I'm new to this forum 'cause I really needed help with my new betta fish. If I'm posting this in the wrong area, please re-direct me and I'll re-post this.
Some background: I had gotten a betta fish for my birthday from my boyfriend's mother. It was a vase with a peace lily in it, and I was to pick out a betta fish to live inside it. Peace and War novelty gift. She had done this for people before, so she assured me it would live perfectly fine and happily. I found out later ( after he died :[ ) that betta fish aren't actually supposed to live in those and I know a little better now. I found a 5 gallon tank, but I was still cleaning it while I found a new betta. I got him because I was excited that he was so wonderful looking.
Issue: I'm currently holding my new betta in the old vase of my first betta, Alpha, was in. The first time I put him in, I had a small heater for 1-5 gallon tanks. The wire to the heater was along the inside of the tank, and the second betta, Charlie, seemed fond of it. He would swim behind it and basically be there whenever I walked by to see how he was. I decided not to use it for a few days because we decided the house would be warm enough for him (75-80 degrees normally). The first time I changed his water, I took out the heater. I cleaned out his vase with soap, rinsed it thoroughly and poured distilled water into his vase, put stress coat in, and then put him in. Now, this is all from the advice given by my bf's mom. I guess it's my fault if any of her instructions were wrong, Alpha lived for a while but I don't think she killed him. But now I'm afraid something's wrong with how I changed Charlie's water this time, because when I put him in, I knew he was going to be upset I took his heater wire away, but I think that pissed him off so much, he took to digging into the marbles at the bottom, trying to hide his face and basically bury himself.
I feel really bad for not having anything for him, but the next day (today) I got a plant from PetCo, a big leafy one that I thought he could lie on and hide in so he'd feel better. But he hasn't moved from the bottom, he just curls up behind the sticky thermometer on the outside and stays there. I'm really scared for him.
He didn't eat today, he wouldn't come up. I put a little bit more stress coat in, and I'm trying to leave him be.
Do you guys think he's sick? Is he frustrated? Can fish feel frustrated??? :x
Some background: I had gotten a betta fish for my birthday from my boyfriend's mother. It was a vase with a peace lily in it, and I was to pick out a betta fish to live inside it. Peace and War novelty gift. She had done this for people before, so she assured me it would live perfectly fine and happily. I found out later ( after he died :[ ) that betta fish aren't actually supposed to live in those and I know a little better now. I found a 5 gallon tank, but I was still cleaning it while I found a new betta. I got him because I was excited that he was so wonderful looking.
Issue: I'm currently holding my new betta in the old vase of my first betta, Alpha, was in. The first time I put him in, I had a small heater for 1-5 gallon tanks. The wire to the heater was along the inside of the tank, and the second betta, Charlie, seemed fond of it. He would swim behind it and basically be there whenever I walked by to see how he was. I decided not to use it for a few days because we decided the house would be warm enough for him (75-80 degrees normally). The first time I changed his water, I took out the heater. I cleaned out his vase with soap, rinsed it thoroughly and poured distilled water into his vase, put stress coat in, and then put him in. Now, this is all from the advice given by my bf's mom. I guess it's my fault if any of her instructions were wrong, Alpha lived for a while but I don't think she killed him. But now I'm afraid something's wrong with how I changed Charlie's water this time, because when I put him in, I knew he was going to be upset I took his heater wire away, but I think that pissed him off so much, he took to digging into the marbles at the bottom, trying to hide his face and basically bury himself.
I feel really bad for not having anything for him, but the next day (today) I got a plant from PetCo, a big leafy one that I thought he could lie on and hide in so he'd feel better. But he hasn't moved from the bottom, he just curls up behind the sticky thermometer on the outside and stays there. I'm really scared for him.
He didn't eat today, he wouldn't come up. I put a little bit more stress coat in, and I'm trying to leave him be.
Do you guys think he's sick? Is he frustrated? Can fish feel frustrated??? :x