Please help, betta in shock after water change?

[butterflybetta]

So I did a 50% WC in my 2.5 gallon tank and I put my betta back in after a couple minutes. I usually acclimate him for 15 minutes before putting him back and I did that, just like always. But something is off. This is the 3rd time this happened. I don’t know my water perimeters, but I’ll test them tomorrow. Could he be in shock or something? When I put him back in he went straight to the bottom and it looked like if he wasn’t breathing, then I gently tapped on the tank to see if he’ll react and he started flashing. Right now he’s on the top of the tank being completely still. I don’t know what I could of been doing wrong. I put the right amount of water conditioner in, even let it sit for 24 hours, cleaned the tank, and acclimated my betta. Please help.

I just took a video of him and he’s just swimming like that near the top. He didn’t even react to my finger. Also his fins look different when he’s swimming. They don’t look like that when he normally swims. I would attach the video but idk how to do that.

Should I take him out? I still have the old water should I maybe put some back in the tank? I honestly don’t know what to do. I really want him to be okay.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

Theres no need to take him out at all when during a water change , any fish at that matter.... it causes unnecessary stress having him being carried in & out and making him sit in a smaller container.... it would stress any fish out. Stop removing him & just siphon the water out . Only do 25% as 50% is too much for a 2.5g

Did you cycle his tank as well?

 

[JamesJunior97]

So I did a 50% WC in my 2.5 gallon tank and I put my betta back in after a couple minutes. I usually acclimate him for 15 minutes before putting him back and I did that, just like always. But something is off. This is the 3rd time this happened. I don’t know my water perimeters, but I’ll test them tomorrow. Could he be in shock or something? When I put him back in he went straight to the bottom and it looked like if he wasn’t breathing, then I gently tapped on the tank to see if he’ll react and he started flashing. Right now he’s on the top of the tank being completely still. I don’t know what I could of been doing wrong. I put the right amount of water conditioner in, even let it sit for 24 hours, cleaned the tank, and acclimated my betta. Please help.

I just took a video of him and he’s just swimming like that near the top. He didn’t even react to my finger. Also his fins look different when he’s swimming. They don’t look like that when he normally swims. I would attach the video but idk how to do that.

Should I take him out? I still have the old water should I maybe put some back in the tank? I honestly don’t know what to do. I really want him to be okay.

Hello Mr/ Ms Julkosi, from your description, I am assuming your betta might just be disorientated after you put him or her back in.

However, just to be sure, may I know the method in which you re-establish him or her into your tank? I mean did you just dump the fella in or gently put him in by net?

Also, may I know if you are using a heater, a filter or both in your aquarium? As well as, do you take new water from different sources when doing a water change? For example, using water tap from the garden the previous time to using water from the shower this time?

Hope to hear from you soon and best wishes.

P.S your betta is lucky to have a caretaker that cares. So keep doing your best.

Future tip for you: There is a difference between a simple water change and a full tank cleaning session. If you are cleaning the tank, than taking the fish out is necessary while you are fully replacing the water and giving it a scrub down. However, if you are just removing waste and debris, just leave him or her in and use a gravel vacuum to S U C C the unwanted stuff out.

Also, leaving your water overnight is not necessary if you are using a water conditioner that can neutralise chloramine.

 

[butterflybetta]

Theres no need to take him out at all when during a water change , any fish at that matter.... it causes unnecessary stress having him being carried in & out and making him sit in a smaller container.... it would stress any fish out. Stop removing him & just siphon the water out . Only do 25% as 50% is too much for a 2.5 gallon

Did you cycle his tank as well?

I know I technically shouldn’t be taking him out, but tbh I feel like taking him out causes less stress than leaving him in because the water I put back into his tank is really cold and everywhere I look it says to do same temperature WC. I think I should’ve done more research on WC? Anyway I did a 50% WC because I was too busy to do it during the week (I usually do WC on Wed. or Thurs. but I was too busy so I did it on Sat.) Another thing is, I’ve been told I should do 50% WC because it’s a small tank, so honestly I don’t know what I should do anymore.

