Upgraded Betta Tank to a 5.5 gallon

[Feohw]

Hi!
Thank you! I’ll take a look.

But now I have another problem ‍♀️
Remember my Betta was staying only at the top corner of the tank? Well, after a did the water change this morning, he spent all day inside his cave. ALL DAY. And I noticed that the water temperature decreased from 78.8 to 77. Could it be the reason he’s hiding/at the bottom?

That isn't a huge change in temp, I wouldn't think that that would cause him too many problems. When you do water changes aI'm to temp match as close as possible. How long after adding the water did you notice the change, would the initial temp have been lower than 77? If the change was more drastic it could have been a bit of a shock.

My betta spends much of his time sitting on top of his anubias at times. Sometimes he just likes to hide. Has yours come out to eat or breathe air at all? It could be a number of things really. If the temp change was more drastic that could be why. He could just feel like hiding/resting, the lights might be too bright, he could be stressed or sick, water parameters could still be less than ideal. How's he looking if you can see him?

 

[tatianamansur85]

That isn't a huge change in temp, I wouldn't think that that would cause him too many problems. When you do water changes aI'm to temp match as close as possible. How long after adding the water did you notice the change, would the initial temp have been lower than 77? If the change was more drastic it could have been a bit of a shock.

My betta spends much of his time sitting on top of his anubias at times. Sometimes he just likes to hide. Has yours come out to eat or breathe air at all? It could be a number of things really. If the temp change was more drastic that could be why. He could just feel like hiding/resting, the lights might be too bright, he could be stressed or sick, water parameters could still be less than ideal. How's he looking if you can see him?

The temperature changed after 2 hours.
He went up to eat and breathe.
Regarding the lights, we don’t have light inside the tank, but it stays at my living room and during the day there’s natural light and at night we use the room so we keep the lights on.
I can tell you that, in a 24h period, he spends 8hs in complete darkness.

 

[Orion1066]

The temperature changed after 2 hours.
He went up to eat and breathe.
Regarding the lights, we don’t have light inside the tank, but it stays at my living room and during the day there’s natural light and at night we use the room so we keep the lights on.
I can tell you that, in a 24h period, he spends 8hs in complete darkness.

It looks like you are having quite an ordeal with your Betta. Your urgent questions came up on the thread I was following. It also appears that our Bettas would get along. Perhaps they are cousins. How is your fish doing?

 

[Feohw]

The temperature changed after 2 hours.
He went up to eat and breathe.
Regarding the lights, we don’t have light inside the tank, but it stays at my living room and during the day there’s natural light and at night we use the room so we keep the lights on.
I can tell you that, in a 24h period, he spends 8hs in complete darkness.

Well if it was 77 two hours after the water change it could have been even lower at first. If he's still breathing at the surface and eating that's good. For now, as long as he isn't looking worse, I'd keep up with temperature matched water changes - not colder water. How soon would you say you can get the filter/heater and anything else you may need?

 

[tatianamansur85]

It looks like you are having quite an ordeal with your Betta. Your urgent questions came up on the thread I was following. It also appears that our Bettas would get along. Perhaps they are cousins. How is your fish doing?

Oh I am.
It’s been hard, specially for my daughter. She knows we’re trying to make him feel better and she’s a little sad seeing him like this.

After we bought him, we started to do some research but we didn’t have any sense of urgency, so we took it slow. We first heard about tank size and about how Betta loves plants and hiding spots. So we immediately changed him from a 1/2 gallon tank to a 5.5 one and decorated it! We also read about food and decided to change his as well. We bought a gravel/waste vacuum and that was it.
We thought we were doing an awesome job lol

But when we saw him turning brown and lethargic, we when deep in our research and realized how uneducated we were...
And in the middle of our research we found this page and I’m here every single day to learn and give him the best we can to let him live a happy and healthy life with us!!

Well if it was 77 two hours after the water change it could have been even lower at first. If he's still breathing at the surface and eating that's good. For now, as long as he isn't looking worse, I'd keep up with temperature matched water changes - not colder water. How soon would you say you can get the filter/heater and anything else you may need?

As I said earlier today, we live in Brazil so an Amazon order would take a few days to get here.
And regarding the brands we have available here, I have to find a good one or even a imported one. We live in Rio de Janeiro and here we have two major pet stores but I’m also looking for an aquarium specialized one.
I believe 4/5 days to get everything.
When I change his water tomorrow morning I’ll be diligent about the temperature.
A question: I don’t have hot tap water so I can heat up just a little bit the water before conditioning it?
The season now is winter and it’s already getting colder. But note that in Rio de Janeiro, in winter time, the temperature doesn’t drop lower than 59/68F.

 

[Orion1066]

Oh I am.
It’s been hard, specially for my daughter. She knows we’re trying to make him feel better and she’s a little sad seeing him like this.

After we bought him, we started to do some research but we didn’t have any sense of urgency, so we took it slow. We first heard about tank size and about how Betta loves plants and hiding spots. So we immediately changed him from a 1/2 gallon tank to a 5.5 one and decorated it! We also read about food and decided to change his as well. We bought a gravel/waste vacuum and that was it.
We thought we were doing an awesome job lol

But when we saw him turning brown and lethargic, we when deep in our research and realized how uneducated we were...
And in the middle of our research we found this page and I’m here every single day to learn and give him the best we can to let him live a happy and healthy life with us!!

I joined this group recently. The people here know their fish, and they are most helpful. I go a bit over the top when I get back into aquariums. This time I tried to keep it small, and simple. I had one Betta in a 2.5 gallon tank, alone, for several months. A few days ago, I added an Emerald Green Cory catfish, to help with keeping the tank clean. For the first 10 days or so, my Betta would not eat anything. I bought a variety of foods, mostly freeze dried, HikarI brine shrimp, Daphnia, Tubifex worms, blood worms, and pellets. I thought he was going to starve. Now he eats everything I give him, and always wants more. I am trying to be careful with overfeeding. Each Saturday he gets no food. It is good for him to have a "fasting" day.

