Betta at the gym - live plants/melafix?

[KLKelly]

There is a betta in a bowl at the gym.  He looks a little ratty.  I don't have an off switch.  I just like fish to be happy.  If I'm going to be going there I might as well help.  The guy there is keen on keeping him it seems.  I guess the guy who used to do that isn't there anymore and he's taken on the betta which is really cool.

Questions:
He has a silk plant in there now but I'd like to bring him some live plants.  He is in a dark spot.  What plant would survive and not break down and make his water yucky?  How would najas grass do or javamoss?  I have some javamoss in a bowl upstairs thinking I could grow some of my own but now its covered in hair algae - could I use this or not?

I guess the betta isn't eating either.  It may just be water quality.  They have betta pellets.  I picked up some betta melafix (I was told its not as strong as full melafix).  I have been told to stay away from this stuff on other forums.  I dropped it off to them today - hoping it could help him regain an appetite.

What do you guys think about the plants and the betta melafix?  I also dropped off a bit of Prime.

[washefuzzy]

I think that was very noble of you.

[KLKelly]

They like him which is awesome.  I don't know why a betta wouldn't eat though.  Mine hunts his food - even if they are just pellets.  I've never had to treat him for anything.  I'm hoping just clean water will do the trick.  I was worried the betta melafix would be harmful - I don't want to kill the betta.

[Nerine]

betta melafix is fine

mine only eat once a week...maybe it's just not hungry? he will chase the pellets when he's hungry and if he's not, he just looks at them and watches them sink after awhile! lol

I hope the betta there will enjoy the plants I have mine with java moss in it haha it's completely taken over the bowl, it's a bowl of green soup

good luck!

[Mettle]

I've kept java moss in betta bowls with no issue when it's a low light area. I have one fish bowl right now (2gal drum bowl) with a nice male guppy in it, some gravelm driftwood and a whack load of java moss. It works well as a little ecosystem. I never do complete water changes (only about half every week or two) and he's been happily living in there for months now. (This is a tiny fry that I randomly found in one of my betta tanks and have no idea how he got there, LOL.)

With my actual bettas, I have them in the 2gal little bowfronts. With them I keep hornwort. A nice floating plant that seems to work. I feed them once or twice a week and only have to do water changes about once a month. It's odd. But it works out for some reason. (Even done tests - everything stays fine and the fish have all lived this way for over a year.)

As for the Betafix. It's fine to use. I've used it a ton... Some people dislike it because they say it does nothing. Some people dislike it because people overdose (but you got the beta version, so you're fine). And some people dislike it because they've read something, somewhere online that it's not worth using and simply repeat that information... I've used it with success. As long as directions are followed it can't hurt.

Best advice you can give these people is to not over feed. I bet that's why he wasn't hungry.

[fishycanuck]

Is someone changing the water?

[PaleoFishGirl]

Florida Fitness, St. Laurent?

[KLKelly]

Yah - wicked guess PFG.

I only started there this week.  I didn't know about the eating thing so thats good to know.  Maybe being a store pet he's getting fed too much?

[neon]

I have mine in a large vase with a live plant in the vase with just the roots hanging in the water.  The Betta seems to like going around through the roots, and it looks really cool too.

[KLKelly]

I brought him in some plants today.  He is a cute little thing.

When I put the plants in the water did feel very cool.  Probably a factor in his not eating.

Will the plants survive in cool water? - Just a tiny amount of najas grass, elodea and javamoss.

Thanks.

Karrie