I didn’t do much research before getting him because I’ve had betta fish before and I thought it’ll be easy to take care of lol. Anyway I don’t know if the tank is cycle or not. I got him a couple months ago I put in the gravel, a live plant, water with water conditioner, and I day later I just put him in. I currently don’t have a filter but I do have a heater.

Hello Mr/ Ms Julkosi, from your description, I am assuming your betta might just be disorientated after you put him or her back in.

However, just to be sure, may I know the method in which you re-establish him or her into your tank? I mean did you just dump the fella in or gently put him in by net?

Also, may I know if you are using a heater, a filter or both in your aquarium? As well as, do you take new water from different sources when doing a water change? For example, using water tap from the garden the previous time to using water from the shower this time?

Hope to hear from you soon and best wishes.

P.S your betta is lucky to have a caretaker that cares. So keep doing your best.

Future tip for you: There is a difference between a simple water change and a full tank cleaning session. If you are cleaning the tank, than taking the fish out is necessary while you are fully replacing the water and giving it a scrub down. However, if you are just removing waste and debris, just leave him or her in and use a gravel vacuum to S U C C the unwanted stuff out.

Also, leaving your water overnight is not necessary if you are using a water conditioner that can neutralise chloramine.

I woke up and he still seems kind of disoriented. How long does disorientation last?

When I took him out, I put him in the small container that I got him in, then when I finished cleaning the tank I acclimated him by putting the container (with him in it) to temperature acclimate. Like I said in my previous reply I don’t really know how to do same temp. WC, which is why I take him out and acclimate him.

I have a heater, but I don’t have a filter. I always take the water from the kitchen and use water conditioner, let it sit for about 24 hours and do the WC.

Thanks for the advice. This tank was supposed to be temporary smh, but I’ve been too busy and indecisive to get him a bigger tank.

 

[Sprinkle]

I woke up and he still seems kind of disoriented. How long does disorientation last?

When I took him out, I put him in the small container that I got him in, then when I finished cleaning the tank I acclimated him by putting the container (with him in it) to temperature acclimate. Like I said in my previous reply I don’t really know how to do same temp. WC, which is why I take him out and acclimate him.

I have a heater, but I don’t have a filter. I always take the water from the kitchen and use water conditioner, let it sit for about 24 hours and do the WC.

Thanks for the advice. This tank was supposed to be temporary smh, but I’ve been too busy and indecisive to get him a bigger tank.

Also, the 2.5 gal tank is too small for a betta. They need atleast 5-10+ gallons. Did you cycle his tank? And please stop removing him for water changes. 50% is too big WC, you should do between 20-25% WC.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

Buy another heater, set out conditioned water in a bucket and drop the heater in the bucket. It shouldnt take long to heat up about 1gals of water. When it's warm enough & you already siphoned his tank, you can either drip acclimate the water back in or take a cup and slowly pour it in .

Taking him out every. Single. Time. will stress him out beyond max so please stop doing that and just research some more on the proper care for fish and Bettas.

Just because his tank is smaller, doesn't mean you do bigger water changes at once .... you do smaller ones more often! Do three 25% water changes a week , considering you don't have a filter? I would get a filter too as you won't have to do so many water changes.

just please stop moving him around and stressing him out. That's a reason why he is acting all rapid. Another reason is because you didnt cycle you tank. You need to have a cycled tank for any fish, especially if you don't have a filter ! You need to build up healthy beneficial bacteria to help fight off (eat) the bad ammonia and nitrites , to help give you nitrates.

Please read into the proper care for fish , water changes, and the water parameters; Ammonia , Nitrate , Nitrite , ph , gh ,kh.

 

[butterflybetta]

Also, the 2.5 gal tank is too small for a betta. They need atleast 5-10+ gallons. Did you cycle his tank? And please stop removing him for water changes. 50% is too big WC, you should do between 20-25% WC.

The 2.5 gallon was supposed to be a temporary tank, but stuff got in the way and I kept him in it longer than I would’ve liked. I explained the rest in other replies.

 

[pagoda]

Just out of curiosity, who advised you to keep taking your fish out of the aquarium when doing water changes?

You're not the first newbie fishkeeper to do this and I honestly do not understand where that advice would come from

Not having a go at you personally over this practice, just intrigued to know who and why you were told to do it

 

[RUADJAI]

The least you can do is stick a finger in his water and try and temperature match with your finger under the faucet. At least you'll be getting closer than "really cold". Once you put in the conditioner its ready to go, no need to wait for 24 hours. Then he won't be shocked by extreme water changes.

Also what temperature is his tank normally?

 

[ohfishstick]

I don't understand why keep tricking the little guy by putting him back in that tiny cup when it's not necessary. I would upgrade your 2.5gal to a 5gal and learn about the nitrogen cycle . You need to cycle his new tank before you can even add him. That does not consist of letting conditioned water sit out overnight either .. fishkeeping is an expensive and time consuming hobby.

 

[butterflybetta]

Buy another heater, set out conditioned water in a bucket and drop the heater in the bucket. It should take long to heat up about 1gals of water. When it's warm enough & you already siphoned his tank, you can either drip acclimate the water back in or take a cup and slowly pour it in .

Taking him out every. Single. Time. will stress him out beyond max so please stop doing that and just research some more on the proper care for fish and Bettas.

Just because his tank is smaller, doesn't mean you do bigger water changes at once .... you do smaller ones more often! Do three 25% water changes a week , considering you don't have a filter? I would get a filter too as you won't have to do so many water changes.

just please stop moving him around and stressing him out. That's a reason why he is acting all rapid. Another reason is because you didnt cycle you tank. You need to have a cycled tank for any fish, especially if you don't have a filter ! You need to build up healthy beneficial bacteria to help fight off (eat) the bad ammonia and nitrites , to help give you nitrates.

Please read into the proper care for fish , water changes, and the water parameters; Ammonia , Nitrate , Nitrite , ph , gh ,kh.

I might buy another heater, but I also heard that some people use already warm water from their sink, put water conditioner in, and just put it straight in their tank. I’ve always heard to wait 24 hours though, so I’ve never done that.

I already explained why I take him out and I know I probably shouldn’t. Another thing is someone recommend that I do 50% changes which is why I started doing them. I also did a ton of research about bettas, but that literally doesn’t mean I know everything about their care, especially because a lot of websites have different views on what the proper care of betta fish is, which is why I’m asking questions on here to make sure I’m taking care of my fish properly. In this case I wasn’t and I’ll make sure I’ll do it properly next time. I’m still new to fish keeping and I’m just trying to do the best I can.

I’m also getting my water tested today so I’ll know if the perimeters are off. Ty for your advice.

 

[RUADJAI]

I might buy another heater, but I also heard that some people use already warm water from their sink, put water conditioner in, and just put it straight in their tank. I’ve always heard to wait 24 hours though, so I’ve never done that.

I already explained why I take him out and I know I probably shouldn’t. Another thing is someone recommend that I do 50% changes which is why I started doing them. I also did a **** ton of research about bettas, but that literally doesn’t mean I know everything about their care, especially because a lot of websites have different views on what the proper care of betta fish is, which is why I’m asking questions on here to make sure I’m taking care of my fish properly. In this case I wasn’t and I’ll make sure I’ll do it properly next time. I’m still new to fish keeping and I’m just trying to do the best I can.

I’m also getting my water tested today so I’ll know if the perimeters are off.

Yeah, you don't need to wait 24 hours. 24 seconds is enough. Just try and temperature match with the faucet. That will solve your problems.

 

[Sprinkle]

The 2.5 gallon was supposed to be a temporary tank, but stuff got in the way and I kept him in it longer than I would’ve liked. I explained the rest in other replies.

