The problem is your betta is suffering ammonia poisoning from lack of water changes. Your betta is also freezing and probably malnourished

In a bowl this small two weekly water changes are required (at minimum and personally I would do three based on experience) of 50% and 100% which includes rinsing the gravel and decor. 2 gallons is actually minimum for keeping bettas healthy long term and they just don't live more than a couple years on average compared to twice that+ in larger containers.

You have to use conditioner. Tap water is unsafe for bettas. It should say it remove chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals - must say all three and I suggest getting a liquid conditioner. I personally like Prime.

Bettas are tropical fish and must be kept with a heater unless you keep your house or room they are in a consistent (no change, peaks or drops) of 80F+. 78-80F is ideal and your betta's bowl will be several degrees below room temp. If you get a 2g tank you can get a 25w adjustable heater like Marineland Visitherm or Jager, which would be ideal. You also have to use an in tank thermometer with the heater to make sure it is working and set it properly (don't rely on the heater). I also highly suggest testing your heater for 24 hours with thermometer in similar size container to make sure it will hold an appropriate constant temperature. Once you are sure it is working your betta must be acclimated to warmer water slowly at no more than 1 degree per hour and 5 degrees per day, or floating in a plastic cup (solo type) in the bowl for an hour, after the water has already been fully warmed.

Flakes are not a good idea because of their lower nutritional value to pellets, and because they muck up the water faster which is especially bad in this tiny bowl. They also need two small meals daily (about the size of their eye as this is the size of their stomach) with one fast day a week. You should feed a pellet whose first two or three ingredients are whole fish, not fish meal and wheat is the worst.

Plastic ornaments are generally not good for bettas because their fins are sensitive. You should test them all by removing them and thoroughly dragging women's panty hose through them to make sure they don't catch. If they catch, they need to be replaced. Silk are usually much better but sometimes even they have parts that catch.

============
At this point...

*Get conditioner
*Do a series of 2-3 50% water changes to get water quality under control and then finally a 100% change - then while he is healing do 100% change every other day for the next week or two and finally maintain water quality as above. Make sure to match all new water to existing water using a thermometer and add conditioner before introducing your fish to it. I would still include an acclimation period of at least 30min if not an hour in which you float the betta in a cup in the existing water and either add a few tablespoons every 10minutes, or a series of 50% wtaer changes to introduce new water into the cup every 10min. I would also never use a net and also scoop with the cup.
*Get a heater and a larger tank.
*Get better food
*Check your ornaments for catches

 

Callistra,

Thank you for your reply. I want to reiterate that I don't use tap water; I use purified drinking water that I purchase from the store. Could his waste and any uneaten food be producing the Ammonia?

That being said, would you still recommend the conditioner? Also, should I continue to use the Bettafix or discontinue since you believe this is Ammonia poisoning? He seems to be coming up for air a little bit more frequently. I'm not sure if I can attribute that to the Bettafix or not.

I will also go get a 2 gallon tank as soon as possible along with the heater and thermometer.

I've tried feeding him the pellets, but he just leaves them. That's why I went to the flakes because that was the only thing he would eat at the very beginning when I first got him. But I'll try and find pellets with whole fish and give it a try again.

I'll also look for ornaments that are safe for him. I read that plants with rounded leaves are better than what I currently have.

Thank you again for your help.

 

Purified drinking water you buy in gallon jugs (or larger) from the grocery store is actually RO water and is not okay to keep any fish in without kh and gh buffers.. It lacks all minerals and fish cannot stay healthy in it. Why are you not using tap?

It's possible that some of the plastic plants are soft enough not to snag, but only testing will make sure. The really needly one is the biggest concern but he seems to really like that pink/red one so maybe it won't snag if you test it.

I would stop using Bettafix.

Also did you rinse the gravel before you put him in? If you did not this could also be a part of the cause, but it will be fixed with your water changes I think are needed.

 

I rinse everything off really well each time I change his water; plants, gravel and tank.

