HELP! Sick Betta

[abo3791]

My Jose is really worrying me! When I got home today he was a terrible white color instead of his normal vibrant blue. His fins seem i dont kno...kind of crumpled and he isnt really using them to swim like he normally does. He has changed this color before, usually when i move his bowl to clean it, but he always turns back. I'm just really worried. Is it fin rot? I dont think I fed him this morning (i was running late) but hes not eating anything now. I was so worried I even went out and bought him a gallon tank instead of his half gallon. Does this sound normal? Does anyone know whats wrong with him? Please help im so worried!

[kelly528]

This is pretty much just what happens to bettas when they aren't housed properly. You should return the 1 gallon bowl if you still can because it is pretty much as bad as the half-gallon. How long have you had him for? Housing your betta in anything smaller than 2 gallons (despite the prevalence of unacceptably small betta homes) presents multiple problems:

1) Bettas are tropical fish and NEED a heater to survive properly. There are currently no heaters on the market that are not too powerful to heat anything less than 2 gallons safely. Believe me, I have searched long and hard. Lower than preferable temperatures will weaken your fish's immune system and make it particularly susceptible to a disease called 'Ich'. You'll want to shoot for a temperature of around 78-82, with 80 being preferable.

2) All fish produce a toxic substance called ammonia in their waste. In order to keep ammonia levels safe in a tank of 1g or smaller, you will need to change the water pretty much daily (which is WAY too stressful for any fish to survive in the long term). If not, your betta will be 10 times more vulnerable to fin rot, ammonia poisoning, fungus, and a slough of other problems.

3) Contrary to popular belief, bettas need just as much space as any other fish. See the 'Mud Puddles Mythbuster' pinned in the housing section for details. The stress your betta undergoes from being kept in such a tight space will also hurt its immune system.

You would be surprised at how well some bettas recover from seemingly terminal illnesses. If you invest in a heated, spacious tank for your betta, I am confident he will make a full rebound. Also, keep reading betta forums to get an idea of how to care for your fish properly.

Here are some awesome links:
http://www.fishforum.com/betta-fish-...are-faq-20058/
http://www.fishforum.com/betta-fish-...ive-tiny-8923/

[Rohland]

Originally Posted by kelly528

This is pretty much just what happens to bettas when they aren't housed properly. You should return the 1 gallon bowl if you still can because it is pretty much as bad as the half-gallon. How long have you had him for? Housing your betta in anything smaller than 2 gallons (despite the prevalence of unacceptably small betta homes) presents multiple problems:

1) Bettas are tropical fish and NEED a heater to survive properly. There are currently no heaters on the market that are not too powerful to heat anything less than 2 gallons safely. Believe me, I have searched long and hard. Lower than preferable temperatures will weaken your fish's immune system and make it particularly susceptible to a disease called 'Ich'. You'll want to shoot for a temperature of around 78-82, with 80 being preferable.

2) All fish produce a toxic substance called ammonia in their waste. In order to keep ammonia levels safe in a tank of 1g or smaller, you will need to change the water pretty much daily (which is WAY too stressful for any fish to survive in the long term). If not, your betta will be 10 times more vulnerable to fin rot, ammonia poisoning, fungus, and a slough of other problems.

3) Contrary to popular belief, bettas need just as much space as any other fish. See the 'Mud Puddles Mythbuster' pinned in the housing section for details. The stress your betta undergoes from being kept in such a tight space will also hurt its immune system.

You would be surprised at how well some bettas recover from seemingly terminal illnesses. If you invest in a heated, spacious tank for your betta, I am confident he will make a full rebound. Also, keep reading betta forums to get an idea of how to care for your fish properly.

Kelly covered it all! A bigger tank and heater should help a lot. A 10 gal, aquarium from walmart set up without the heater, is about $40. Also you can split your aquarium into 3 and get three bettas~!

Also Hello Kelly, another Canadian! Vancouver like me and Byron!

[abo3791]

Jose died. he was gone when I got home. I'm sad and confused because he was litterally completly fine wednesday, sick thursday, dead today. I am so distraught.

[dramaqueen]

I'm so sorry about Jose! Thats the second death I've heard of today.RIP Jose. :(

[Rohland]

sorry, R.I.P.

um maybe he was sick when you bought him?

[Vikki81207]

Sorry about your boy. But it was probably his housing situation that stressed and killed him, maybe ammonia. I would get a bigger tank with a heater and filter before you get another. Like Rohland said, there are kits for a 10 gallon that comes with a filter and stuff. And you could split it into 2 or 3 and get multiple bettas

[Romad]

So sorry you lost your little buddy.

[JamieTron]

Could your betta have just been getting old? mine recently passed away after having him for two years and already being quite large when I got him. Once he stopped eating I lost him. And these symptoms were what happened to him and he was in a 2.5 gallon tank.

sorry for your loss :(

[BakaMandy]

@JamieTron: Unlikely, abo3791 posted in another thread that she only had Jose for a couple of weeks. The ones sold at pet stores are usually anywhere between 6 months to 1 year old. Their life span is usually anywhere inbetween 2-5 years.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss... RIP Jose. Like Vikki said, it could have been many things ): Perhaps next time you plan to get a betta fish, you'll be better prepared? Remember, at LEAST 2.5 gallon tank, filter and heater among a few other things!

Knowledge is your best asset! :) Betta fish aren't hard to take care of once you have the proper set up!