Okay, I get it. The thing is just that I did not read your other replies

 

[coma1224]

If you don't have a filter, your tank is not cycled. Easiest filter for that small size tank would be a sponge filter. You will have to do water changes every other day that least if you use the water conditioner called prime since it will keep the water safe for 48 hours if your ammonia readings are below 1ppm. Did I read that when you do a water change you put in cold water? I think that could be a big problem and could lead to your betta getting Ich. You said you leave the water sitting out for 24 hours. You could take the bucket or whatever container you have it in, put the container in the bathtub with a thermometer in it and bring the temperature up to being the same or only 2 degrees higher or lower. Temperature for Bettas are 78-82 drgrees.

 

[butterflybetta]

I don't understand why keep tricking the little guy by putting him back in that tiny cup when it's not necessary. I would upgrade your 2.5gal to a 5gal and learn about the nitrogen cycle . You need to cycle his new tank before you can even add him. That does not consist of letting conditioned water sit out overnight either .. fishkeeping is an expensive and time consuming hobby. If you are not up for it, I suggest a dog.

So you’re saying you were never new to the hobby? You never made any mistakes? If read my other replies you’ll know that I wanted to get a bigger tank, but stuff gets in the way sometimes. At least I’m actually asking for help and taking advice from others unlike many people who keep there fish in a bowl and argue that their fish is living a great life.

Just out of curiosity, who advised you to keep taking your fish out of the aquarium when doing water changes?

You're not the first newbie fishkeeper to do this and I honestly do not understand where that advice would come from

Not having a go at you personally over this practice, just intrigued to know who and why you were told to do it

I don’t remember who recommend it. If I remember I’ll let you know.

 

[pagoda]

julkosi17

Don't beat yourself up over what has been happening with your fish, OK

As I said, you are not the first and you will not be the last to learn things the hard way either due to bad advice when you bought the fish & equipment or though basic trial and error

Yes we were all beginners once....for me it was over 30 years ago when cycling was not a recognised part of fishkeeping

Try your best for your fish, life does and always will get in the way sometimes but don't beat yourself up or lose heart, you will succeed and you will improve your husbandry skills....fish are not the easy pet that so many think they are, its highly involved, financially and emotionally draining but once you reach your best then the fish will be rewarding you for all your hard work

Keep with it, don't be afraid to ask questions....no such thing as a dumb question cos even if some forgetthe fact, we were all in your shoes at one time

Be patient with the process and yourself and you'll be fine

 

[butterflybetta]

julkosi17

Don't beat yourself up over what has been happening with your fish, OK

As I said, you are not the first and you will not be the last to learn things the hard way either due to bad advice when you bought the fish & equipment or though basic trial and error

Yes we were all beginners once....for me it was over 30 years ago when cycling was not a recognised part of fishkeeping

Try your best for your fish, life does and always will get in the way sometimes but don't beat yourself up or lose heart, you will succeed and you will improve your husbandry skills....fish are not the easy pet that so many think they are, its highly involved, financially and emotionally draining but once you reach your best then the fish will be rewarding you for all your hard work

Keep with it, don't be afraid to ask questions....no such thing as a dumb question cos even if some forgetthe fact, we were all in your shoes at one time

Be patient with the process and yourself and you'll be fine

Thank you! My betta is doing a little better now and I got my water tested. He’s still not swimming much, but he it reacting. Everything came back fine except for the ammonia. It came back .25 so it’s a little high. The person working at petsmart told me wait and see if it gets better because I use the water conditioner from top fin and apparently it takes longer for it to work or something? He also told me it probably was shock. Do you think there is anything else I could do?

 

[Blueberrybetta]

Thank you! My betta is doing a little better now and I got my water tested. He’s still not swimming much, but he it reacting. Everything came back fine except for the ammonia. It came back .25 so it’s a little high. The person working at petsmart told me wait and see if it gets better because I use the water conditioner from top fin and apparently it takes longer for it to work or something? He also told me it probably was shock. Do you think there is anything else I could do?

Lol none of that is true. Dont believe anything pets tore employees tell you , they don't know much.

