Theresa, I mainly wanted to caution you on the live food idea.. I once had a betta and I only fed him blood worms that I kept in the refrigerator and he ended up getting a HORRIBLE disease where their scales stick out and it's literally kidney failure and there's nothing you can do! This only comes from bad bacteria in live food so I just don't think it's worth it anymore. You can do frozen blood worms and use a toothpick to drop individual worms in. But he only likes "Betta Bits" by top fin anyway and it's SAFE! I know it's like 6 years later after your post but still wanted to comment. I rescued a male betta from co-worker who was keeping him in a bowl with NOTHING in it and kept forgetting to feed him. So many people don't realize that these hardy fish can survive in those conditions but they only thrive in heated, filtered aquariums with things like live plants, etc.. They're naturally from a hot region so they like their water 78-82%. So many people beg to differ on this because they have had "happy" bettas that live for a year, but guess what? They can live to be 7 YEARS OLD but only if they are well cared for and not just surviving. I set him up with 2.5 gallon heated and filtered aquarium and have had water tested, etc... He's so HAPPY! I even ordered something called Indian Almond Leaves from an aquarium supply website and put them in my tank and he LOVES THEM! They're not only an aphrodisiac for bettas but they mock the same environment that they are from where these leaves fall in the water. The leaves are REALLY good for the water quality and they build bubble nests under them. Anyway, my male betta has just been so happy and giddy (with his nice aquarium, live plants and mirror hanging there so he can take on himself!), I felt he was ready for a girlfriend! So I started a 10 gallon aquarium that has a divider in case they don't get along, and I haven't moved him over yet until the aquarium has fully cycled. But in meantime I brought first female betta home and was going to let her be first one in the 10 gallon, but I let her sit in his aquarium while I was doing some stuff and they totally seemed FINE! So I risked it and released her in the 2.5 gallon that he's in and they're GREAT! He's just duking it out with the mirror and seems to be showing off for her! She seems kind of interested too! They both keep going under the floating leaf at different times and it seemed like he was working on the bubble nest after I put them together! I'm having so much fun!!! I'm going to get 2 more females and they can all live in 10 gallon with tons of real plants for them to hide if there are issues. ;)

Forgive me but has the betta died allready? I thought it was hanging by a thread. A 25 watt heater will keep the water a consistant temperature. If you go with a heater, do not get the type that is "factory preset" usually a kinda small box looking thing that claims it is good for bowls and aquariums up to 5 gallons. They have been known to fry fish, while some have had success with them, I wouldn't trust it. When it comes time that your bio-bag (I think thats what Whisper calls them)is tatered and shreded, just replace the bag, dont discard the old one, but cut it into pieces small enough to fit in with the carbon, don't replace the carbon for that change but maybe remove some to make room for the cut bio-bag.This will allow the bacteria that has grown on the old one to "seed" the new.-However, what I'm still unsure of is what the "biological" part of the filter is... ---- The biological part of the filter is where the beneficial bacteria grows. Because the bacteria is alive it is called biological.One of the bacterias feeds off the ammonia in the water collumn (from fish crap and decayed food, etc), it. This produces nitrITE,another bacteria that is growing on the filter uses the nitrITE and turns it into nitrATE. This is good, because ammonia and nitITE are toxic to fish, nitrATE isn't toxic as long as its kept at a low level. That is why we do PWCs, to remove the nitrATE that is produced, allong with other dissolved organics in your little ecosystem. Since your aquariumis small needs to be done more frequently, as a rule of thumb. After a while you can determine what amount of water and how often it needs to be changed. One aid in this determination is a complete water test set. In the case of your filter the best place to let it grow is the white bag with the clip. The carbon also hosts the bacteria, but since the carbon exhausts after a while (or gets less effective at its job) it needs to be replaced. Rather then removeing both hosts to the bacteria and leaving no biological filtration, you just discard the old carbon and replace and keep the bag that has bacteria on it allready. As far as aging water, if you are only doing small water changes, frequently the small amount of water you are replacing should not affect the water too drastically. This is not allways the case though some well water(and city) has a high concentration of CO2 in it. This causes the water to be very acidic. When the CO2 escapes'the pH can rise rapidly to a base. This can stress fish, especially delicate ones. I have this situation and I just use an airstone in a bucket of water to "gas it out" if I amdoing a large water change. Aging over night or for a few days will also do the trick. You do however need a good water conditioner, like Prime or Amquel, that removes chlorine/chloramine and ammonia, if you have treated water from a water co----Alagae, with all the nutrients that may have built in the water + ones that are allready there + light 24/7 will give you an algae bloom, no doubt. If you do the PWC's and limit the light the algae will starve and go away. For a quicker results, use no light, or very little for a week or 2. This includes sunlight from a window. Some people have even covered the glass with a paper bag or something for a complete blackout.Read the original link I gave you, its long but no more longwinded then me. Oh yeah, the food varied diet is good, some have had great success with just a quality betta pellet like hikari. If you want to try something else you can even get live brine shrimp from a good LFS or start a hatchery of your own one day, its pretty interesting. My betta is a typical betta, a pig, he'll eat anything.

