I Need Help With My Son's Betta Fish

Hi

I got my 5 year old his first fish, a betta. I'm not new to fish keeping but I have little experience with bettas.

We have her in a 5.5 gallon tank, cycled, with a filter and a heater set to 78. In the tank I also have a nerite snail and 2 ghost shrimp which she seems to get along with fine.

We got her on July 22, and the entire time she's hung out around the top of the tank mostly. I catch her sorta laying on her side a lot. She does swim down through the tank here and there. If I open the lid, she swims up to me for some fish flakes, so she's definitely eating.

I just read today that fish flakes aren't good betta food, so today I am going to stop at the pet store and get some floating betta ball food. I also think she might be bloated just from googling bettas, so I'm going to also feed her some of the inside of a pea to maybe help with that a bit.

I've been doing 50% water changes every other day for a week or so, making sure to use prime (I have well water so no chlorine anyway), and making sure the temperature of the water is the same using a digital thermometer.

I just see other people's betta swimming all around the tank but this one sits sideways at the top all the time and I'm just not sure how to help her so I figured I'd ask here.

He named her "Peaches" and when I was changing the water he said, "Dad, Peaches isn't gonna die is he? (she)". Broke my heart I gotta get this fish healthy no matter what lol

 

Hi

I got my 5 year old his first fish, a betta. I'm not new to fish keeping but I have little experience with bettas.

We have her in a 5.5 gallon tank, cycled, with a filter and a heater set to 78. In the tank I also have a nerite snail and 2 ghost shrimp which she seems to get along with fine.

We got her on July 22, and the entire time she's hung out around the top of the tank mostly. I catch her sorta laying on her side a lot. She does swim down through the tank here and there. If I open the lid, she swims up to me for some fish flakes, so she's definitely eating.

I just read today that fish flakes aren't good betta food, so today I am going to stop at the pet store and get some floating betta ball food. I also think she might be bloated just from googling bettas, so I'm going to also feed her some of the inside of a pea to maybe help with that a bit.

I've been doing 50% water changes every other day for a week or so, making sure to use prime (I have well water so no chlorine anyway), and making sure the temperature of the water is the same using a digital thermometer.

I just see other people's betta swimming all around the tank but this one sits sideways at the top all the time and I'm just not sure how to help her so I figured I'd ask here.

He named her "Peaches" and when I was changing the water he said, "Dad, Peaches isn't gonna die is he? (she)". Broke my heart I gotta get this fish healthy no matter what lol

The key to betta is not overfeeding, and keeping their water clean...which is usually pretty easy since they're very clean fish. From the sound of it, you're doing great with the latter. Sometimes it's better to just fast the betta for 3 or so days until their belly (RIGHT behind their pectoral fins) is flat again. When you do feed her, some variety is key, and a lot of people swear by adding a little garlic oil. Only feed her an amount that will **swell** to be about the size of her eye or less--for my boy it is 3 pellets of the , or about 6 of the at a time, and I try to feed morning, late afternoon, and evening. And sometimes betta--especially those kept in little cups at a chain store--just seem to sleep on their sides, and stay near the top for a while, or sleep in other weird places and positions. Give her some time to settle in, and a betta leaf to sleep on, and she might be more active as she settles in

Betta are pretty hardy...if you don't let them eat themselves to death

 

Got home and the betta was much better today, swimming around the tank and floating the right way. I think it's gonna be just fine!

 

What’s your ammonia level?

 

Awwwwww! You didn't mention she was a babyummy1:!! She's so cute!!

 

What’s your ammonia level?

Ammonia and nitrite are 0, the tank is fully cycled

Awwwwww! You didn't mention she was a babyummy1:!! She's so cute!!

Oh wow really? I had no idea! That's awesome

 

Got home and the betta was much better today, swimming around the tank and floating the right way. I think it's gonna be just fine!

View attachment 462207

Oh yes, that's a pudgy little belly <3 Little girl needs a bit of a diet

 

You shoulda seen it when I got it! I think they fed her a whole bottle of food or something. Maybe that was the issue all along because she's just fine now. I fed her just 2 pellets yesterday and will probably do 2 again today, what do you think?

 

You shoulda seen it when I got it! I think they fed her a whole bottle of food or something. Maybe that was the issue all along because she's just fine now. I fed her just 2 pellets yesterday and will probably do 2 again today, what do you think?

Sounds like a good plan to me. Keep an eye on her belly--you want it to return to flat before you feed again, especially in these early days. Glad she's behaving more like a normal betta...whatever that means, the silly unfishlike fish

 

I found out today that she loves mosquito larvae! Might have fed a few too many but she was too happy to eat them lol

 

HI so it's been a couple weeks since posting, and peaches is doing great. Wondering if anyone could tell me what type of betta she is? Also, will she get any bigger and will the fins grow out at all? I know it's not a male so the fine size isn't gonna be nearly the same but I don't even know what kind this girl is!

She comes up to us when we approach the glass now and follows us around the room. The two ghost shrimp we keep in the bottom are doing fine with her. I see her checking them out sometimes but never bothering them.

Every day I feed her either a couple of pellets or some live mosquito larvae. Not sure what else I could give her to eat but I'd like to try something.

 

Need pictures to see what she may be. Try to get her to flare and hold real still for a clear shot.

Edit: and try to get a decent close up if possible.

 

I took some good pics with my real camera the other day. I'll get those processed and posted here when I get home from work. Thanks!

 

This was from the betta section How to tell the Tailtype of your Female betta
I think your might be a crowntail see the spikes on the end

 

I think that she is a crowntail

 

Here's the pic of Peaches I took last week and just got around to getting off my camera!

 

There isn’t enough ray webbing reduction for it to be a CT but there is probably CT in her. I’d say a cambodian comb tail.