Am I taking Care of my Male Betta Good?

It seems so! They're happiest when in a tank 2.5 gallons or greater with a gentle flow and a heater (but if you're absolutely certain the temp. won't fluctuate, you should be good). But... you may want to put a lid on your tank, if one isn't normally on, as Bettas are jumpers. You may want to give him something small he can hide in too so he feels more secure in his home.

Mystery snails might work in there, but is not advised, as they can grow to at least 2 inches. A Nerite snail would probably be better in there, as they clean better (according to others) and only grow to about 1 inch. Ghost shrimp will probably be OK in there, but they may also get cramped if you put that many.

You may have the capacity for these invertebrates, but you have to know your fish's temperament. If you're lucky, your Betta might be like one of mine, one that gets depressed without a snail in his tank. But another possibility is your fish attacking the newcomers. If he seems to attack you when you do maintenance or just come too close, he might be too aggressive to add more creatures. But that isn't always accurate, as one of mine had no signs of aggression until I added a frog to her tank. And if a more active creature like a shrimp is put into the space, the Betta might feel his territory is being threatened. Slow-moving snails are probably the better, more colorful choice.

Also, I'm not sure if they're the same, but be careful that the filter doesn't have too strong a pull, as I had the 10i and it almost ripped my Betta's fins off once. If it's too strong for him, put a pantyhose sock over the intake and it should help greatly. And also make sure his fins can't get stuck on the plants you have in there, as that can cause a tear in a fin.

I'm not sure how knowledgeable the folks are where you bought your fish, but I'm guessing they probably try really hard, but don't know very much about Bettas.

Sarah is probably the same way, well meaning but knows nothing about Bettas.

Firstly, their home habitat is among the roots of rice paddys. Dark and still and not a whole lot of room to move around. That's just the way they like it. That's why you see them by themselves in a little bowl. It looks cruel but it's not. Even in the wild, they don't move around much or swim around briskly like other fish.

Other traits are the males will fight another Betta to the death, not only in the presence of a female, but just because that's the way they are. That is why they are always sold alone.

What you see in pet stores and what you have bought is a pretty male. 90% of all Bettas sold are male. The females are ugly, small and kind of look like an oversized guppy but with bigger fins and a little bit of coloring. A male not 'in the mood' would also fight a female.

Your tank is nice, super clean and you have done a fantastic job - a snail or an shrimp would be fine, or an algae eating sucker type fish would be Ok. I would add some bushy plants - fake or real to the bottom of the tank to make your fish feel more at home and secure. You might find him hiding among them just like he might do in a Vietnamese rice field.

They are also NOT compatible with other types of fish and are loners. They tend to get mean and nip at other fish.

I think feeding him only once a day is sufficient, but clearly it has not caused any harm and you probably enjoy watching him eat.

Do you have a heater? Even if it's very warm in your home a heater may still be necessary for colder weather. Apart from that it seems like you're taking great care of him. Personally I wouldn't add any more fish to your tank. While it is big enough for your betta it's a little small for multiple fish.

Hi! Looks like you are doing a good job so far of taking care of your betta. Happy that he is not a bowl like most people do the bettas.

Anyways.. I am going to tell you what is the best care for him. :) I hope you find my information helpful.

A 3 gallon tank is a good size for a betta but I would recommend to getting a 5 gallon one day ;)

The filter is fine just keep up with those water changes, you can rinse the filter cartridge off with the tank water to clean it some. Do not use tap water to rinse, it will kill the bacteria. Since it's a 3 gallon I would do 50% water change once a week. Smaller tanks need bigger water changed out since ammonia builds up faster in smaller tanks.

For the filter water flow you can cut a water bottle and tape it under the filter and over it to help slow it down. I'll include a picture to show you what it looks like.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wonaX8sY_wU/UtgmWEkcuOI/...

A heater is a MUST for a betta since they are tropical fish. They prefer temps around 78-82. Without the heat they become cold and stressed. Heat will make him more active and do betta things :)

For the stuff that's inside, your gravel seems fine. I recommend getting a basic gravel vacuum it helps so much and takes so much old food/poop out.

Betta's have fragile fins and need fake silk plants instead of plastic ones. I only use silk. Also get a place for him to hide, like a cave decoration, anything, just something that he can go in and explore. He will also need it when he's scared.

Now on to the food. Tetra food is HORRIBLE for betta's. It causes bloating in the fishes stomach especially if you feed too much. I did not find this out until a year ago, I wish I would have found out sooner. Tetra's food and other cheaper brands contain things called fillers. Fillers are ingredients such as Wheat, Corn or Soybean, So if you see that in the first of the ingredients, time to switch the food. Best food I know to get are Omega One betta pellets/flakes and a food called New Life Spectrum. NLS contains garlic which is an anti parasitic for bettas!

You can add I'd say 1 mystery snails but that's it for snails.

You can add at the most 3 ghost shrimp.

Snails need food like omega one veggie rounds and they will actually eat spinach leaves, and sliced zucchini when put in the gravel. That is really good for the snails shell.

Shrimp will eat any uneaten food but you can find omega one shrimp sinking pellets and algae wafers. Stick to brands like Omega one. I heard Hikari Algae wafers are really good but not sure about the other foods they have, just know that only there wafers are good.

Your betta might peck at the snail but that's normal and he will eventually get used to it. Snails like to travel outside the tank sometimes and get out and fall on the floor!! mine do this and it scares me so much. Keep that lid on there!!! lol.

Hope this helps!

From the sounds of it you are taking very good care of your little fishy and I wouldn't change a thing.

You probably can add a snail, but it may eat the shrimp.