lying at bottom of bowl

[alphabet]

My 3 year old Betta, Alpha, has been lying at the bottom of his bowl today. He sometimes would lay on his plant but would then swim around if I moved the bowl. Now if I move the bowl, he swims to the top for air, then goes back to lying down. He also isn't eating. I just changed his water- I used to use bottled water, but have been transitioning to tap water that I've let set out for a while, and have been using Betta water conditioner. Could his condition have to do with the new water, or is he just getting old? Thanks!

[kelly528]

Keeping them in a bowl will shorten their lifespan. Your garden-variety 1g bowl needs to be cleaned every 2-3 days in order to keep ammonia levels safe, not to mention bettas are tropical fish that need heaters to thrive. Also, there isn't alot of room to run in that bowl... did you know that the better part of premature deaths in bettas are caused by fatty buildup on the liver?

I don't think upgrading his tank will really do much at this point. Nothing to do but make him comfortable. Sorry :(

[alphabet]

So, Alpha is back to his usual self, swimming around and eating. I think he just didn't like the transition to colder weather. I'm thinking about getting a heater for his bowl to make him more comfortable.

[kelly528]

How big is the bowl? They don't sell heaters for tanks 1g and under... even the weakest heaters on the market will totally cook a bowl! You should pick up a 5g tank along with the heater... it will cost you $20 at the most and you'll only have to change a gallon of water per week, versus completely cleaning out your bowl every 2 days.

[ChristinaRoss]

try to get the bigger tank! it definately cant hurt

[alphabet]

He's been in a 2g bowl for three years now- I know he would probably live longer in a tank, but I live in a dorm room and really don't have the room for anything bigger.

[kelly528]

Ohhkay a 2g should be absolutely fine. It's them minimum, but definitely decent. You will want to clean it about every 5 days or so. Just bear in mind when looking for a heater that you want about 5 watts per gallon. Marineland makes a 10 watt and Hydor makes a 7.5 watt. Both are pretty cheap, easy to find and reliable.

Are you matching the temperature with the tap water with that of his bowl before you pour it in? The temperature swing could be what was bothering him.

[alphabet]

Yeah- I let the water sit for a while before putting it in his bowl. I've been doing the same thing for as long as I've had him, so I don't know why this time was different. I'm just happy that he's swimming around and eating again.