betta/cichlids

Question
about three days ago i bought a male black betta with light blue fins i bought what i think is a 2 gallon tank a plastic one with plastic slotted lid from pet warehouse the same brand as the tanks they usually sell for hermit crabs i put an inch of gravel in the tank with one black and white plastic plant common in most stores is this tank suitable for my betta also i live in a basement which sometimes gets cold so i bought a 25 watt elite heater smallest i could find to keep him warm is this ok? also are blacklights safe around my betta? i bought tetramin pro tropical crisps (the flakes) is this good for him? the reason i ask is in the store he was in a ten gallon with other fish which i thought odd since males are so territorial well since i bought him hes had no behavorial problems he swims around occasionally goin to the top exept when hes sleeping but his fins are a bit droopy wilted lettuce lookin theres no discoloration or white spots so i dont think its fin rot, maybe a parasite? ive heard everything under the sun about droopy fins so i dont know what to believe they look fine just a little wilted looking
its my first betta so i just want the best for him his fins have no tears i really cant see anything wrong just droopy fins plus if i look at him with a flashlight to long he starts to flair so ill try the mirror to see if they perk up and i know not to leave the mirror im pretty familiar with bettas ive heard that 72-78 degrees is proper temp for them is this true? i just need the best advice for my little guy hes gorgeous ill try to send a pic soon maybe that can help

Answer
Hi Joshua,
I would give him a treatment with Melafix.  This is a natural medicin, and it will help him.  He may be a little stressed.  If he was in a 10 gallon tank, and you have put him in a two gallon, he will have a reaction.  Put a little aquarium salt in his water, about 1/2  teaspoon, previously diluted, if you are sure he is in a 2 gallon tank.
For the Melafix treatment, you will have to buy an eyedropper.  Melafix is very good, but we cannot give the full dose to the betta, so this is what you should do.  
1) Mix 6 drops of Melafix to his water.  ( Mix drops well into the water)
2) The next day add 2 more drops to his water.
3) Do the same on the third day - 2 more drops...
4) Do the same on the fourth day - 2 more drops...
5) On the fifth day, change all his water, using stress coat, or aquaplus.
This should help him.

If he is in a 2 gallon tank, do water changes every week of 50% - sometimes more.  You should buy an ammonia test kit, as ammonia is the number one killer of fish.  Test your water to make sure there is never any ammonia in it, and if there is, do water changes until there is no ammonia left in his water.  You need a thermometer to make sure the water you add to the tank is the same temperature as the water he is in.
I know bettas do not like strong lights, and prefer the light of day.  As long as he doesn't have lights shining in his tank all the time, that should be okay.


I will give you information on the betta, and how he should be treated...


A betta needs 5 gallons of water to be healthy, and happy.   (He should be in a 5 gallon tank, but now that you have bought everything for him, he will be okay until you buy him a bigger one, I know you will be good to him.  Do water changes, and he will be okay.)
In his habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but he has lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
He needs a heated tank,  Temperature should be 78-80 degrees.  He is a tropical fish, and is cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember  when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast could kill your Betta.)  The temperature should always be stable.  Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.   They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves...they could injure themselves on plastic ones.   They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   You may add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt in his water which has been diluted before adding to his tank.  1 teaspoon to 5 gallons of water.
Aquarium salt helps them with stress.  Every now and then, add aquarisol to his water.  One drop per gallon.  Good old aquarisol does wonders for bettas.  It relieves stress, and I do it once a month, and have had no problems with my bettas.
He needs a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.  
Cook a frozen pea until it is well cooked and tender.  Remove the outer layer, and cut into tiny pieces.  
Feed your Betta one piece at a time making sure it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank.  This helps to clean out his system.
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.
He should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that his tummy is the size of his eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.   Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female.  The Betta male is a loner.  Females can be kept together in a big enough tank.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young.  (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dying, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.
I just want to mention that the Betta is not a Cichlid, he belongs to the "Osphronemidae family"  (Gourami Family)  He comes from Thailand.
I hope this helps, and if you have more questions, please write me again.
Lynda