I dont know whats wrong with my fish

[doubledfishy]

i've had my fish milo for about a month. when i got him he was pretty and full of color and now he's not and his fins look all stuck together. and he's breathing hard. i've been using the betta h2o because thats what they told me to use at petco, the person i had talked to said that thats the only water to use for the tank. so thats all i use. i feed him BettaMin tropical medley food. sometimes he swims like he's having a siezure and he looks like something attacked him.. he has a 1/2 gallon tank.. is he gunna die??

this is what he looked like before
http://i35.tinypic.com/n1djk1.jpg

and this is now

http://i34.tinypic.com/2w2lsaq.jpg

[weluvbettas]

well if its a 1/2 gallon tank its obviously not heated . bettas are tropical fish and do not do well in small unheated tanks. To me it looks like he is lethargic. if you can get him a 2 gallon tank you would be able to heat it and milo would be back to normal :)
hope that helped you.

[zelilaa]

completely agreed with 'weluvbettas' !! i have a two gallon bowl and it isnt heated but it is always at a warm temperature since the air conditioner at my house is set at 85 degrees at night =P and my dark red crowntail looks ' betta ' then evah!

[Campbell]

I have two unheated tanks, and unless your home is extremely cold it wouldn't effect a fish that much, IMO. Especially if he was health to begin with. It looks like he has some fin damage and obvious color loss. How often do you do water changes? Do you use aquarium salt or water conditioner? Do you know the temp. of your tank? Is he eating?
Sorry for all the questions, but it will help figure out what's wrong.

[Adastra]

Originally Posted by Campbell

I have two unheated tanks, and unless your home is extremely cold it wouldn't effect a fish that much, IMO. .

Although I agree that there are likely other elements at work in this case, I don't think it's fair or proper to completely glaze over the importance of heat to a tropical fish. Bettas rely upon temperature for their entire metabolism--often room temperature is cold enough to cause digestive stress, lethargy, and compromise their immune systems. I would never advocate keeping a betta without a heater--especially when you don't know the living conditions of the person you're talking to. Even when your house is typically warm, you never know when you will face a sudden cold spell, or someone in your house decides they're hot and kicks up the climate control. Heaters are a very cheap necessity, they are a good investment.

As for the topic at hand, you should be doing 100% water changes on the tank that you have every day. Instead of betta H20, I highly recommend using tap water along with dechlorinator. The pet store makes more money from selling you water than they do from you making your own with dechlorinator--you will save money this way and your betta will have a healthier and more stable environment. Bottled water lacks essential minerals for stabilizing pH, among other things.

If you can't afford to upgrade your betta to a tank that can be heated, I suggest going to walmart or target and buying a rubbermaid/sterilite plastic storage bin. 4 gallon bins are only about $3, and can be heated safely. They're not that pretty, but until you can upgrade, it is a great way to house your betta.

I use and recommend this heater: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...8&pcatid=11368 it is important that the heater you buy has an adjustable temperature dial. This means that the heater will be able to sense when the water is cold and turn on, and sense when the water is too hot and turn off. Other pre-set heaters and heater pads cannot do this, and often overheat the water or don't heat it enough.

[Campbell]

Originally Posted by Adastra

Although I agree that there are likely other elements at work in this case, I don't think it's fair or proper to completely glaze over the importance of heat to a tropical fish. Bettas rely upon temperature for their entire metabolism--often room temperature is cold enough to cause digestive stress, lethargy, and compromise their immune systems. I would never advocate keeping a betta without a heater--especially when you don't know the living conditions of the person you're talking to. Even when your house is typically warm, you never know when you will face a sudden cold spell, or someone in your house decides they're hot and kicks up the climate control. Heaters are a very cheap necessity, they are a good investment.

I did not mean to advocate not using a heater, nor did I glaze over it's importance. I asked what the temp. of the tank was. All I meant is that I know how a betta acts in an unheated tank, and that is not a normal result. IMO, unless the tank is below a comfortable room temp there's a bigger problem. I never said a heater wouldn't do good for the fish or said one wasn't needed. And just so you know heaters aren't considered very cheap by everyone.

[kuklachica]

First, I would use tap water with water conditioner, not the betta water. Tap water with conditioner is better than bottled water.

Second, how often are you changing the water? In a half gallon you need to change the water daily. He is swimming in his own toilet and even the daily build up of ammonia can cause stress, illness and eventually death.

Third, you definitely need a heater. Bettas are tropical fish and should not be kept in water temperatures under 76*. Unless your room temp is 80* and never changes, your betta will suffer from the fluctuations in temperature. His metabolism will constantly fluctuate and eventually will lower his immune system, and result in illness and possibly death.

I would recommend getting at least a 2 gallon since they are easier to heat, a heater, and water conditioner, and aquarium salt. Put the heat up VERY GRADUALLY OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS to approx. 82-84*. Add 1 tsp of dissolved salt and see how he does. And let us know so we can help if he does not improve!