006)

I have a ten gallon glass tank now. The five gallon was retired a few years ago - I was hoping to just use it for the time it took for the main tank to go through treatment and become stable again. (I think all fish need to be in constantly filtered water, expecially in this heat.) The female betta was with the below listed fish (minus the male betta). 

I've kept single female bettas before and had no problem. In fact, the chain store where I bought her will not sell mulitple female bettas - they're treating them like the males now because so many people overcrowded a small tank and ended up with dead fight victims.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2006)

So the male and female betta were never in the same tank? 

That is a stupid rule, someone could just say they are going to put each in their own little bowl and then take them home and put them in a 10g. 

I just said that if you only had 2 then they would fight but if you had 4 they could evenly spread out their aggression.


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

just do 100% water changes, and feed him lots of differant foods (live preferred) he should be alright for jus two weeks


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## wodesorel (Mar 26, 2006)

Nope, never in the same tank. They weren't even in the house at the same time. I only have one tank, so I only keep one betta at a time.  I'd have more, but without a heavy unmoveable tank, my cats would cause complete and utter destruction.

It was really weird. She had been a little lethargic and slightly pale for about two days and then on Sunday morning when I woke up the loaches and ghost shrimp were having a feast on her. It must have just happened because she wasn't even stiff yet. I seriously doubt the loaches could have killed her - they just like to eat dead things. There was no cloudiness anywhere on her, she had no sores other than the hole where they had been feeding. Even her eyes were still clear. The tank parameters were perfect. Nothing new had happened other than the introduction of the now sick snail. And she was at most 6 months old. (I like buying the teeny-weeny baby-bettas.) I've had practically every disease a betta could get - (I usually buy "rescue" bettas) - but this was a complete shock.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2006)

So now you only have one betta? Maybe they shouldn't be in the tank with those ghost shrimp/loaches. Though I don't think either would kill them..


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