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jon269

need help with betta!!!!

18 years ago

My girlfriend got me a betta as a present. He was in a small round bowl and I wanted to give him a bigger home. So I went out and got about a 1.5 gallon square vertical tank for his new home. I treated the water with Stress coat with aloe, let the water get to room temp and then put him in. She was swimming around well and was eating fine. About a week later he started to just sit at the top and would sink to the bottom and just stay there. She started to lose his color and not eat too much. I went to the store and they said I was doing everything right. One day he at the bottom of the tank but face down, I tapped on the tank a little to see if he was still alive and he made a mad dash to the top for air. I checked on him a few more times and he was just kinda lying on the bottom. The next day he passed away. I went back to the store and told them everything that happened, they told me some of them are just bad. So I cleaned out the tank and found another one. Seemed strong was swimming fine all faired out. Took him home, acclimated him to the tank and he was fine for about 3 days, didnÂt eat much but was swimming fine. Then he started doing the same thing as the other one, not moving much, lose of color and floating on his side. I read that they are used to 75 to 86 degree water. My house is normally cold in the summer so I went out and got a heater. As soon as I put it in he swam to where the heater was and sat there all day. I am keeping the water around 80 to 82. I figured great maybe the water was just too cold. Today he looks even worse, laying on the bottom of the tank sideways or face down, his color is fading and I donÂt know what to do. I donÂt want to lose another one so fast. I took him out of the tank and put him in the small cut he came in. Put a few drops of the Stress Coat in, but I donÂt know what else to do. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Comments (3)

  • 18 years ago

    Heaters don't work well unless the water is circulating. I'm sure 75-78 temp is fine. You can try using bottled water in case you have something wrong with your tap water that the Stress Coat isn't removing - a foreign chemical or something. Also, what are you feeding him? In my experience with Bettas (and I've had several live over 4-5 years), Betta Bites have not been the best and some people tend to overfeed those. They cause stomach bloat and swelling. I found flakes to be the best, but some do well on the bites. You may have gotten some bad fish, too. With the new (er, old) betta craze, its awful the conditions they're kept in. I'm so glad you got yours a larger home. Do you have space above the water line where he comes up for air? They are labrynth (sp?) fish where they breath the same air as us. No direct sunlight. When choosing a fish, I make sure the color is nice and the fins are not clamped at all - a common problem in bettas. I'm sorry you're having this problem.

  • 18 years ago

    You should filter the aquarium he probably being poisoned by the ammonia.Either you get a filter or change the water every day by 50%.you could even get a sponge filter.

  • 18 years ago

    Use heater with water circulator(see through it that u dont over heat the water)& try using the leaves known as Indian almond leaves available in market or in any park[ALSO KNOWN AS Tropical Almond Leaves,Sweet Almond Leaves,Wild Almond Leaves,Sea Almond Leaves,Catappa Leaves,Java Almond Leaves,Ketapang Leaves or wild almond leaves in some places]comes from a tree known to produce a chemical that defends itself against insects and parasites. When the dried leaves falls into water, a strong brown dye is given off. The dye contains organic acids humic and tannins. The water which is darken to a yellowish brown (tea-like color) after a few days, is very similar to your Betta fishes' natural habitat and they will love you for it.
    Humic and tannins from the Indian almond leaves lowers the pH of the water, absorbs harmful chemicals and The main reason is that their antibacterial properties minimize the chances of bacterial infections, improve health, stimulate the natural environment of fish who hail from soft, acidic waters, stimulate breeding conditions and harden scales which minimize skin diseases and pathogens resulting in bacterial infections that dwell on the epidermis of the fish which helps to create a soothing and calm environment for the fish. I use the leaves to help settle my Betta fishes when I first bring them home from the aquarium, which can be quite a traumatic journey for the fishes. Even Bettas can get 'sea sick' sometimes ... you will know it when their body turn pale and rest on the tank floor all the time.
    The leaves can also be used to treat bacteria infection and help the Bettas recover from injuries. Some people have used it to increase breeding frequency. The first time I discovered the healing qualities of the leaves was when one of my Betta won't eat for a few days after I brought it home. Then a friend recommended I put a square inch of the leaves into the tank and let it soak overnight & dont remove the leaves for about 2-3weeks it will not harm ur betta. The next day, my Betta was sucking the blood worms like there is no tomorrow! at that time he about 7-8 months old & today he has completed 2yrs still fit & fine.....