I am waiting to see how he will get along with the Cory. So far, so good.

 

[Feohw]

As I said earlier today, we live in Brazil so an Amazon order would take a few days to get here.
And regarding the brands we have available here, I have to find a good one or even a imported one. We live in Rio de Janeiro and here we have two major pet stores but I’m also looking for an aquarium specialized one.
I believe 4/5 days to get everything.
When I change his water tomorrow morning I’ll be diligent about the temperature.
A question: I don’t have hot tap water so I can heat up just a little bit the water before conditioning it?
The season now is winter and it’s already getting colder. But note that in Rio de Janeiro, in winter time, the temperature doesn’t drop lower than 59/68F.

If you can't get warm water out of your tap, you could leave it to heat up using your room temperature, which seems to keep your tank at 78.8. Just leave it sitting in a bucket for a while, then check it's temperature before dechlorinating and adding. It can be a few degrees off, just as long as it isn't anything drastic.

One time I had no hot water for a water change, I just added a small bit of boiled water to a larger amount of cold water until it was around the temp I wanted.

As for the winter temp, it's definitely not as cold as it would get here, but not great for the betta.

 

[tatianamansur85]

If you can't get warm water out of your tap, you could leave it to heat up using your room temperature, which seems to keep your tank at 78.8. Just leave it sitting in a bucket for a while, then check it's temperature before dechlorinating and adding. It can be a few degrees off, just as long as it isn't anything drastic.

One time I had no hot water for a water change, I just added a small bit of boiled water to a larger amount of cold water until it was around the temp I wanted.

As for the winter temp, it's definitely not as cold as it would get here, but not great for the betta.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[wintermute]

I also simply boil the kettle and add a little bit of that to the bucket of water that I am adding to the aquarium. It only takes a fairly small amount of boiling water to raise the temp to ~25 deg C.

I use RO water in my kettle (because that is what we drink) but if you have normal tap water, just do it before you add your declorinator to the water in the bucket

Tony.

 

[tatianamansur85]

I also simply boil the kettle and add a little bit of that to the bucket of water that I am adding to the aquarium. It only takes a fairly small amount of boiling water to raise the temp to ~25 deg C.

I use RO water in my kettle (because that is what we drink) but if you have normal tap water, just do it before you add your declorinator to the water in the bucket

Tony.

Thanks!!!!

 

[Dash Riprock]

Oh I am.
It’s been hard, specially for my daughter. She knows we’re trying to make him feel better and she’s a little sad seeing him like this.

Maybe you already know this, but a neat little trick you can teach bettas is to eat a pellet off your finger. You might need to wet the tip of your finger just a little in order for the pellet to stick, but if you hover it just above the water, they'll pop out of the water and snatch it. My daughter loves doing this.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Thanks!!!!

Hi!
I changed his water this morning. I boiled just a little bit and the temperature inside the tank is 79,7.
Before I changed it, it was 75.2.
But he’s still inside his cave.
Would it be bad if he’s not coming up for air?
I don’t watch him all day but when I pass by the tank he’s never out.

 

[Feohw]

Hi!
I changed his water this morning. I boiled just a little bit and the temperature inside the tank is 79,7.
Before I changed it, it was 75.2.
But he’s still inside his cave.
Would it be bad if he’s not coming up for air?
I don’t watch him all day but when I pass by the tank he’s never out.

So the temp of the tank is dropping? Yesterday it was 78.8 and now its 75.2 before adding warmer water? Is your room getting colder? Also is there anything is the tank that is causing water movement? I'm pretty sure there isn't from what I remember from reading the thread. Basically in that case, the amount of oxygen in the water column will be depleted over time as there isn't any disturbance at the surface for gas exchange and as the betta breathes oxygen will be replaced by CO2. If the betta isn't going to the surface and the water could potentially be losing oxygen, then I would be a bit concerned if he stopped coming up. Bettas can breathe atmospheric air as well as air in the water column, though its debatable whether the oxygen in the water column is enough for them. In a tank with still water and less oxygen, they should go to the surface. As well as that, as the water isn't flowing, heat could be distributed differently in places. Though the water changes should help out with gas exchange etc.

I have three betta. All three like to hide at various times, sometimes longer than other times. My male usually rests on his anubias most of the time and my female is partially blind. I've trained them to know that when I want them, while feeding for instance, I can tap lightly on the glass and they'll come rushing over. You could try this to see if he'll respond at all. Usually if I sit in front of my male he'll eventually come over too. Could you sit there for a bit and observe how he behaves, if he comes out eventually, if he's breathing heavy or is displaying any symptoms either physically or behaviorally of some disease etc. Really most of the action in my tank seems to happen when I'm not there, so its likely he has come out at times while you weren't observing.

 

[Snarbleglarf]

It hasn't been mentioned, but I'd recommend giving Tetra SafeStart Plus a try. It is beneficial bacteria in a bottle and will help speed up your cycle. Occasionally it doesn't work, but it's not expensive, so I always say it's worth a shot.

Based on my experience with tetra safe start it seems to work best if you don’t do a water change for a week after adding the bacteria , it allows time for the bacteria to get into the bio media in your filter before you accidentally take it out through the water change process. I would do a good amount of water changes for the next few days to try and get your current levels lower and then add the bacteria and allow it some time to settle, since you already have the fish I don’t know if I would wait the full week because your ammonia can get very high in that time but I would definitely give it at least a few days, just my thoughts

 

[danhutchins]

Hello!

