help...Betta not moving

[Jo]

I've got a Betta that has been kept in a 7.5g on his own for a week (thats how long I've had him)

I put him into a 3g last night and he was fine, swimming round and acting normal...

today I tested his water and decided that the results were a bit too high for me to be happy about...so I did a 50% water change...

ever since then he has been lying on the bottom and now he is floating by the surface....

He is unfiltered as he wouldn't tollerate the filter in the other tank...

I'm worried that something is up with the water...I have tested it again and whilst eveything is higer than I'd like, being unfiltered I'm not sure what I can do about that...the peramiters are definately better than he had before, so he should be happier..

I REALLY dont want to lose him and am seeking some advice from experienced Betta keepers out there as to what's up..is he just sulking cause I have down graded his home, or is there something more serious afoot..?

 

[dixaisy930]

Is he still eating? If he's still eating, I'd say he's just sulking. If he isn't...you might want to look real closery at him and see if he has and white fungus type stuff around his gills or anywhere else on his body.

 

[Jo]

no he's not eating, but no signs of any visible illness that I can see, was worried about swim bladder for a bit...but he swims well enough when he wants to...put him back in his 7.5 g for the moment
he used to be happy in there
so far no change!

 

[FishHeads]

no he's not eating, but no signs of any visible illness that I can see, was worried about swim bladder for a bit...but he swims well enough when he wants to...put him back in his 7.5 g for the moment
he used to be happy in there
so far no change!

That is interesting indeed. Shadow, my Vietnamese Grey Beta, was doing the same thing last week and his perameters were actually right within the safe zone. I added specific pH, Nitrate and Nitrite reducer additives until they were in the safe zones. I also have what is called an "ammonia pillow" which looks like a miniature filter bag with off-white colored bits of rock. These clear the water of all Ammonia and prevent stress problems associated with water changes. He was much happier after that. I suggest that your Beta may be a little in shock with all the tank switching. Leave him alone in his original tank for a while, a long while. Let him readjust to his own perfered levels of comfort and see if that helps. If it does, you can try the change again, but try to take it one step at a time. Give him at least 15 minutes to sit in his transfer cup (or whatever you use to move the fish from tank to tank) on top of the new tank's water surface. Then (I am sure you know all of this...) ease some of his cup water out and replace it with the new tank water throughout the duration if the 15 minutes. When his cup is mixed up good with the new tank water, tip it enough to let him swim out on his own. Don't dump him out, that is a major cause of stress-shock. I would try your aquatics center for pH products etc.

I hope this helps....!!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Are you a fishy breeder geeza?

As nice as his former home probably was, I don't really think the fish is sulking because you moved him. He probably didn't take it as a personal offense. More likely it is a physical problem involving the water change.

Did you carefully match the temperature of the new water you added? He might have gotten a chill. Also, I wonder about 50 percent water changes, especially with fresh water. That could be an abrupt chemical change which might have him upset. With the size tanks you have, you could do a 100% water change using water from your big one, if necessary. This would be less of a shock to him if he is sensitive.

Best plan to get a sponge filter for his tank if you can. I've just started using one with my cory fry and find it is very gentle. Even the small fish can come up to the surface of it and swim back away. Perhaps he will be more comfortable with one of these. (It's ugly, but good.)

Good luck. Please let us know how he is doing.


____
P.S. Whatever you do, please don't fool around with the ph.

 

[Jo]

he he..thanks for the advice guys...nope, I dont add any chemicals to any of my tanks where possible and the Ph of the water is ok at the moment, and even if it wasn't I'd rather do something to naturally sort it out (ie bogwood or something) so thats for the concern, but don'tn worry about that...

Did you carefully match the temperature of the new water you added? He might have gotten a chill. Also, I wonder about 50 percent water changes, especially with fresh water. That could be an abrupt chemical change which might have him upset. With the size tanks you have, you could do a 100% water change using water from your big one, if necessary. This would be less of a shock to him if he is sensitive.

