New Baby Betta

[Beth777]

Hi All,

I've probably been to Petco 5x in my life and yesterday I got a wild hair and stopped by the one on Bissonett and Hwy6. So here I come home with this 1/2" baby female betta. She was the only one showing no color so I got her because I figured no one would want her. In about an hour she started showing red on her fins. She's in the 10gal with the 2 frogs and some snails. A betta forum suggests keeping these tiny ones in a small tank until they grow a little. They say going from a cup to a tank can be too stressful. Let me know what ya'll think and if you have any advice. The betta people say these little ones are very weak and susceptable to illness. They seem appalled that such young fish are being sold. I don't hang on the betta forums at all, just look around.

There's a heater in the tank but no filteration. I had a bubbler in there but read that the frogs are easily stressed by vibrations so I took it out. The frogs do seem happier and are out a lot more. I was wondering why I wasn't seeing normal behavior in them. I can try adding a small whisper filter that I have. It's hard for me to have a tank going with no filter. Just doesn't seem right.

Thanks!

[ptran]

The frog might eat her if she's only 1/2". Definitely stress out with that much water.

[Beth777]

Ya know, I was watching her swim around and also the frogs swimming to get air and it entered my mind wondering if she would fit in their mouth and might get eaten. Gosh, she might not even be 1/2". I mean she is TINY. A dime would look big next to her. Ok, I can move her. I've got a little 2gal that I can put her in for awhile. Definitely no filter. I think it would be like me standing in F5 storm winds.

The frog might eat her if she's only 1/2". Definitely stress out with that much water.

[Beth777]

She must feel like she's in some HUGE river or something.

[Beth777]

She's starting to swim to me when she seems me and she's figuring out that when I put the tip of my finger in the water that it's time to eat. I push the food right up to her mouth.

[ptran]

What tank size do you have her in and with who? It doesn't sound right to have no filtration. Maybe you can add a small internal Tetra filter.

[Beth777]

She's still in the 10gal. I've got to clean my 2gal and never got around to it this weekend. Of course that will take about 15min. She's so tiny I'm afraid if she gets near an intake that she will get sucked into it. I've always kept filtration with my bettas but I've never had one this small before. I'm keeping the tank super clean.

[Beth777]

I've never used a sponge filter but I guess I could go by extreme and get a sponge since that's all I need. I've got an air pump and air line

[ptran]

Sponge filter is perfect for this case though I never own one. I use a pre-filter sponge to cap the inlet of my AC50 in the grow out tank. No incident thus far.

[LordBarron7692]

Sponge filters are great for polishing the water and fry love to pick at the biofilm on a well established sponge

[Beth777]

I'm probably being over protective of her. It's my first chance to raise a betta from such a young age and I sooooo want her to make it. I love their personalities, like puppies.

Sponge filter is perfect for this case though I never own one. I use a pre-filter sponge to cap the inlet of my AC50 in the grow out tank. No incident thus far.

[Beth777]

I see my guppies and pleco eating off the prefilter sponges in their tank all the time. It gets pretty slimy inbetween rinsing it out. I was surprised to see the pleco on it. I really like them and found it to be a necissity on my tanks because of the sand.

Sponge filters are great for polishing the water and fry love to pick at the biofilm on a well established sponge

[ptran]

Prefilter sponge also helps keep main filter less dirty because it caught the uneaten food before entering main filter. I rinse out the sponge at every water change.

[Beth777]

Seems like I have to rinse mine once a week. Pleco was busy last night. Got up this morning to find plants floating, on their sides and so forth. LOL

Prefilter sponge also helps keep main filter less dirty because it caught the uneaten food before entering main filter. I rinse out the sponge at every water change.

[Beth777]

I decided to stop being paranoid so I put a small whisper filter in the tank with a prefilter sponge on it. It blew her around a little but she seems very happy. She needs to make a bit more effort to chase her food down though. Bettas love to play in the outflow. At least my girls always have.