Another question. Can I add water conditioner to the tank even if the fish is in there? Or will the fish need to come out?

Technically, a 1 gallon tank is too smal for a betta fish, but iI'll save that whole speech. Bettas are also are tropical fish meaning that they live in Tropical waters so thus should have a heater.

Yes, they can be fed the pellet food.

What type of filter do you have? And you shoukd keep it running as that's the only way filter the water. If the current it produces is to strong for the Betta, it should have a flow valve on it.

I've never owned a tank under a 20 (orr over for that matter ) So with mine I do 50% water changes every week.

With yours since it's so small and new I would suggest 2 water changes per week or maybe even more. Monitor water conditions for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

You shoukd have added the water conditioner to the water before the Betta was placed in it as this removes the chlorine and other harmful chemicals in our tap water. You can add it it to the water with the fish as it's fish safe.

Thank you! I was told no heater by the pet store. I will look into that. I will get the conditioner however all water I added was left out over 25 hours to help with chlorine.

Well he's very active in there- the water looks crystal clear, fed him one pellet, and attaches a thermometer strip just to see. Also, I tested the water with test strips- everything is okay or close to okay and no conditioner used. Will use pre conditioned beta water now. We truly plan on doing our best for this guy - we learned with the pond snail that Not enough information makes for a bad outcome. Like when the pet smart lady said that those snails breed like crazy but failed to mention even one lone snail can reproduce! I thought we were safe with one!

Test Strips only measure the amount of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and your Ph and water hardness. They don't pick up on dissolved solids and Such.

I'd never really take any information from people working at chain petstores as the only information. More than half the time the people don't know what theyre talking about. Though, there are a few instances and people that actually know and provide some very helpful information. I've had both the good and the bad. In the past I've had to explain to one lady working at Petsmart how a female cherry barb isn't an albino cherrybarb (had to keep male female ratios correct ) I always research everything like Crazy in an obsessive manner before I purchase especially for pets but as well as plants. It gives me a good idea and a plan before I walk into the store and buy something. It's very hard for me to buy without knowing everything to know about that fish/bird/plant. Though, even then I still have a billion questions afterwards, but at least I have a general idea on proper care and etc.

Good luck with your little guy! I would though, be on the hunt for a larger tank. Larger tanks are always much more fun for the fish and the fish keeper!

Mr Blubs- I just checked on him and he was nestled in a plant by the top of the tank. He was so active all day and this was about an hour after I turned off the light. I've been doing some googling and know about the need for a bigger tank, to use frozen peas if constipation is an issue, and some tips on types of food. I figure all I can do now is try my best. It's for my daughter who already had to go through the snail fiasco! She sees things scientifically though, and I'll be more upset if he doesn't do good. One last question- I got a water conditioner but my tank was running for a week with the snails prior to their removal. Should I add the conditioner now with him in there or just let the tank do its thing? I'm nervous to add a chemical? Should I test the water better first? Thanks for all the help!

Just to clarify that were talking about the same thing, what type of water conditioner did you buy?

ZooMed Betta H2O water conditioner

Ah yes, good.

If you've never used the conditioner in the water yet I would use it to be on the safe side. It also says it relives stress and removes nitrite. And you'll only need one drop per gallon.

You shouldn't be nervous as water conditioner makes the water safe for fish. Test Strips don't pick up on the dissolved metals so there's not point in testing better as you'll get the same results. It will also help remove some of the nitrite in the water.

I'd go ahead and use it as there's no consequence in doing so.

A suggestion if I may,..

take some kind of watertight container(the tank your using now will definitely suffice once you've upgraded) and put some conditioned water in it and put it outside in the shade. Check on it periodically to see if mosquitoes have been breeding in it. If they do,take them inside and pour them in with your fish. In their native habitat they eat them all the time,and live food is worlds better than flakes or pellets. You will not have to worry about the larvae reaching maturity because bettas are voracious when it comes to these things. They will devour them all long before they ever have a chance to reach their adult stage.

The entertainment value alone is well worth the effort!

Any container will do in the meantime.

Have fun! :)

Update he is doing fine.