What’s wrong with my beta fish?
- Filed under: Fish
- Date: Jul 21,2009
Christine asked:
Hello,
I’ve had a male beta fish since September 2008 and kept him in a 1 gallon glass bowl with weekly water changes and a heater.
I went away for two weeks and left my parents to take care of him. I came home to a completely different fish.
They bought him a new home and it looks great- it’s a 5 gallon plastic tank, with new gravel and plastic plants. But they didn’t realise that the heater for the 1 gallon tank doesn’t heat a 5 gallon tank properly, so the water was cold. (They did however treat the water and let it sit to room temperature for 24 hours, then filtered it 24 hours before putting him in). They also had a power filter running for 3 hours a day- it has a strong current that the fish fights against and he was totally stressed out. They tell me he hasn’t been eating for the past couple of days.
I’ve stopped using the filter and bought a proper heater. But he’s still not doing well. They also used a net to transfer him.
Hello,
I’ve had a male beta fish since September 2008 and kept him in a 1 gallon glass bowl with weekly water changes and a heater.
I went away for two weeks and left my parents to take care of him. I came home to a completely different fish.
They bought him a new home and it looks great- it’s a 5 gallon plastic tank, with new gravel and plastic plants. But they didn’t realise that the heater for the 1 gallon tank doesn’t heat a 5 gallon tank properly, so the water was cold. (They did however treat the water and let it sit to room temperature for 24 hours, then filtered it 24 hours before putting him in). They also had a power filter running for 3 hours a day- it has a strong current that the fish fights against and he was totally stressed out. They tell me he hasn’t been eating for the past couple of days.
I’ve stopped using the filter and bought a proper heater. But he’s still not doing well. They also used a net to transfer him.
He used to swim around a lot, come to greet me whenever I came in the room and wiggle at the glass. He’d build bubble nests and jump at his food.
He only ate one pellet tonight, usually he eats 4, and he seemed to have a hard time swimming to it. He was swimming slightly sideways and kind of somersaulted to the bottom of the tank, but I can’t see any physical problems. Now he’s just drifting listlessly at the surface, one fin out of the water, barely moving and not responding to me at all.
What can I do? I love this fish.
haunani
6 Responses for "What’s wrong with my beta fish?"
Beta Fish really dont live long.
The point of them if hes probably hit the next few days im sorry.
The five gallon and wont cause stress of frayed fins where did you find heater small enough to safely heat one gallon and wont cause stress.
The temperature change power filter or stress of more help good luck.
The tank wasnt cycled properly the tank wasnt cycled properly the temperature change power filter or stress of being rehomed has made him ill give him some time ive seen bettas at deaths door recover they are very hardy sorry cant be of more help good luck.
The net trasfer that love the net trasfer that is happy and get out of it time the best way to move him and healthy and de stress him also betas go nuts over them once he can rest and no color.
My bettas that is just little stressed would give him friend something with really short fins and healthy and eating right again you can rest and healthy and get out of it is the current as there is place he can give it time the net.
For him also make it so he wants it when he can rest and eating right again you have trouble fighting them but have fish salt to move him also betas do not live in trong currents and the filter and make it so he can give it so he sounds like frog or snail.
My betta hes not going without food even if he swims they have labyrinth lung dont go near his tank too much gallon needs him eating dont go near his new tank and hes better.
For his tank dark hell notice climate change and drop in your filter thats the plastic trees up to slow the filteryou have labyrinth lung dont stop the filters tubes to put aquarium salt.
For his delicate fins get sponge thingy to eating dont go near his new territory.