Betta fish and tank questions

Sorry is this is not in the right area, please let me know if I need to move it.

I inherited my daughters betta when she came home from college for thanksgiving break. At the time, she was returning home in a few weeks and didn't want to put the fish through the stress of travel again. I could not not stand to see the fish in the little bowl she was in, with no filter or heater. Sunday I purchased a 2.5 gallon tank, a heater, some live plants and decorations. We set it up, and let it sit overnight with the filter running. I added her yesterday after trying to acclimate her in a plastic bag floating on top. She seemed fine at first, swimming around and exploring. Then early evening she just floated underneath the leaf of one of the plants. ALL evening until this morning she stayed there, so like 15 hours. This morning when I got up she was still there but when I checked again she was over by the filter. I fed her at her normal time and she was not interested at all. Didn't even move to look at it. She was a pretty active fish in her tiny bowl before so I feel like something is wrong. Also, yesterday the water was clear, but today it looks more cloudy. Can anyone help me? Any suggestions at all, I feel so bad for this fish. My daughter will be home in a few days and I fear I will have killed this poor fish. By the way, we did use the suggestions amount of the water declhorinator and the water temp is at 76 degrees. I also put a piece of nylon over the filter tube because she is a tiny tiny fish. She is nowhere near the size of the bettas I see in the bags at the fish store. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

If your tank seems to be running fine the only thing I could thing of doing is maybe putting in some stress coat in your next water change.The fish could also be spooked from being in a new tank.

 

Thank you. I'm not even sure how often or even how to change the water. I read something about a partial water change? Should I change the water now or would that just make her more stressed?

 

I'm a newbie too - so there might be more qualified folks here than me...
When I moved my Betta from some Tupperware to a 3 gallon tank he became mopey and then he
developed some white stuff on his head and I had to medicate him - besides his change in behavior do you see anything - white spots, smears - on his body or head?

76 degrees is on the low end for a Betta - lower temps also can result in lower activity - do you have an aquarium thermometer in the tank? setting the heater at 76 does not necessarily mean your tank is at 76 degrees
- my heater was off by about 3 degrees...
if you find it is too low with a thermometer increase the heat SLOWLY - it seems drastic changes in short periods of time do stress fish and can make them sick

water changes are usually recommended even for sick fish - when my guy was sick and B4 his tank "cycled" (*developed good bacteria to help keep his water safe) I did every other day changes - with properly heated and treated water...
( how I heat his water - aluminum baking pan on a step stool in the tub - run tap till hot - place treated water in safe to heat container, with a fish digital thermometer in it, in the hot water bath - wait until temp rises to match tank)

did you test your tap? did you test your tank? ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are toxic to fish
- many people use the API liquid test kit

* tetra safestart helps to quickly colonize the tank with the good bacteria needed
to keep the water safer for fish - there are articles here on the nitrogen cycle

Good Luck

 

Thanks - almost all of what you said is foreign to me. I know nothing about fish and I am getting so stressed about this one. The heater is just a tube heater for the tank size I got, you don't set it. I tested the temp with a digital thermometer, but not a fish one. She looks fine just mopey. I really didn't want to get into fish care as I have 5 animals that are pretty high mantainence. Just thought I could get her out of that tiny bowl she was in and she would be fine. Apparently I have got myself in deeper than that.

 

Hi, welcome to the forum

Its funny how this hobby starts for some people, my own son got me into the hobby when he was little and won a carnival goldfish. I knew absolutely nothing about fish and when it became to difficult for him due to poor water quality they became my fish. At first I thought ok, I'll just let them live out their life and be done with them but I got too attached and now here I am years later and still in love with aquarium aquascaping and my fish (of course).

So, it can be a steep learning curve but it doesn't have to be. Basically your new tank actually your filter has to be cycled. As your fish puts out waste (ammonia) and poop which turns into ammonia, (which is very toxic) a bacteria grows (nitrosonomas) to turn them into nitrites (which is also toxic), then another bacteria grows (nitrobacter/nitrospira) to turn them into much less harmful nitrates. After that process occurs you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and just nitrates which you remove with water changes. The new bacteria live in your filter (mostly), so never throw it out, just rinse the cartridge in some old tank water once a week and keep using the same one even if the manufacturer tells you to (they're just trying to make money). Here is a quick article on the nitrogen cycle. Once you're cycled do at least a 50% water change every week.
https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

The easiest way to complete this process with a new betta is to just pick up a bottle of Tetra Safe Start (plus). This already has the bacteria you need to keep your fish safe and will seed your new filter quickly within two weeks. I'd suggest doing a 50% water change, wait one day and then pour in the whole small bottle of TSS+. Not all bacterial supplements are created equal so if they don't have that then my next or equal choice is Seachem Stability. Feed very sparingly during this time, only a few pellets a day. Remove any uneaten food with a turkey baster . You can do top offs with dechlorinated water, test her water after about 5-7 days to see how things are looking. You can use this thread if you want to post your results and we can help you out.

