The light could be stressing her out. It also could be overheating the tank, as lights often do. Do you have a heater? The water should be between 76-84 degrees. Your target spot is between 78-82. If I were you I'd turn off the light. Try talking to her in a sweet, soft voice. Maybe play with her by moving your finger around the sides of the tank. Many bettas will chase your finger when you do that. Try adding some decorations from your other betta's tank, just until she gets better. How big is her tank? I'd also turn off the filter if you have one.
Rainbow is stressed
My female betta is stressed out and I have tried everything in my power, also without buying things since I have no money too, to help her. I just cleaned her tank and put a light on her, the stress lines went away but her fins are tucked and shes barely moving and not eating. She is in a tank by herself as my other female betta is spunky, mean, and like 3 times bigger than her. Can anyone give me some tips please?
Very concerned fish mother,
SpunkyRainbow
Very concerned fish mother,
SpunkyRainbow
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
They dont have decorations or filters and when I put on the light her stressvlines go aeay but she still doesn't eat and stays clamped up. And they have about .75 gallon tanks each and they are by themselves.
Just a few things to rule out - do you acclimate her after the water change? Do you use conditioner?
Can you fill out as much of this as you can?
Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?
And can we also get a picture of the tank?
Can you fill out as much of this as you can?
Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?
And can we also get a picture of the tank?
Housing*
What size is your tank? Smallish but bigger then what youd buy for betta by pet store standards
What temperature is your tank? Room temp 70ish
Does your tank have a filter?no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?no
Is your tank heated?no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?no
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Betta pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? Three pellets twice a day then maybe snacks inbetween of a pellet
Maintenance*
How often do you perform a water change? Going to be doing it here soon every other day. But sometimes I cant do it for a week becuase of going inbetween houses
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? When I dont do it for a while 100% but when I do it more often about 50
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Betta water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? No
If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
*Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Clamped fins
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Slow sluggish with clamped fins also has stress lines that go away when I have my lamp on her
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Its been a while that this has been going on
Have you started treating your fish? Sortof If so, how? Change water more often I might be able to try dried blood worms. Also tired pea treatment it work for a while then didnt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? I guess I got her as a reacue from petco or petsmart
How old is your fish (approximately)? Id say about a year or so
And can we also get a picture of the tank?________
What size is your tank? Smallish but bigger then what youd buy for betta by pet store standards
What temperature is your tank? Room temp 70ish
Does your tank have a filter?no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?no
Is your tank heated?no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?no
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Betta pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? Three pellets twice a day then maybe snacks inbetween of a pellet
Maintenance*
How often do you perform a water change? Going to be doing it here soon every other day. But sometimes I cant do it for a week becuase of going inbetween houses
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? When I dont do it for a while 100% but when I do it more often about 50
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Betta water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? No
If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
*Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Clamped fins
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Slow sluggish with clamped fins also has stress lines that go away when I have my lamp on her
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Its been a while that this has been going on
Have you started treating your fish? Sortof If so, how? Change water more often I might be able to try dried blood worms. Also tired pea treatment it work for a while then didnt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? I guess I got her as a reacue from petco or petsmart
How old is your fish (approximately)? Id say about a year or so
And can we also get a picture of the tank?________
That's a pretty small tank. In a tank that small, you should definitely be doing more water changes. Once a week is not enough.
You should think about getting her a bigger tank and a heater. Bettas are tropical fish and like warm water, around 80 degrees. The water in her tank is a few degrees cooler than room temp and because it's a small tank, the water temperature is more likely to fluctuate.
She probably lost her stripes after you changed her water because, number one her water was clean, and number two, the light probably provided some heat.
She'll probably unclamp once you start cleaning her water more and keeping her warm. Oh, and if you get her a heater (and thermometer!), she'll be more active.
If you don't think you can do as many water changes as are necessary with a tank that small, you could always get her a bigger tank with a filter.
You should think about getting her a bigger tank and a heater. Bettas are tropical fish and like warm water, around 80 degrees. The water in her tank is a few degrees cooler than room temp and because it's a small tank, the water temperature is more likely to fluctuate.
She probably lost her stripes after you changed her water because, number one her water was clean, and number two, the light probably provided some heat.
She'll probably unclamp once you start cleaning her water more and keeping her warm. Oh, and if you get her a heater (and thermometer!), she'll be more active.
If you don't think you can do as many water changes as are necessary with a tank that small, you could always get her a bigger tank with a filter.
Am I understanding that you DID at one point have her in with the other dominant female betta? That may be a big part of the reason she is doing poorly if she had been picked on by the other female for some length of time.
She needs to stay warm, (needs a heater) and frequent (daily water changes. Also you need to get her into a bigger tank with a cave or hideout. A good size tank would be about 3 gallons. Get her on a good brand of pellet. New Life Spectrum is good. Stay away from feeding peas. (I did too, before i learned!)
She needs to stay warm, (needs a heater) and frequent (daily water changes. Also you need to get her into a bigger tank with a cave or hideout. A good size tank would be about 3 gallons. Get her on a good brand of pellet. New Life Spectrum is good. Stay away from feeding peas. (I did too, before i learned!)
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
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