Help! someone brought my kids a Betta and it's lying on the bottom of the bowl...

[kristystreb]

A good friend just brought my kids a Betta Fish. One of those poor sort that they keep in the store in piles that die off because they have no food or care. They drove around with it for quite a while so I don't know if it's in shock from the ride or if it's just going to die before morning..

Don't fish that die float upside down?

I kept a Blue Gourami Fish for 8 years so I know I need to get a tank, plants, filter etc.. even though they swore I could just leave it in the tiny bowl.

So bottom line is..is it at all normal for a Betta to lie on the bottom of the tank? Or is this poor little guy doomed?

Thanks!

K

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to the forum. He may still be stressed from the ride. Some of mine laid on the bottom for awhile after getting them home.

[ScuitoAmi150]

He might be in shock. But I'd put him in a bigger bowl, with mostly the water he currently has. and aquarium salt. you don't want to shock him more by putting him in completely different water. And the Aquarium Salt will help fight off stuff

[DragonFish]

First off, welcome to the forum! And its good to hear your going for a larger, filtered, and heated tank(you'll want to get that ASAP probably BTW). Your new little guy will be much happier in a setup like that, its a very common misconception that they can be kept in tiny bowls.

From my experience, there are many reasons a betta will lay on the bottom of a bowl or tank, though I think the most likely in your case is that he is cold and/or stressed. Cooler temperatures make them very inactive and lethargic, and if hes stressed and has no place to hide then he may just lay there and breath heavily.

For now, wrap a dark towel around the bowl and put him in a dark location.That should help relieve some stress and make him feel a little more comfortable. Check on him once in a while and look for any physical signs of diseases. You'll want to keep his bowl nice and clean as well, and if its REALLY small(half gallon or less)then your going to want to change the water daily probably. If you don't have any, you should also pick up some water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. If you can also grab some aquarium salt like ScuitoAmi150 said. I think the measurement is half a teaspoon per gallon, someone correct me if I'm wrong. And you'll want to fully dissolve that before adding it to his bowl.

Lets see....thats all I can think of right now D: Hope this helped some, and anyone else is more then welcome to correct me if I didn't advise right ^^;

[kristystreb]

I was worried he wouldn't make it through the night. Got the dark towel around the bowl (probably only 1/4th of a gallon) and I'll shop for the tank tomorrow. He did move to the other side of the tank so at least he's not dead like I thought an hour ago. I had no idea fish could stay so still and not be dead. So glad I found you all!

[loppy656]

im pretty shur your right about the salt.^^

he might just be sleeping. they sleep at the bottm of the bowl.

and no betta fish do not always flot when they die. both of mine died at the bottom of the bowl but they would most likely be on there sides when they die.

dose he move at all to get air? they are librth fish (i think thats how you spell it) witch means they get most of there air from the surface (so dont put an air tight lid on the tank). if not, is the water line close enoughf to the fish that he can just lift his head up and get air?

yay, glad hes not dead! can you post some picts of him when he is more active? (dont worry about taking them now. i dont want to stress the fish to much.)

[kelly528]

Geesh-- this is what happens when you give a pet you yourself do not know how to take care of to a friend! If only they knew that their 'happy in a bowl' betta would need about $50 worth of essentials I doubt this would have happened!

Being in a cruddy little bowl will really do 'em in-- I'm sure you know what I mean if you've been to a pet store in the last decade. Typically these 'cup bettas' suffer from fin rot and ammonia burns from poor sanitation along with lethargy from the cool temperatures.

The good news is that there are stories every day about betta lovers taking in on-the-brink fishies and pulling a 180 on their health with only a little TLC. Definitely keep the towel on for a while. He is probably quite weak. If you aren't sure of some of the specifics of betta care here is a reliable place to start: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/b...are-faq-20058/

Good luck! Your friend has certainly dropped a little bundle of personality into your lap. As soon as he perks up a bit I'm sure you will be amused by his antics. Keep us posted!

[DragonFish]

Originally Posted by kristystreb

I was worried he wouldn't make it through the night. Got the dark towel around the bowl (probably only 1/4th of a gallon) and I'll shop for the tank tomorrow. He did move to the other side of the tank so at least he's not dead like I thought an hour ago. I had no idea fish could stay so still and not be dead. So glad I found you all!

Ahh, yup, its very possible for fish to be not moving and not be dead. :) Mostly its due to the temperature probably, as in colder water bettas will become VERY lethargic and can even appear dead, from my experience at least. Another thing is the size of the bowl too, not much room to really be active in a 1/4 gallon bowl ;)

As for a tank, I suggest you snag a 5-10 gallon if you can.....and you plan on getting a filter, right? I'm going to assume you know all about cycling and whatnot?

[fishmadcraig]

I'd say get his new tank sorted out and then leave him in a hall way or somewhere on the shelf where he can get settled down for a couple of days, get used to how things will be in his new home. Its a total change for him, From a tiny cup to a nice tank and just a few people to get to know. Leave him alone and dont harrass him or anything, no knocking on the tank or anything, or peering in as that will scare him. :)

When he gets better we'l all love to see pictures of your new friend.