ryder1

Have had my Betta for about a month now, and I change his water once a week as I was instructed to do. So today after I changed his water yesterday, he has begun to float around the top of the bowl more frequent than usual. He'll swim for about 5 minutes, and he responds if I go the bowl and check to make sure things are ok, then he'll go right back to floating around the top of the bowl. Nothing unusual with his bowl, 2 gallon bowl, with glass pebbles, and a few plastic flowers for decoration. Is this normal behavior, or is something else going on I cannot see?'

Thanks in advance

Martinismommy

Does he have a filter in the bowl? He may need more air...Possibly an air stone might help...Can you get a picture of him?

ryder1

we have a bubbling air stone in the bowl, no filter though, not the best with pics sorry, taken from Camera Phone

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Martinismommy

Are you putting water conditioner in his water when you change his bowl? What are you feeding him? Is he eating OK?

goggles

you realy should put him in a tank with a filter and a heater or he will not live very long, they do not do well in bowls. you need to feed him daphina,bloodworms etc, they are meat eaters and need good food to be healthy. and they are top dwellers and need to breath air from the surface to survive, they are labirynth fish

Martinismommy

That was coming next....Just wanted to ease my way into it lol...

YES, Betta fish need a heated filtered aquarium at least 2 1/2 gallons...If you look at my boys you'll see how they thrive with basic needs maintained...As far as food, another important addition to his diet could be frozen baby peas...Thawed, peeled and cut up into tiny peices....2 peices twice a week the size of his eye.....

ryder1

Thanks I'm a little strapped for cash but if he can hold out to the weekend I will do just that, Tank/heater/filter.... I fed him about an hour ago, and he swam , he was happy and looked like his old self, but now he's back to hanging around the top

COBettaCouple

Welcome to Fishlore.

What is his usual diet? Do you have a testing kit? What are you using for water conditioner?