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!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Betta fish help!?
O.K. I've had my betta for about two months. Everything has been going fine, he was eating well and making bubble nests; untill I cleaned his bowl yesterday. I did nothing different than I normally do, but he tries to eat then spits it out, andhe's lazy, and he hasn't even started to build a nest. Is he sick? If so, is there a way to make him better?
Answers:
Your betta is just going through a mini acclimating cycle. It is trying to adjust to the "minor shock" of ph, temp, change. Don't worry, if it was healthy and eating prior to the water change, chances are it will recover really fast. Don't feed it for 1 or two days, because if it doesn't eat, then you'll feel really discourage and bad for it. it's okay, it can go almost a week without food. And remember, not all bettas make bubble nest, (even the healhty bettas sometimes do not make bubbles). they're just like humans, some can get lazy you know! Relax, it'll be fine.
He just might be in shock from changing his water. Did you have clorine in your water? I know I have in my water and if you do you need to put drops in the water to bring down the levels of clorine or else the fish will die.
This is normal. It has happened a few times to me. In a few days your betta will go back to normal.
i dont think there is anything wrong with him.most of the time,when a bettas water gets changed they are lethargic for a day or two.hes just getting used to the water.good luck!!
They definitely let you know when they aren't happy with there water conditions or home. Do you have him in just a bowl or is he in a tank with a air pump and air stone? Mine did the same thing when I just had him in a bowl..When I switched him to a 2 gallon tank with a air pump and air stone he perked up and ate. One other thing is I give him Betta pellets for a few days then switch to Betta flakes for a few days. They get bored eating the same thing every day. I occasionally also give him freeze dried worms-tubifex worms or brine shrimp.
Go to bettatalk.com it has tons of information on betta fish, and it will most likely tell you what is wrong with the little guys, and how to make him feel better.
he must be sick
Answers:
Your betta is just going through a mini acclimating cycle. It is trying to adjust to the "minor shock" of ph, temp, change. Don't worry, if it was healthy and eating prior to the water change, chances are it will recover really fast. Don't feed it for 1 or two days, because if it doesn't eat, then you'll feel really discourage and bad for it. it's okay, it can go almost a week without food. And remember, not all bettas make bubble nest, (even the healhty bettas sometimes do not make bubbles). they're just like humans, some can get lazy you know! Relax, it'll be fine.
He just might be in shock from changing his water. Did you have clorine in your water? I know I have in my water and if you do you need to put drops in the water to bring down the levels of clorine or else the fish will die.
This is normal. It has happened a few times to me. In a few days your betta will go back to normal.
i dont think there is anything wrong with him.most of the time,when a bettas water gets changed they are lethargic for a day or two.hes just getting used to the water.good luck!!
They definitely let you know when they aren't happy with there water conditions or home. Do you have him in just a bowl or is he in a tank with a air pump and air stone? Mine did the same thing when I just had him in a bowl..When I switched him to a 2 gallon tank with a air pump and air stone he perked up and ate. One other thing is I give him Betta pellets for a few days then switch to Betta flakes for a few days. They get bored eating the same thing every day. I occasionally also give him freeze dried worms-tubifex worms or brine shrimp.
Go to bettatalk.com it has tons of information on betta fish, and it will most likely tell you what is wrong with the little guys, and how to make him feel better.
he must be sick
Betta Fish getting pale?
I have a red betta fish and I take good care of him, but recently he turned pale and doesnt eat at all. He just swims on the very top and dont move that much. Whats wrong with him?
Answers:
Its bad water quality and/or low water temperature.
You need to change 50% of his tank water and make sure the temperature is 78-85degrees Fahrenheit.
It also could be signs of aging.
Hope this helps
WT
not to make you sad but mine did that right before it died it lost all of its color and quit eating and would just sit at the top of the water
I am very sorry, this is probally your last moments with your fish. When they lose color they are about to die. It really sucks!
He is sick. I will pray he is not dying. Go to your local fish store and ask their suggestions. There are many medications you can give a sick Betta if you treat them quick enough.
Think of it as calling a Fishy Doctor :)
Good luck!
The paleness could be a sign of stress or aging. Has there been a water change recently? there may be a buildup of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, and these couls explain the loss of appetite as well.
Does he have a heater? Bettas do best when their temperature is between 76-86o. Too far to either side of this range and they'll become lethargic and lose their appetities.
