Lazy betta question
 

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...
Nikki wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...

Altum wrote:

Gill Passman wrote:


Has he always been this way or is it a recent change? If he has been
like this since you got him and is otherwise healthy and feeding then
it might be just him - although it would certainly be a good idea to
keep an eye on the water quality as you say he perks up with the
change - what about temp? Do you match the new water or allow it to
heat up? Maybe the water is too warm...


I try to match the temps reasonably well when I change water. He was at
78F, but the tank I moved him to is 74F and his behavior hasn't changed.


If it is a recent change then it sounds a little how my Betta Bob
became before he died I'm afraid....he went from active to less and
less so - it was like he was aging before my eyes...


He's never been particularly active. Seems like he swam a bit more when
I got him, but his fins weren't as long. I've never seen him flare, and
he's never been much on bubblenesting.


Only one other thing...it looks like you feed a high protein diet from
what you list. Do you ever feed him flake or veggie matter such as
peas? Maybe he is constipated - certainly makes people drowsy...


I thought bettas were carnivores and needed a high protein diet. There
are algae and soft-leaved plants in his tank if he wants them. He's not
bloated and it seems like he'd be dead by now if he were constipated.


I would expect more activity at lower temps so that isn't the issue but
needed to be ruled out....

If he has never been active you can probably rule out many things - such
as age - Bob got old - he was active to start and then dropped out...

Yep, Bettas are carnivores and do need a high protein diet but also do
get bunged up...I'm not sure that I've ever seen mine chomp on algae or
plants (they might have shredded the plants but not eat them - and the
current betta Boris greatly respects his garden). I can't remember
whether it was Idzine or Tynk who recommended the peas but it was said it
is a good thing to give them from time to time - mainly to clear them
out...of course Epsom salts work as well but if I can stay natural I
prefer to do so...

got a pan to boil one frozen pea???? g

Gill



Do you use frozen or can? I use can, because they should only have the
inside of the pea (not the skin), I don't get enough of the inside from
frozen pea's, I avoid baby pea's also... I try to get the bigger pea's in
a can, I put a handful in a cup of hot water for a few minutes then I
have enough for all the fish, and usually a mess when i'm done. I put the
rest in a zip bag in the freezer until the next week and what ever is
left then I throw away. I also buy the small cans, i get the same size
anyway for luke he is 6 and they are his size when he just wants to eat a
can of veggies, strange kid...
Nik


I actually use the frozen peas...on the occassions that I cook some up for
us I do a few extra (we normally have fresh veg and but I can't be
bothered to shell fresh peas)...very messy in some tanks but the fish love
them...I would have thought that you could probably just shell the tinned
ones with no extra cooking....

Nought strange with Luke, my youngest eats mainly meat and veg but no
starch or carbohydrate...(getting potatoes or bread down her is a struggle
even as chips or crips) - my oldest will eat a bowl of lettuce (with
appropriate dressing made by Mum) like you wouldn't believe....maybe us
parents are winning this war on healthy eating without our governments
dictating to us as to what we need to feed our kids...but I will accept
there are exceptions to this and probably still in the majority...

** off topic 1 sec**
over here they have this thing they now do with kids in school, its
mandatory along w/ shots records, they check their total body fat ....and I
really understand the problem with children being over weight, but I have
seen kids who were on the big side (not over weight) but just big for their
age and the parents and the child are told that if they are not careful that
the child could end up with a weight problem when they get older, it made me
so mad hearing this, it will end up causing young girls to have eating
disorders..
I am lucky I have never went over 110 lbs in my life and I am pretty healthy
but I think if I was told that as a young kid it would have scared me, and
these days its a lot worse with kids thinking they have to be perfect.
nik

Lazy betta question
 

** off topic 1 sec**
over here they have this thing they now do with kids in school, its
mandatory along w/ shots records, they check their total body fat ....and I
really understand the problem with children being over weight, but I have
seen kids who were on the big side (not over weight) but just big for their
age and the parents and the child are told that if they are not careful that
the child could end up with a weight problem when they get older, it made me
so mad hearing this, it will end up causing young girls to have eating
disorders..
I am lucky I have never went over 110 lbs in my life and I am pretty healthy
but I think if I was told that as a young kid it would have scared me, and
these days its a lot worse with kids thinking they have to be perfect.
nik


Hi Nik,

You and I seem to wander OT a fair bit...maybe it might be better if you
drop me a mail....

Gill

Lazy betta question
 

I try to match the temps reasonably well when I change water. He was at
78F, but the tank I moved him to is 74F and his behavior hasn't changed.

I think this might be your answer right there Altum. Bettas definitely
show noticeable signs of slowing at cooler temperatures and 74 is just
on this side of too cold. It's all part of being cold-blooded. If you
slowly warm him up to 78-80F I bet you will see a difference in his
activity level. I have observed some pretty noticeable differences in
all my bettas at varying temperatures myself.

Lazy betta question
 

IDzine01 wrote:
I try to match the temps reasonably well when I change water. He was at
78F, but the tank I moved him to is 74F and his behavior hasn't changed.

I think this might be your answer right there Altum. Bettas definitely
show noticeable signs of slowing at cooler temperatures and 74 is just
on this side of too cold. It's all part of being cold-blooded. If you
slowly warm him up to 78-80F I bet you will see a difference in his
activity level. I have observed some pretty noticeable differences in
all my bettas at varying temperatures myself.

