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New Betta Owner

1K views 27 replies 7 participants last post by  ChoclateBetta 
#1 ·
Hello everyone!

I am a new fish owner. I would say just Betta owner, but honestly, I've never had any other fish in my life. I chose a Betta because they are so pretty and from what I had heard and experienced (from family and friends), they are relatively low maintenance.

So first I have a sad story, my first betta that I got died the day after I got him. Someone that I worked with didn't want him anymore, so since I already had my tank prepared for a new fish, I said I would take him. They said they didn't like him (I have yet to figure out how you "don't like" a fish). He was in a small, dirty, cold plastic tank. I took about 5 hours transitioning him over to the tank in my room. He seemed to be OK that night, maybe a little lethargic, but when I woke up the next morning, he was acting a little strange. He would swim up really fast to the top of the tank, then sink down vertically (tail first). At the bottom of the tank, he would lay on his left side. I checked the water temp (about 78), and the pH (about 7.5 - a little high I guess). He kept going up, then one time, he did a nose dive to the bottom of the tank. I freaked out. Unfortunately, I had a Dr appt and couldn't stay to check on him. When I came back from the appointment, he was dead. I don't know if I did something wrong, or if maybe he was already sick when I got him. I was incredibly upset.

So, I changed out all the water in my tank and this time I used bottled water (because the tap water here is disgusting and thought that might have contributed to him dying - even though I had treated the water). Once again, I got the temp to 78 and the pH between 6.5-7.0. I now have a new Betta. I have yet to name him because I want to make sure he does OK and so I can get a good idea of his personality. He made the transition well (this time I took 8 hours to transition him to the tank). He ate right away and was exploring his new tank the first day. Yesterday, he didn't seem quite as active, but still ate just fine. Now today, he swims around a little but didn't eat this evening. I am trying really hard not to freak out. So I have a few questions:

1. He seems to love hanging out near the top of the water on a plant. I know they need to breathe from the air and they are generally "lazy" fish, but is it normal that they do it a lot?
2. Should I be concerned if he doesn't eat at every single meal I give him?
3. I tried putting a mirror in front of him to see if he would react and he didn't. Is it because he doesn't care or because he doesn't feel good?

I know these are probably stupid questions to most of you, but I've spent hours doing research and took weeks making sure that everything was perfect for my new tank, only to have my first fish die. If I'm doing something wrong, I need to know. I don't want to be the cause of some poor fishes demise because I'm making a novice mistake. PLEASE HELP!!:-(
 
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#2 ·
Bettas are very active fish and if you are feeding right food like pellets, live food, thawed frozen food, and freezedried food they should try and eat it all. as surface fish they spend most of the time near the surface but as Bettas they explore everything. I would not reccomend the mirrir method. How big is the tank? Does it have a heater? Are there decorations? Is there a filter? What and how much are you feeding him?
 
#3 · (Edited)
What size tank do you have him in & was it properly cycled? You've mentioned Ph but I didn't see the results for ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. I would suggest a liquid test kit & to test for these. Bottled water, from what I understand, doesn't have all the nutrients needed so you may want to rethink that, plus it could get expensive based on your tank size. If the tank hasn't been properly cycled you'll want to test the water daily & do frequent water changes based on test results. Sometimes it takes them a few days to settle in. As for feeding, what are you feeding & how often? Mine get 2-3 pellets once a day 5 days a week, frozen food one day & fasted one day. Some Bettas can be picky so he may not like what you're feeding. You can fast him a day or 2 with no problem & then see if he'll eat.
 
#5 ·
OK, let's see.

His tank is cylindrical, 3 gallons with an undergravel filter. The tank came with an airstone and pump but I decided against using it. I feed him 2-3 pellets morning and night of Aqueon Betta Food. I have bloodworms but I was only going to give those once a week. I wanted to wait for those so I don't jack up his stomach by giving him too much when he is stressed out. As for the other tests, I haven't been able to find any of those test kits. I know a lot of places sell them online, but they won't ship to where I am. It's very frustrating. I'm trying to the best that I can without all the resources that I could have in America. As for the cycling, I'm not exactly sure what that means.

As far as decorations go, I have a small statue thing (about 6 in) and a tall silk plant (about 12 in). I cut two of the fronds on the plant so that he would be able to rest of them and hang out at the top of the water and that is where he has spent most of his time the last few days. I have a heater with the water at 78 and a thermometer. The first day, it looked like he was trying to pick a fight with heater, it was pretty funny. I think I answered all of the questions.

Are they anything like us with lighting? Does it affect their sleep schedule? I've had to work 12 hour shifts the past couple days, so I haven't seen him during the day, but I try to leave my blinds open so he can get some indirect sunlight.
 
#14 ·
The height of the tank could be an issue, Bettas typically like wider rather than taller for swimming room. Underground filters can become an issue because they're generally hard to clean well under & tend to start clogging from what I understand. Have you tried turning off the filter? It could be he doesn't like it & that's why he hangs out at the top. They can be finicky regarding water movement. Lighting wise if he's getting normal daylight then he should be getting the appropriate light for day & night cycle. A cycled tank means that ammonia & nitrites are being processed out by benficial bacteria (BB). New tanks won't do this, it can take 6-8 wks for it to cycle which is why testing the water & doing the appropriate water changes is very important. Amazon won't ship to where you are? They have the API Master freshwater test kit most recommend using. You might cut back in feeding him to just once a day, it may help his appetite or feed 1 pellet twice a day. Did you buy frozen or freeze dried blood worms? If freeze dried soak them for 5 or so minutes, some say if you don't there's a risk of bloat because of the air in them, if I remember correctly. They are meant to be a treat so feeding them once a week is good. Fast him a day each week, its supposed to help their digestive system. Hope this helps, I think I covered everything based on my experiences.
 