In my opinion and experience, the Paradise fish is a better choice for the small tank and will thrive in your two gallon tank if properly set up and maintained. Here's an article I wrote on keeping them happy and healthy in a small planted tank. You can find Paradise fish in aquariums stores in the US, Europe, and even the Middle East. The Low Budget Natural Fishbowl It does not take much time, money, or skill to create an affordable and beautiful, ecological, low maintenance aquatic world you can enjoy for years. While some fish traditionally sold for fish bowls do not thrive in them, there is one kind that most definitely does, macropodus opercularis, or, the Paradise fish, one of the first fish ever kept in home aquariums. Bettas, often sold in tiny bowls or vases with plant bulbs, require warm temperatures and do better in heated tanks. Goldfish, also frequently sent home with bowls, require large amounts water to thrive. The ones in stores are tiny babies these fish are meant to grow quite large and need a tank of 30 gallons, each, to do well. Paradise fish are a much better choice for a natural fish bowl or small tank. They are extremely hardy and long lived and they do not require any special care or conditions. Like Bettas, they can breathe air through a special labyrinth organ and so do not require an aerated tank. They prefer cooler water and so do not require a heater. They also do well living singly. Males, like male Bettas, will fight if kept together in close quarters. Mostly males, because they are more colorful that the females, with bright bands of turquoise and orange, are what you are likely to find in the pet store. The fish keeperÂs goal is not to have fish that merely survive, but rather that thrive. Here is how to provide a healthy home for an easy to keep, colorful, and intelligent little fish. These recommendations are based on my own set ups that have done well for years. You do not need to have ever owned a fish before to succeed with a Paradise fish if you start with a young, healthy fish (look for a small one, under two inches from tip to end of tail and ask to see it fed) and follow these recommendations. Shopping List: Large fishbowl or glass container (preferably 2 gallons or more in capacity) Small amount of bagged potting soil Small bag of aquarium gravel (natural, smaller sized, dark in color) One or two live aquarium plants that do well in cool water -- a bunch of Elodea or a Java fern will work; get small plants as they will grow quickly in this set up Spring water or tap water aged for three days and treated with water conditioners to remove chlorine and other chemicals that can kill fish. In the US, I found it easiest to just keep several gallons of spring water on hand. Also, in case of emergency, a gallon container of spring water with the top cut away makes a readymade holding tank for a fish. 1 Paradise fish Small canister of tropical fish food flakes Optional: Small net to catch fish Frozen food and/or freeze dried bloodworms to vary diet Decoration  keep a natural look with a stone or two (to be safe, use those sold in pet stores), or a very small piece of driftwood from the aquarium store, pre-soaked for a week or two in a bucket of water to remove tannins and water log it so it won't float, will look fabulous, especially if you attach the java fern to it by tying it with a bit of dark thread. Soon the fern will attach itself to the wood and you can remove the thread. Set up: 1. Clean bowl with salt and warm water, rinse well, and dry. Never use soap! 2. Line bottom with an inch of potting soil. 3. Remove plants from metal bands or pots and place on one side of bowl to create a backdrop effect and leave swimming room in front. Tall plants in back, smaller ones in front if you have more than one. 4. Add a one inch layer of gravel over soil and around base of plants. 5. Place a bowl or cup upside down on gravel and pour bottled water slowly onto it to fill bowl without disturbing the substrate. Fill about 4/5 of the way, stopping at the wide part of the bowl because more surface space means more oxygen for the fish. Pour very, very slowly so the gravel is not displaced, allowing the potting soil to mix with the open water. Even if you are very careful, the water will still be a little murky when you are finished, but this will settle in a day or two to crystal clear. 