I can try that. My other betta is at room temperature at the moment and
swimming around a lot so I didn't think of temperature. I forget how
individual bettas can be. :-)

--
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Lazy betta question
 

Altum wrote:
IDzine01 wrote:
and 74 is just on this side of too cold. It's all part of being
cold-blooded. If you slowly warm him up to 78-80F
I can try that. My other betta is at room temperature at the moment and
swimming around a lot so I didn't think of temperature. I forget how
individual bettas can be. :-)

Altum,
My betta likes the water at no less than 79-80F. He's fine if it gets
up to 84 but I try to keep it no higher than 82F. I do have a small
airstone for the tank but don't always have it running. He must be
warm blooded because this winter the room would get cool and I'd have
to turn the heater up. I bought a Visi-Therm heater and will switch it
to Rudy's tank. It is in a 2.5g Cory tank for now and works well.
I'd try to gravel-vac at least the surface of the gravel, maybe a small
area at a time using this as a water change.
I finally got the hang of using mine, and if I hold the tube pointing
downward (yet straight up, not at an angle) in the rocks about a
quarter inch deep whatever detritus is in there really comes out. I
did this in the 2.5g and the next time I gravel vacked it barely pulled
up anything-pretty clean. I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel and cut
the vac tube down to about 3.5-4 inches becuse the 5g is a hex tank,
and the 2.5 is small also. This one is the smaller vacuum that WalMart
sells, works well.
I set up a 10g today for the corys and one otto, so will move them as
they really need the room. I used an old filter and gravel from Rudy's
tank for the 2.5g and had virtually no ammonia, or nitrites, so I'll
use some of their gravel and filter material from the 2.5g for their
new abode.
I give my betta the freeze dried bloodworms as a treat, about 3-4
specs-he loves them and will blow bubblenests if fed a few days in a
row. He also gets flakes and Hikari pellets, as well as a tiny sliver
of chicken, tuna or even pork chop-nothing raw-when I finally decide to
cook, and now and then the inside of a green pea or green string bean.
I cooked peas yesterday I guess he'll get a spot of that tonight.
I hope your betta does well...hopefully he's just a quiet fella.

Kerry

Lazy betta question
 

"ko57" wrote in message
oups.com...
Altum wrote:
IDzine01 wrote:
and 74 is just on this side of too cold. It's all part of being
cold-blooded. If you slowly warm him up to 78-80F
I can try that. My other betta is at room temperature at the moment and
swimming around a lot so I didn't think of temperature. I forget how
individual bettas can be. :-)

Altum,
My betta likes the water at no less than 79-80F. He's fine if it gets
up to 84 but I try to keep it no higher than 82F. I do have a small
airstone for the tank but don't always have it running. He must be
warm blooded because this winter the room would get cool and I'd have
to turn the heater up. I bought a Visi-Therm heater and will switch it
to Rudy's tank. It is in a 2.5g Cory tank for now and works well.
I'd try to gravel-vac at least the surface of the gravel, maybe a small
area at a time using this as a water change.
I finally got the hang of using mine, and if I hold the tube pointing
downward (yet straight up, not at an angle) in the rocks about a
quarter inch deep whatever detritus is in there really comes out. I
did this in the 2.5g and the next time I gravel vacked it barely pulled
up anything-pretty clean. I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel and cut
the vac tube down to about 3.5-4 inches becuse the 5g is a hex tank,
and the 2.5 is small also. This one is the smaller vacuum that WalMart
sells, works well.
I set up a 10g today for the corys and one otto, so will move them as
they really need the room. I used an old filter and gravel from Rudy's
tank for the 2.5g and had virtually no ammonia, or nitrites, so I'll
use some of their gravel and filter material from the 2.5g for their
new abode.
I give my betta the freeze dried bloodworms as a treat, about 3-4
specs-he loves them and will blow bubblenests if fed a few days in a
row. He also gets flakes and Hikari pellets, as well as a tiny sliver
of chicken, tuna or even pork chop-nothing raw-when I finally decide to
cook, and now and then the inside of a green pea or green string bean.
I cooked peas yesterday I guess he'll get a spot of that tonight.
I hope your betta does well...hopefully he's just a quiet fella.

Kerry


I have three different size vacuum's for my tanks, but the bigger vac's seem
to pull to much water before i get the junk out, i can get it with my small
one but "its small" i extented the tube with the tube from my underground
filter, so now its long i can get it the bigger tanks with it and get the
junk at the bottom before half the tank is empty.
Nik
He must be
warm blooded because this winter the room would get cool and I'd have
to turn the heater up

Betta's are tropical fish,

Lazy betta question
 

"Betta's are tropical fish,"

I know, but my fish seems fine if the water gets up to 84F, I think
that is a bit warm, so I try keeping it at 80F. Others keep their's at
76F or so, it seems like for him that's a tad cool...

Lazy betta question
 

"ko57" wrote in message
ups.com...
"Betta's are tropical fish,"

I know, but my fish seems fine if the water gets up to 84F, I think
that is a bit warm, so I try keeping it at 80F. Others keep their's at
76F or so, it seems like for him that's a tad cool...


They are all so different, I have my new girls still in the cups on a coffee
table I also have one of my boys on there in his tank because I am moving
him so he has nine girls around him, my husband was laughing so hard last
night he said nik come look at this betta, I come in he was showing off for
the girls I think, he would swim back and forth, lay on the plant like he is
a model or something then get down at the bottom of the tank he was almost
laying on his side to see them, this went on for some time I had to cover
him so he would give it a rest.
Nik