Thinking about getting a betta fish!

[birdy.929]

I saw a video of a betta and i fell in love! i've done lots of research and i think i'm going to ask my parents for a betta! my one question is, is it ok to buy one from petsmart/petco? i know it is somewhat frowned upon in the bird community to buy a bird from a chain pet store, so is it the same for fish?

 

[Sparkles99]

I usually try to go to a dedicated aquarium store. They sometimes have locally bred fish. At the very least the staff know what they're doing & can guide you, regardless of where the fish come from. Fishlore is a good, active aquarium forum. For reliable species specific advice Seriously Fish is the best.

Don't forget to consider the initial setup requirements: aquarium, gravel, décor/ live plants, betta safe filter (most have too strong a current), & unless you live in the tropics, a heater (safe heaters for small tanks can be elusive). I don't recommend less than 5.5 gallons.

 

[clarousel]

I've read that petsmart/petco usually have their bettas in pretty filthy water. I know lots of shops do because many people think they can survive in a small cup of dirty water, which is not the case!

It's best to get one from a shop that keeps their bettas in good conditions so you don't end up buying a sick fish too

I agree with Sparkles99 and would be good to see what other shops are around in your area and check out some forums!

 

[taxidermynerd]

I kept mine in 10 gallons. They can do fine in a 5, but I find them to be much happier in a 10. Also, make sure whatever decor you get is smooth! You don't want to rip their fins. Silk plants are what I used, Petco has nice ones. Also get a quality food, I used Omega One flakes.

They need the standard fish stuff, heater, filter, etc. The only piece of equipment I skip is an air pump. Since they have what's called a labyrinth organ, they take air from the surface of the water.

I got my first from Petsmart, and then my next 3 from Petco. Generally they did okay. First one lived 2 years, second lived 1 year, and my 3rd and 4th only lived a few months and died 2 days apart. Maybe I would have had better luck if I had gotten them at the LFS.

I'll tag @finchly , she knows tons of fish stuff!

 

[finchly]

I think you’ve about covered it, @taxidermynerd ! Good job.

I too have bought them from big box stores. They don’t seem to live as long though.

 

[birdy.929]

thank you for all the help! i’m going to a local pet store next week to get salem a dna test, and they are known for having nice fish there. i’ll check them out and see if they are any good!

 

[Sparkles99]

Yes, I've never seen a fish object to more space, or any other creature. But when people come here interested in birds, they're not immediately told to go build a massive aviary.

The same for fish. It's best to steer people away from the itty bitty 'tanks', many of which are smaller than bowls, towards something more suitable, & if they want to go bigger, so much the better! The OP is clearly a minor & has a parent to convince too. & I don't trust any heater rated for less than 5.5. Fish aside, many of them are questionable just for household safety.

Excellent point about the sharp décor! I completely forgot. It's amazing what becomes second nature to you after awhile. +1 about the food too.

 

[birdy.929]

yes, my parents love animals, so if they say yes, they will let me get a suitable sized tank, good quality food, nice equipment, etc. no worries there

 

[Ali]

I would never go less than a ten gallon for a betta. It is a shame they are put down as "Vase fish"

 

[Miss Annamarie]

@taxidermynerd pretty much covered it but im gonna go a little more in depth because I'm obsessed.

5+ gallons, I much rather 10 than 5 as well. They need around 76-82 degree water I recommend getting an adjustable heater in case they get sick so you can increase the heat. I recommend a sponge filter which is a lot easier on their fins since it has a softer flow rate. Once I switched my longer fin boys to sponge filters they immediately stopped nipping their fins, if you need help with a set up and how to do that im ya girl. The thing about bettas having the stomach the size of their eyeball and they won't stop is crap. It's just the fillers in the pellets that mess them up, if you feed pellets you need to fast one day a week. I feed the same pellets as them when I am not home but otherwise I feed frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and bloodshrimp.
Some basic medicine you should pick up just in case is Kanaplex and Metroplex. For water I recommend Seachem Stability and Prime. PLEASE do not get strips for testing water parameters they are useless and don't have ammonia testing on them and are so inaccurate. Go for a real kit you have to drip chemicals into, check weekly. Cycle your tank BEFORE you get the fish or it can be extremely stressful and can end up dead fish, fish-in cycles are stressful, not worth it, and extremely particular. All my bettas from petco ALWAYS die I've only had two lucky cases with them and Prism is one of them. It's a lot more expensive but I've been planning on buying from Prism Bettas for my 55g divided im setting up and they have the prettiest bettas ever and she cares about them so much! Live plants are the way to go, I can recommend easy plants that don't really need a grow light or I can offer some that do better with one. But in my experience they've always been so much happier with a heavily planted tank which is actually pretty easy to do if you know the basics. If you have any questions ever dont be afraid to ask!!

 

[Ali]

PLEASE do not get strips for testing water parameters they are useless and don't have ammonia testing on them and are so inaccurate.

My local pet shop will do testing for you for free. You take a sample and they'll get it done.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Yeah, I totally forgot to mention about cycling the tank. I guess it's just second nature at this point. Yeah, the strips are worthless. API sells a nice liquid test kit. Also don't forget a water dechlorinator. I use API Stress Coat Plus, but there are many options.

 

[Ali]

I know you use singular pronouns when talking about getting betta, but just in case...

Males MUST be kept alone. Some fish can make okay tankmates for betta, but you have to be careful and you are better off just having them with nothing else. That being said, I do have some snails with mine.

What tank do you intend to get? Could you link it?

 

[BirdWorld]

my one question is, is it ok to buy one from petsmart/petco?

I wouldn’t get one from petsmart or petco. Have you seen what they keep those poor fish in??? If you haven’t then FYI, they live in little cups no bigger than my palm, with nothing else in the cups but unfiltered water. That’s at least at my pet stores, I don’t know if it’s different where you live. I actually wouldn’t get any animal from a store. I’ve seen them keep finches and canaries in a small cage with GCCs.

 

[taxidermynerd]

I wouldn’t get one from petsmart or petco. Have you seen what they keep those poor fish in??? If you haven’t then FYI, they live in little cups no bigger than my palm, with nothing else in the cups but dirty water. That’s at least at my pet stores, I don’t know if it’s different where you live. I actually wouldn’t get any animal from a store. I’ve seen them keep finches and canaries in a small cage with GCCs.

You're not meant to keep them in the cups.

 

[BirdWorld]

You're not meant to keep them in the cups.

That was kind of why I wrote that, they still live in the cups before people buy them.

 

[birdy.929]

thanks for all the advice! i have not chosen a tank, and i’m still debating if i should get one or not. i’ve never owned a fish before and they seem pretty complicated in terms of water testing, heaters, filters, etc.... i’m going to keep researching to make sure a betta would be a good pet for me. they, obviously, are very different from any pet i’ve owned before, and i know everyone has to get a “first” of any pet they own, but i’m kinda scared of messing something up. you have all given me great advice and i am very appreciative