Is my betta okay?? Please help

Hey guys, I’m a first time fish owner. I got a betta yesterday. First I put him in tap water that I used betta conditioner with and he started getting showing signs of ammonia poisoning.. so I immediately went out and bought poland spring and cleaned out his tank and filter and filled it with poland spring and his conditioner. But I’m noticing that he’s Been hanging out at the same corner top spot. He swims around a little and comes back. He isn’t touching the surface like he was when I suspected he had ammonia poisoning and he’s definitely acting better but I’m worried that he’s hanging near the surface. He also comes up for air very often. Please help I'm nervous and scared for him. There are also a lot of air bubbles in the tank.

 

Did you cycle your tank? what size is it? Parameters?

 

Sounds like a combination of a uncycled Tank and just stress from being moved. I would suggest doing daily 25% water changes if you can, if not then maybe ?50%? every other day for about 1.5-2 weeks. It sounds like you wound up doing a fish in cycle (not a bad thing tho ) and if you haven’t already researched this then I would suggest reading up on the aquarium nitrogen cycle , It may very well be ammonia poising too, do you know the exact ammonia reading? before I forget I do have to say, that is a beautiful betta, Really pretty colors too!
Edit: I forgot to ask, what’s the tank size?

 

He will naturally come up to the surface a lot because bettas actually breath air.

It's good you can recognize the signs of ammonia poisoning though as I'm assuming the tank is not yet cycled. Seeing as your profile states you aren't awake of the nitrogen cycle I would suggest spending the next little bit researching it. In the nut shell though- fish waste creates ammonia (toxic), ammonia turns to nitrites (toxic), and nitrites turn to nitrates (safe when under 80ppm). This is due to beneficial bacteria that builds up within the filter. Cycling a tank is a process that can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. You will want to research how to do a fish-in cycle specifically. If you don't have one already you will also want to try to get your hands on a test kit like the apI freshwater master. Liquid tests are more accurate than test strips by the way.

In terms of general tips make sure you have a heater in there to keep his water stable at about 78f. Bettas and most other fish enjoy having a lot of cover- this means things like plants, decor, hides, etc. Plastic plants can sometimes cause rips in their fins due to how thin and delicate they are. This isn't a huge problem but it can sometimes get infected if you don't keep up with water changes. Silk plants tend to be a safer option but can be more expensive. A great cheap decor item is terracotta pots! Juse make sure you either plug the drainage hole or knock out the entire bottom as bettas will 100% try to go through it and get stuck. A personal favourite item is the betta hammock from zoomed. There are a couple other brands that make similar items on amazon but basically its a fake leaf on a suction cup that you stick to the glass. It works as a sort of 'bed' for your fish that he will rest and sleep on.

 

Very pretty. As others have said, the very first thing I would do is read up on how to cycle your tank, emphasis on the fish in cycle.

 

He will naturally come up to the surface a lot because bettas actually breath air.

It's good you can recognize the signs of ammonia poisoning though as I'm assuming the tank is not yet cycled. Seeing as your profile states you aren't awake of the nitrogen cycle I would suggest spending the next little bit researching it. In the nut shell though- fish waste creates ammonia (toxic), ammonia turns to nitrites (toxic), and nitrites turn to nitrates (safe when under 80ppm). This is due to beneficial bacteria that builds up within the filter. Cycling a tank is a process that can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. You will want to research how to do a fish-in cycle specifically. If you don't have one already you will also want to try to get your hands on a test kit like the apI freshwater master. Liquid tests are more accurate than test strips by the way.

In terms of general tips make sure you have a heater in there to keep his water stable at about 78f. Bettas and most other fish enjoy having a lot of cover- this means things like plants, decor, hides, etc. Plastic plants can sometimes cause rips in their fins due to how thin and delicate they are. This isn't a huge problem but it can sometimes get infected if you don't keep up with water changes. Silk plants tend to be a safer option but can be more expensive. A great cheap decor item is terracotta pots! Juse make sure you either plug the drainage hole or knock out the entire bottom as bettas will 100% try to go through it and get stuck. A personal favourite item is the betta hammock from zoomed. There are a couple other brands that make similar items on amazon but basically its a fake leaf on a suction cup that you stick to the glass. It works as a sort of 'bed' for your fish that he will rest and sleep on.

Thank you so much for a detailed reply! I removed the plastic plant. I also ordered a minI heater from amazon question about cycle- do I need to cycle even though I will be changing his water/cleaning his tank once or twice a week? Based on my research, it is to avoid poop toxins from hurting the beta?

 

Thank you so much for a detailed reply? I removed the plastic plant. I also ordered a minI heater from amazon question about cycle- do I need to cycle even though I will be changing his water/cleaning his tank once or twice a week? Based on my research, it is to avoid poop toxins from hurting the betta?

Water changes and cleaning are important, but you still have to cycle no matter what. Even if you don't cycle it yourself, the tank will do it for you- in a much less safe fashion. Cycling is about building up a colony of bacteria that takes the ammonia your Betta produces and makes it less harmful. If you don't create that colony, your Betta will constantly be exposed to ammonia, even if you're regularly changing water. It might not be immediately fatal, but it can impact his health long term. I've heard someone compare it to living in a room full of smoke, where you can only open the window once or twice a week.
It's really, really important to cycle an aquarium.