6. Add fish, following pet store instructions for acclimating a fish to a new tank (float bag, add small amounts of tank water to bag periodically, etc.) 7. Place bowl near sunny window for natural light to maximize plant growth Maintenance: Every day, remove one cup of water and replace with one cup of fresh water (bottled or treated) and top off evaporated water as well. This takes less than one minute and assures a healthy environment for both the fish and the plant. You do not have to do large water changes if you keep up with this every day. Do not just top off, however. Removing some of the old water will remove toxic nitrates and help keep the water clean. You donÂt want to remove too much, however, because the it contains also contains beneficial nutrients and bacteria. Some people feed their fish every day and others prefer to feed every other day. I feed mine as mauch as they can eat in 20 seconds, usually a couple of large flakes, a couple times a day. With the daily one cup water changes, this works well. Be forewarned: if food is sinking to the bottom, uneaten, you are overfeeding. The fish can easily miss a day or two without a problem -- underfed is actually healthier for the fish than overfed -- but if you will be away for longer that a few days, find someone to care for your fish in your absence. Better not to leave the entire canister of food with the caretaker, however. Just a pinch in a baggie is enough. This way, your fish is less likely to be overfed by accident. Overfeeding will pollute the water and undo all your effort to create a healthy natural environment for your fish. The plants will be well fed first by the nutrients in the soil and then by the fish waste. You will not need to fertilize them. Trim plants as necessary. They will sometimes grow very quickly in this sort of set up. My elodea was growing new shoots within days of being planted. Elodea can be broken off when it gets too long and the new section can be planted, thrown away, or given to a friend with a tank or bowl. To plant a new shoot, just remove the few bottom leaves and insert it into gravel and soil. Java Fern will grow new plants on runners. These can be left alone or plucked off and planted or given away. If algae should accumulate, it can be wiped off with a paper towel. The plants and water changes will likely prevent algae from forming. I have never seen algae in my small tanks, even though they receive a great deal of direct sunlight. Please note that with this set up, you would be wise *not* to vacuum the gravel or to dump out entire contents of bowl. The fish waste is necessary to the live plant and works with the potting soil to provide essential nutrients. The plant, in turn, helps keep the water healthy for the fish. The small daily water changes will more than suffice for keeping the water healthy. ThatÂs it! Enjoy! I have kept this sort of natural fishbowl in three different countries, on three different continents and have set up Paradise fish bowls for countless friends who have admired mine. Paradise fish are easy to find and easy to care for. They make delightful little pets and will charm you with their antics and desire to interact with you. They will soon recognize you and will feed from your hand even. The fish and plants absolutely thrive for many years. You can give your fish a larger home later if you like, but it is not required to maintain a healthy fish for years. My first Paradise fish, now age 8, is still going strong and the plants must be continually pruned so he has swimming room. One note of caution: Paradise fish do like to jump. I have never had one of mine land outside of the bowl but I have heard of that happening and mine have surprised me by jumping impatiently to take the food from my hand before I could let go of it. It is wise to cover the bowl with a bit of netting or a lace doily (something that lets air in and keeps fish in) and a rubber band to prevent accidents.

Here is a chart with disease and med listing. ((http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/parasites/)) (sorry this is late so hope he is still around).. are the spots like pinheads? Or, fuzzy? What size tank? If it is ick then any of the ick meds or raising temp and salt would do (salt for wound healing ie increase of mucus production). I clean the bottom every day to remove new ick parasites. Heat speads up the cycle and only when they are in free swimming stage can they be killed. There are many meds Mardal makes one that attaches to the skin of the fish...Maracide product. (can not be used with any other 'parasite' treatment so states the label - salt would be ok I think) But, if it is not pin head types of spots it might be bacterial problem common with bettas is Flexibar Columnaris, which can look like fungus (eventually, can start with subtle change of scale color for example) spreads rapidly and kills fast. ((http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/columnaris.htm/par)) I have more links and information if need be you can email me. Sherryazure@yahoo.com Best Sherry