I bought a Betta fish 3 weeks ago.
When we got him we put him at a 0.26 gallon tank. He stayed at this tank for 4/5 days (with gravel and a little bridge for him to hide) and then we moved him to a 0.5 gallon tank (we put all of the 0.26 gallon of water from the previous tank in the new tank and completed it with 0.25 gallon of new, conditioned water). Until then we fed him 3 little bits of food, 3 times a day. His food ingredients was: CORN MEAL, HEMOGLOBIN POWDER, FISH FLOUR, CHICKEN VISCERA FLOUR, GARLIC IN NATURA (2%), CORN GLUTEN MEAL (60%), YEAST EXTRACT, SOY MEAL, WHEAT FLOUR and RED DYE BORDEAUX.
He was a happy dark blue fish!!
After a week and some reading we decided to move him into a 5.5 gallon tank ( with gravel, the bridge, a cave, a little fake turtle and 3 different artificial plants) and changed his food (we changed for ColorBits granules). We decided to change it because we thought he wasn’t ingesting enough protein (the first one had 35% and the new one has 47%).
The ingredients of the new food are: FISH FLOUR, SOY MEAL, WHEAT GERM MEAL, WHEAT FLOUR, CORN GERM, OAT MEAL, POTATO PROTEIN, SHRIMP MEAL, DRIED SUGARCANE YEAST, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SOY LECITHIN, CALCAREOUS SEAWEED, WHEAT GLUTEN, REFINED SOY OIL, YEAST EXTRACT, VITAMIN C, ETHOXYQUIN, CITRIC ACID, BETA CAROTENE, PAPRIKA OLEORESIM, ARTIFICIAL RED DYE ERYTHROSINE.
We also changed his eating schedule: now we only feed him 2 times a day ( but I must confess we are not consistent with the time).
We noticed that some granules were way to big for him to swallow but he did it anyway. And after that big piece we fed him 3/4 small granules as well. He ate them but we realized it was too much for him and now we’re just giving him the small granules.
And now, not even a week after this changes, he is lethargic, turning brown, not making bubble nest anymore and staying most of his time at the top of the water. He’s eating well tough...

———————————
Tank

What is the water volume of the tank? THE FIRST TANK WAS 0.26 GALLONS (3 WEEKS AGO), THE SECOND ONE WAS 0.5 GALLONS (3/4 DAYS LATER) AND NOW, 3 WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE FISH, HE’S AT A 5.5 GALLON TANK (BUT WE ONLY PUT 3.7 GALLONS OF WATER).
How long has the tank been running? THE 5.5 GALLON IS RUNNING FOR 5 DAYS.
Does it have a filter? NO
Does it have a heater? NO
What is the water temperature? 78.8F
What is the entire stocking of this tank? ONLY 1 BETTA FISH.

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? WEEKLY.
How much of the water do you change? WHEN WE BOUGHT, HIM HE ONLY STAYED AT A 0.26 GALLON TANK FOR 3/4 DAYS, SO WE DIDN’T CHANGE THE WATER. WHEN WE MOVED HIM TO A 0.5 GALLON TANK, WE KEPT ALL 0.26 GALLON OF WATER FROM THE PREVIOUS TANK AND ADDED 0.25 GALLON OF NEW, CONDITIONED WATER. A WEEK LATER, WE MOVED HIM TO A 5.5 GALLON TANK ( WE KEPT ALL 0.5 GALLON OF WATER FROM THE PREVIOUS TANK AND ADDED 3.4 GALLONS OF NEW, CONDITIONED WATER.
What do you use to treat your water? WATER CONDITIONER.
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? 2 WEEKS AGO I WASHED ALL OF THE GRAVEL AND THE BRIDGE WHEN I MOVED HIM FROM THE 0.5 GALLON TANK TO THE 5.5 GALLON ONE. AND TODAY - 5 DAYS AFTER DOING THAT - I VACUUMED THE GRAVEL.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
What do you use to test the water? I JUST TEST THE PH.
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia: NEVER TESTED
Nitrite: NEVER TESTED
Nitrate: NEVER TESTED
pH: 6.8

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? AT FIRTS WE FED HIM 3 TIMES A DAY (3 LITTLE BITS 3 TIMES A DAY). AND 5 DAYS AGO WE STARTED TO FEED HIM TWICE A DAY (GRANULE FOOD)
How much do you feed your fish? AT FIRST IT WAS 3 LITTLE BITS. 5 DAYS AGO WE CHANGED HIS FOOD FROM BITS TO A GRANULE ONE SO WE TRY TO GIVE HIM THE PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT.
What brand of food do you feed your Fish? AT FIRST WAS MEGA FOOD AND NOW IS COLOR BITS FROM TETRA (I LIVE IN BRAZIL SO I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THESE BRANDS).
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods? NO.

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? 3 WEEKS BUT I DON’T KNOW FOR HOW LONG HE WAS AT THE SHOP.
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? 3/4 DAYS.
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? HE’S LETHARGIC, ONLY STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, TURNING BROWN (HIS ORIGINAL COLOR IS DARK BLUE), NOT MAKING BUBBLE NEST ANYMORE - BUT HE’S EATING WELL.
Have you started any treatment for the illness? NO. I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING TO HIM.
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? HE’S LETHARGIC, ONLY STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, TURNING BROWN (HIS ORIGINAL COLOR IS DARK BLUE), NOT MAKING BUBBLE NEST ANYMORE - BUT HE’S EATING WELL.

Explain your emergency situation in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now)
5 DAYS AGO WE MOVED HIM FROM A 0.5 GALLON TANK (WITH ONLY GRAVEL AT THE BOTTOM AND A BRIDGE AS A HIDING SPOT) TO A 5.5 ONE (WITH GRAVEL AT THE BOTTOM, THE BRIDGE, A CAVE, 3 ARTIFICIAL PLANTS, A LITTLE FAKE TURTLE). WE ALSO CHANGED HIS FOOD ANT FEEDING SCHEDULE (FROM 3 TIMES A DAY TO 2 TIMES A DAY - FROM 3 LITTLE BITS TO THE PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT OF GRANULE FOOD).
3/4 DAYS AGO I STARTED NOTICING HE WAS STAYING A THE TOP OF THE TANK MORE FREQUENTLY AND NOT MAKING BUBBLE NEST ANYMORE. HE WAS LETHARGIC TOO AND TODAY I REALIZED HE IS TURNING BROWN (NOT THE BODY, JUST THE FINS AND THE TOP OS HIS HEAD).

