I got a Betta 16 months ago. He has always been extremely friendly and active. I keep him in a 2 gallon bowl with things to hide in and a large plastic plant. About 6 weeks ago I replaced his plastic plant with a live plant upon approval of a pet store employee thinking it would make my betta happier. The second cleaning, after placing the live plant, the water had an odor. The next time the smell was even stronger so I removed the plant and put the plastic one back. At this point, my Betta started to become less sociable and I noticed a dramatic change in his food intake and he wasn't blowing bubbles at the top of the water which I've read is a healthy sign. Upon the next water change, the water was still smelling. So this time I replaced all the rocks and washed everything in very hot water. In the last 2 weeks, my betta has only eaten 2 pieces of Betta Bits. He lies at the bottom of the tank. He no longer greets me. He only comes up for air. I asked 2 separate PetSmart employees if I could do anything and they both said he is probably dying and there is nothing I can do. Can anyone offer ....anything? Would putting a live plant in there have made him sick? Is there anything I can put in the bowl to help him get better? (I do use Bowl Buddies with each water change). I see no physical changes other than perhaps his belly being a little more white than normal but hard to say for certain. Any help would be greatly appreciated. He is my first fish and I really enjoy the little guy. Thank you!
Betta newby - Need help
- Thread starter dpastorm
- Start date
depending on the store that you bought the plant at yes. PetSmart and PetLand actually use the plant tank for the fry and sick fish. this could have been transfered in to your tank and leached into your rocks and stuff. Then again it might be that your betta is old and it is his time. the live plants are better because bettas like to rest on them and they will not hurt them like plastic plants can. but look at the fish in the plant tank. do you notice any with pits or scars? that could be a sign of illness. I am sorry for your lost, I have lost about 4 in total now. some to old age and some to illness and some to depression (I have found the halfmoon coppers are the worst for this). you could try to medicate him with bettafix. hopefully it will work. good luck
The plant wouldn't have made the water smell. (My local PetsMart doesn't put anything in the plant tanks except plants.)
Since your fish is sick, you should change his bowl water daily. Water quality is very important now. A good way to do this is to set up a second bowl, let the new water sit overnight next to the first bowl so the temp will be identical, then use a cup to transfer your betta to the new bowl. Once you get him in there, thoroughly clean the first bowl, fill it and have it ready for the next day.
Good luck with your fish.
How about telling us a bit about your normal bowl maintenance routine -- how much you feed, how often you change the water, how you remove uneaten food and other waste from the bottom of the bowl, all that sort of thing -- and maybe we can help you figure out why your water developed an odor, which should not have happened.
Since your fish is sick, you should change his bowl water daily. Water quality is very important now. A good way to do this is to set up a second bowl, let the new water sit overnight next to the first bowl so the temp will be identical, then use a cup to transfer your betta to the new bowl. Once you get him in there, thoroughly clean the first bowl, fill it and have it ready for the next day.
Good luck with your fish.
How about telling us a bit about your normal bowl maintenance routine -- how much you feed, how often you change the water, how you remove uneaten food and other waste from the bottom of the bowl, all that sort of thing -- and maybe we can help you figure out why your water developed an odor, which should not have happened.
Thank you for your quick responses. Corygirl, I will try to find some BettaFix. I asked PetSmart if they carried anything like that and they said no. I'll go to Petco.
The live plant I bought was not in a tank. It was in one of those containers with a gel like bottom. But I washed it over and over again to remove any of the gel. Again, this was upon recommendation of the PetSmart employee who didn't even tell me about purchasing a plant from a tank.
And to answer your questions Judy, I was feeding him 3-4 Betta Bits twice a day. I clean his water about every 10 days based on what I've read online. I've never had any troubles with film or cloudy water in the 16 months I've been doing this. I've never removed waste or food from the tank. First because he would finished his food and second because the 10 day cleanings seem to suffice and once waste would be visibily present I would clean the bowl. Of course now with the way he is acting I offer him 1 pellet when he is at his most active (which isn't much) and see what happens. But I it's been 5 days since he's eaten any of it and it was only 1 pellet.