How long have you had the betta? Their lifespan can be as long as 7 years, although some only live for 2-3, and they're usually between 6-9 months old when they're sold in stores.
That's just sooooo wierd! Those things live forever! My friend had one and it lived for 5yrs. Now I have one and it has been alive for 3 (As far as I know..) (Got it as a favor for one of my friend's b-day parties) (Don't ask!!!)
So back to your question: Go to the pet store and ask around. It can't hurt. And If they can't help I don't konw what to do
It could be that his water is too cold. My bettas get pale when they are too cold. He should be in a minimum of 1/2 gallon of water. Make sure you have a thermometer on the tank so you can make sure it stays in the right range. Hikari makes something called betta revive that can help to perk him up a bit.
Okay, here's a few things that have worked for my bettas.
One. Check the amount of light he is exposed to. Don't put him in a window or anything, but if he's in dim light in a corner or something, he might benefit from a little more illumination.
Next thing would be to put a little mirror by the side of his bowl/tank. Seeing 'another male' can snap them out of a depressive state.
If he's having noticable trouble swimming down, he might have a swim bladder infection. They sell medicine you can add to the water at most pet stores.
First, I'd start off with the water change. Make sure it has been treated with chlorine remover and allowed to reach room temp first.
Answers:
Its bad water quality and/or low water temperature.
You need to change 50% of his tank water and make sure the temperature is 78-85degrees Fahrenheit.
It also could be signs of aging.
Hope this helps
WT
not to make you sad but mine did that right before it died it lost all of its color and quit eating and would just sit at the top of the water
I am very sorry, this is probally your last moments with your fish. When they lose color they are about to die. It really sucks!
He is sick. I will pray he is not dying. Go to your local fish store and ask their suggestions. There are many medications you can give a sick Betta if you treat them quick enough.
Think of it as calling a Fishy Doctor :)
Good luck!
The paleness could be a sign of stress or aging. Has there been a water change recently? there may be a buildup of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, and these couls explain the loss of appetite as well.
Does he have a heater? Bettas do best when their temperature is between 76-86o. Too far to either side of this range and they'll become lethargic and lose their appetities.
How long have you had the betta? Their lifespan can be as long as 7 years, although some only live for 2-3, and they're usually between 6-9 months old when they're sold in stores.
That's just sooooo wierd! Those things live forever! My friend had one and it lived for 5yrs. Now I have one and it has been alive for 3 (As far as I know..) (Got it as a favor for one of my friend's b-day parties) (Don't ask!!!)
So back to your question: Go to the pet store and ask around. It can't hurt. And If they can't help I don't konw what to do
It could be that his water is too cold. My bettas get pale when they are too cold. He should be in a minimum of 1/2 gallon of water. Make sure you have a thermometer on the tank so you can make sure it stays in the right range. Hikari makes something called betta revive that can help to perk him up a bit.
Okay, here's a few things that have worked for my bettas.
One. Check the amount of light he is exposed to. Don't put him in a window or anything, but if he's in dim light in a corner or something, he might benefit from a little more illumination.
Next thing would be to put a little mirror by the side of his bowl/tank. Seeing 'another male' can snap them out of a depressive state.
If he's having noticable trouble swimming down, he might have a swim bladder infection. They sell medicine you can add to the water at most pet stores.
First, I'd start off with the water change. Make sure it has been treated with chlorine remover and allowed to reach room temp first.
Betta Fish Experts ONLY.?
my male betta is in a fish bowl right next to my female(they're in seperate tanks) and he keeps puffing out his gills and swimming around the tank is he showing off to breed or saying stay away? i had them in together for about 1/2 hour and they were good but he all of a sudden he chased her. he made his bubble nest and she had her verticle stripes saying she was ready to breed but i'm not sure if they bred together. PLEASE HELP..
Answers:
You can't really tell whether the male betta is flaring out of the desire to breed or out of aggression.
Breeding bettas actually requires a great deal of research. Read this for what you need to know:
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/bree...
It's not just about sticking one in the other's bowl. You need to condition them both for breeding with one another, which can take days, and you need to get a spawning tank of at least 10 gallons. If you put them both in the spawning tank and they start attacking each other, they are not ready for breeding.
put the divider back in give them at least a week to get used to each other...
http://www.bettatalk.com/how_bettas_spaw...
this will explain it all
They didn't breed in a half hour, it takes a bit longer than that. If the female has her egg spot showing an the male has a nest built, they will probably breed. Don't rely on the stripes to indicate that she is ready to breed. You should place them so that they don't see each other until you see both her egg spot and his nest.
and BEFORE you even put them together, be sure you are ready to raise all those hundreds of baby bettas.
