I don't know if I'm doing this right...

[Myates]

Don't use the pH stuff.. all you are doing is causing a fluctuation which is deadly for the fish.. your betta will adjust to whatever pH you have normally. Some fish require certain pH, but not bettas.. messing with it can be detrimental to their health.

If your schedule doesn't allow 2x weekly changes, you could get away with 1 100% every 5 days without any issues.. yes, 1 50% and 1 100% per week for a 1g with no filter is ideal.. but it's not set in stone.

Keep in mind a tank 1-4 gallons require the same care - same amount of water changes regardless of filter or not.. you are just giving the fish more room, not making cleaning easier.

70 degrees is too cold for a tropical fish such as a betta. Lower temp water such as that will cause lethargy, slow metabolism, weakened immune system, etc.. ideally 78-82 for these guys.

You can only kill your fish with water conditioner if you put in enough for a 50g tank into a 1g tank.. unless your friend dumped in the whole bottle, it wasn't the conditioner that killed the fish. Conditioner is a must when you use anything but well water and even then it depends on the well.

As for the color change - natural when fish are brought home to change colors.. dulling in color is a sign of trouble though - too cold of water, too much ammonia (due to not using the proper water conditioner), your pH is going wacky because of what you are using is stressing the fish out..


Basically what you need is a heater - for 1-3 gallons a 25 watt is preferred.. and you also need water conditioner - make sure it removes/detoxifies ammonia, nitrates, and if you can, binds metal.

I know it's all been said before, but there are must haves when caring for fish.. even for bettas who have a reputation for being a "puddle" fish that don't need anything. Don't listen to the people at the stores, as they tell you a general care that oftentimes is deadly.. rarely will you find one who knows how to truly keep certain fish. I would listen to some of the people here as some have many years in keeping/breeding these fish and truly know what is needed to properly care for them.

Good luck on everything..

[EmilyM]

Thanks for the help guys :D well today I got another half moon! His name is Midnight and he has his own one gallon tank. It came with its own filter and its really quiet and he doesn't seem affected by it :D I have my eye on a bigger tank for Apollo so he can use another filter I bought, but it will go on sale pretty soon so I'm waiting.

Also, my sister came over and explained that Apollo had bleeding fin, which is either caused by it being irritated or I didn't clean his tank well enough or not enough. I'm not totally sure if that is correct but she gave him some medicine for it and taught me how so I will keep this updated to see if he makes progress :) I cleaned out his tank today and he seems to be pretty chill in it.
Also his water is at a nice 74 degrees according to the thermometer I bought, so I assume he'll be quite fine until summer. The water will probably hit 76 to 78 by summer time, if not hotter. Slightly worried but we'll take care of it when we get there.

Also, is there anything I can do about apollo's eating habits? He constantly spits out his food even when I cut it in half, and he sometimes just lets it sink into his marbles and then he can't reach it. Is something wrong? :<

[Bombalurina]

I can understand how you fell for such a beautiful fish, but in future I would really wait until you can afford all the kit for the fish you already have before buying a second.

As stated, a heater is not just important for making the water warm, but for keeping the temperature stable. In a one gallon tank the temperature can fluctuate hugely between night and day, and that kind of change is bad for fish.
78 is by no means to warm - it's actually ideal. As Myates said, bettas are high-end tropical and do best in temperatures between 78 and 82. I keep mine at 80. 74 is really on the cold side for a betta. All in all, a heater is important.

It could be that Apollo is unwilling to eat as he is too cold. In colder water, they metabolise food much slower and are therefore not nearly as hungry as fish in warmer water.

[EmilyM]

I'm just waiting until Monday to get paid to buy heaters.

It's just strange to me that in the same temperature water Lance and now Midnight eat instantly but Apollo still has a hard time. As soon as I put in a pellet for Midnight it disappeared almost instantly. Today Apollo ate his food after my sister put in the medicine. I don't know if its because of me, but at the moment he is swimming a lot through his house thing and darting around. This is the most active I have ever seen him. :O

[Bombalurina]

Why are you medicating him? *scratches head* Have I missed something in a previous post about him being ill? Sorry if I have.

[veggiegirl]

Unless his fins are actually breaking away I would not be medicating him, the red streak may be nothing to worry about or if it is the beginnings of fin rot may be cured by increased water changes. It is best not to rush in and medicate until you know for sure that he has the disease because medicating should only be used as a last option when an illness has been confirmed, it can be stressful for the fish and cause other problems, best only to use it when the pros outweigh the cons......

[EmilyM]

His fins were splitting away where all of the red streaks were, and this has been happening for a few days now. That's why I came here

[Myates]

What medication are you using? Bleeding fins? Never heard of that term..?