betta tired

[Dandre]

My betta was swimming being active in the day but at night it just layed on the gravel for a few minutes then swim off. Is this normal.

 

[OrangeCones]

What temperature is the heater set at?

 

[Cammie]

Is it not sleeping?!

 

[AndiH]

I don't recall my bettas ever resting on the gravel when healthy, but I have seen them resting on plant leaves etc near the surface.

 

[Dandre]

I dont have leaves for him to rest on only dwarf hairgrass.

 

[littletankbigworld]

Dandre, OrangeCones asked if your tank is heated. Is it? Bettas need a heated tank that is between 78 and 80 degrees, preferably. If not, they will be too cold and will lie on the bottom of the tank. Also, what are your water parameters?

 

[Dandre]

it is 79 degrees. Nittrite 0 nitrates 0 ammonia 0. Hes swimming actively right now all that just changes at night.

 

[OrangeCones]

Is there a heater in the tank to keep the temperature 79 at night?

How did you get from 20 nitrate to 0 nitrate?

 

[littletankbigworld]

Tanks are prone to temperature swings at night, especially with cooler temperatures and no heat from tank lights. Also, 0 ammonia means your tank is not cycled.

 

[Dandre]

I did a huge water change.

 

[Newman]

0 nitrates was meant ^

 

[lauraf]

I understand what OC asked and what Dandre did. In another thread the betta tank had a nitrate reading of 20. He did a big water change to get it down to 0.
That still isn't necessarily a good thing tho - shouldn't every cycled tank have a wee bit of nitrates?

 

[OrangeCones]

Unless there was a 100% water change, yes.

If 50% was changed, and assuming the new water had 0% nitrates, then you'd have 10ppm nitrate in the tank after the change.

 

[OrangeCones]

Dandre, OrangeCones asked if your tank is heated. Is it? Bettas need a heated tank that is between 78 and 80 degrees, preferably. If not, they will be too cold and will lie on the bottom of the tank. Also, what are your water parameters?

In some other thread (don't feel like trying to find it, as there are so many), Dandre said he didn't need a heater because he was in Louisana and it stayed warm there.

I lived in southern Florida and still had to heat my tropical tanks. Usually the heater didn't come on except at night.

Inactivity at night could indicate sleeping, but more likely indicates a drop in temperature that is making the fish sluggish. Bettas are need higher temps than most tropical fish. Fish do not have an ability to regulate their body temperature like we do. Their body temperature is determined by the heat of the water they live in.

 

[lauraf]

I think Dandre did actually reply in one thread or another to say the betta tank is "heated" - not clear whether that means there is a mechanical heater, or if it is adjustable . . . .

Given that bettas are often kept in small bowls/tanks, is it okay to do a 100% water change for them? It sounds like lots of people (not necessarily the fishkeepers here) do so. Wouldn't a 100% water change, even with conditioner, be stressful for any fish?

 

[OrangeCones]

To do a 100% water change, the fish would need to be removed from the water then added back in to new water. I have never kept bettas, but it seems like it would be stressful to be netted constantly. Dunno..

But this is a 10gallon tank, not a bowl or small tank.

I'll bow out, good luck with the betta Dandre.

 

[lauraf]

Right, I forgot it was a 10g.
But wouldn't changing 100% of the water still induce a new cycle?

 

[OrangeCones]

But wouldn't changing 100% of the water still induce a new cycle?

Shouldn't. Not much of your nitrifying bacteria is in the water column.

 

[lauraf]

Ahhh, so if you are just changing the water, not the filter or substrate . . ..
So why did I go into a mini-cycle when I had my CO2 disaster and changed 75% of the water right away, and didn't touch to substrate or filter medium????

 

[OrangeCones]

Ahhh, so if you are just changing the water, not the filter or substrate . . ..

...then you should not go through a mini-cycle Just keep everything wet and you are good to go (as long as its not hours later, they do need 'flow' too. )

So why did I go into a mini-cycle when I had my CO2 disaster and changed 75% of the water right away, and didn't touch to substrate or filter medium????

It wasn't the water changes, it was the sugar/yeast getting into the water which affected the good bacteria in your substrate and filter medium as the water flowed through the tank. Had you not done the water changes (my, if I remember, you did a LOT of water changes eh?) it would have been much much worse.