MM
yea with mm, betta breeding will take many hours, some of my latest spawns took over 7 hours.
when breeding, it is common for the male to chase her. it is normal. If this occurs, i would usually add her back into the breeding trap as she isnt going to breed at that time.
Did u condition them first? somewhere around 2 weeks with high fatty foods will get them conditioned.
I would seperate them and try again later.
Answers:
You can't really tell whether the male betta is flaring out of the desire to breed or out of aggression.
Breeding bettas actually requires a great deal of research. Read this for what you need to know:
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/bree...
It's not just about sticking one in the other's bowl. You need to condition them both for breeding with one another, which can take days, and you need to get a spawning tank of at least 10 gallons. If you put them both in the spawning tank and they start attacking each other, they are not ready for breeding.
put the divider back in give them at least a week to get used to each other...
http://www.bettatalk.com/how_bettas_spaw...
this will explain it all
They didn't breed in a half hour, it takes a bit longer than that. If the female has her egg spot showing an the male has a nest built, they will probably breed. Don't rely on the stripes to indicate that she is ready to breed. You should place them so that they don't see each other until you see both her egg spot and his nest.
and BEFORE you even put them together, be sure you are ready to raise all those hundreds of baby bettas.
MM
yea with mm, betta breeding will take many hours, some of my latest spawns took over 7 hours.
when breeding, it is common for the male to chase her. it is normal. If this occurs, i would usually add her back into the breeding trap as she isnt going to breed at that time.
Did u condition them first? somewhere around 2 weeks with high fatty foods will get them conditioned.
I would seperate them and try again later.
Betta Fish Diet?
I've been feeding my 3 betta fish 2 pellets of Sanyu Betta Gold every other day and I've had them for maybe 3 months now. At first, 2 of them used to eat the food really quickly, and the other would take it's time, but now all 3 eat their food as soon as it's in the water. Are they eating so fast because it's not enough? I've been thinking of increasing their intake...
Answers:
I would. I generally feed mine twice a day. For one feeding they get 4 betta pellets, and the other they can have more pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, or live mosquito larvae.
You should be able to tell by the curve of their stomach if yours are getting enough to eat - you want the belly to be slightly rounded. See the photos in this link: http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm...
You could feed 4-5 pellets a day and be fine. I wouldn't do any more than that though. Feed more than 4-5 a day and you will have water quality issues.
I think fish are just greedy, They have been known to eat and eat till they explode . Just keep at what your doing ,
I've had my beta for a year and sometimers he's aggresive about his food and sometimes he's not
It's just a personality thing in my opinion
i feed my beta fish Monday Wednesday and Friday but never on Saturday and Sunday then you feed it again on Monday routine
i have one betta and the guy at the pet store said to feed it little meals often. i use flake food. the guy said to feed them 2 times a day. 4 flakes in the morning, and 4 flakes in the evening.
i am not to sure about pellets. read the instructions on the bottle or switch to flakes
their main diet is flakes.
you can give them pellets but they don't really like it.
Once in a while you can give them frozen bloodworms or live brine shrimp. They love it.
Answers:
I would. I generally feed mine twice a day. For one feeding they get 4 betta pellets, and the other they can have more pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, or live mosquito larvae.
You should be able to tell by the curve of their stomach if yours are getting enough to eat - you want the belly to be slightly rounded. See the photos in this link: http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm...
You could feed 4-5 pellets a day and be fine. I wouldn't do any more than that though. Feed more than 4-5 a day and you will have water quality issues.
I think fish are just greedy, They have been known to eat and eat till they explode . Just keep at what your doing ,
I've had my beta for a year and sometimers he's aggresive about his food and sometimes he's not
It's just a personality thing in my opinion
i feed my beta fish Monday Wednesday and Friday but never on Saturday and Sunday then you feed it again on Monday routine
i have one betta and the guy at the pet store said to feed it little meals often. i use flake food. the guy said to feed them 2 times a day. 4 flakes in the morning, and 4 flakes in the evening.
i am not to sure about pellets. read the instructions on the bottle or switch to flakes
their main diet is flakes.
you can give them pellets but they don't really like it.
