# Thinking about getting a betta.



## tymel (Jan 15, 2006)

Im thinking about getting a betta. I read lots of care guides

Questions:
-I read that they need a tablespoon of salt on www.bettatalk.com but you guys say dont use salt.
-I dont understand how to get the water right.
-Male and male = No no righ?
-Female and female= okay right?
-HOw long do they live?
-Anything i need?
-What kind of plants go best with them?
-And there food?


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## piotrkol1 (Jan 12, 2006)

tymel said:


> Im thinking about getting a betta. I read lots of care guides
> 
> Questions:
> -I read that they need a tablespoon of salt on www.bettatalk.com but you guys say dont use salt.
> ...


alright I'll do my best here nut im not a real expert......
-i have never used salt and they seem to live fine, maybe when they are sick or something add a little salt
-not sure what you mean by that, just try to keep it clean and change it from time to time
-males will kill eachother if put in the same tank
famales tend to get along fine witheach other although some people have said there females get aggressive but this is uncommon
they live about 3 years or so but can live longer
-ugh......i think maybe at least 3 gallons of water, and some gravel and plants to make it look nice :grin: 
-not to sure about plants
-mine eat flakes, but some eat pellets and worms and such

hope that helps


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

Silk plants are better for bettas, less chance of it tearing the fins


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

-I read that they need a tablespoon of salt on www.bettatalk.com but you guys say dont use salt. I don't think the salt makes much of a difference. Your betta could do with, or without it. But too much salt will be harmful for your betta. 

-I dont understand how to get the water right. You can get a small ph test kit, that shows you your water conditions, The Ph should be between 6.8 and 7.4, hardness should be up to 20 dgh, and the temperature should be between 75-85 F. 

-Male and male = No no righ  DEFINITE NO-NO! :chair: 

-Female and female= okay right? It depends on the females. In some cases, no. 

-HOw long do they live? Usually between 2-4 years. 

-Anything i need? Water conditioner, and preferably a decoration in which, your betta can hide and feel secure. 

-What kind of plants go best with them? Silk plants are better than fake ones, because fake plants are a hazard towards your betta's fins. However live are the best because they supply your tank with oxygen. Java moss, and Java fern are great plants for begginers, and my bettas love them. 

-And there food? Specialized betta food, either flakes or pellets, I find that my bettas like the flakes better. They also enjoy Freeze dried blood worms, baby brine shrimp, frozen foods, and of coarse live. But these should only be fed as treats, not as a regular diet.


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## tymel (Jan 15, 2006)

Hmm okay. Could i put them in with other fish? IM talking about the females.


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## BlueMaxx (Jan 10, 2006)

2.5 gal to 5 gal is fine
Hiraki pellets for food feed 3 pellets am then at night if you like or every other day
water temp 78
change water every other week
no salt
Hidie hole to hang out in
that is about it.
tank mate if you want, don't sugest maybe a frog (
ADF) 


that is all I can lett you


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## honmol (Jan 2, 2006)

Questions:
-I read that they need a tablespoon of salt on www.bettatalk.com but you guys say dont use salt. - Aquarium Salt can be used but I don't use it as then the bettas will become dependant on having it and if you try to go without it it will cause problems.
-I dont understand how to get the water right. - bettas do well in lots of different water conditions. Just dechlorinate it and as long as you don't have really acidic or alkalaine water he/she should be fine.
-Male and male = No no righ? - I've only heard of one instance where 2 males were able to live together and that was styx on ultimatebettas who had a pair of gay bettas. That is the exception that proves the rule though.
-Female and female= okay right? - I would have a minimum of 5 females and they will get along better if they are spawn siblings. They all have to be put into the tank at once and after that I wouldn't add anymore.
-HOw long do they live? - It depends. With good care 4 or five years after purchase
-Anything i need? - I'd try and keep the water warm if possible. If you get a 5 gallon tank or over I'd get a heater for it. Also, if a betta is bored he/she may bite his/her own tail so providing silk plants (plastic can tear the fins) and lots of hidey holes is a must
-What kind of plants go best with them? banana plants do well and grow quickly. 
-And there food? - Hikari betta bio gold is good as a regular food, they need a varied diet and love frozen bloodworms and it is good to occasionally cook a frozen pea and chop it up as food for them. It'll prevent constipation and they love it. You can also buy wingless fruit flies at most pet/fish stores as live food. Hope this helps! if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

As far as other fish, white cloud mountain minnows are good tankmates. Tetras are nippy, so are guppies, they're fine with cories and otos, ADFs work. It depends on the betta. One of my females will attack anything living in her tank. I tried to breed her and she beat up the male pretty bad.


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