The reason I wasn't using tap water is because I know it has harmful things in it like chlorine. I thought I would be getting a "cleaner" water by using purified drinking water and avoid having to use the conditioners.

I'll switch to tap and use the Prime conditioner you mentioned. Is this what you are speaking of http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753920? My local Petsmart seems somewhat limited in what it carries. I'll go tomorrow to see if they have it, but if they don't, Amazon is my next best bet. I'll expedite the shipping, but even with that I still won't get it until Tuesday and I'm worried about making him wait that long.

A few additional questions:

• The product description for the Prime doesn't mention anything about gh and kh buffers. Do you use something in addition to the Prime for those, or is the Prime sufficient? When I do the first 50% water change, should I be concerned about the Prime having an adverse effect with the Bettafix that's already in the water?

• What are your thoughts on using epsom/aquarium salts?

• Could you make a recommendation on fish food? Is anything okay as long as it has whole fish as one of the first ingredients?

• Do you recommend purchasing a tank that uses a filter? I remember reading reviews of some tanks where the reviewer(s) were unhappy that the filter sucked up their fish.

• When you talk about floating the Solo cup in the aquarium for acclimation, how do you go about this without the cup tipping over?

I hope I'm not being a bother with all these questions. I just want to make sure I get this right.

Thank you again. You've been very helpful already.

 

Tackling the questions in your last post....

* Tap water has dissolved salts and minerals in it that your fish needs to survive. It also has disinfectants likes chlorine and chloramines, which is why using a water conditioner is recommended. As long as you add conditioner to the tap water each time you do a water change, the water will be safe for your fish.

* A lot of people on this forum use Prime water conditioner because it temporarily neutralizes ammonia. But my personal opinion is that if you have a small tank and do frequent water changes, then *any* water conditioner that neutralizes/removes chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals is fine. For example, I use Petsmart's Top Fin water conditioner. If my guys develop fin problems, then I use API's Stress Coat which contains aloe and helps promote healing.

* Since you have a 1 gal, unfiltered tank, and are going to be doing frequent water changes, you don't need to worry about GH and KH buffers. If you later upgrade to a larger, filtered tank, then yes, it's something to consider.

* I do not recommend using Bettafix since it contains an oil which can make it difficult for Bettas to breathe.

* Epsom salts are good for internal issues, such as constipation and bloating. If your fish doesn't have these, it's not needed.

* Aquarium salt is used temporarily for external issues, such as fin rot. However, Bettas are very sensitive to Aquarium salt. It should only be used if your fish has an external problem. And it should never be used for more than 10 days, since it can harm the internal organs. The best way to keep your fish from dealing with issues like fin rot is to keep him in warm, clean water.

* The two foods more often recommended on this forum are New Life Spectrum (NLS) Betta Pellets, and Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets.

* There are a lot of differing opinions about the need for a filter. In your one gallon tank, it's not needed. In fact, the water flow would probably just push your fish around too much. If you upgrade to a larger tank later on, it's definitely something you can look into.

* During acclimation, if you fill the cup about halfway or slightly higher, it won't tip over. If mine starts to tilt, I will prop it up against the side of the tank, or some of the silk plants.

 

When you use tap water you don't need anything for kh or gh. The tap water has all this in it. The RO strips it. Prime is good. Make sure when you acclimate from RO to tap you do so VERY slowly. I would do it over 2 hours or more where you add just a tablespoon of new water into the cup every 10minutes and then when it gets too full take a bunch out and start over. If you have a ph test kit that would be good. There may be huge ph difference between the two waters and you don't want to shock. As long as your tap water is under 9 it is safe.

I think using salts for stress or minor illness is good, but they shouldn't be used on a regular basis or without reason.

I use mostly New Life Spectrum Betta. Omega One Betta Buffet is good too. I'm not aware of any other whole fish pellets, but if you find them they should be good.

