He isnt moving around as much.. :( IS there something wrong!

[Smilya767]

My beta fish isnt moving as much, he just kind of sits there and is not very happy. Is there a reason why? Here is the conditions he is in:

-Toaster Size Tank
-Neon Multi Color Gravil
-Neon Multi Color Plant
-Not very much sun light
-10 pebbles a day (which i know i will change this week)
-Clean his Tank Every Week
-No Caves
-Only Beta in Tank
-There is one cat in the house, wich is so lazy she dosnt know he exists
-70-80 degrees of water
-No Filter ,but wants one
-No Water Heater
-He hates getting out of the water
-Dose he need more decor?
- Any thing else?

Hes just not happy, please help me!

[iamntbatman]

The three most common causes of lethargy (in my experience, anyway) are:

1) Disease. It's possible you've got a sick fish, but without more info it'd be impossible to diagnose correctly.

2) Ammonia/nitrite in the water. A newly set up tank that has not had a chance to cycle will build up ammonia levels rather quickly, which can make the fish act lethargic. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to your fish and will kill it if they get too high. The best way to monitor ammonia and nitrite levels is by using a liquid test kit. This will allow you to know when they're reaching unsafe levels so you can do a water change. Ideally, tanks should be cycled before adding your fish so that the fish never has to suffer from even mild levels of ammonia or nitrite. Read up on the aquarium cycle here:
[url[http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=343[/url]

3) Water temperature: if the water temperature is too low, the metabolism of the fish will slow and they will become lethargic. Bettas are a tropical species so they need a temperature of 78-80 degrees in order to thrive.

I would say the second and third choices are the most likely candidates. Getting a liquid test kit ASAP and letting us know your water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) would be a big help. Alternately, you could take a sample of your water to a LFS (local fish store) and have them test it for you. Make sure they give you exact numbers for those parameters so that we can better help you. If your fish *is* sick, improving the water quality will be a huge help and is necessary before you can start using any medication.

[Haeclark]

I agree with iamntbatman, as it sounds as though you are doing a 100% water change when cleaning water? (take that by "he hates getting out of water")

when you first set-up your tank, you should only be doing at most 50% water changes (for small tanks like yours, 20-30% recommended). Also, your beta will be much much happier in a tank that's at least 2-2.5 gal, and not "toaster-sized". This will benefit you both, as he'll have more room to swim, and for filter, plus filter will make water changes less frequently needed once tank is cycled.

There are filters at stores like Petsmart, Petco, Walmart, etc, you can buy for $10.