Bunch of questions about my questionable betta buddy.

[zeppelfloyd]

I recently purchased by first betta from petsmart and brought him home with one of those beginning betta sets, and also bought betta bulbs for him. He began acting funny, after the second day he no longer ate his pellets, he would only eat some freeze dried blood worms. It didn't strike me as a taste thing, in the store they are only fed pellets and he stopped eating them before he ever had a worm. He would still go for the pellets but end up spitting them back out.

He also was swimming erratically at times. At first i thought he was just flaring up to his reflection and just playing around but it seemed like everything got more "crazy" almost. And when he wasn't doing that, he would simply sit in the corner or at the bottom.

During my first 100% water change, (I keep him in this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...#RatingsDetail just scroll your mouse over the black one). anyways, during the first 100% change my brave captain jean-luc picard passed away never to explore space again.

I took him back to petsmart and got another fish in their 14 day exchange, assuming that jean-luc was simply sick when I purchased him. However his brother locutus (if you know about star trek you know my naming scheme lol), has now gotten some of the same behaviors. He has water conditioner, he has a couple types of food, and his water isn't too dirty, I'm thinking of doing a 10-25% change and trying to extract some of the junk from the bottom with a baster or something....

And one last thing... as I look up to him now, he is sitting in the corner of the 'jar' and that corner is now full of bubbles, there aren't that many anywhere else by a longshot and I haven't seen them until about a minute ago.

I would hate to lose another fish and although I want to upgrade Locutus to a larger tank when I am able, is there a way to get him to cut down on the erratic movement and get to eat pellets again? Or does he have ich or velvet or something like that.

Sorry if this is a bit long winded but I'm very concerned. I tend to over analyze things a bit, so if thats all this is I would be pretty happy :). And as a side note I've never seen either fish scratch against anything, just the erratic movement and attacking the sides of the jar.

[Oldfishlady]

What size is the tank, what kind of dechlorinator are you using and how much, what is the water temp, is this a filtered tank and when you first got the tank how did you clean it and everything that you placed in the tank?

[BettaCee]

I would change the water daily. Only 1/2 gallon will get dirty fast. Please upgrade his tank as soon as you are able to swing it. Be sure you are using a dechlorinator. He may begin to eat soon. Sometimes they pout the first few days. He really needs a large tank with some hiding places and a heater.
Good Luck!!

[Mister Sparkle]

I think I agree, GASP!, with the suggestion to get a larger aquarium. I've kept lots of bettas in nano-aquariums, and it's not too easy. I think a lot of people expect to "work up" to something larger, but in fact the best way is to start big and "work your way down" to nano's, if you want to keep them.

[Alienbetta1]

Get a bigger tank before its to late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zeppelfloyd]

thanks for the advice. It is a 1/2 gallon tank with Nutrafin Betta plus tap water conditioner. The instructions said to use a half capful in the tank, and thats what i did since they came together. He definitely still has some pep to him! and no color loss at all (He is a white betta, but there has been no color loss in his tail or on his body anywhere). I've got some bottled spring water thats been in my room for almost 24 hrs, so I know their the same temp, I may start 25% changes on a daily or as needed basis.

I have 2 questions regarding the bottled water and small water changes.
1. When doing just a 25% change, if I leave him in the tank and use a baster to extract the junk from the bottom, ladle out the water im changing and very slowly pour the new water in, should I remove my little buddy from the tank while all of that is going on? I don't want to stress him out, but I'm not sure if netting him (which i would do carefully of course :)) or just working around him for a couple minutes would be more stressful.

2. Does bottled spring water need any dechlorinator? I've heard many times that it doesn't but I want to make 100% sure.

Thank you all so much for your help. I think he's just pouting! And I really hope my betta bulbs start blooming! I want to watch him hide! I'm gonna give it a couple days before I go for a live plant from the store thats already grown.

And what are the best possible tanks that are around 1-2 gallons?

[Oldfishlady]

In a half gallon tank I would do every other day 50-100% water changes, I would leave the fish in the tank and carefully dip or siphon the water out except when you did the 100% water changes and then it would be safer to remove the fish.

Bottled water is not regulated and sometimes it can be filtered tap water and still contain chlorine/chloramines so it is safer to go ahead and add the dechlorinator, also the filtration process of the bottled water can remove the needed minerals that the fish needs for good health, using a 50/50 mix of tap water and bottled water would be fine IMO but cost wise using just tap is up to the hobbyist.

Heat is another issues that presents itself in the smaller tank and this species tends to do better with more tropical water temps in the 78-80F area, some Bettas are more sensitive than other to water temps IME.

Would love to see pic of your Betta he sounds beautiful.......

[zeppelfloyd]

I'll definitely do some 50% changes and probably 100% when i notice his stones getting particularly dirty, which would probably be close to about once a week or so. Is it possible to overdo it on the dechlorinator stuff? Because I have this crazy fear of hurting him with too much of that stuff in his water, I heard its always best to pour it into the prepared water, and then the prepared water into the tank, not the dechlorinator into the tank with him. But if its impossible or unlikely I'll do too much I would feel much better when treating his water :)

And as soon as he is acclimated with his tank I'll try to get a good picture of him :)

[smallvle]

i would almost say that you should do 100% water changes every few days or so. (many people on here would say to do it every day.) but ammonia builds up quick in such a small space. i had a 1 1/2 gal bowl with my first fish, Phin, and slacked once or twice on water changes and he ended up with a horrible case of fin-rot and died. so just to err on the side of caution, with such a small tank i'd say maybe do changes every other day but make it like, monday 50%, wed 100%, friday 50% and so on.

[zeppelfloyd]

Yeah I figured that would be a good idea too. But is it possible to over treat the water with dechlorinator stuff? I know i definitely don't want to under treat it, but how much is too much?