Pets Information


Aquarium Supplies Part 1 -- My First Experience With Bettas


Keeping fish as pets takes more than just feeding them and changing the water every once in a while. Sadly, many people aren't aware of that and they just buy aquarium fish because they're attractive. After a short while the fish start to get sick and die one after the other, and the newbie would lose interest in the hobby and give it up all together.

Basic knowledge of fish keeping, together with the right aquarium supplies, is crucial to the livelihood and longevity of your fish. It's important to maintain the optimum living conditions for your fish and other living things you may have in your aquarium if you are to enjoy them for a long time.

To illustrate this, I shall share with you my own experiences when I got started with this hobby for the very first time as a child. The first experience was with bettas and the second with goldfish; two different kinds of fish with different requirements.

My first pet fish were a pair of bettas (a male and a female) which my mom bought me because she knew that I liked fish and felt sorry for me because a toy fish was all I had.

We put the bettas in a small plastic jar with a floating live plant. The male was aggressive. He continuously chased after the female and attacked her until she was full of bruises. One night, running out of place to hide, the female desperately jumped out of the water onto the floor. Fortunately I was nearby and was able to save her.

My mom then suggested that we separate the fish. So we put the female in a different jar. However, I felt that the female was lonely. So one day I asked my mom if I could buy another fish. There was a beautiful green male betta that I decided to buy.

At that time I didn't know that bettas were fighting fish and that the males would fight with each other. So at first I decided to put the new male in the same container as the first male. I knew the first male was aggressive and I just wondered how he would react toward another male.

To my amazement the two males fought with each other and there was no sign that they would stop. After a while I got worried. I didn't want any of them to die so I finally separated them and put the new male together with the female, and to my pleasant surprise they got along pretty well.

However, that little jar was kind of small for a pair of fish although they got along. So, we decided to move the fish to a much larger plastic container. Later I added a couple more females so that it became sort of a betta community tank.

Being fascinated by the beauty of the male bettas, I bought a couple more and put each in individual jars. I fed them dried food and occasionally bread. However, I fed them too much. The water would become cloudy fast from fish waste and uneaten food. So, I completely changed the water every other day. I would fill up the jar with new water right from the tap.

As you might guess, the fish didn't last very long. After only a few months they started to get sick and eventually one after the other died.

Dirty water, untreated new water, fluctuating water temperatures, and trauma from being moved frequently during water changes were some of the factors that contributed to the fish's low resistance to diseases.

Although it's acceptable to keep bettas in relatively small containers without aeration, it would be much better to put them in a tank of at least 2 gallons, and you would still need to observe certain basic things such as not feeding them too much and setting aside new water to equilibrate the temperature and remove chorine prior to water changes.

I was only about 10 years old at the time and didn't know anything about fish keeping. Neither did my mom. Also, back then there were very few books about aquarium fish and the aquarium supplies were not as sophisticated as they are today.

Today, there are plenty of good books and magazines as well as web sites about fish aquariums. So, if you're serious about taking up this hobby, you should start by reading a few of them and gain the basic knowledge before you even buy your aquarium and fish.

In the next article you will learn what happened when I tried to keep some goldfish, also with very little knowledge. In the mean time I invite you to visit my web site (see below) to learn more about aquarium fish keeping.

About the author:

Jonathan Wangsa is the webmaster of All About Aquarium Supplies. There you can find resources and information about aquarium supplies and other aquarium related topics. Whether you're an expert or a newbie, you can also share your own experiences.

Get a Free Special Report when you sign up for a Free Monthly Newsletter.


MORE RESOURCES:

Shelter pets find forever homes
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide
Over the past three decades, the shelter has adopted out more than 11000 pets and has been named one of the top nonprofits in the valley by the readers of the Sun Valley Guide. In addition, a "shelter mutt" was named one of the best breeds to have.
Adoption screening makes sure pets find 'forever home'Houma Courier
Shelter Exchange and Adopt-a-Pet.com Partner to Help Homeless AnimalsEON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
Valentine's Pet Portraits to be Offered at ShelterPatch.com
Chambersburg Public Opinion
all 22 news articles »


Pet oxygen masks can save animals' lives in fires
San Jose Mercury News
23, 2007 file photo, Nancee Schaffner of the Rutland Area Disaster Animal Response Team demonstrates an oxygen mask for pets on Maple, a sheperd mix dog, at the fire station in Clarendon, Vt. While pet oxygen masks have been used for decades by ...

and more »


Fracking's Toll on Pets, Livestock Chills Farmers: Commentary
BusinessWeek
A new study by veterinarian Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, a professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, chronicles case studies of dozens of farmers and pet owners in six states over the Marcellus Shale. Their findings, published in ...

and more »


The Associated Press

Meet Your Match boosts puppy love (and kitty love) by matching people and pets ...
Washington Post
The color-coded program evaluates shelter pets and the people looking to adopt them in an effort to match personalities, energy levels and needs. Playing Cupid with Meet Your Match helped workers at the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to ...
Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your MatchWTOP

all 170 news articles »


Zootoo.com

Alison Sweeney Backs 'Million Pound Pledge' for Pets
Zootoo.com
Some health problems for overweight pets can include, but are not limited to, diabetes and heart disease – diseases overweight humans can also suffer from as a result of their weight. But Sweeney kept up her interest in pet obesity, and for the second ...
Pampered Pet Business Booms in USVoice of America
Consumers Pamper Pets With Healthier ProductsManufacturing.net
Big Pets Get Bigger: Latest Survey Shows US Dog and Cat Obesity Epidemic ExpandingMarketWatch (press release)
allvoices
all 34 news articles »


Bothell dog therapist helps pets get fit
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Josie's owner, So Scazafavo, began a program of pet therapy at Wag Wellness in Bothell. Josie can't twirl around like a ballerina like she used to, but she has regained some of the use of her hind legs and is doing really well, Scazafavo said.

and more »


KFOX El Paso

Pets eat the weirdest things; pet proof your home
Daily Camera
By Kat Burns Humane Society of Boulder Valley You never know what your pet might swallow. So take precautions to prevent severe injury that might require surgery. Photo courtesy Boulder Valley Humane Society Pets do not have the most discerning palate ...
Bad pet owners might be causing fee hikes for everyone elseKFOX El Paso
Meridian Valley Humane Society joins forces with Pets for PatriotsKIVI-TV

all 3 news articles »


Swell Pets

Pet Pointers: Pet health insurance
YNN
Health insurance coverage for our families is a common topic of conversation these days that has also extended to our pets. Today we'll learn more about pet health insurance in this edition of Pet Pointers. Then come back here and refresh the page.
Brits 'more likely to insure pets than family members'Swell Pets

all 3 news articles »


Fundraiser goal: Pet food for food bank
HeraldNet
The nonprofit is hosting a pet food drive on Saturday at the Safeway store located at 1258 State Ave. to benefit the Marysville Community Food Bank. By Amy Daybert, Herald Writer MARYSVILLE -- A nonprofit plans to help those who visit the Marysville ...



French Tribune

Pets Need Dental Care Too
East Peoria Times-Courier (blog)
Pet owners need to take steps to prevent tartar buildup on their pets teeth which can lead to dental disease. People need to see the dentists regularly and pets need at least an annual dental exam usually during their annual physical.
Time to Brush Up! Petplan Pet Insurance Provides Toothy Tips Just in Time for ...San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
A Bite as Healthy as Their BarkWall Street Journal
Pet Dental Health Under the Spotlight in the USACosmetic Dentistry Guide (press release)

all 83 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007