Waiting longer will just make the ammonia higher from your fish ..... plus you have 0 Nitrates , that's not good. If they knew what they were talking about ,then they would've told you your tank isn't cycled.. lol.. Your ammonia won't go away unless you cycle your tank and you don't even have a filter ... you need to look into the Nitrogen Cycle now and cycle your tank

 

[theturtletank]

Thank you! My betta is doing a little better now and I got my water tested. He’s still not swimming much, but he it reacting. Everything came back fine except for the ammonia. It came back .25 so it’s a little high. The person working at petsmart told me wait and see if it gets better because I use the water conditioner from top fin and apparently it takes longer for it to work or something? He also told me it probably was shock. Do you think there is anything else I could do?

Only thing left you need to do is cycle your tank and buy a filter immediately. You NEED a filter to even start cycling a tank , the filter is where the Beneficial Bacteria grows or your going to end up in a depressing, sick , money pit Betta . Do the right thing kid

 

[butterflybetta]

Only thing left you need to do is cycle your tank and buy a filter immediately. You NEED a filter to even start cycling a tank , the filter is where the Beneficial Bacteria grows or your going to end up in a depressing, sick , money pit Betta . Do the right thing kid

I’ve been trying to do the right thing all along lol. I’m going to get a sponge filter, but it will take 2-3 days to ship. Will my take be okay until then?

I just realized I do have a filter I could use. The flow is a little harsh though. So should I just put the filter in the tank and let it cycle? Or is there more I have to do?

I’m honestly just doing the best I can and I’m actually TRYING to help my fish. I understand why people get mad when someone is not taking proper care of their animals, but I want the best life for my fish and I’m taking the advice people are giving me to make sure that can happen.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

I just realized I do have a filter I could use. The flow is a little harsh though. So should I just put the filter in the tank and let it cycle? Or is there more I have to do?

I’m honestly just doing the best I can and I’m actually TRYING to help my fish. I understand why people get mad when someone is not taking proper care of their animals, but I want the best life for my fish and I’m taking the advice people are giving me to make sure that can happen.

You're gonna have to do a fish in cycle at this point which is a lot more work because you WILL have to change his water every single day , do NOT take him out at all anymore . Just siphon %25 water out to help the ammonia and nitrites levels down.

Read a lot into fish in cycling as it's different and more work over fishless.

Do you even have a way to test the water ? You need to get the API freshwater Test kit first .

 

[butterflybetta]

You're gonna have to do a fish in cycle at this point which is a lot more work because you WILL have to change his water every single day , do NOT take him out at all anymore . Just siphon %25 water out to help the ammonia and nitrites levels down.

Read a lot into fish in cycling as it's different and more work over fishless.

Do you even have a way to test the water ? You need to get the API freshwater Test kit first .

Should I change 25% of the water today or just put the filter in today and change the water tomorrow? Also I would probably need to test my water everyday then right? And lastly do you have any recommendations for water conditioners or is the top fin water conditioner good enough? And ty btw.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

Should I change 25% of the water today or just put the filter in today and change the water tomorrow? Also I would probably need to test my water everyday then right? And lastly do you have any recommendations for water conditioners or is the top fin water conditioner good enough? And ty btw.

Put the filter in now so the bb can build up on it faster . It's best to get the test kit at soon as you can , test the water help you know if you need a water change or not. You need to make sure your pH doesn't drop & crash/stall the cycle . Need to make sure your Ammonia doesn't get too high and kill the Beneficial Bacteria and your Betta.
For water conditioners, everyone on this forum goes by "Seachem Prime" , it's the only waterconditioner that binds Ammonia, Nitrites & Nitrates up to 48hrs , whereas other brands just bind chlorine, etc..

If you need to, make a new forum titled " How to fish-in cycle" . People who have used that method (I did fishless) can help you more since it does involve more water changes & can't let the ammonia or nitrites rise a certitian ppm . Theres also a search icon where you can look at threads already disccused about "Fish-In Cycling ".