You absolutely need a filter and the tank is building up with ammonia. This is extremely harmful to fish and will kill. My suggestion is to get a filter, they are required unless thank is very heavily planted and even then expert fish keepers have a tough time keeping things in check. The filter is where the beneficial bacteria live and without the bacteria ammonia will overtake and kill all livestock. Just a little curious as to why there isn't a filter in the first place. By the sounds it may be to late. I hate to say it but going that long in a tank/tanks without proper filtration and no cycle will cause the fish to have life long issues and that's only if it survives. Please take the time to read up on cycling a tank before getting another fish.

 

[Snarbleglarf]

Hi!

The photo in the smaller tank is bad... it was pretty dark, but he was as healthy as he was two days latter, when I transferred him to the 5.5 gallon tank.
And today his not that at all... I feel like his losing his fins
I’ll post a photo for you, but take in consideration that in today’s photo he’s not swimming, so his fins will look smaller than it really is.
You can see that his true color is showing only in the middle of his body. He’s turning brown...
View attachment 562761

There’s a difference?

From my experience with Bettas their tails tearing or getting smaller is due to fin rot which is caused by poor water quality, adding the filter and heater will help (consistency is key!) in the mean time while your tank is cycling just continue to do water changed daily (I would do around 25-50% daily) and you could treat your water with stress coat which is a water conditioner that will help them replace their slime coat and will help his fins heal, and if you don’t already have one I really recommend getting an API test kit and test your waters chemical levels to make sure the nitrogen cycle is taking place, hope this helps!

Edit: also it can take a good 2 weeks or so for his fins to heal all the way so as long as your water conditions are fine and he is eating and swimming well you are on the right track

 

[Wydowmayker]

Too bad you don’t have a sponge filter already on the go from another aquarium.. I use those all the time when I am having trouble with a cycle, or to help the new aquarium get going.

You can also put a new sponge filter into the cycled aquarium, and then exchange the two just when you put the new fish into the new aquarium.

Good luck with the little guy.

 

[Masoud]

get a filter for the tank,also buy the seachem betta basics for his water,after u put filter I d suggest 20% water changes everyday,u change more than that u are stressing the fish which u don't want to do right now cause stress can weaken him even more,also I suggest get him a multivitamin product for using with his food to help him survive the tank cycle

 

[Guppy43]

Weeelll maybe moving him around stressed him abit but your gonna need a filter. If you have a reliable LFS your familiar with you could also ask for some of his/her tank water or filter medium. Did that when setting up my shrimp tank, worked like a charm.

 

[tatianamansur85]

So the temp of the tank is dropping? Yesterday it was 78.8 and now its 75.2 before adding warmer water? Is your room getting colder? Also is there anything is the tank that is causing water movement? I'm pretty sure there isn't from what I remember from reading the thread. Basically in that case, the amount of oxygen in the water column will be depleted over time as there isn't any disturbance at the surface for gas exchange and as the betta breathes oxygen will be replaced by CO2. If the betta isn't going to the surface and the water could potentially be losing oxygen, then I would be a bit concerned if he stopped coming up. Bettas can breathe atmospheric air as well as air in the water column, though its debatable whether the oxygen in the water column is enough for them. In a tank with still water and less oxygen, they should go to the surface. As well as that, as the water isn't flowing, heat could be distributed differently in places. Though the water changes should help out with gas exchange etc.

I have three betta. All three like to hide at various times, sometimes longer than other times. My male usually rests on his anubias most of the time and my female is partially blind. I've trained them to know that when I want them, while feeding for instance, I can tap lightly on the glass and they'll come rushing over. You could try this to see if he'll respond at all. Usually if I sit in front of my male he'll eventually come over too. Could you sit there for a bit and observe how he behaves, if he comes out eventually, if he's breathing heavy or is displaying any symptoms either physically or behaviorally of some disease etc. Really most of the action in my tank seems to happen when I'm not there, so its likely he has come out at times while you weren't observing.

Hi!!
I finally bought the filter and heater and the water tests.
But I have a question about my nitrAte test: is it suppose to be dangerous for me to handle it? I’ll upload photos of the test and the warnings.
I’m a little scared

 

[Feohw]

View attachment 564136 View attachment 564135 View attachment 564134
Hi!!
I finally bought the filter and heater and the water tests.
But I have a question about my nitrAte test: is it suppose to be dangerous for me to handle it? I’ll upload photos of the test and the warnings.
I’m a little scared

Good to hear!

Spooky! I just had a look at my test kit, the API master test, it says many of the same things besides the exposure to air bit. It says to wear gloves, which I've never done. Just keep it away from your eyes and mouth, don't inhale anything from it as it says. Obviously stay clear of fires/sparks and you should be fine. About the exposure to air part, I'd just avoid taking the lid off (as in the whole lid not the outer lid). I looked into it a bit (wasn't much info about that test kit) and it says to do similar things to the API, add drops from test 1, then 2 etc. As long as you follow the instructions and precautions it should be fine really. What is the zinc powder for?

 

[tatianamansur85]

What is the zinc powder for?

