Are my bettas going to die? ='(

[blu1]

Please help me with your knowledge of bettas and advice.

I have vieltail name Jhaybeebee and a crowntail name Sentou.

After taking them home and using the same water from the petstore for their new home (each in their own fish bowl of course), they seem to be happy - making bubbles, eating the given food, swimming around etc.

BUT...oh the big bad "but" ...but after the first change of water, both of them stopped eating. My vieltail, Jhaybeebee, just stays on the bottom of his bowl and barely moves. He'd swim to the surface once in a while but he seems to struggle and would just sink back down. Also, there's a fuzzy white thing over his eyes.

This was Jhaybeebee before the first water change. Notice his pretty fins nice and flared. My pretty Jhaybeebee!!....but now his fins are always tucked in because he doesn't move much anymore.

And something interesting(but still bad) is that it's the opposite for my crowntail, Sentou. He's now just floating! He struggles when he swims to the bottom and would just float back up! He doesn't eat and his color isn't vibrant anymore - he looks very pale now.

This was Sentou before the first water change. Notice his big tummy because he would eat A LOT!! lol...but his big tummy is gone now since he doesn't eating anymore. Also notice his vibrant color in the picture? Now he almost looks completely gray.

My guess is that the bowl conditioner that I used is maybe expired? Does it expire? It came with one of the fish bowl that I got for Christmas last year. I bought a new bottle of bowl conditioner today and changed their water right away.

Any suggestions and advices? Please help me.I'm super worried and I don't want to loose any bettas anymore. I honestly cried when my first betta pet died (don't laugh lol). RIP JJ - my red vieltail.

JJ - REST IN PEACE

[dramaqueen]

How much do you feed your fish?

[blu1]

3 pellets, 3 times a day. Both of them would usually eat all of it. After the water change they wouldn't eat at all so I decided to buy flake food. Didn't work. =(

[Cody]

How big are the bowls?
Do they have a heater or filter?

One thing I noticed was you used the store water. You shouldn't ever add the store's water to your tank, especially from bettas. This water is usually very contaminated from waste and CO2, and is different from the displays. Another thing I noticed that since they are bowls, they would have never underwent a cycle, and never will if it is small. Could we have an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH reading (liquid test kit).

[blu1]

Originally Posted by Cody

How big are the bowls?
Do they have a heater or filter?

One thing I noticed was you used the store water. You shouldn't ever add the store's water to your tank, especially from bettas. This water is usually very contaminated from waste and CO2, and is different from the displays. Another thing I noticed that since they are bowls, they would have never underwent a cycle, and never will if it is small. Could we have an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH reading (liquid test kit).

The bowls aren't big at all. I don't have a heater or a filter. Just bowls beside my bed on my both of my side tables. I was told that bettas can live without all those fancy aquarium tools.

I did use the store water but they were fine. It was AFTER changing it when they started being less active and anorexic.

[Cody]

Bettas need a heater. They need a constant temperature of 78-84F, and it cannot drop lower. They also need a reliable filter to keep parameters down, unless you want to do water changes daily.

They also need at least a 2.5G tank, each. They are both probably suffering from Ammonia poisoning right now.

[blu1]

Ammonia poisoning...That means it's too cold right?

I guess maybe if I lived in a warmer place it's okay to have a betta without a heater. Damn these pet stores selling these heater-less betta bowls! I'm not too worried about the bowl/tank size. I knew someone from another country(warmer place) who kept her betta alive in a small bowl like mine for about 8 months until her little niece killed it.

Plus it was a FEMALE betta that she had! The pet store lady told me female bettas aren't like male bettas who can live without a heater because they're more sensitive.

[blu1]

Thank you Cody! I never knew about ammonia poisoning, I had to google it lol. I guess I will have to purchase a new home for both of my fishy loveluvz with a heater and filter. Thanks again!

[dramaqueen]

You could get a 5g or 10g and put a divider in it so you would only have to buy one filter and one heater, rather than 2 separate tanks. My first betta lived 3 1/2 years in a half gallon unheated, unfiltered bowl and never had health problems until the day he died.I keep my fish in an upstairs room that stays pretty warm. I don't like to be cold either!

[blu1]

Originally Posted by dramaqueen

You could get a 5g or 10g and put a divider in it so you would only have to buy one filter and one heater, rather than 2 separate tanks. My first betta lived 3 1/2 years in a half gallon unheated, unfiltered bowl and never had health problems until the day he died.I keep my fish in an upstairs room that stays pretty warm. I don't like to be cold either!

Thanks for the tip! I'll probably invest in a nice big aquarium and put dividers along with other fishies that bettas are compatible with. I love other fishies too! But of course Siamese fighting fishies will always be my favorite8).

Anyway, can someone explain to me the white fuzzy thing over my Jhaybeebee's eyes? Also the discoloration of Sentou? Are those causes of ammonia poison?