I was concerned that doing more frequent water changes with the way he is acting would only stress him out more. If he is in some type of discomfort I don't want to make his last days miserable by causing stress too.
Again, thank you!
The live plant I bought was not in a tank. It was in one of those containers with a gel like bottom. But I washed it over and over again to remove any of the gel. Again, this was upon recommendation of the PetSmart employee who didn't even tell me about purchasing a plant from a tank.
And to answer your questions Judy, I was feeding him 3-4 Betta Bits twice a day. I clean his water about every 10 days based on what I've read online. I've never had any troubles with film or cloudy water in the 16 months I've been doing this. I've never removed waste or food from the tank. First because he would finished his food and second because the 10 day cleanings seem to suffice and once waste would be visibily present I would clean the bowl. Of course now with the way he is acting I offer him 1 pellet when he is at his most active (which isn't much) and see what happens. But I it's been 5 days since he's eaten any of it and it was only 1 pellet.
I was concerned that doing more frequent water changes with the way he is acting would only stress him out more. If he is in some type of discomfort I don't want to make his last days miserable by causing stress too.
Again, thank you!
The Petsmart I work for doesn't put sick fish in the plant tank. Manly because we have to remove all sick fish from the sales floor and place them in seperate tanks kept in the back. The only things in the plant tank are plants and some baby fish. Sometimes crayfish and tadpoles.
I don't think the plant could have caused any problems because the packaged plants are pretty clean. I've used them and never had a problem at all. It could be the stress of fluctuating temperatures. Since most, if not all, bowls do not have heaters the temp. of the room affects the bowl. Yes a betta can survive in a bowl but he cannot thrive. I suggest getting him a 5 gallon tank. There are a lot of good kits out there that come with filters and lights. They usually have room in the lid so that a heater cord can be strung out of the tank. You want to keep his water around 82-85.
Does he look bloated at all? If so try offering some blanched pea or some daphnia(frozen or live) because it acts as a laxative in bettas and can help him pass whatever he has blocking his intestines.
I don't think the plant could have caused any problems because the packaged plants are pretty clean. I've used them and never had a problem at all. It could be the stress of fluctuating temperatures. Since most, if not all, bowls do not have heaters the temp. of the room affects the bowl. Yes a betta can survive in a bowl but he cannot thrive. I suggest getting him a 5 gallon tank. There are a lot of good kits out there that come with filters and lights. They usually have room in the lid so that a heater cord can be strung out of the tank. You want to keep his water around 82-85.
Does he look bloated at all? If so try offering some blanched pea or some daphnia(frozen or live) because it acts as a laxative in bettas and can help him pass whatever he has blocking his intestines.
I wish I didn't sound ignorant but I didn't know if the plant would survive, again, I was just going on what was recommended to me at PetSmart.
The water temperature remains a fairly constant 74 degrees. I was worried that was too cold for him but in 16 months he has always been very active in this temperature. His bowl gets plenty of sunlight (although not direct) because he lives on my kitchen island where he gets lots of attention (I've read they like to be part of the family). As far as him not being able to thrive, I'm not arguing that point in general but in my case everyone who comes to my home and sees him is impressed by his nature. One repair man (who has fish) said, "That's one happy fish".
His belly does seem a little more swollen to me but I can't tell if that's just because I'm paranoid now that something is wrong with him. However, trying the blanched pea or some daphnia can't hurt.
I will be doing a water change and cleaning tonight (as always I have allowed new water to get room temp and will use Bowl Buddies). I will let everyone know if the water smells this time. I REALLY appreciate all your advice. I am moved by how many people are trying to help.
The water temperature remains a fairly constant 74 degrees. I was worried that was too cold for him but in 16 months he has always been very active in this temperature. His bowl gets plenty of sunlight (although not direct) because he lives on my kitchen island where he gets lots of attention (I've read they like to be part of the family). As far as him not being able to thrive, I'm not arguing that point in general but in my case everyone who comes to my home and sees him is impressed by his nature. One repair man (who has fish) said, "That's one happy fish".
