I just bought a betta fish yesterday, and put him in a clean tank, with clean water that sat out a whole day, and was treated with "Betta water conditioner". But once I took him out of that little cup and put him in the tank i noticed a difference. He has to struggle to swim to the bottom. He stays at the top. Sometime when i go over to watch him, he freaks out and floats on his side. He almost floats on top of the water. All of his fins stop moving, so i think that he's dead. Then i realize that his gills are still moving and I tap the tank and he swims around a bit more.
I've had two betta fish before this one and neither has behaved this strangely. Any idea whats wrong?
Answers:
Since this happened so quickly I would first thing either temperature or pH shock. Unless you carefully acclimated your betta to the water conditions int he new tank, either one could have caused the problem.
If I can help further feel free to email me.
MM
he is in shock and by you tapping the glass, your making it worse.
get a new tank, and also let the water sit for 24 hours before putting him in.
I had betta fish and they lived until they died of old age I just used tap water with no chemicals added to their water.
You shocked the fish somehow. How slowly did you acclimate him to the new tank? If you just dumped him in the new tank then his little body is going into shock due to the temperature and ph change he's experiencing.
I agree with Magic, and would like to add that you might have incorrectly dosed the water conditioner. It wouldn't hurt to add a few more drops to see if it perks up.
How quickly did you introduce your betta to his new home? It sounds like he might be in shock from the transfer. Check the temperature of his water- it should be about 74-80 degrees F. If your fish is eating well, I'd give him some time to adjust to his new home.
To make sure that your fish stays happy and healthy in the future, remember to change his water once every week. Good luck with him!
Responding to another posters advice: Never add more water conditioner than the directions suggest. Overdosing water conditioner can kill your fish.
I agree with the people who said that he could have possibly been shocked. Also, the floating you mentioned can be swimbladder disorder. It will go away on its own. About the shock- maybe the water temperature difference was too great. Leave him alone and don't go over to the tank. Bettas commonly get "depression" but soon snap out of it. Don't worry too much, with some common sense and a bit of luck, you and your betta will pull through. Good luck!
