[ElizabethErin]

We're brand-new to the fish world with my 8yo who was gifted a 1-gallon, filtered tank and chose a betta. (Yes, I realize now a larger tank would be better.) Initially he was sluggish and wouldn't eat, so we got a heater and have been keeping the water around 80; he was much happier and more active for a week. Then we tried to switch from flake food to pellets in order to keep the water cleaner. When he refused those, we went back to flakes after a few days -- but now he's off those, too. We've also tried dried bloodworms, etc. Over the past couple days, he's started hiding out behind the filter and we can't tell if he's eating at all.

The water temp is consistent around 80. We've changed about 25% of the (treated) water each week. We're offering different types of food. Any ideas what might be wrong? I realize water quality could be an issue, but I see conflicting advice to either empty and completely start from scratch with the water, or to never change more than 25% in order to keep the biome stable.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[FernandoTheBetta]

Welcome to the forum!
I ask that you fill out the following form in order to help you! This prevents us from guessing and answering wrongly!

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

Many thanks to BF/TFK Member Mike for developing this questionnaire. It is the same form with a few additions. Please copy and paste into a new message and complete this form when seeking help for your Betta. This information and a clear photo posted directly into the thread will help us give...

www.bettafish.com

Just copy paste it, fill it out and reply back in the same thread.
Also, please post some pictures of your betta and your wonderful tank! From side view and from bird view.

Thanks!!

 

[ElizabethErin]

Thank you! We are first time fish owners. Here goes...

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 1
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 79-80 degrees
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? no

Food:
What food brand do you use? aqueon
Do you feed flakes or pellets? originally tried pellets, but when he wouldn't eat those after the first day or so, switched to flakes; he did those fine for a week, but we tried switching back to pellets to keep the water cleaner; when he wouldn't eat those we went back to flakes, but he's eating very little if any
Freeze-dried? We've tried freeze-dried bloodworms and daphia
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? flakes once daily, a tiny pinch; freeze-dried occasionally in the afternoon but not clear if he's actually eaten any of those

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? we've only had him two weeks -- but we've changed weekly
What percentage of water did you change? 25%
What is the source of your water? tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? vacuumed first time; filter drained last time
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? top fin

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

We haven't done water testing and realize that could be an issue.

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? he was stressed initially after the pet store, but once we got a heater, he did much better for a week; then a week ago when we tried to switch food (and switched back), he seems to be mostly rejecting food and has become less active in the last few days
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? head has darkened significantly
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? hiding out behind filter more, less active
Is your Betta still eating? if he is, it's hardly any, and not right away when we put in a tiny amount of food
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? no
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no
How long have you owned your Betta? 2.5 weeks
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? not that we know of

 

[FernandoTheBetta]

Thanks for replying!
As seen on the form, your betta is not eating and isn’t active. I think he might be stressed.
Moving your betta to a new tank can be stressful to some bettas, whilst some bettas might settle quicker.
Have you noticed any stress stripes? Stress stripes are horizontal lines that signal your betta is stressed.
If you have indeed noticed stress stripes, I would suggest getting some plain, unscented rooibos tea, this helps relax him. After a few days of soaking your betta with strained rooibos tea, try feeding your betta live food like baby brine shrimp or bloodworms.

Also could you try sending pictures of your betta? From bird view and from side view.
Hope this helped!

 

[ElizabethErin]

Thank you! I have not seen any stress stripes -- but I may not know what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the rooibos suggestion -- how do I add it to the water? How much? And does the tea need be made with treated water?

Adding a couple photos here. Apologies that the bird's-eye view is dark but the best I could do in current lighting.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Welcome to the Forum:

I believe your boy is stressed because of unsuitable parameters. The symptoms are general lethargy, loss of appetite. To maintain correct parameters, a one-gallon requires two 25% water changes with vacuum per week.

Most pet stores will check parameters for free; or, you can purchase an API Master Freshwater Testing Kit and get 800 tests compared to spending the same amount for strips and getting 200 or so.

While a one-gallon is fine it requires more maintenance. A 2.5-5.5 gallon needs a 25% water change and vacuum once per week; compared to 2 x for the one. A larger home is not necessary but something you might want to consider in future if only for ease of maintenance..

Here's a tutorial that may help you out CYCLING: the two-sentence tutorial. You'll hear conflicting reports about SeaChem Stability but I've used it with great results to jump start tanks of all sizes when cycling. Just remember to shake the heck out of the bottle and shake it again. Double dose on day one and single does for the next seven days.

To help with stress, you can use either plain Rooibos Tea or Indian Almond Leaves. Both have antibacterial and antifungal properties and are calming. Float a leaf or teabag or brew a tea of either. Boil a few teabags or a leaves for a minute or two and let steep overnight until the tea is black. Condition and add to his tank. By steeping until the water is black you make an extract. It will take less and go further. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

This is the minimum color you need.

