Please Help! Betta acting strangly!

[CTBettaLover]

Hello! I just got a heater for the first time yesterday I installed it and it has keep the water at 78 all night and today. I decided to reach in and turn it up 2 degrees to help boost my betta, Stanley's immune system. I didnt unplug it before turning it up so I hope I didn't mess anything up. I did a 25-30% pwc after unplugging it so the water level wouldn't go below the mark on the heater while it was on. After doing the pwc and turning the heater back on Stanley started acting really weird! He would swim an inch or two and spread his fins and repeat this over and over. This is relatively normal for him but he seemed sortof frantic. The first really weird thing i noticed was when he swam up to the side of the filter intake tube ( which is right next to the heater ) in this manner. He loooked like he was examining it really closely with one eye and as he got closer, the side of his face touched it and he jerked away violently. He did this like 3 times! Then swam away quickly stopping and stretching his fins in between jolts. Then he did the same thing with a leaf of one of his silk plants. He got really close, touched it with the side of his face and jerked away violently. The plant isn't new to his tank. The only thing new is the heater. Now he is breathing kindof fast like he's stressed out. I hope the heater isn't electricuting him or something!! It is a slow heating 10-40 gal in tank adjustable heater. He is in a 10 gal tank by himself. PLEASE HElP!

[Perseusmom]

Have you checked to see what the temp of the water is right now ? Thats the first thing I would do to make sure the water is not to hot for him. Does it have a light on it that comes on when its heating the water ? I would watch it for awhile and keep checking the temp of the water. Thats all I know to help you out maybe someone will come along with other ideas.

[CTBettaLover]

Thankyou Perseusmom for responding, and so quickly! The temp should be fine for him it is at 81F.

[teeneythebetta]

When I clean out my tank, I unplug my heater and put my betta in a cup. After cleaning out some of the water and adding the new water, I turn the heater back on. Once it reaches the right temp, I float the cup in the tank so that my betta can get used to the new temperature.

Was the new water you added a different temperature than the tank water? Even though the tank is at an okay temperature, pouring in water of a different temp will be noticable to him./

[lelei]

If you see him gasping for air, I would unplug the heater, and get him out, sounds odd..but keep close eye on the heater, and your thermometer, and your bettas behaviour..

[CTBettaLover]

Good thinking! Im used to the jugs of dechlorinated water i have set aside at all times being room temp. This was fine when my tank was in the same room without a heater. Now that he has a heater the room temp. water might have been a bit of a shocker to him. He is acting normal as of right now and I haven't seen him do anything weird since the incident the other day. Ill keep a close eye on him. Thanks for all your help!