 

[butterflybetta]

Put the filter in now so the bb can build up on it faster . It's best to get the test kit at soon as you can , test the water help you know if you need a water change or not. You need to make sure your pH doesn't drop & crash/stall the cycle . Need to make sure your Ammonia doesn't get too high and kill the Beneficial Bacteria and your Betta.
For water conditioners, everyone on this forum goes by "Seachem Prime" , it's the only waterconditioner that binds Ammonia, Nitrites & Nitrates up to 48hrs , whereas other brands just bind chlorine, etc..

If you need to, make a new forum titled " How to fish-in cycle" . People who have used that method (I did fishless) can help you more since it does involve more water changes & can't let the ammonia or nitrites rise a certitian ppm . Theres also a search icon where you can look at threads already disccused about "Fish-In Cycling ".

Thank you! I’ll make sure to do that and I’ll get a testing kit later today.

 

[stopwhiningsadie]

buy some beneficial bacteria to help you get started when you get the filter I used Tetra Safe Start+ and you're not the only one who use to keep a betta in a very small tank
(cough cough 1.5 gallons) >_>

 

[coma1224]

Beautiful Betta !!!!! I would do daily water changes. About 25- 30 per cent to be on the safe side since you can't do your own testing. If you notice he's still not doing good bring the water back in to be tested again. I don't know where you were thinking of getting your sponge filter from but Cory has small filters for $4.99. I ordered from him and had fast shipping. He has awesome videos on youtube that explains just about everything there is to know about fish keeping.

 

[butterflybetta]

Beautiful Betta !!!!! I would do daily water changes. About 25- 30 per cent to be on the safe side since you can't do your own testing. If you notice he's still not doing good bring the water back in to be tested again. I don't know where you were thinking of getting your sponge filter from but Cory has small filters for $4.99. I ordered from him and had fast shipping. He has awesome videos on youtube that explains just about everything there is to know about fish keeping.

I’ve already put in a filter, probably 4-5 hours ago. I will do the water changes, but do you think I should do one today as well? He’s not doing well again. My mom suggested I put new water in a small cup and put him in there, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. He’s already pretty stressed out.

 

[coma1224]

If you have recently done a water change and water temperature is good, I would give him a quiet time. He is just probably very stressed out. Has he been flaring. Just wondering if he is seeing his reflection from his tank. My betta was flaring quite a bit the other day seeing her reflection so I covered the area with construction paper for now

 

[Blueberrybetta]

I’ve already put in a filter, probably 4-5 hours ago. I will do the water changes, but do you think I should do one today as well? He’s not doing well again. My mom suggested I put new water in a small cup and put him in there, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. He’s already pretty stressed out.

Please just leave him in the tank no matter what anyone says. ..even your mom. putting him in new water that's not even cycled isn't a good idea
That will just put him in shock. Dont take a fish out unless they are dead or need to be QT. There is legit no reason. He is already in a small enough tank.. fish can die from stress, & can cause him to bite his own fins. Keep that in mind

Just buy a test kit, keep up with your parameters everyday, add some bacteria to get the cycle going, do 25% water changes everyother day *do not remove him during WC*

 

[Mamastacia3]

You poor thing, trying to do your best and everyone telling you what to do. I don’t want to add any confusion but here’s my advice:

1. Take a deep breath. You’re doing the best you can, and I know from personal experience when I was new that sometimes worrying too much can cause you to try too many different things at once which just makes it worse for your fish.

2. Here’s what I suggest. Leave him in his current tank and do daily 20-25% water changes (bc ammonia has been high and you have no way to test it, best to just do the smaller water changes). When you change the water, I agree with others to try to make it as close to the temp in the tank. With most water conditioners (I use Seachem Prime, it’s great, two drops per gallon, stir a little and you’re set) you don’t have to wait very long at all, so water can still be warm when added.