With more frequent water changes and the IAL or Rooibos he should start eating and become more active. You can soak the pellets for a few seconds in garlic juice. Offer one at a time until you are sure he's actually eating. A normal Betta does well on 3-4 pellets 2-4 x per day. We break up the meals to prevent them from overeating.

Don't worry about the black. That is part of his natural charm.

 

[ElizabethErin]

Hello! Back on here, hoping for some help once again. Your excellent advice came too late for our first little betta and he sadly didn't make it.

We're trying again and have meticulously done EVERYTHING suggested, but once again our little guy has stopped eating!

We've had our new betta 2.5 weeks. We are using a heater to keep the tank between 78-82. (As the weather warms, it's hard not to get temp fluctuates as we have to frequently plug in/unplug the heater to maintain.)

We are using 2 drops of SeaChem daily. I've been testing all water parameters, both nitrates/etc, and ammonia. Everything has checked out as pristine. (Our treated water is slightly hard, but not in the stress zone.) When ammonia went up slightly this weekend, we changed 50% of the water immediately.

He seemed pretty happy for the first 1.5 weeks and was eating well; he didn't like the betta pellets, but he would eat dried mysis. However, around 5 days ago, he stopped eating. I tried soaking mysis in garlic -- he's attracted to the garlic and will even snap up a piece sometimes -- but then spits it right back out.

It does look like he has mild stress stripes. I tried adding an organic rooibos tea bag to his tank for two days, but he's still not eating. He's remained somewhat active -- spends a good bit of time behind the filter or in his plant, but swims around on occasion.

We'd be grateful for any advice. I know it can take up to 6-8 weeks for a betta to fully adapt, and I know he won't make it if he doesn't eat.

 

[Feanor]

I‘d try frozen, thawed bloodworms as they are fatty and appealing to many Bettas.

Offer with tweezers and remove any uneaten worms.

While not a staple diet, they can help with providing him with some energy initially.

You will want to fill out the form again and post it here or in a new thread.
Additional photos of him and his tank cam help as well.

 

[tooawaketosleep]

Thank you! I have not seen any stress stripes -- but I may not know what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the rooibos suggestion -- how do I add it to the water? How much? And does the tea need be made with treated water?

Adding a couple photos here. Apologies that the bird's-eye view is dark but the best I could do in current lighting.

View attachment 1051030 View attachment 1051031

I use loose leaf roobois tea and just have a dedicated tea strainer that I hang over the side of the tank. Be careful in smaller tanks, as it can make the water super dark, though it won't hurt the fish. You can also use almond leaves/blackwater botanicals. Petsmart sells packs of them called Fritz aquatics nature box with Indian almond leaves and bark, plus casuarina cones. Link here >>>

Fritz Aquatics Nature Box - All Natural Functional Decor | fish Salt Water Aquarium Care | PetSmart

Fritz Aquatics Nature Box - All Natural Functional Decor at PetSmart. Shop all fish salt water aquarium care online

www.petsmart.com

 

[ElizabethErin]

I‘d try frozen, thawed bloodworms as they are fatty and appealing to many Bettas.

Offer with tweezers and remove any uneaten worms.

While not a staple diet, they can help with providing him with some energy initially.

You will want to fill out the form again and post it here or in a new thread.
Additional photos of him and his tank cam help as well.

Hopping back on here with a quick question (and will fill out the form if need be, too).

Our betta has been happily eating bloodworms every other day, though he refuses the pellets we try in between. However, we're a month in on this tank and can't seem to stay ahead of the nitrogen build-up. We're doing a 25% water change about every other day and some days multiple days in a row--which I know can be stressful in itself. Ammonia was safe today, but nitrogen was borderline and he was hanging up at the top of the tank. I went ahead and did at 50% water change, but his behavior hasn't changed. Any ideas of how we can get ahead of this and when we can expect the tank to be cycled? Thanks for any help!

 

[Feanor]

Do you mean Nitrite?

 

[ElizabethErin]

Do you mean Nitrite?

Yes! Sorry about that.

 

[Crayawns]

Are you using something like prime to remove chlorine (and it binds the ammonia temporarily)? Your tank is doing a fish in cycle so daily partial change’s aren’t surprising. 25 percent water change isn’t going to stress him much if you match water temps within 2 degrees. It is more stressful to have untreated water or the ammonia/ nitrites. One thing that will help you is setting the temp in the thermometer and leaving it. It will turn of / on by itself and that will take one thing off your plate. The smaller the tank the more fluctuations (and the more rapid) in temp and parameters you are going to have so they are harder than a larger tank honestly. I think you are doing a lot to help the little-guy. I hope it works out.to encourage you, people do successfully do fish in cycles.

 

[ElizabethErin]

Thank you! We are treating the water in advance and then use Seachem Stability every day. The temp changes are harder because we couldn't find a heater for this size tank that turns on/off on its own. We're doing our best to check and stabilize it, but that's harder when our temp is varying so much during spring season. Good to know that it's best to keep doing the regular changes! We are matching temp. Appreciate your encouragement!