His belly does seem a little more swollen to me but I can't tell if that's just because I'm paranoid now that something is wrong with him. However, trying the blanched pea or some daphnia can't hurt.
I will be doing a water change and cleaning tonight (as always I have allowed new water to get room temp and will use Bowl Buddies). I will let everyone know if the water smells this time. I REALLY appreciate all your advice. I am moved by how many people are trying to help.
dpastorm, you need to read up on cycling a tank and what exactly that means. I have an explanation in the link in my signature. Bettas lifespan is around 2-3 years, so your betta is getting up there. With his old age, he will need warmer more constant water temps and good water conditions to keep him thriving. A heater is always recommended for a betta. Take a look at the link.
You really can't cycle a betta bowl, IMO.
When keeping a betta in a bowl I prefer to change the water a couple times a week. I don't have any proof it's better, it just seems to be the right schedule to keep the water fresh and clean.
Here's some info on how to tell if you're feeding the right amount. Actually there are pics. You may have seen it already: betta food
When keeping a betta in a bowl I prefer to change the water a couple times a week. I don't have any proof it's better, it just seems to be the right schedule to keep the water fresh and clean.
Here's some info on how to tell if you're feeding the right amount. Actually there are pics. You may have seen it already: betta food
I think you can in fact cycle a betta bowl. Of course, this means that you can't take all the water and rocks out everytime you do a water changem you have to drain it with a hose/siphon. A bowl isn't really a good container for any fish, even bettas, I always recommend a 2.5g mini tank for them (cycled of course with a heater and filtration).
The water did have an oder on this last change yesterday, however, not as bad as it was. My fish's belly has swollen immensly in the last 24 hours. He went from staying at the bottom of the bowl and not being active to "laying" in the plastic plant upright and pusing himself up for air only to "fall" back down tail first. It appears that swim bladder is the culprit. I tried the blanchded peas several times but he will not eat. I read that Kosher salt could be added to the bowl to try and cut down on bacteria. A half ounce per gallon. I did not use that much but did place a small amount in the bowl to see if it would have any effect.
Is he suffering?
Clearly I am not a good fish parent and I am way to sensative to living things to not beat myself up over this. I thought I was doing him good by saving him from that little cup at the pet store, doing research, keeping his temp stable, fasting him for 24 hours, giving him places to hide, etc. But I suppose more maintenance and care are needed and I am not the right person for the job. I will leave that up to the folks who enjoy it and know what they are doing.
Is he suffering?
Clearly I am not a good fish parent and I am way to sensative to living things to not beat myself up over this. I thought I was doing him good by saving him from that little cup at the pet store, doing research, keeping his temp stable, fasting him for 24 hours, giving him places to hide, etc. But I suppose more maintenance and care are needed and I am not the right person for the job. I will leave that up to the folks who enjoy it and know what they are doing.
everybody goes through the same thing so dont feel bad. at least your trying.
i didnt know what the hell i was doing either, but i was lucky to find this site and all the great people in it ! i read, and read and read. I learned A LOT in a short time.i was also ready to throw in the towel, i figured if i cant take care of these poor defenseless fish im done. But im happy to say i didnt quit and my tanks are thriving ( or i should say my fish are thriving lol ).
once you get through all the aggrivation and get some knowledge of the hobby it is great !
dont give up. Just keep asking questions. if you dont know about something. just ask, someone here will know.
good luck
i didnt know what the hell i was doing either, but i was lucky to find this site and all the great people in it ! i read, and read and read. I learned A LOT in a short time.i was also ready to throw in the towel, i figured if i cant take care of these poor defenseless fish im done. But im happy to say i didnt quit and my tanks are thriving ( or i should say my fish are thriving lol ).
once you get through all the aggrivation and get some knowledge of the hobby it is great !
dont give up. Just keep asking questions. if you dont know about something. just ask, someone here will know.
good luck