betta at top of tank listless

[bart's girl]

I wondered if there is a problem...I bought my betta last weekend and I've never seen him eat. Even when I bought him, there were pellets floating on the top..I guess that should have been my first red flag, huh???...He was swimming around but now he's just hanging out around the top of the "tank" and he seems to be making bubbles...I probably have a "no-no" container...it's a very large vase...holds about 1.5 gallons...and I have a real plant in the top...the water temp is 75 degrees...I warm it by submerging it in a sink full of very warm water...no heater...it gets no direct sunlight but natural light all day long...what can I try?

[nav2008]

try flakes or frozen/live food i have a picky eater who just goes crazy over daphnia but absolutley hadts bloodworms which are supposed to be among the bettas favorite foods. because you have a smaller area for him you should do water changes (50%) at least 2 x a week, and if you try the frozen foods be carefull w/the amount you put in as it can make the water gross fast.

[Flashygrrl]

If it's about 1.5 gallons you should be doing either 50% water changes every other day or 100% twice, maybe three times a week. You should also get a small heater, 75 degrees can make them very lethargic and prone to disease. Here's a good one.

[Kim]

If I were you, I would just go out and get a 5 gal. tank for $6, an azoo palm filter for $8, and a heater for ~$10. It's all pretty cheap, and you will only have to do water changes once per week. Also, with the temp. set at 78 your fish will be much more healthy and active. Drastic changes in temp. (when you put the bowl in warm water) will stress your fish out and make him prone to disease.

As for getting him to eat, sometimes the stress of being in a new home will make them loose their appetite. But, if it has been a week you are right to be getting worried. He may be lethargic because he is so hungry. I would try freeze-dried bloodworms (they float so if he doesn't eat them you can pick them out) or brine shrimp.

Have you checked ammonia and nitrite levels? If you have only been doing a once per week water change, and there is uneaten food in the tank, they could be quite high, poisoning your fish.