I don’t know and it doesn’t say anything about it in the instructions
I’ll upload more photos

 

[Feohw]

View attachment 564142 View attachment 564141 View attachment 564140
I don’t know and it doesn’t say anything about it in the instructions
I’ll upload more photos

Never mind I realized what it does. Its fine, just make sure to keep it away from fire etc and keep the lid tight when its not needed and store it as it says there. There shouldn't be any problems as long as you follow the instructions. I'm not entirely sure as to the accuracy of the test itself compared to the API tests. It is a liquid test and not a strip test so maybe its fine.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Hi!
So...
Before I put everything in the tank I decided to test the water.
Here are my results:

Water temperature: 77F
Ph: between 6.6/6.8
Ammonia: 0,5ppm
Total ammonia concentration: 0.0001*
Nitrite: 0ppm
NitrAte: 0mg/L

* I didn’t understand this one very well, once I had to analyze the ph and temperature together to find this 0.0001 result.

I think everything is fine, don’t you think?
Or maybe the ammonia is high?

But now we have a new symptom: he’s just staying underneath his bridge. He’s not coming up for food and, when he does, he ate almost nothing. He ate the first granule but the second one he spat(spit?) out.
Note: the last time we fed him was Sunday night.

I’m gonna install the heater and filter now.
Can you help me with the steps?
What do a I need to do before put the filter inside?

Thanks!!

 

[TucanSam]

Hi!
So...
Before I put everything in the tank I decided to test the water.
Here are my results:

Water temperature: 77F
Ph: between 6.6/6.8
Ammonia: 0,5ppm
Total ammonia concentration: 0.0001*
Nitrite: 0ppm
NitrAte: 0mg/L

* I didn’t understand this one very well, once I had to analyze the ph and temperature together to find this 0.0001 result.

I think everything is fine, don’t you think?
Or maybe the ammonia is high?

But now we have a new symptom: he’s just staying underneath his bridge. He’s not coming up for food and, when he does, he ate almost nothing. He ate the first granule but the second one he spat(spit?) out.
Note: the last time we fed him was Sunday night.

I’m gonna install the heater and filter now.
Can you help me with the steps?
What do a I need to do before put the filter inside?

Thanks!!

All you should need to do is rinse the filter cartridge off to get any carbon dust off, install it and you should be good to go. The filter should have instructions as well, but you don't need to do anything special. If it allows, turn the water flow down as far a possible. Maybe add a little bit of dechlorinater in as well

 

[tatianamansur85]

All you should need to do is rinse the filter cartridge off to get any carbon dust off, install it and you should be good to go. The filter should have instructions as well, but you don't need to do anything special. If it allows, turn the water flow down as far a possible. Maybe add a little bit of dechlorinater in as well

And what do you think about my readings?

 

[Feohw]

In a healthy system, you don't want ammonia or nitrites, but some nitrates (unless you have loads of plants). Keep up with water changes to keep the ammonia level down, he's not going to drop dead from those readings, but you can still relieve him a bit.

About the part you didn't understand, in a pH of less than 8, generally there will be less than 10% of the more toxic NH3 (unionized ammonia) and the majority of it will be in the safer form NH4+ (ionized ammonium). At a higher temperature the amount of NH3 will increase and NH4+ will decrease. Total concentration is the amount of ammonia and ammonium together. So there's 0.00005 ammonia and 0.0001 total. Figures are a little skewed. Anyway, all this aside, all you really need to know is that you should keep up with water changes!

When adding a filter, I just rinse all the media in a bucket of tank water. Hopefully a bit of water movement will help him out now - just make sure its not too powerful for him.

 

[TucanSam]

As feowh said, any ammonia is too much but you can't ever get rid of it all until your tank is cycled. Keep up the water changes and he should hopefully improve.

 

[tatianamansur85]

As feowh said, any ammonia is too much but you can't ever get rid of it all until your tank is cycled. Keep up the water changes and he should hopefully improve.

Thanks!
I installed the filter today. For how long do I need to change the water?

he's not going to drop dead from those readings, but you can still relieve him a bit.

Do I need to raise the ph level?

Figures are a little skewed.

What does skewed mean? I’m sorry but English is not my first language and the translation didn’t help me lol

In a healthy system, you don't want ammonia or nitrites, but some nitrates (unless you have loads of plants). Keep up with water changes to keep the ammonia level down, he's not going to drop dead from those readings, but you can still relieve him a bit.

About the part you didn't understand, in a pH of less than 8, generally there will be less than 10% of the more toxic NH3 (unionized ammonia) and the majority of it will be in the safer form NH4+ (ionized ammonium). At a higher temperature the amount of NH3 will increase and NH4+ will decrease. Total concentration is the amount of ammonia and ammonium together. So there's 0.00005 ammonia and 0.0001 total. Figures are a little skewed. Anyway, all this aside, all you really need to know is that you should keep up with water changes!

When adding a filter, I just rinse all the media in a bucket of tank water. Hopefully a bit of water movement will help him out now - just make sure its not too powerful for him.

He’s constantly moving his flippers(??) while under the bridge... I think he’s agitated by the water flow. I adjusted the flow as low as I could and I really think it’s low. After I turned the filter on, he went straight to it and the filter did not suck his fins and the water flow did not push him away. I recorded it on my iPhone but It appears that the video extension is not the right one...

 

[Feohw]

Do I need to raise the ph level?

No its completely fine as it is, best for stable pH levels rather than chasing different ones.

What does skewed mean? I’m sorry but English is not my first language and the translation didn’t help me lol

Sorry, it means distorted/seeming to be a little bit off. Nothing to worry about though.

He’s constantly moving his flippers(??) while under the bridge... I think he’s agitated by the water flow. I adjusted the flow as low as I could and I really think it’s low. After I turned the filter on, he went straight to it and the filter did not suck his fins and the water flow did not push him away. I recorded it on my iPhone but It appears that the video extension is not the right one...

To add a video you have to first put the video onto Youtube and then add the Youtube video here. If he isn't getting pushed by the flow then it should be fine just make sure there is enough flow in the tank at the same time. Mine waves his pectoral fins (flippers as you called them) too when he's on his plant and he's fine.

