How would i chance my betta's fish tank?

Question

i have a new betta in a tiny half gallon tank, hes been in there for about 3 or 4 days since i brought him home. his water is kinda gettin cloudy so i might change the water today or tomorrow.

i need to know how to do this? i dont have a net to catch the fish, theres a small plant in there with tiny rocks so how will i do this?

im a teen girl so nothing to like ahh eww kinda thing lol. i already have tap watersitting out for almost a 2 days now lol. its also treated with this thing, i dont know what its called but yea.

so how do i do it? maybe do i change the water like poor a cup out, then poor a cup of the new water or what? XD plsss help thanks

Answer 1

Well, you shouldn't catch your fish or dump out all the water for new. That's a common mistake. Water should be changed at least 10% weekly - in a tank that tiny, probably a bit more often. He should really be in a bigger tank! At least 2 gallons.

In any case, when freshening the water in my tanks, I use a gravel vac to suck up grime from the bottom, and take out about 10% at a time. If you have an aerator, you could use the hose to act as a mini vacuum, as your tank is so small. It's very important to get the stuff off the bottom.

Also, if it's already cloudy, make sure you're not overfeeding him. Rule of thumb: feed a fish about as much as he can eat in about three minutes. Most people throw in a good pinch that'd be enough to feed fifteen fish for four days. Make sure you condition the water you refresh with (you can get a cheap bottle of it pretty much anywhere, even Wal-mart, like Aquasafe) to make sure all elements in tapwater are binded and rendered harmless.

And, importantly, make sure the temp of the water you put in is about the same as what's already in there. A coldshock or warmshock is extremely stressful if not fatal to a fish.

Answer 2

Bettas have a labirinth organ, wich allows them to breath air from the surface, this is why it is common to find bettas in such a small container, they, in general, will be able to survive for quite a while under this conditions, however, the fact that they can doesn't mean that they should. 1/2 gallon is way to small for a betta or any other fish. You need to keep proper temperature (75°F to 80°F for bettas), you need a tank that can grow beneficial bacteria colonies. IMO, having a bigger tank, while in the beginning, a little more expensive, it is less work on the long run. 10-15% water changes, gravel vacuume and subtle glass scrub to take care of algae every other week and your done.

Answer 3

The best thing to do would be to get a tank for the fish with a filter and a heater..2.5 gallons is the minimum but 5 gallons or more is the best. Cloudy smelly water is very toxic to the betta and they will get sick and die if kept in it. With a filtered heated tank the betta will only need 25% water changes one a week or so once the tank is cycled. The water should be treated with declor and the same temp as the water in the bowl. If you must keep it like it is the best thing to do is to gently scoop the fish out in a small cup or dish. Be careful as some betta like to jump. Empty the water out and clean the rocks and bowl. Put everything back and gently release the fish back in. This should be done once a week with 50% water changes made every day or two inbetween...scoop out fish...dump out 1/2 of the water and replace with treated same temp water....good luck...if you can get the bigger tank your betta will love you for it and reward you with a happier healthier life.

Answer 4

When I had a smaller tank, I would

- Scoop the fish out and put him in a plastic cup

- Take his tank and clean with warm water in the sink, washing only with my fingers

- Put the conditioned (sitting water) back in the tank

-Take the fish put it in a zip lock bag, then float him in the new water (So he won't go into shock with the different water temperatures)

Betta's do need a heater to maintain a constant temperature. Something like a 10 gallon tank will be much easier.

They sell 10 gallons tanks at Walmart for 9.99

then your going to need a

-heater

-filter

Weekly water changes, siphon (Vacuum for debris in water) out 10% water.

I treat my bettas like people.

Make your betta person happy by giving it a bigger warmer home to live in.

Good Luck

Answer 5

you dont need to change it. when bettas are introduced to a new tank, the water can get cloudy, and it clears up on its own. if it doesnt go away, you are probably overfeeding him. change it by putting your betta in a temporary clean home made with water that has either been sitting out for 2 days or treated. empty the tank and replace it with more safe water. replace fish in tank.

just so you know, every week you need to empty half the water from the tank and replace it with clean treated water, and every 4-6 weeks, replace the whole half-gallon.

Answer 6

dump half of the water out and then fill it back up poor slowly and fish wont come out

if using tap water let water set for 24 hours or go buy some fish water conditoner to get the chemicals out of water

Answer 7

First thing to do is buy a net. You have to be careful because small fish are very delicate.

Put fresh bottled pure water in two vases and let it breath for two days.

Catch the fish and put it in one vase. Take the plant, also, and let it float in the vase where you placed the fish.

Don't worry about a suffocating fish. Betas breathe oxygen not from the water, but from the atmospheric air.

The other water is for refilling of the fish tank.

Now, you can clean, with water only, the original tank and the stones. No soap, no bleach. Only clean water.

Now, put the stones, fill up the tank (with the water you saved), and have the plant on site before the fish.

Now, use the net and catch the fish, with care. Put it in the tank.

Water must be at ambient temperature.

Now, all is done!. If you want your fish to have brilliant colors, put a mirror so the fish can see itself and think there is another fish. Betas does not admit the presence of more than one male individual in the neighborhood, so your fish will show brilliant colors because it is trying to intimidate the image in the mirror.

Also, be careful when feeding your fish. Only very small amounts of fish food are needed. If you fail this the water would become contaminated.

Answer 8

There are a couple of options you can do here:

1. try to scoop up the betta with a small cup, just big enough to hold the fish in, while you diump the old water and clean out the bowl/tank.

or 2. you can get a lenght of plastic tubing and syphon half of the water from the tank, and replace them with the one you have prepared.

Personally, i would syphon and replace10-20% of the water out removing as much debris as possible every 2 days or so.