Bettas like between 78 and 80 degrees. I don't recomend a lamp for a heater. What are you keeping him in.....if you have a proper set up...which is a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium, you could add a small heater....

Give him a couple days to settle in and if he still isn't eating take him back to where you bought him. Healthy fish will starting eating the next day after moving them.

I agree with Sierra, bettas are pigs if you let them. I know the place that you bought your fish probably told you it was OK to keep them in a small bowl and that bettas don't like big tanks. This is allot of crap. The betta is marketed this way to make money, thats all. Anyone of your freinds or pet store clerks who tell you otherwise are misinformed or full of it. I know on a college budget and small space you most likely have things are tight. The best bet is a kit from a pet store or Wal-Mart. If you can fit a 10 gallon then go with that, they are actually the cheapest because of their popularity. You can get a complete kit for

Hello,

Since I have many rescue bettas I had to find ways of keeping them warm en masse when it gets cold (also for hospital tanks re bettas) Some are not pretty, one is just fine.

1 - I have a ten gallon with heater, and two containers inside with bettas for treatment, each has airstone, (mild) and plants.... Since I finally found a method to treat flexibar columinaris (SP) and do 100% salt water change at least every other day until cured filter not and issue here.

Not pretty but works.

2 - One beautiful red betta with turquoise tips on fins and scales, was rescued from being flushed! He is a scooter (ie swim bladder damage - only rescue with no disease, lol, so think it was genetic or mechanicle in shipping???) He is in a flatish bowl with curved sides, big round rocks, smaller around so he can scoot and rest, with plants and the small filter (on its side and part way up side of bowl). I put this in larger plastic bucket with heater.

Not pretty but he's just doing fine, and near me when on computer so he doesn't feel alone all day.

3. Third pretty and works! The one survivor from earlier columinaris problem (after many months of different med's seems salt water (in desperation) treatment and daily complete water changes, it grew overnight! - and also it rained in nyc and heat went down and bacteria alert was reversed ie came in from water source, was also happening at local pet store)... I couldn't manage another set up as the above so remembered that the eclipse (sp) tanks always had a heat problem ie sometimes to hot in summer, due to the engine of pump. Indeed, it stays warm all night and he is near window (closed at night)... With bettas or smaller fish one needs to put a sponge over intake and I cut a piece to put in at the outflow as well... plants, his ceramic shell and happy camper.

So, test it out, but this works very well for this betta... I have no sand or gravel and syphon poo off bottom daily. I just top it off with aged conditioned same temp water after little syphon. More cleaning when necessary.....

You can try live food (in my opinion never red worms or tubifex, even frozen I always have a fish get some sort of parasite) daphinia they love (just a bit) it will swim a bit (rince with spring water first) and live a while so they will notice it....

Best Sherry

bgood8507- what foods have you tried on him?

My betta's new too. I originally bought only flakes for him, then I got some freeze dried bloodworms. Bloodworms (freeze dried, frozen, or live) are great treats for bettas and they all love them.

My betta refuses to eat the flake food, but he loves the bloodworms. I'm going to try pellet food on him when I buy some.

My advice- try a different food on him. If you've been feeding him flakes, try some pellets. If you've been feeding him pellets try flakes. Sometimes, a betta's initial refusal to eat has to do with what they were raised on. Definitely give him some bloodworms. Bettas love them, and they should be a good indicator of whether it's just the type of food you're giving him or an actual problem.