3:06 PM - January 15, 2013 by Adam Short It is important to know what to look for when buying a Betta from the pet store or fish dealer. Purchasing an unhealthy Betta can be disastrous. People who buy sick fish spend many distressing hours trying to improve its general health to no avail. These fragile fish do not recover easily from malnourishment or maltreatment. Ask questions before making your purchase to ensure that the Betta was well cared-for at the pet store. Also, be attentive when bringing home your Betta to make sure he is still alive. Since Bettas are not very active, they could lie dead in a plastic bag or glass bowl without anyone noticing. Sometimes Bettas are already sick because of the less-than-healthy conditions in the fish tank. To guarantee the purchase of a healthy fish, visit only those dealers that have been referred or those that have a proven reputation. Inspect the jar or tank where the Betta lived to make sure it is clean. The water should appear fresh and clear with no traces of leftover food or debris.

The area surrounding the tank should be odorless, for odors are common when fish die. Finally, perform a thorough check-up of the fish. The body should be free of any kind of lumps or bumps. A healthy Betta has scales that are flat and smooth. Missing and loose scales signify a history of trauma and illness. White patches on the body could be indicative of a fungal infection. If its stomach is swollen, consider this a clear warning that the Betta is most likely not well. When you extend the Betta’s fins, look for signs of discolorations, tears or holes. Sometimes this is difficult to properly check if the Betta is in a small container or jar at the pet store. Betta fins break or tear because they are kept for extended periods of time in containers too small for their bodies to move freely. Lastly, the gills should look smooth and flat with no signs of peeling, lumps or discoloration. Healthy Bettas are brightly colored with no apparent discoloration. Unhealthy Bettas have a pale appearance with some discoloration seen along their body or face.

Healthy Betta fish have clear eyes. Do not buy Bettas if their eyes are sunken, bulging or glazed over. Bettas are usually active and float upright, unless they are sleeping. Bring your hand close to the fish to make sure it is alert. Don't jab a finger into the bag in which it is stored or tap against its bowl or you will startle the fish. Rather, move your hand gently toward the Betta and gauge its reaction. Be subtle and gentle so as not to traumatize the fish. A healthy Betta is very alert and will always react to movement it detects. When you’re at the store trying to choose which betta to bring home, check to see if there are bubbles on the surface of the water in the bowl. Bubbles on the water’s surface usually means the betta is happy. But if there are no bubbles, that doesn’t automatically mean the betta is unhealthy. It’s just something to keep in mind, and it’s an issue that you can easily address once you get your betta home. This is a fun one. Hold a mirror up to your betta – or hold your betta up to another betta – and gauge how he reacts.

A healthy betta will quickly puff up in reaction to the “other” fish. Once you remove the threat (or, ahem, mirror), his gills should smoothly retract.fish tank heater 200w Even if you followed all these tips to choose a healthy betta, don’t freak out if you notice any changes in its behavior, activity level or appearance once you take it home. fish tank filter system designLike any animal, your fish will need some time to adjust to its new conditions, which may be very different from what it was accustomed to in the store.large fish tank driftwood However, there are a several ways to ease your betta’s transition to its new environment and to make sure the healthy fish you meticulously chose in the store stays that way in his new home.

The most important thing to remember is to give your betta time and space before you transfer him to your main aquarium. Set up a quarantine tank – separate from your main aquarium but with similar tank water conditions – where your new betta can acclimate for a few days, preferably a week. A quarantine tank also helps ensure that your new fish isn’t sick and won’t introduce any diseases to your main aquarium, which shouldn’t happen if you followed all the steps for choosing a healthy betta, but still, better safe than sorry. Opening the pet store bag and plopping your betta into a tank will shock and stress your healthy fish. Follow these steps to ease your betta into his quarantine tank. 1. Place the bag in the aquarium with the still-fastened end hanging out over the side. Let the bag float in the aquarium for 10 to 15 minutes so your betta can adjust to the new water temperature in the aquarium. 2. Unfasten the bag and let the open end hang freely over the top edge of the tank.

Try not to let any water from the bag get into the aquarium. The water from the pet store could have any number of parasites, fungi or other betta diseases, and you don’t want those to follow your betta home, especially after you went to such lengths to choose a healthy one. 3. Gradually add small amounts of water from the tank to the bag and let your betta sit in the bag (which is still in the tank) for another 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Use a fish net to gently remove your betta from the bag and place him into the tank, still being careful not to let any potentially nasty water from the pet store get into the tank. Following these steps to choose a healthy betta in the store – and to ensure he stays that way when you get him to your house – should help reduce the stress of bringing your betta home, both for him and for you. Have you ever seen any sick bettas at the pet store? Please share your experiences in the comments below!IMPORTANT: Please be aware that we DO NOT recommend starting your own dubia roach colony. 