She's probably just afraid of her new environment but should warm up. Bettas have a ton of personality and before you know it she'll be begging for food.

I'd pick up a digital thermometer while you're at the store to see the temperature of the tank. I'd also pick up some way to test your ammonia and nitrites. I highly recommend the API Liquid Master test kit but at a minimum pick up both some 6 in 1 tetra strips and some ammonia ones as well. In the long run they're much more expensive but sometimes people don't want to start out with the liquid kit.

What is your water conditioner?

 

Thanks for that, it was super informative. The conditioner is betta basics by Seachem. I'm headed to the store now and will pick up some strips and the safe start. Do you add the safe start with your fish in the tank?

 

Glad that helped

I would do the 50% water change, test the water and if ammonia and nitrites are close to 0 then wait until tomorrow morning and then add in the TSS+ with the betta in the tank. It is just bacteria so can be added with any fish

I'd also test your tap water to see if you show chlorine or ammonia and nitrites in it before hand.

 

I really didn't want to get into fish care as I have 5 animals that are pretty high mantainence. Just thought I could get her out of that tiny bowl she was in and she would be fine. Apparently I have got myself in deeper than that.

I feel your pain
- we ended up with our Betta because he was a party favor!! Seeing him in a dirty tiny cup got us moving in the direction you are going in....we are in the middle of lots of stuff as well and had No intention of becoming "fish hobbyists" at this time...
LOL
My head is still spinning but it does get better

good to hear there is no evidence of illness - maybe he/ she? is just adjusting
- hope all goes well
as CindiL said Bettas have really engaging personalities - despite our best efforts
it's Betta Love all around here

 

Thanks everyone. Just thought I would post my test strip data to see if anyone had thoughts
The nitrate levels were 0 which was indicated safe. On the hardness it was 25 which was very soft. Chlorine was 0 - safe. Alkalinity was 0 - low and the PH was acidic at 6.2.

I will say this tank is was fill with brita water with the conditioner added in. I'm guessing this was not the best thing but our well water is very hard to the point of corroding our pipes so I thought it best at the time.

Can anyone help with my next step? I did buy the tetra safe start and also stress coat. The water temp today is 78 with a digital thermometer. Thanks for any thoughts.

 

as you are a newbie like me I would just add....
if you happen to have cuts or scratches on your hands some people recommend
using gloves when you put them in the tank...I always have cuts and scratches so I wear gloves
whenever I handle any aquarium stuff.... also some advise to always wash hands within 30 minutes
of being in the tank...

Sometimes I use well rinsed disposables at others those reusable yellow latex dish washing gloves, again
well rinsed in hot water B4 use....it depends on what I am handling....I have a reusable set I only use "in Tank"
so I keep them nice and clean....

 

Hi, see below.

Thanks everyone. Just thought I would post my test strip data to see if anyone had thoughts
The nitrate levels were 0 which was indicated safe. On the hardness it was 25 which was very soft. Chlorine was 0 - safe. Alkalinity was 0 - low and the PH was acidic at 6.2.

I will say this tank is was fill with brita water with the conditioner added in. I'm guessing this was not the best thing but our well water is very hard to the point of corroding our pipes so I thought it best at the time.

So the test strip is from the tank? Why don't you test your tap water so I know how hard is hard and let me know ok? I would probably use half well water and half the brita water because your PH is too low both for your betta but also for the growth of the nitrifying bacteria. At PH of 6.0 basically all nitrification stops. Also, having an alkalinity of 0 is bad because your alkalinity (KH) or carbonate hardness directly effects how stable your PH will be. Test your tap before doing your water change and we can figure out a good mix.

This also might have something to do with how he's acting. Was he in well water before being moved to the tank or this water?

