Betta Troubles

S

sweethoneyjlp86

AC Members
Jan 24, 2006
51
0
0
I am sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I don't know what to do. I am new here and I just bought a betta Friday night. We put it in a 5 gallon tank with two tetras, but he kept bullying the tetras so we put him in a little bowl. He was fine yesterday, but today he wants to lay at the bottom of the bowl. I cleaned his water, but he lays motionless. He comes up for air, but that is about it. Can anybody tell me what is wrong?
I just got him and I don't want to lose him, please help
 
Just a guess - unless your house is 75-80 degrees he is probably cold. Bettas need heated water - and really dont belong in bowls either.

Did you dechlorinate the water ?
 
Mmm, you have a few problems. As mentioned, bettas need warmer water. My first question was the same as Hannys....about the dechlorinated water. You were right to change the water (assuming you tried to match it to the bowl?)...make sure you keep up on that while he is in the bowl. You don't want any ammonia to build up (since there is no filter to help get rid of it).

Also, if he is new, he may just be getting used to being out of a cup. After all, he was in a tiny space that restricted movement and his muscles probably atrophied to an extent. Bettas are also not always the most mobile of creatures; some are just very lazy until they get used to having enough room.

The other problem I see regards your tetras. Tetras are a schooling fish that thrive in/need the company of their species. THey do not feel safe without others and cannot fulfill their instinct to school. That said, a 5g is not big enough for an adequate sized school of tetras.

Could you return the tetras (are they new, too?) and give the betta back his tank since he can't stay in the bowl?

EDIT: I just noticed you are totally new to this forum and I wanted to say Welcome! ALso that you have chosen a great resource to help with any issues you have now or down the road:)
 
Thank you all for the help. I know that betta's shouldn't be in bowls, but I live in a dorm and I don't have a lot of room. He seems ok because after I got back from class, he was swimming around like normal. But now I have another question, by the way, this is my first time owning fish. When he does swim, he swims in little stokes. He swims a little, then stops, and swims again. Is this normal. I am sure this is a stupid question, but I need to know. I don't want my first fish to die on me. Thanks again for the help.

And thank you for welcoming me onto this website
 
It sounds normal - but its hard to say without seeing it you know. Bettas sometimes seem to swim a little different because they have to drag those huge fins around which makes them a bit "rear heavy".

Just keep him warm and dont forget to do daily water changes. I dont know how small the bowl is but anything under 1 Gallon builds up enough ammonia in one day to endanger your fishs health.

Maybe sometime down the road you could look into one of these 2.5G filtered tanks. I think walmart sells them for ~$30.

EDIT: Actually they are cheaper than i thought - heres a link:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...pe=1&dept=4044&path=0:4044:5440:202074:202101

Then all you'd have to do is add a 12$ heater and have a nice happy betta.
 
Last edited:
I didn't see it on Walmart.com but at my local store, they have a 10 gal starter kit with everything you need for under $30.00

Make the fish even happier with more room!
 
Ok, one last question. I head that it is hard to heat the water safely in anything smaller than a 5 gallon. Will it be too hot for my betta? What should I do? Please remember that I don't have a lot of room for a 10 gallon tank or even a five gallon. Please reply and thank you again

This is my boyfriends account rimrider19k. I am sweethoneyjlp86
 
Last edited:
When i mentioned a $12 heater i was referring to a heater like this which can safely be used in a 5G or 2.5G tank. However - the smaller the tank the more often you need to have an eye on the temperature (just incase of heater failure) and be careful and observant when first setting it up.
 
Last edited:
The heater you will want for a 2.5 gallon tank is a 7 (or maybe it's a 7.5) watt heater. These are little tiny heaters and will only cost about $5-6 at Walmart. They CANNOT be safely used in less than 2.5 gallon tanks, though.

I'd get a 2.5 or 3 gallon tank and add the little heater unit. They don't take much space, and you should easily be able to accomodate one in your dorm room. (My son's bedroom is smaller than a dorm room & that is what he has in there.) Just make sure you take your betta home with you over Christmas Break or he'll starve.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom