I got my female betta the day before yesterday. I fed her breakfast, and when I fed her dinner she spit it out, whats wrong? She often floats at the top with her eyes closed, is she resting? She spends a lot of time in her cavern.Are these normal behaviors? My food says to feed her several times a day, I feed her two pellets in the morning, and two at night. Should I give her more or less? She's in a 1 gallon bowl.
Questions about my betta
- Thread starter TheNewbie
- Start date
I would feed her once a day, as they have small stomachs and can't eat much. I can't explain the floating or the hiding. I would suggest getting her a bigger tank of about 5-10 gallons with a filter and a heater. They are tropical fish and prefer temps of 76-80 Degrees fahrenheit.
Take her back.
Read up on aquarium cycling. A bowl is not a good home for your fish. Yes, the store will tell you she's fine. But they want your money. Bowls are NOT for beginners. Really. They're harder to keep fish in than pretty much anything that has a filter.
Read up on aquarium cycling. A bowl is not a good home for your fish. Yes, the store will tell you she's fine. But they want your money. Bowls are NOT for beginners. Really. They're harder to keep fish in than pretty much anything that has a filter.
Yikes..
Well.. you can keep a small fish in a bowl, but it will require daily water changes with fresh, dechlorinated water. You will need to have some gravel and hard decor in the tank to allow housing for beneficial bacteria. You will need to vacuum poop from the gravel weekly.
If you're not prepared to do that, or don't have the resources, take the fish back.
If you aren't willing to provide the necessary care then I suggest a different hobby. Fish do not survive long in bowls for a reason.
There are people who can keep shrimp in a heavily planted bowl unfiltered, but this is not something is recommend to a beginner.
There are people who can keep shrimp in a heavily planted bowl unfiltered, but this is not something is recommend to a beginner.
Don't worry. It likely won't last long.
Before you say I'm being unkind, here's a basic breakdown of what is happening.
The betta produces waste. The waste goes into the water. In a bowl, there is NOTHING to process that waste into a non-toxic form. The waste accumulates to the point that it is harmful to the fish. Bettas are more tolerant of horrible water conditions because unlike most fish, they have a special organ that allows them to breath air rather than extract oxygen from the water via gills. That's usually pretty lethal to fish, have their gills burn by toxic levels of ammonia. With bettas, they can keep breathing despite the toxic chemicals (ammonia, primarily), which irritates the skin and eyes, making the fish sick and prone to infections. Since the bowl is unheated, the fish will be lethargic anyway, and have a lowered immune response, making it less able to resist infections and heal. It will eventually kill the fish.
All that's happening in your bowl. Right now.
Now, with a regular tank, and a filter, and some care on your part, the tank can be cycled in advance, and the filter will host bacteria colonies that breakdown that waste into non-toxic forms. A heater will maintain the temperature in a range that's good for the fish as well as the bacteria.
Healthier for the fish. Happier for the fish.
If you want that bowl, then start doing water changes of 50% per day. Get the tank someplace where the temperature will be appropriate--and that means mid to upper 70's. Every day, clean out any solid waste and uneaten food. Do the water changes with dechlorinated water. I'd suggest a test-kit as well.
Before you say I'm being unkind, here's a basic breakdown of what is happening.
The betta produces waste. The waste goes into the water. In a bowl, there is NOTHING to process that waste into a non-toxic form. The waste accumulates to the point that it is harmful to the fish. Bettas are more tolerant of horrible water conditions because unlike most fish, they have a special organ that allows them to breath air rather than extract oxygen from the water via gills. That's usually pretty lethal to fish, have their gills burn by toxic levels of ammonia. With bettas, they can keep breathing despite the toxic chemicals (ammonia, primarily), which irritates the skin and eyes, making the fish sick and prone to infections. Since the bowl is unheated, the fish will be lethargic anyway, and have a lowered immune response, making it less able to resist infections and heal. It will eventually kill the fish.
All that's happening in your bowl. Right now.
Now, with a regular tank, and a filter, and some care on your part, the tank can be cycled in advance, and the filter will host bacteria colonies that breakdown that waste into non-toxic forms. A heater will maintain the temperature in a range that's good for the fish as well as the bacteria.
Healthier for the fish. Happier for the fish.
If you want that bowl, then start doing water changes of 50% per day. Get the tank someplace where the temperature will be appropriate--and that means mid to upper 70's. Every day, clean out any solid waste and uneaten food. Do the water changes with dechlorinated water. I'd suggest a test-kit as well.
Are you feeding flake food? Bettas are generally messy eaters when it comes to flakes. Try crumbling the flakes into smaller bite size pieces.
But really you should get her a tank. Its really sad to see them live in bowls.
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But really you should get her a tank. Its really sad to see them live in bowls.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