Yeah I carefully matched the water temperature from the tank, I wonder about 50% water changes too, but until I can get a filter that he tolerates (gonna try a sponge filter, thanks for the tip! ) I'm having to be careful about his water..will be leaving him in the 7.5 for a while, he was obviously happier in there, so best thing to do I think...

I'm just worried that some chemicals have got into the water...I know they are fiddling with the water works round here...so am not going to touch any of my other tanks, just in case!

Yeah I dont dump him out..I collect him in a pint glass and let him swim into that and swim out again when he feels like it, so as to stress him as little as possible...

gonna leave him be for a few days and keep my fingers crossed that nothing is upo with the poor little guy...

thansks for your concern!

 

[FishHeads]

____
P.S. Whatever you do, please don't fool around with the ph.

I love sponge filters, why didn't I think of that? Around my neighborhood, natural pH decreasers or increasers are difficult to come by, even at the LFS. They are jerks about the whole concept. Once a week I carefully plan out what needs to be done with my two triple hex beta tanks and my other beta tanks.. I run pH tests after each partial waterchange. I use breeder recommended pH chemicals that create very slight changes to meet necissary requirements, not drastic ones. I can get them from the LFS, like Wet Pets that is up by my dorm, but the ones I prefer aren't always in stock whcih sucks. My fish are doing superbly also, which makes me very confident on how I take care of them.

Big Blue is flaring...he looks hilarious!

 

[Jo]

hmmmm, well he's back in his original tank and has been there since last night....he is still skulking around on the bottom....His fins are looking slightly clamped today too, which I'm concerned about...

His Nitrite levels are high too, with him being in an unfiltered tank I'm not sure what to do about this!

I was changing the water yesterday to try to solve this problem.....and he became Iller, I'm wondering if he has got used to bad water conditions and is only happy when he is in them...he did seem to get progressively happier as the water got worse....

I have put the filter on in his tank for a bit to draw all the water through it to se if that helps at all..he hates it and is getting blown round the tank as we speak but hopefully by dragging all the water throught that it'll solve a bit of the problem..it is looking cleaner already...not going to be able to go anywhere to get a sponge filter till next weekend, so need some interim measures...might turn his filter on for an hour a day or something in the meantime...

 

[Inchworm]

I'm just worried that some chemicals have got into the water...I know they are fiddling with the water works round here...so am not going to touch any of my other tanks, just in case!

It would be a good idea to check your dechlorinator to be sure that it removes both chlorine and chloramines. Some products do, but not all.

If you don't trust your water company, don't take chances with this. Chloramines can be deadly to your fish if they are putting them in your area's water.

 

[Jo]

It's ok, the declorinator that I use neutralises both...thanks for checking tho...

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Are you a fishy breeder geezer.

I was wondering how you fish is doing. How about an update?

 

[Jo]

well the sly guy is back...not clamped any more, now he's back in his old tank..I sometimes catch him "pretending" to be ill again, but this is when he wants my attention more than anything..we haven't had any mre bubble nests since his move back, but here's hoping!

he;s a lot more active, and has gone back to shouting at me when I come in the room..!

I'm in the process of trying to acclimatise him to the filter that is in his tank, but turning it on for an hour a day when I feed him, in a couple of weeks Im going to start upping the time the filter is on...if he's still not having any of it, then I have bought him a UGF to go in his tank if he prefers...

his old tank will be being used as a fry tank whilst they are growing, but as soon as they're gone...or sooner if I manage to buy a new tank...!...a new Betta will be going into it!

So all in all, he;s back and looking good..thanks for asking!

 

[Inchworm]

Hello Are you a fishy breeder geeza?

It's always great to learn of a happy ending!

 

[Jo]

yep..he';s happily swimming round in his old/new big tank....unfortunately...I went the the lfs yesterday and had to get another one (red, called lucifer)

He's gone in the 3g and is behaving in the same way...!

covered him over and doing small water changes daily, hoping that he's just stressed from the move, but will be keeping a close eye on the water and him!

damn betta! good job I em isn't it!