 

[tatianamansur85]

No its completely fine as it is, best for stable pH levels rather than chasing different ones.

Sorry, it means distorted/seeming to be a little bit off. Nothing to worry about though.

To add a video you have to first put the video onto Youtube and then add the Youtube video here. If he isn't getting pushed by the flow then it should be fine just make sure there is enough flow in the tank at the same time. Mine waves his pectoral fins (flippers as you called them) too when he's on his plant and he's fine.

Thanks!!!

No its completely fine as it is, best for stable pH levels rather than chasing different ones.

Sorry, it means distorted/seeming to be a little bit off. Nothing to worry about though.

To add a video you have to first put the video onto Youtube and then add the Youtube video here. If he isn't getting pushed by the flow then it should be fine just make sure there is enough flow in the tank at the same time. Mine waves his pectoral fins (flippers as you called them) too when he's on his plant and he's fine.

Do you think I can set the heater at 80F or is it too high?

 

[Feohw]

Do you think I can set the heater at 80F or is it too high?

Many people recommend to keep bettas at 80 degrees so it should be fine.

 

[Tol]

80f should be fine. You can raise temp slowly too to let him adjust. Also you can check the temps while it goes up to make sure it is actually heating to what it should be. Some heaters are a bit off, so you may set for 80 and it may go to 82 or something. I had a heater that I had to set to 79f to make the tank 77f as an example.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Many people recommend to keep bettas at 80 degrees so it should be fine.

Hi!
He’s not ok...
He’s not interested in eating at all, not even swimming to the surface to see the food.
I think the water flow from the filter damaged his fins
I’ll upload 2 photos I took from above the tank
I don’t know if I turn of the filter, if I move him to a smaller tank to try to make him eat
I don’t know what to do anymore... I won’t give up but I feel I’m not helping him... just making him worse

 

[Feohw]

View attachment 564832
Hi!
He’s not ok...
He’s not interested in eating at all, not even swimming to the surface to see the food.
I think the water flow from the filter damaged his fins
I’ll upload 2 photos I took from above the tank
I don’t know if I turn of the filter, if I move him to a smaller tank to try to make him eat
I don’t know what to do anymore... I won’t give up but I feel I’m not helping him... just making him worse

Do you have a side pic of his fins? When water quality is bad fish can be lethargic and sick - so its important to stay on top of water quality through water changes until it cycles. Most of the problems with fish revolve around water parameters. Is there anything in there that could tear his fins? I think I saw fake plants earlier in the thread, plastic plants can damage the fins while silk plants are generally recommended if you want to go the fake route.

I'd try buying some frozen bloodworms to feed him and see if that works - mine go nuts for it. Or you could get garlicguard though I have no experience with that. Generally taking a fish out can be stressful for them, I only had to do that once with a very skinny guppy I had. He was completely fine in a little container for a minute and he ate readily - though its best avoided if possible. What food are you using?

 

[tatianamansur85]

Do you have a side pic of his fins? When water quality is bad fish can be lethargic and sick - so its important to stay on top of water quality through water changes until it cycles. Most of the problems with fish revolve around water parameters. Is there anything in there that could tear his fins? I think I saw fake plants earlier in the thread, plastic plants can damage the fins while silk plants are generally recommended if you want to go the fake route.

I'd try buying some frozen bloodworms to feed him and see if that works - mine go nuts for it. Or you could get garlicguard though I have no experience with that. Generally taking a fish out can be stressful for them, I only had to do that once with a very skinny guppy I had. He was completely fine in a little container for a minute and he ate readily - though its best avoided if possible. What food are you using?

Hey!

I’ll buy the bloodworms.
I was changing his water today and I clearly saw he trying to swim to the top but he just can’t. He’s trying so hard to go to the top but that’s not happening...
I’m so sad
I can get him to eat. I’m trying to throw the food in his direction so it sinks directly in front of him but it’s hard . He won’t swim towards the food.
I’m staying on top the water changes but he’s just no well... his color is fine, but his fins are worse...
I know you’re trying to help me and I really, really appreciate it! But I don’t know what to do anymore...
I’ll upload a video soon so you can see his condition
Thank you so much for your help!

Oh! I forgot to ask: how often do I need to test the water while he’s like this?

I’m trying to feed almost in his mouth. He wants to eat. It took everything he could to swim to the top a few minutes ago but he can get fast enough to the food. Now my tank has 10 pieces of food on the bottom...

My husband says he must be suffering and it’s not right to let him be like this, but I can’t even think about going through what he suggested... I just can’t...
How many days can he survive without eating? It’s been 3 days already

 

[LagerthaM]

Fist of: good job on doing research and getting a bigger tank, that was an awesome first step. Your betta may be acting the way he is because he is stressed from having his environment changed so much in a short period of time.
Bettas can go for a good amount of time without eating when they are healthy. Not eating when food is offered is a sign that they are sick or stressed. I have not read through all the responses so I am not sure that this has been suggested or if someone has helped you figure out an illness: but have you gotten him a filter yet? Water quality is super important and water changes and filters can help maintain excellent water quality. You can get a sponge filter for about $20 on Amazon, maybe less. I personally thing that sponge filters are the best filters for bettas because they are so gentle and don't tear fins. On the note of adding thing- is your water temperature stable? Without a heater it can be hard to keep your water temperature at a high enough temperature to keep your betta healthy.

 

[tatianamansur85]

but have you gotten him a filter yet?

Yes. We bought the filter and it’s running since Tuesday

Without a heater it can be hard to keep your water temperature at a high enough temperature to keep your betta healthy.

We bought a heater as well. The temperature is set to 78.8F

 

[LagerthaM]

Yes. We bought the filter and it’s running since Tuesday

Awesome!

 

[tatianamansur85]

Awesome!

