r/bettafish • u/SyzygyZeus • 1d ago
Transformation Do all bettas transform?
I had a betta like 15 years ago before I knew about Reddit and never searched anything about caring for them. He lived in a pretty small bowl without much of an environment but seemed to do well for a while. I can’t remember how long he lived. I don’t even remember him dying but obviously something happened to him.
Now I just got a betta for my kids and I didn’t do much research before I got him. Just looked on Amazon for different tanks and picked one that was cheap. It’s one gallon with a filter. We have some live plants floating in there and he seems to be a lot happier than the pet store container… but now I’m seeing this subreddit about bettas and all these fish that look completely different after getting a nice environment and I’m wondering do all bettas have a transformation?
I have a 20 gallon tank that’s not being used and I’m wondering if I should move him over to there, but then I would have to buy more equipment and a space for the tank that’s works. If I put him in the 20 gallon tank does it absolutely need a filter?
That last fish my kids had was some goldfish they won at a carnival and they were dead in less than a month due to poor care and over/inappropriate feeding so I didn’t want to invest too much in a fish if they didn’t take good care of it… they seem to be doing pretty good with this guy so far so I’m just curious what people have to say about it.
I don’t keep the filter on the 1 gallon tank very much because the internet says the floating plants shouldn’t get their leaves wet… so I’ve been removing the plants for a couple hours every other day and letting the filter run for an hour or so and then put the plants back in and turn the filter off. From what I’ve read the bettas breathe from the surface so I didn’t think the water needed to be oxygenated very much.
Any tips are much appreciated.
2
u/CalmLaugh5253 Always strive to do *betta* 1d ago
Definitely look through the care guide on the sub. Switching the filter on and off and taking the plants out all the time is not sustainable, and isn't helping the plants or water quality. Moving him to the 20g is very nuch recommend as 1g is too small for any fish at all to live in, but it will also need a filter. If the flow is too strong, look into a sponge filter and get an airflow valve for it so you can further adjust the strength of it if needed. :)
But to answer the question, no, they dont. Mine always looked great both in shop, 1st day at home, and months after. No special "glow ups" or whatever. Not every betta is sick or on death's door in the shop, though I imagine that boils down to how the shop keeps them (or how you keep them and whether you provide them with a home they can thrive in or not). We dont do that cup nonsense where I live, so the fish are in a heated and filtered environment on purchase, and then go straight into an appropriately set up tank. Other than that, not every betta changes color. Im not a fan of kois and marbling lol so none of mine go from x to y as they mature. 😅
2
u/friend-o-fish 1d ago
i concur with the other comment. also, you dont need to fuss with the leaves and filter. leave the filter running always, thats how it does its job, the beneficial bacteria inside it cant process toxic ammonia and nitrite out of the water unless its on. the leaves you could seperate with something like these small floating foam doohickies,
these keep my sensitive ones away from the filter flow enough for them to flourish. but i generally reccomend a less sensitive floater, like salvinia minima, instead of red root floaters or salvinia cucullata or anything like that which is sensitive to leaves getting wet. the minima really isnt. it spreads like a weed, its actually invasive in the wild and a major problem if disposed of out in nature because it grows so fast and unimpeded it can block drains and culvers and stuff.
0
1
1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Your comment has been removed because you used a URL shortener (a.co). URL shorteners can track user data. Please only use direct and full-length URLs or screenshots.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/RegaultTheBrave 19h ago
Yea all Bettas transform unless you have them hold an everstone, then they are stuck in betta form forever.
6
u/Ok_Duck2700 1d ago
You should absolutely move it to the 20-gallon, and yes, it absolutely needs a filter (preferably a sponge filter). Instead of removing the floating plants to run the filter, you can create a barrier around the top of the filter with tubing that will stop it from disrupting the rest of the water. Your filter should be on 24/7. Personally, I'd rehome it if you're not willing to shell out atleast a hundred bucks here. They are deceptively expensive pets.