Sick fish...(?)

[BMValentine]

My (ex) girlfriend is studying in the UK now, and she's given me her fish to take care of... The problem is, it lies on the bottom of its tank all the time, and my dad from his experience with fish tells me it looks sick... I asked her about it, and she says it's always done that, but I think this isn't good. It seems lethargic as well.

Are there any particular conditions that cause this? I believe she has been using tap water, and since we live in an urban area, I think the water contains sodium ions.

Also, I would appreciate any tips I can get, in terms of keeping it healthy and happy. The kind of water to use, how to treat it, the environment to keep it in... anything will be appreciated.

Thank you for taking your time to read this.

[Meatpuppet]

what is your tank size?
is it heated and filtered?
what are the water parameters and what is your water changing schedule?

are you using water conditioner in your bettas water? if not he will die.
a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater a filter is the minimum you should have for your betta. and a betta should always be kept in 78 degrees F. constantly anything less could make him lethargic and prone to illnesses, thats why the heater is a must

[BMValentine]

I live in a tropical country, so i don't know - is a heater still necessary? Also, where do I get conditioner from, and what kind should I get? I'm trying to find a thermometer somewhere... Also, the tank it came in is not very large - practically a goldfish bowl, and I don't have any opportunities to get a new one... Is there anything I could do? Also, what should I do until I can get a bigger tank and a heater for it? Edit: And a filter

I'm completely new to taking care of these fish - any help would be appreciated, and soon.

[Flashygrrl]

If you don't have any petstores look in your bigger grocery stores you might have, I doubt they'll have much of a selection so just get one that will detoxify chlorine and chloramines.

How often are you changing the water?

[BMValentine]

Uh, about quarter tank every 5 hours. I'm afraid it runs out of air in the water...

[okiemavis]

Bettas have a special organ called a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath atmospheric air...so there's no need to worry about changing water that often :P They can breath air as long as they can get to the surface of the water.

[BMValentine]

Originally Posted by okiemavis

Bettas have a special organ called a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath atmospheric air...so there's no need to worry about changing water that often :P They can breath air as long as they can get to the surface of the water.

That's the thing - I don't think the poor guy's gone anywhere near the surface. Also, based on something my dad said, what are the effects of tap water chlorine on such a fish?

[nav2008]

I use aquasafe water conditioner, it removes chlorine (if you have any in your water) and any harmfull minerals and such. Betta can become lethargic if the water is too cold, 78degrees is what i set my tank at but sometimes its up at 80ish. what do you feed?


*chlorine is toxic

[BMValentine]

Originally Posted by nav2008

I use aquasafe water conditioner, it removes chlorine (if you have any in your water) and any harmfull minerals and such. Betta can become lethargic if the water is too cold, 78degrees is what i set my tank at but sometimes its up at 80ish. what do you feed?


*chlorine is toxic

Well, I mean what are the effects and symptoms of chlorine on betta fish? My ex gave me sort of a small bottle of food, it's a local Malaysian brand:

Min. Crude Protein 45%
Min. Crude Fat 5%
Max Crude Fibre 2%
Max Moisture 8%
Max Ash 10%

I'm not sure what it means, but I hope this helps...

[BMValentine]

Just an update - he does swim around a little now, and he does go up to eat, though not much... He's still dragging around the bottom of the tank...