#23 ·
Hi Amazon.. glad to see he is doing better. Your set up seems just fine, along with our feeding.
A 3 gallon won't cycle the same as a larger tank, so you don't need to worry about that. Just as long as you do your weekly water changes then you shouldn't have any problems. Here is a guide about water changes that may help you.
They require a day/night schedule like us to keep them healthy - not to mention you don't want the lights on for too long otherwise you will start having algae issues. Normally 10-12 hrs of light is good for them per day. The indirect sunlight is just fine.





No... bacteria and unkept water along with a damaged fin encourages fin rot :)

I am pretty sure slightly yellow is full of ammonia like urine.
lol huh? I don't think the yellow from his tap has anything to do with ammonia, especially urine o_O

As long as you're adding in the minerals then you can use the bottled water..

You are doing just fine as a betta owner :)
 
#7 ·
I would say that Bettas are "lazy" if they are sick or in a tank that is too small for them. If his small tank was dirty and cold before you got him, I would venture to say that he is either sick or stressed. If he is stressed, you're going to need to give him time to adjust to his healthier surroundings. If he's sick, you're going to need to determine what he has and then what treatment to go with. Clean, warm water is the best way to start the healing process. Here is a very helpful link on this form on how many water changes you should do based on what size your tank is: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758
But remember a sick fish will need more than the recommended water changes to help with recovery.

Oh, and P.S. Bettas really aren't that low maintenance, they are just marketed that way. But with the right care, they can be a very rewarding pet, they are much more interactive than other fish, and respond very well to humans.
 
#8 ·
Well with most fish, I know that they thrive when they are more taken care of. But for example, my mom has a Betta in a vase. No plants, heater, etc and he's been around for years. And the fish that is in my aquarium is a new one. The one from the nasty tank died the next day. I've been watching mine so far today and he went and ate when I fed him. He will randomly do a lap or two around his tank, then go back to the plant. I had planned on doing a partial water change today.
 
#10 ·
Mine is constantly on the move, except when she's sick. She has a 5 gallon tank. Sometimes, she'll stop and "hover" in the water, or go into her pineapple home or lay on top of her plant bulb to rest, but most of the time, she's swimming around. In fact, I hardly ever see her resting. And when she sees me come near her tank, she starts swimming excitedly.
 
#12 ·
Her last one lived 3 years. He's been swimming around for about 10 minutes now. I think he may be starting a bubble nest. In the spot that he likes to stay, there are a bunch of bubbles resting on the top of the water.

I wonder if he is always like this during the day. Like I said, the past few days I have been gone during the day so I have only seem him at night. So maybe he's not sick, just tired when I get home? Lol
 
#15 ·
Her last one lived 3 years. He's been swimming around for about 10 minutes now. I think he may be starting a bubble nest. In the spot that he likes to stay, there are a bunch of bubbles resting on the top of the water.

I wonder if he is always like this during the day. Like I said, the past few days I have been gone during the day so I have only seem him at night. So maybe he's not sick, just tired when I get home? Lol
3 is not old.
 
#16 ·
I have tried to get that master kit shipped to me, but Amazon won't. I can try Petsmart. The bloodworms are freeze-dried. I should soak them in the water that's in his tank? I can do that.

And the filter doesn't run, it's literally a piece of plastic that the gravel sits on top of. There is maybe a half inch of empty space underneath it. Does anyone know of any way that I can test the water at home, without the test kit?
 
#19 ·
Is it the tank with the LED light at the bottom and the domed lid?

If you're not going to use the pump and airstone then you should remove the UGF grate on the bottom of the tank - it's useless without using the pump and airstone and as stated above debris and waste will get trapped underneath it.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Sound fine and if he continue to eat i would assume he is fine. If he would stop eating and sit most of the time on the bottom of the tank , or go to the top for air and then go back to hide then something is wrong.
I am wondering what kind of bottle water are you using? I used spring water deer park before for a few bettas at work for about 6 month and they were fine. But i am really do not recommend to you, to use the bottle water since there is not enough minerals and can reflect his life later on. You can go to the pet store and check your water. Do you live with your mother? If she using the same water then you better to use tap water. If not go check your water at the pet store. Bettas are very adjustable to different ph and hardness of the water. Also check if you might have ammonia in your water. And if you water is fine it really better to use tap water. Also if you will buy water conditioner buy Prime by Seachem. It the best one.
If you have high ph or heard water you need to do a few water changes a week and acclimate your betta slowly to the new water.
I think you wrote that you don't use filter. Do 1-50% and 1-100% water change a week for him. Make sure when you change him, new water approx the same temp as his. Acclimate him slowly. Have him in the changing cup with his original water and add a little bit of the new water , let him stay in it for about 5 min -do it for a few times this way he will get used to the new water and you can put him back in his tank.
Have thermometer in his tank so you can monitor his temperature.
also i am wondering if you disinfect the tank after first betta?
 
#21 ·
It's the KollerCraft Aquaview 360 aquarium. The LED light is on the top. When I do the next 100% water change, I'll pull out the filter.

I use Sparklett's Water with Minerals Added. I looked online at the ingredients and proportions of the water. Like I said, the tap water here is gross. It's slightly yellow. I don't trust it at all.
 
#25 ·
Ammonia and the nitros are crystal clear/invisible.. yellow water may be bad, but not for any of the reasons you may think. I don't blame Amazon for not wanting to use yellow water though.
 
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