Once in a while you can give them frozen bloodworms or live brine shrimp. They love it.
Betta Fish Breeding. PLEASE HELP!?
My Betta fish are breeding and when the females eggs come out the male puts them in his mouth and goes up the surface and take in air and makes bubbles in the bubble nest...But I dont see any eggs...Did he eat them or are they inside the bubbles or something? PLEASE HELP!
Answers:
Right after he picks up the eggs, what you see him blowing into the nest is eggs. They look almost identical to bubbles at first.
MM
They are probibly inbetween the bubbles, Dont disturb the nest, And the male will only eat the fry once there free swimming, Not the eggs.
~ GG
They are in the bubbles. Now as soon as they are done breeding take the female out because the male will kill her.
Click on the link below. It will give you all the information you need whereas everyone else who answers your questions, including myself, will give you only bits and pieces.
there are inside the bubbles that helps the babies breath they will hatch in 2 to 3 days after there born take the male Betta out or he will eat them
Answers:
Right after he picks up the eggs, what you see him blowing into the nest is eggs. They look almost identical to bubbles at first.
MM
They are probibly inbetween the bubbles, Dont disturb the nest, And the male will only eat the fry once there free swimming, Not the eggs.
~ GG
They are in the bubbles. Now as soon as they are done breeding take the female out because the male will kill her.
Click on the link below. It will give you all the information you need whereas everyone else who answers your questions, including myself, will give you only bits and pieces.
there are inside the bubbles that helps the babies breath they will hatch in 2 to 3 days after there born take the male Betta out or he will eat them
Betta fish breeding!! please help!!?
i have a male and female fighting fish and right now i have then both in a tank but they are seperated but a tank divider, they can see each other and ever since i put the female in the tank with the male her stripes went from horizontal to vertical lines. wat does that mean?
Answers:
The female is ready to mate.
For breeding information, click on the link below. It will give you all the information you need whereas everyone else who answers your questions, including myself, will give you only bits and pieces.
hip hip horay your female is no ready to mate since she displayyed these lines. If she has eggs and is ready to mate then you should realse her. these lines also help male bettas know they have a potential mate a study was done wee a female betta and a male lived in the same tank there was no action from the male like building bubble nest and flaring until the female was artificially painted with vertical lines hope I could help and good luck!
Put your female in with the male that has built the bubble. They will usually quarrel for a while. The male may rip the female's fins, she may nip him back, then he'll embrace her, and they'll spawn. . You'll need to watch carefully to be sure that he doesn't hurt her too badly.
If they don't spawn, you should remove the female and put her back in the aquarium or fish bowl that she came from, or the male will probably hurt her. If they do spawn, you should still remove the female.
The male Betta, not the female, will care for the eggs in the bubble nest. You will see him taking the eggs into his mouth where he cleans them with special natural chemicals in his mouth. Two days after spawning the chemicals in his mouth change and dissolve the outer layer of the eggs to release the fry.
that means that she's ready to breed with your male
here is link that discribes betta breeding in detail
http://fishlesscycling.com/forum/index.p...
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
Answers:
The female is ready to mate.
For breeding information, click on the link below. It will give you all the information you need whereas everyone else who answers your questions, including myself, will give you only bits and pieces.
hip hip horay your female is no ready to mate since she displayyed these lines. If she has eggs and is ready to mate then you should realse her. these lines also help male bettas know they have a potential mate a study was done wee a female betta and a male lived in the same tank there was no action from the male like building bubble nest and flaring until the female was artificially painted with vertical lines hope I could help and good luck!
Put your female in with the male that has built the bubble. They will usually quarrel for a while. The male may rip the female's fins, she may nip him back, then he'll embrace her, and they'll spawn. . You'll need to watch carefully to be sure that he doesn't hurt her too badly.
If they don't spawn, you should remove the female and put her back in the aquarium or fish bowl that she came from, or the male will probably hurt her. If they do spawn, you should still remove the female.
The male Betta, not the female, will care for the eggs in the bubble nest. You will see him taking the eggs into his mouth where he cleans them with special natural chemicals in his mouth. Two days after spawning the chemicals in his mouth change and dissolve the outer layer of the eggs to release the fry.
that means that she's ready to breed with your male
here is link that discribes betta breeding in detail
http://fishlesscycling.com/forum/index.p...
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
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