About the water changes. For how many days do I need to change it?

And while he’s like this, how often should I test his water?

 

[LagerthaM]

About the water changes. For how many days do I need to change it?

And while he’s like this, how often should I test his water?

I am not 100% sure what to tell you, I would guess you should do the the water changes until he gets better (regains color, eats, and moves). I don't think you can do too many water changes. I would say test it everyday or every other day.

 

[Feohw]

Hey!

I’ll buy the bloodworms.
I was changing his water today and I clearly saw he trying to swim to the top but he just can’t. He’s trying so hard to go to the top but that’s not happening...
I’m so sad
I can get him to eat. I’m trying to throw the food in his direction so it sinks directly in front of him but it’s hard . He won’t swim towards the food.
I’m staying on top the water changes but he’s just no well... his color is fine, but his fins are worse...
I know you’re trying to help me and I really, really appreciate it! But I don’t know what to do anymore...
I’ll upload a video soon so you can see his condition
Thank you so much for your help!

Oh! I forgot to ask: how often do I need to test the water while he’s like this?

I’m trying to feed almost in his mouth. He wants to eat. It took everything he could to swim to the top a few minutes ago but he can get fast enough to the food. Now my tank has 10 pieces of food on the bottom...

My husband says he must be suffering and it’s not right to let him be like this, but I can’t even think about going through what he suggested... I just can’t...
How many days can he survive without eating? It’s been 3 days already

View attachment 565126 View attachment 565125

I wish I could do more really. First of all, it looks like his fins may be starting to clamp a little bit. Usually that would be as a result of bad water quality - which is expected in an uncycled tank. Again water changes are a must to help this out - I'd be doing 50% at least in a small tank like that. As well as that I would get some seachem prime to detoxify ammonia in there as well as bacteria in a bottle that can be bought at fish shops. If there are any good fish shops near you, or even anybody else with a cycled tank that you know of, could you ask them for some cycled media from their tank that you could add to yours to boost your cycle?

If he doesn't eat the food that you drop in, I would syphon it out after a while. If it remains there it will foul the water and cause even more ammonia to be present. They can survive for up to two weeks without food - are you absolutely sure he isn't eating? I've never seen my banjo catfish eating for instance but she does while I'm not there. What food is it that you are feeding now? Bloodworms can really help out and I'd try both flakes and pellets - my bettas don't eat pellets when they aren't well but find flakes easier.

For water changes, you should keep them up until the tank has cycled. Unfortunately that can take a few weeks/months so if you can get some cycled media from the store that would really help both you and your betta out. As for water testing, I would test ammonia after water changes to see how low it is and if you need another one soon. I wouldn't test nitrites or nitrates everyday, but rather test nitrites every few days to see if the bacteria is beginning to break down ammonia. Once there is nitrites I would test nitrates every few days.

 

[ShamFish97]

Continue with the water changes, and make sure those nitrates stay at a manageable level! I'm really happy watching you treat him with the good care he deserves.

 

[tatianamansur85]

First of all, it looks like his fins may be starting to clamp a little bit.

Look how his fins are now
Devastating...

If he doesn't eat the food that you drop in, I would syphon it out after a while. If it remains there it will foul the water and cause even more ammonia to be present. They can survive for up to two weeks without food - are you absolutely sure he isn't eating? I've never seen my banjo catfish eating for instance but she does while I'm not there. What food is it that you are feeding now? Bloodworms can really help out and I'd try both flakes and pellets - my bettas don't eat pellets when they aren't well but find flakes easier.

I’ll remove the food he doesn’t eat tomorrow, while I change his water.

I’m 99% sure he’s not eating because I see the food all over the gravel and I vacuum it everyday while changing his water.

We’re feeding him ColorBits. The brand is Tetra. I’ll upload a photo.

Look how his fins are now
Devastating...

I don’t know what’s happening, the photos are not showing

 

[ShamFish97]

I don’t know what’s happening, the photos are not showing

Post the direct link. I've been having issues too.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Continue with the water changes, and make sure those nitrates stay at a manageable level! I'm really happy watching you treat him with the good care he deserves.

What link? I’m uploading directly from my phone...

 

[Feohw]

I don’t know what’s happening, the photos are not showing

Glad its not just me, I've been walking around my house trying to get them to load! Haha. This isn't the only thread I can't get to load pics on so maybe its a problem the site is having temporarily.

When you feed him I would definitely take out any parts that remain afterwards, using a turkey baster can be useful for that - rather than doing another water change. Or just feed him before the water change. I'd try getting another food too when you get the bloodworms. Flakes rather than granules could get him to eat.

Do you think a local fish shop would give you established media from their tanks?

What link? I’m uploading directly from my phone...

Rather than selecting full just leave it as it is, I'm just gonna test this out here and see if it works. Can you see this?

Just select upload file, go to pictures and add the one you want. Then don't click full once it pops up - just post.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Glad its not just me, I've been walking around my house trying to get them to load! Haha. This isn't the only thread I can't get to load pics on so maybe its a problem the site is having temporarily.

When you feed him I would definitely take out any parts that remain afterwards, using a turkey baster can be useful for that - rather than doing another water change. Or just feed him before the water change. I'd try getting another food too when you get the bloodworms. Flakes rather than granules could get him to eat.

Do you think a local fish shop would give you established media from their tanks?

I change his water just once a day...
But I’ll definitely feed him before changing it and buy a turkey baster just in case.

Regarding the fish shops, they are large pet shops and are not specialized in fish at all.
Just to paint you a picture: last Sunday I went there to buy the filter, heater and the water tests and I almost cried when I saw a Betta floating sideways, it’s eyes were popping... just terrible. When I approached an employee to tell them about the fish, his face was just blank, he didn’t say a thing. I was so angry!!
They’re not trained and they just don’t care!
Everything I know about my fish came from this page, videos on YouTube and a lot of forums.
I never heard about water cycling, silk accessories or, believe it or not, water tests from ANY employee I came across. They just sold me the fish and that’s it!
Anyway... I’m looking for a fish store near me so I can be properly assisted.
I take fool responsibility for my impulsive and uneducated choice of buying a fish without any research whatsoever, but I just don’t trust these pet shops anymore...