I think cycling a tank makes fish keeping a bunch easier, and the fish tend to live longer, but it's a lot more expensive and not necessary. As long as you have at least 2 gallons your fish will stay healthy. I have 5 gallons I do weekly 100% water change in and have not bothered to cycle. The only thing I will say with 2+g tanks is that you should buy an air pump, air stone and stone control valves to control valves for the airline to turn down the stone to a soft mist, and place it under the heater. Otherwise you will have pockets of cold and hot air.

I have used several methods. Mostly I squeeze it in between the lid and the side and this holds it. In a 1 gallon bowl you may need to do things like double sided foam tape (not in the water obviously) to rig it.

 

Callistra and LittleBlueFishlets,

Thank you both so much for your quick replies. I'd like to add another thing: in between my first reply to Callistra and her second reply to me, I added another dose of the Bettafix (so this was before it was recommended to discontinue the Bettafix). So there's approximately one teaspoon of Bettafix in the 1 gallon tank over an approximate 24 hour period (I began the Bettafix last night).

Everything is closed where I am right now so I don't have access to the Prime. I do, however, have a half gallon of the RO water left. Since, the Bettafix can cause difficulty breathing, I was thinking of doing a 50% water change right now with the half gallon of leftover RO water that I have so that I can remove at least some of the Bettafix.

Do you guys recommend this at this time, or should I wait until tomorrow when I can begin gathering the supplies?

Thank you, thank you.

 

If your betta is exhibiting signs of stress you might do the change, however if he seems fine I'd just wait until tomorrow. Bettafix is not as harmful in my experience since it is such a diluted like 1/5th dose form of Melafix (which is harmful and I have seen fish showing real issues with it), but it just doesn't really fix much of anything either.

 

Okay, I'll just sit tight for now and keep an eye on him to see if I notice any changes.

Make sure when you acclimate from RO to tap you do so VERY slowly. I would do it over 2 hours or more where you add just a tablespoon of new water into the cup every 10minutes and then when it gets too full take a bunch out and start over.

I want to make sure I fully understand this. Before I start doing anything to the tank, I'm first going to scoop my Betta into a Solo cup using the existing water that's in the tank. He will remain in the cup while I do a 50% water change in the tank and wash the gravel and plants (I'll leave out the ones with the needle-like leaves).

Then, when the water has been replaced, treated with conditioner and heated to the correct temperature, I will float the cup in the water, adding 1 teaspoon of water every 10 minutes over a two hour period. When the cup is full, do I pour most of that water back in the tank and begin filling the cup up again at the same rate for a total of 4 hours?

 

I think I misunderstood. The entire acclimation period should take 2 hours. But the other question remains: when the cup is full, do I pour that water back in the tank and restart?

 

From what I see, your replacement of the gravel wiped out the bacteria that were living in there that handled the nitrogen cycle in your tank. That's where most bacteria live.

They turn the ammonia your fish's waste produces (super toxic) into nitrite, a harmful byproduct, but another strain of bacteria takes this nitrite and turns it into nitrate, a much less harmful byproduct that won't make him sick unless you neglect water changes for months at a time (in your 1g's case, weeks). You then remove the nitrate from his tank with water changes to keep him healthy. This also replaces valuable minerals and nutrients.

When you took all these bacteria out with the old gravel, the ammonia level in your tank probably skyrocketed with no bacteria to process it. The lethargy and color loss is the most common symptom of ammonia poisoning.

Usually, it takes a few weeks for your tank to recycle from scratch. Some stores sell the bacteria in bottles (Tetra Safestart is one such bacteria, doesn't require reusing, just dump them in once and cycling is sped up considerably), but in my experience that's expensive, and you can achieve the same result with frequent water changes to remove excess ammonia and nitrite while the bacteria regrow. If you purchase a testing kit, you can watch it happen.

I definitely agree with Callistra's suggestions to handle the problem now, and the changes to your care regimen, though I personally think cycling is incredibly important, as it's something that happens in nature, and in putting these fish in tanks, you want to try to reproduce their natural habitat the best you can so they can live long, healthy lives. It's not expensive, it doesn't have to cost you a dime if you're patient, it just happens over time and is something to keep in mind.