It is common for people to develop an allergy to dubia roaches with too much handling and constant exposure. You might save money long term, but it may not be worth the risk. Handling your dubia roaches in a well-ventilated room, and wearing gloves and a respirator can help reduce the chances of developing an allergy. Our facility has been equipped with high quality air filtration and ventilation systems, and we always wear gloves and respirators to keep the risk to a minimum. Please note that the reactions will start with itchy skin, then move on to itchy eyes, congestion, and ultimately lead to respiratory issues. Let us provide your dubia roaches as you need them with minimal exposure and risk of developing allergies. Dubia roaches need to be housed in containers with smooth sides so they aren't able to climb out of their enclosure. Although they are not known to climb, they will be able to use rough-surfaced walls as toe holds and may reach the top of the enclosure.

Glass aquariums, 10 gallons at a minimum, or plastic tubs, 40 qt. at a minimum, can be used. Although the roaches can't climb, it's wise to cover their enclosure so unwanted materials, pests or household pets can't get in. Aquariums can be covered with mesh screen covers used for reptiles. Most plastic tubs are sold with heavy duty plastic covers. In order to provide ventilation for a plastic tub, cut a hole in the cover, at least 6”x6” and hot-glue some vinyl mesh over the opening. Dubia roaches need places to stand and places to hide. Cardboard egg crate flats provide the most surface area per square inch. You may be able to get egg crate flats from a bakery or store like Walmart or you can buy them from us. It's best to stack the egg crate flats vertically so the Dubia roach droppings fall to the bottom of the enclosure. Make sure that the cover is on tightly and that the egg crate doesn't extend so close to the top of the enclosure that the roaches can step out. Although Dubia roaches can survive at room temperature, they require an ambient temperature of 90-95 F to successfully breed, and do best with about 60% humidity.

If you have an area of your home that naturally reaches the required temperature there is no need for an additional heat source. If heat is needed, it can best be provided by using a ceramic heat emitter, an Under Tank Heater (UTH), or coated heat cable. The ceramic heat emitter should be installed at the top of the enclosure to radiate heat downward; the UTH can be attached to the side or bottom of the enclosure. If the UTH is to be placed on the outside bottom of the enclosure, be sure to raise the tub or tank at least 1/4" to vent the heat (most UTH's come with plastic "feet" that can be installed. Small tiles or shims could also be used). In order to control the temperature of the UTH and to prevent an overly hot UTH from melting a plastic enclosure, use a thermostat or a lamp dimmer (rheostat) to keep the temperature in the low to mid 90's. The warm temperatures and use of water crystals for hydration (see below) should lead to appropriate humidity. There is no need to use any kind of substrate or bedding at the bottom of the enclosure.

Adding substrate will only make it more difficult to keep the enclosure clean. Good nutrition and hydration result in healthy Dubia roaches. Healthy Dubia roaches provide equally good nutrition to the animals that feed on them. Roaches can eat a variety of dry fruit, grain or plant-based food including: commercially available Roach Chow, powdered grains, commercially available insect gutload, a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially orange ones which contain carotenoids. Low moisture vegetable parings such as potato or other parings, apple cores or broccoli stalks can also be added. Be sure to remove fruit and vegetables before they get moldy; mold is lethal to roach colonies. Avoid high protein foods such as dog or cat food and meat, since Dubia roaches convert excess protein into uric acid which can harm the reptiles that eat them. The most effective way to provide water is by using water crystals, a polymer based material that holds water. This method will minimize the chance of the roaches drowning.

Be sure to put the food and the water in shallow bowls that the Dubia roaches can climb in and out of and to keep the food and water bowls separate so the food doesn't get wet and moldy. Dubia Roaches produce dry droppings called "frass". Their enclosures will need to be cleaned every 1-2 weeks to reduce buildup of frass and shed exo-skeletons. It's useful to have an extra enclosure when cleaning. Transfer the egg crate flats with the Dubia Roaches and the food and water dishes (which may contain roaches as well) to the extra container. Scoop up what remains at the bottom of the enclosure and sift out the frass. The roaches that remain can then be transferred to the extra enclosure as well, or put back into the original enclosure with the other materials. Some people can develop an allergy to dubia roaches or their frass (droppings) with too much handling and constant contact. This is more likely to occur if you are breeding roaches, since it will dramatically increase the intensity of contact.