Let’s try uploading the photos again haha

Do you think a local fish shop would give you established media from their tanks?

My speech about not trusting the pet shops anymore was to respond this question lol
I don’t trust their media and to be honest I don’t even believe they have any to give me

 

[Feohw]

I change his water just once a day...
But I’ll definitely feed him before changing it and buy a turkey baster just in case.

Regarding the fish shops, they are large pet shops and are not specialized in fish at all.
Just to paint you a picture: last Sunday I went there to buy the filter, heater and the water tests and I almost cried when I saw a Betta floating sideways, it’s eyes were popping... just terrible. When I approached an employee to tell them about the fish, his face was just blank, he didn’t say a thing. I was so angry!!
They’re not trained and they just don’t care!
Everything I know about my fish came from this page, videos on YouTube and a lot of forums.
I never heard about water cycling, silk accessories or, believe it or not, water tests from ANY employee I came across. They just sold me the fish and that’s it!
Anyway... I’m looking for a fish store near me so I can be properly assisted.
I take fool responsibility for my impulsive and uneducated choice of buying a fish without any research whatsoever, but I just don’t trust these pet shops anymore...

Yeah pet shops can be really bad for this kinda stuff. Most of the time the employees don't know much about fish, give terrible advise and in the end of the day, most people will bring a betta home, it will die, and they'll get another. So more money for that shop. Luckily where I'm from the shops are really great for fish care, advise and stuff like that. I still wouldn't trust their word on things, but it tends to be pretty alright. Its great that you are learning now, lots of people never bother. So you're off to a pretty good start here.

Let’s try uploading the photos again haha

Yeah, he's not looking so hot. That food consists of small granules, if he's sick and therefore lethargic, he could find it difficult to catch them as they fall or find them among the substrate. A larger flake could definitely be easier on him

My speech about not trusting the pet shops anymore was to respond this question lol
I don’t trust their media and to be honest I don’t even believe they have any to give me

If the fish in the shop that are in proper tanks look sick as they do in some chain stores, it would be best not to ask. If they look fine and the tanks have filters (normally in shops they have sumps - at least here) then the media could really help save your betta. If not then I would try to research to find a good quality fish shop - not a standard pet shop - and go there fairly soon to ask them for some. If they offer you water that's not entirely helpful as the beneficial bacteria lives mainly on surfaces. Even some gravel could help you out, though filter media is really best.

Seachem prime made a big difference when my quarantine tanks cycle failed, the fish were originally showing signs of stress until I added it, it detoxified the ammonia and they acted normal again. That gave me enough time to deal with any problems. If you can't get the media I would at least get some of this stuff. And the bacteria in a bottle. I know I'm repeating myself here but this can relieve him a bit.

 

[tatianamansur85]

Yeah pet shops can be really bad for this kinda stuff. Most of the time the employees don't know much about fish, give terrible advise and in the end of the day, most people will bring a betta home, it will die, and they'll get another. So more money for that shop. Luckily where I'm from the shops are really great for fish care, advise and stuff like that. I still wouldn't trust their word on things, but it tends to be pretty alright. Its great that you are learning now, lots of people never bother. So you're off to a pretty good start here.

Yeah, he's not looking so hot. That food consists of small granules, if he's sick and therefore lethargic, he could find it difficult to catch them as they fall or find them among the substrate. A larger flake could definitely be easier on him

If the fish in the shop that are in proper tanks look sick as they do in some chain stores, it would be best not to ask. If they look fine and the tanks have filters (normally in shops they have sumps - at least here) then the media could really help save your betta. If not then I would try to research to find a good quality fish shop - not a standard pet shop - and go there fairly soon to ask them for some. If they offer you water that's not entirely helpful as the beneficial bacteria lives mainly on surfaces. Even some gravel could help you out, though filter media is really best.

Seachem prime made a big difference when my quarantine tanks cycle failed, the fish were originally showing signs of stress until I added it, it detoxified the ammonia and they acted normal again. That gave me enough time to deal with any problems. If you can't get the media I would at least get some of this stuff. And the bacteria in a bottle. I know I'm repeating myself here but this can relieve him a bit.

Don’t worry about repeating things. This thread is so long now that I find myself lost sometimes haha
About the water cycling:

- the almost perfect situation would be a low nitrAte reading?

This water cycle thing is still confusing for me...

Seachem prime made a big difference when my quarantine

That’s the one?

 

[Feohw]

Don’t worry about repeating things. This thread is so long now that I find myself lost sometimes haha
About the water cycling:

- the almost perfect situation would be a low nitrAte reading?

This water cycle thing is still confusing for me...

Okay, so you don't want ammonia or nitrites. You want some nitrates but not crazy numbers. I accept up to 20ppm in my tanks but prefer them around 5 or less. There are people with more than 20 though. In a small tank it can be easiy to control nitrate levels, if they are at 40, a 50% water change will bring them down to 20. Plants can really help to help with water quality, so if you have a light, or can get one, some easy to care for plants like anubias, java fern or java moss could also help to improve water quality.

Right now your betta and his food are producing ammonia, you need to culture a bacteria colony big enough to break all that down to nitrites. Then you need to grow another colony of bacteria to break nitrites down to nitrates. Fish in cycles take longer than fishless cycles as you have to limit the amount of ammonia in there - so less for the bacteria to break down which means they grow slower.

That’s the one?

That's the one. Really can help out in situations like this. Its mainly for removing chlorine from water but the ammonia detoxification is really helpful.