And yes, it looks like he said start over once the cup is full.

 

Azurelove, the thing is, dougan has a 1 gallon tank with no filter. You can't keep a cycle in such a small tank. The only thing to keep ammonia in check in such a small tank is frequent 100% water changes.

Once the cup is full, pour most of the water out and restart. Good luck with your boy!

 

The fish was fine for two years, then he changed the gravel bed and it got ammonia poisoning. Sounds like a cycle existed despite its small size. If he never touched the gravel when doing the water changes, it makes sense.

Just because it's a 1g doesn't mean it can't grow a cycle. It's hard, but with water changes as infrequently as he was doing them before, it gave the bacteria a chance to grow and adapt themselves to the ammonia and nitrite levels the fish was producing.

I hope he's doing better today, dougal.

 

dougan, yes. If the cup gets full, pour out some of the water and continue adding new water.


1g is way too small to build hardly any of a bb supply even with a filter. Sorry Azurelove I totally disagree but there is absolutely no way a 1 gallon bowl with no filter breeds any notable amount of good bacteria. Doesn't work that way.

 

I'd like to hear why, but I don't think this is the place ;D Don't wanna go hijacking this guy's thread.

I stand by what I said, all the same.

 

Update

Update:

I've done a full water change. I rinsed all the gravel and plants off very thoroughly.

Right now my fish is in a Solo cup with just a little bit of the original tank water and some Omega One Betta Buffet food flakes.

I'm testing the heater out in another 1 gallon tank. It is working, but very slowly. They didn't have the kind that Callistra recommended, so I got the Aqueon, 10 watt.

I've tested the pH of my water and it is ABOVE 7.6 (see photo).

I tested the pH of the purified drinking water that I've been using (straight from the jug) and it's BELOW 6.0 (see photo).

The instructions for the pH tester say that those ends will only register if the pH is on the extreme end of those, meaning above 7.6 if the blue color, or below 6.0 if the yellow color.

I'm on my way back to Petsmart to get pH Down. Has anyone used this? Anything I should be aware of before I put it in the water?

Now for the Prime:

Would you mind checking my math for me (see photo)?

The instructions say to use 1 capful (5 mL) for each 200 L (50 gallons) of new water. For smaller doses, please note each cap thread is approx. 1 mL.

I have a 1 gallon tank, so here's how I've done the math:

Line 1: I've used a ratio to calculate the dose for my 1 gallon tank. 5 mL/200L, where 200L = 50 gallons.

Line 2: Conversion factor, gallons to liters.

Line 3: Left side of ratio is 5mL/189.27L. I got the 189.27 L by multiplying 50 gallons by the 3.79 L conversion factor from Line 2. The right side is x/3.79L, where x is the amount that I'll need for my 1 gallon tank.

Line 4: Cross multiplied.

Line 5: Solve for x, where x is approximately 0.100 mL.

Do you agree with my math? Also, 0.100 mL is going to be very hard to measure using the cap. Since the first thread is 1 mL, I'll need 1/10 of that, which is basically just a drop. Does that sound right to you guys/ladies?

Okay, I'm off to Petsmart. I'll be back in about 30 minutes to continue on.

Thank you.

 

You don't need pH down. He will do fine in a pH of 7.6 as long as you acclimate him properly. My boy is in a pH of 8.0-8.2 and he's just fine. Using pH altering products might make the pH fluctuate from time to time which is much worse than just having him get used to the new 7.6 water and keeping it at around 7.6.

For prime, 2 drops/gallon is the rule that I usually go by since it's hard to measure out such a small amount of Prime. And your calculations are correct!

 

I am guessing at this point the extreme acidic ph of your water with no minerals is causing his problem. So when you get him in the tap you will improve him. I'm actually surprised he's surviving as well as he is considering.

It's important not to use the ph down. It only temporarily decreases the ph and you will be left with lots of swings, which are stressful and can even be lethal. Bettas can adjust to a wide arrange of ph, so that's fine it's high.. except it seems to be off the chart? So you would need a high ph test kit to see how high it goes. If it goes really high you can cut it 50/50 with the tap. It will be extremely important at that point though to mix it up EXACTLY the same each time (measure exact) and premix it before you betta ever sees this water.