Can anyone help with my next step? I did buy the tetra safe start and also stress coat. The water temp today is 78 with a digital thermometer. Thanks for any thoughts.

Test like I said above, then after we figure out the right amount do your water change with your regular betta water conditioner and then 24 hours from now add in the whole bottle of TSS+ (shake it well).

I would return the Stress Coat if the one you got is the API version? The aloe in it is actually not recommended for bettas because of their labyrinth organ they use to come up and get air. Seachem Stress Guard on the other hand is a good product. And the water conditioner you have is excellent and is all you need! If you didn't get ammonia strips I'd exchange it for that.

I do also always use gloves in my tanks, mostly because I don't want to get lotion or perfume in the tank but also because it will destroy my nails! lol. But there is always bacteria in any tank and if you have a cut its not so good for you.

 

Okay well my water from the tap tested the same as my brita water so maybe the test strips aren't accurate? Anyway 0 nitrates, 25 hardness, 0 chlorine, 0 alkalinity, 6.2 ph (acidic)

Can you advise my next step in detail. And yes the stress coat was the API. And no I don't have ammonia strips. The fish seemed fine in the bowl it was in brita water with no conditioner.

She didn't eat Tonight and is making bubbles by her leaf near the surface.

 

Is the tap you tested softened? Do you have a water softener in your house? If so, sometimes the kitchen tap is not softened or a utility sink in the basement.

She won't be able to live long term in water that has no minerals and such a low ph. They need the minerals for proper osmotic functioning (the balance between water on the inside and outside of their bodies). We don't want to put the TSS+ in the tank with ph so low and alkalinity so low. There are a couple of quick fixes but first let me know if you're on a softener and if there is a tap that is not softened.

You'll need the ammonia strips too, so I'd just swap those out next time your there.

 

Hi, see below.

No we don't have a water softener.

And all our tap water is the same.

 

Ok, so I guess you have incredibly soft water then. Your pipe corrosion was probably due to the acidic nature of your water.

So this is what you can do:
1. Do a 50% water change and use your betta safe dechlorinator
2. Add in 1/8 tsp baking soda (not powder) mixed with a little water to her tank. An hour later do it again.
3. Test your tank and see what PH and Alkalinity are now showing. You want to see alkalinity up towards at least "moderate" 80 and up. Let me know what it is at that point and we can see if you need more. Once you figure out how much you need you'll just mix in that amount at water change time.
4. Tomorrow add in TSS+ (make sure its been 24 hours since the water change).
5. Do nothing for a week but feed very sparingly.
6. After a week test the tank and see where ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, alkalinity and ph are all showing. Just post back and we can decide if you need another water change while cycling.

The next time you're at the pet store swap out the Stress Coat, get some ammonia strips and also one of the following: crushed coral, sometimes in the betta section you'll see little jars of crushed shells, those are good too, aragonite, limestone, cuttle(fish) bone (found in the reptile or bird section), oyster shells. They can go right onto your substrate and if ph starts to fall will slowly dissolve and hold your PH steady. These will release good mineral salts for your bettas health

 

Hi, see below.

Okay with the 50% change do I use tap or brita?

 

Yeah, I posted the steps just above your post

Probably the brita, you just run your tap through it right? Make sure to match temperature. You don't want to pour cold water on her.

 

Hi, see below.[/QUOTE

Yeah, I posted the steps just above your post

Probably the brita, you just run your tap through it right? Make sure to match temperature. You don't want to pour cold water on her.

Thank you - I did a water change (about 50% not quite ) around 8:30. Added 1/8 baking soda will add more and test again at 9:30. I appreciate your walking me thru this.

 

Sure, happy to help

 

Sure, happy to help

New reading after water change and baking sofa added twice

Nitrates 0
Hardness 0
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 80 (moderate)
PH 6.8 (neutral)

This is good? Lol an improvement at least?

 

Yes much better! Just put in another 1/8 tsp in the morning and I think you'll be good.

I would just test in a couple days to make sure it's still holding. If not then do the same.

 

Yes much better! Just put in another 1/8 tsp in the morning and I think you'll be good.

I would just test in a couple days to make sure it's still holding. If not then do the same.

The fish was dead this morning.

 

The fish was dead this morning. ��

 

Wow, sorry to hear that! Did he stay hidden all day yesterday?

You could surprise your daughter by getting another one today? and putting him in the current tank and now you'll know the right way to go about it.