okay so im a newbie when it comes to Bettas, i had one when i was about 7 but my mom had taken care of him. So now, i have a new Betta, his Name is Felix, when i bought him he was in the standard square tank, but now, i had bought him a bigger tank, its a Fluval Spec desk tank, and it has a filter so its moving the water around. Sadly he isnt swimming around to much in it, and spending most of his time hiding in the big purple plant i bought him....
Is this normal?
(the pictures are in order, the first is his old tank, second is his Current one and the third is him, in the plant, he almost burries his face into it, or hes in the plant and i cant tell if hes alive D: )
If he isn't showing any signs of illness it might just be that he's not used to his new place. Maybe his plant makes him feel safe? My newest fish has been hiding in his coffee mug for 3 days lol :)
Also, if the water is cold he'll be less active. I'm not sure if you have a heater?
Mmm im not even sure what the signs of illness are, all i know is he loves his purple plant and today for the second time since i bought his little building thing, he swam through it, then back to his plant. so maybe he just likes his plant,im really unsure. and no theres no water heater, his water is tap water with some stuff i put in it, and its the same temp (by the feeling on my finger) as his old tank, he only had this new one since sunday, how long does it normally take for a fish to get used to a new tnak?
Definitely get a heater as soon as you can. :) Bettas are generally sluggish in cool water - 78-82F is the ideal. Colder water also depresses their immune systems, so they are more likely to get ill. Make sure you get a thermometer too, as testing with your fingers really is inaccurate at best.
I have no room to put a water heater in the tank, im not even sure if the pet store here has them, but his first tanks water was just tap water and he was blowing his bubble nests and seemed really happy, im not to sure whats up now, ive had him for two weeks tho, so like i said im still a newbie.
There's room for a heater in that tank....if you mean you don't have enough plug space, replace the light with a heater. A light is mainly asthetic, whilst a heater is really important. Bettas are tropical and really shouldn't be kept in cold water. I'm sure he seems really happy and all now, but because cold water depresses their immune systems, he is much more likely to get sick and will find it much harder to recover if he does.
Fish may seem happy for a while, even in the cruddiest of tanks (not saying yours is any such thing) but eventually conditions will catch up with them. I'm not trying to lecture you, I just really want to stress the importance of a heater. :)
Mmm i wonder why he wasnt in a heated tank when i bought him, the pet store keeps them in little jars or cups, the water was cold, so i thought that he would be fine, but ill go look for a heater, i have 4 days off now i can do it, and i know your not trying to lecture me =], its good to have this kind of information, id be really lost if i didnt have it. thank you =]
if he's burying himself in that plant .. make sure he's not getting stuck in it .. bettas need to get to the surface to get air .. so if that plant is causing problems try removing it .. and see if his behavior changes
if you only have money for one thing .. u have to get a thermometer first .. there's no way to know the correct temperature from ur fingers .. also if that light is generating some sort of heat and you don't have funds for a heater you can save up and get a heater 2nd as soon as you get more money .. after u get a thermometer first =) .. only because if u got a heater first with no thermometer .. you could possibly cook your fish without even knowing it ..
yeah i was worried he would get stuck in it, but i go to atleat touch the top of the plant because its a little over the surface and he swims out, so i have NO idea what hes doing, but im keeping an eye on him atleast to see if his behavior is changing. and the lady at the store said that the light does give off heat, haha so like i said im stumped. and i will buy a thermometer next pay day.
So I have the same plastic pokey type plant (mines smaller & orange) in with my fish Sam.. We have noticed that he spends his whole day basically rubbing on the plant. I was actually kinda worried because its not really soft at all. But he seems to love it. He cant go inside of mine, but from his actions I assume he would if it was big enough (it can be seen in my aquariums link)
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
Similar Threads