Since you are dealing with such a HUGE ph shift I would acclimate slowly for an hour - like a tablespoon every 10-15min, give him an hour off and go again a second hour. Whatever the ph is at this point I would leave him and go again tomorrow.

You use 2 drops per gallon on prime. The smallest containers have a dropper cap. If yours does not you can use a clean eyedropper dedicated just to him.

 

I am guessing at this point the extreme acidic ph of your water with no minerals is causing his problem. So when you get him in the tap you will improve him.

Curious. I would think that the water he's been using for two years would've caused a problem long before now. I'm not saying it was healthy, but if the acidic pH was really an issue, I'd think he'd have seen problems as soon as a month after purchasing the fish. I've often heard that bettas prefer an acidic pH if anything, though as Majestic pointed out, they adapt to a wide variety of pH ranges.

To Dougan: When dumping the water, I'd try to get rid of the flakes. In a small volume of water like that, they'll dirty it up quick. I can't say I'm familiar with the process Callistra and Majestic are walking you through on acclimation, so I would wait for their responses on your next step, keeping in mind the bit about the flakes.

Also, is your heater adjustable? I'd imagine not, but was just curious.

 

Update

Everyone,

I'm back. I came home, saw your messages and left again to go get an eye dropper.

The photos show my current setup on how I'm acclimating him. He's actually been in there now for about and hour (the tank, that is. He's been in the cup for 4 hours now, with those flakes from earlier. I'm a little worried the flakes will start to cause more harm by just being in there).

I just added two drops of the Prime about 10 minutes ago (5:10 MT time). How long should I allow the Prime to remain in the water before I begin putting it in the cup? Should I put the air stone in to help the solution mix?

And once more (sorry to harp on this), but when the cup is full, do I pour the water back into the tank, or get rid of it completely when I "start over"?

Also, I have not used the pH down and will not at this point. I will have to go and see if I can find the high pH tester either later tonight or tomorrow. I also bought an ammonia tester.

The current temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks, everyone. I will continue to update.

 

Curious. I would think that the water he's been using for two years would've caused a problem long before now. I'm not saying it was healthy, but if the acidic pH was really an issue, I'd think he'd have seen problems as soon as a month after purchasing the fish. I've often heard that bettas prefer an acidic pH if anything, though as Majestic pointed out, they adapt to a wide variety of pH ranges.

That's what has me confused about all this too.

No, my heater is not adjustable. They were out of Marineland heaters. The girl at Petsmart told me that Marineland was having an issue with their heaters and so they discontinued them while they work on the issue. I haven't had time to verify this today, so for now I've got to take her word for it. And they didn't have Jager, either.

The instructions on the heater don't even say what temperature it heats the water to, but right now the thermometer is reading 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the automatic heaters they have are advertised as heating the water to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but they were too big for my aquarium; same with the adjustables. The Aqueon is taking a really long time to heat the water, but maybe that's better for my fish at this point.

I've been adding approximately 1 tablespoon of the tank water into the cup water every hour and will continue to do so until the water is about to touch the clothespins.

 

No, my heater is not adjustable. They were out of Marineland heaters. The girl at Petsmart told me that Marineland was having an issue with their heaters and so they discontinued them while they work on the issue. I haven't had time to verify this today, so for now I've got to take her word for it. And they didn't have Jager, either.

The instructions on the heater don't even say what temperature it heats the water to, but right now the thermometer is reading 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the automatic heaters they have are advertised as heating the water to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but they were too big for my aquarium; same with the adjustables. The Aqueon is taking a really long time to heat the water, but maybe that's better for my fish at this point.

I've been adding approximately 1 tablespoon of the tank water into the cup water every hour and will continue to do so until the water is about to touch the clothespins.