3. I don’t want to add stress to you or your beautiful fish, but if the filter flow is strong like you said, that can stress him too. Is there a way to adjust the flow? It’s great that you’re adding a filter, that will help! Bettas like as low a flow as possible.

4.You can buy bottles of beneficial bacteria which will help cycle the tank and lower the ammonia. Tetra Safe Start is good. Follow the directions on the bottle but usually a little more than recommended is okay.

So in a nutshell, take a deep breath, leave him in his tank, do daily smaller water changes with same-temp conditioned water, add beneficial bacteria, and see if you can modify the filter flow. And then breath again...❤️

And if you can afford it, the API Master’s liquid test kit will help you so much bc you can test your own water and it’s really simple.

Best of luck! What is your fishie’s name?

cheers,
Stacia

 

[butterflybetta]

Please just leave him in the tank no matter what anyone says. ..even your mom. putting him in new water that's not even cycled isn't a good idea
That will just put him in shock. Dont take a fish out unless they are dead or need to be QT. There is legit no reason. He is already in a small enough tank.. fish can die from stress, & can cause him to bite his own fins. Keep that in mind

Just buy a test kit, keep up with your parameters everyday, add some bacteria to get the cycle going, do 25% water changes everyother day *do not remove him during WC*

Yeah I’m leaving him in the tank definitely. He seems to be still a little stressed. He’s swimming more normally at least. He definitely doesn’t like the current of the filter though. I’m getting the test kit tomorrow, beneficial bacteria, and a ten gallon tank that I’m going to properly set up. The last time I’ll ever move him out of his tank again will be to put him in his bigger tank. Ty for your help.

You poor thing, trying to do your best and everyone telling you what to do. I don’t want to add any confusion but here’s my advice:

1. Take a deep breath. You’re doing the best you can, and I know from personal experience when I was new that sometimes worrying too much can cause you to try too many different things at once which just makes it worse for your fish.

2. Here’s what I suggest. Leave him in his current tank and do daily 20-25% water changes (bc ammonia has been high and you have no way to test it, best to just do the smaller water changes). When you change the water, I agree with others to try to make it as close to the temp in the tank. With most water conditioners (I use Seachem Prime, it’s great, two drops per gallon, stir a little and you’re set) you don’t have to wait very long at all, so water can still be warm when added.

3. I don’t want to add stress to you or your beautiful fish, but if the filter flow is strong like you said, that can stress him too. Is there a way to adjust the flow? It’s great that you’re adding a filter, that will help! Bettas like as low a flow as possible.

4.You can buy bottles of beneficial bacteria which will help cycle the tank and lower the ammonia. Tetra Safe Start is good. Follow the directions on the bottle but usually a little more than recommended is okay.

So in a nutshell, take a deep breath, leave him in his tank, do daily smaller water changes with same-temp conditioned water, add beneficial bacteria, and see if you can modify the filter flow. And then breath again...❤️

And if you can afford it, the API Master’s liquid test kit will help you so much bc you can test your own water and it’s really simple.

Best of luck! What is your fishie’s name?

cheers,
Stacia

Tysm! I’m going to do a small WC tomorrow and test the water. The filter is ajustable and I have it on low right now, but there really isn’t much of a difference between the “high” and “low” setting. He’s still swimming around, but gets quickly discouraged and hides under the filter or the plant, but he’s doing a lot better now. I’m also definitely going to buy the beneficial bacteria as well.

If you have recently done a water change and water temperature is good, I would give him a quiet time. He is just probably very stressed out. Has he been flaring. Just wondering if he is seeing his reflection from his tank. My betta was flaring quite a bit the other day seeing her reflection so I covered the area with construction paper for now

He usually doesn’t flare a lot, even when he sees his reflection lol. I haven’t noticed any patterns why he sometimes flares more than other times though.

My tank is doing a lot better today so thank you for everyone’s help! I got the apI test strips 5 in 1 and I just realized it does not test for ammonia smh. Anyway everything is normal and the nitrates are now 20 ppm. I’ll go back to petsmart later today to get the ammonia strips and beneficial bacteria.