76 isn't bad at all, it's a good temp for normal conditions. I asked because when my fish are ill my first instinct is to slowly raise it to 80 (85 for ich infections), which will be very difficult in a 1g. Bettas love warm water and can usually survive at 80 perfectly fine, though that's the very upper end of comfortable for them. I don't usually go above 78 or below 75 for normal conditions. You'll find they're a lot more active in warmer water, too.

I agree that it's good it takes so long to heat. As Callistra recommended in my thread, no more than 1 degree per hour and no more than 5 degrees per day is ideal.

I don't like Marineland heaters myself. Mine I got with my 10g's package deal actually began to rust within a month of normal operation! x.x I got rid of that as soon as I saw it and got an Aqueon Pro. Tetra heaters are iffy too, in my experience; they die fairly frequently and have terrible reviews. I went through two before I got one that's still working now. (The pet store I had at the time only carried that brand, silly-heads.)

 

Older bettas can't tolerate bad conditions like younger ones can. It may just be catching up to him. there may have also been a change in the water the op was unaware of.

I'm unaware of the Marineland issue and I own several without issues so IDK. Marineland does make various heaters though and I only use Visitherm.

 

If he hasn't eaten the flakes, remove them. I highly recommend getting a turkey baster for that (they should sell them at a dollar store). Just suck out the flakes and remove them. What I do, is when the cup is full, I get RID of most of the water and then repeat (slowly add more tank water in over time).

Adding the Prime treated water after 5-10 minutes should be fine.

I recommend the water to be around 78-79F. 76F is the minimum temperature while 82F is the maximum. As Azure said, they'll be more active at higher temperatures.

 

What I do, is when the cup is full, I get RID of most of the water and then repeat (slowly add more tank water in over time).

Okay, I'll do this. I filled the tank up almost completely (allowing room for displacement when I put the cup in), and then I put the Prime in. I've been putting water from the tank and into the cup, so it seems like I'm throwing out Prime-treated water. Forgive me if I'm wrong and I'm missing something.

 

I didn't have a Visitherm, if you're not having any issues, that's great. Rust on the first one kind of scared me off from them for a while, but if I need another one (probably to replace the Tetra when it dies on me xD) I'll look into a Visitherm.

78-80 seems to be the general consensus, if you can find a better heater than that one, that'd be best for the future. Online stores have some pretty great heater deals. For now, at least he has one. 1g's are very difficult to find good heaters for that won't chill your betta or boil it alive. :\

Truthfully, all in all, 5g isn't much in terms of size difference, they're not terribly expensive, and you can get filtration and good heaters for it. Heck, if you can get a better deal on a 10g, get it. He'll not only be happier, but he'll thrive with all that space. People who tell you bettas hate large spaces are full of it. As long as you stuff it with lots of hiding places for him, plants and NON Penn-Plax ornaments (see Call's sig), he'll be very happy. My 10g was a boxed deal with heater, filter, and gravel for $40 (even though I had to sink another $20 into a good heater when that one rusted, it was worth it to keep my fish from dying).

You sound like you really want to make him happy. Upgrading would not only do this, but it'll put less strain on you for water changes since you could just use a simple little siphon to vacuum his poop up out of the gravel, which pulls water out too, I just run the hose down to the floor into my "dirty-water" bucket, refill with treated water from my "clean-water" bucket, and you can cycle it properly to help prevent ammonia buildup in the future.

I hope I'm not upsetting anyone by vouching for this >.>;

 

Quick update

Just a quick reply:

You guys have all been extremely helpful. I know so much more now because of you guys/ladies.

I totally misread the instructions and I haven't been putting water from the tank into the cup at the correct 10-15 minute intervals. I've been doing it per hour :-oops:. I'm doing a tablespoon every 10 minutes now.

So with that, what I'd like to do is address some specific things that many of you have mentioned and then repost in a few minutes. But I wanted to let you all know that I'm still working on this and I appreciate the help that you've provided. I appreciate your dedication.

Okay, I'll be back in about 30-45 minutes while I review the previous posts.

 

Oh, and the temperature is now at 80 F.