Help My Betta

[georgmors]

I have had my male betta for 4 months in a small 1 gallon (3.5 litre) bowl. The bowl had a plant and the temperature is regulated at 26 degrees Celsius at all times. My betta has been perfect, making bubble nests and everything all the time.

The guy at the aquarium suggested that I introduce a corydora into the tank to stop the tank from getting so dirty, as the cory would eat up the food that fell to the rocks.

I have had the cory in the water for about a week, yet I noticed that my betta has stopped making bubble nests and tonight when I got home he was not looking very bright, he has lost his bright blue and is now a dull blue.

WHAT DO I DO?! HELP

 

[the_lock_man]

You don't say if the bowl has a filter or not, but I suspect that the addition of the cory has caused an ammonia overload.
 
I would take the cory back. I would also strongly recommend a larger tank, as 1 gallon just isn't very big at all. If you can't do that, please ensure that this bowl gets a filter.

 

[georgmors]

I have a 10 litre bowl that I can swap them into?

I have just done a full water change and the betta looks better already, so I am guessing you were correct with ammonia overload.

 

[fluttermoth]

A larger volume of water is nearly always better than smaller, but you will still need to heat and filter it.
 
If you don't have a filter, you'll have to change all the water, every day, to keep your fish alive.
 
I would also second the advice to take the corydoras back. They are a very social fish and it's not really fair to keep one on it's own.

 

[the_lock_man]

If the bowl isn't filtered, then you really need to be doing that job every day. If you haven't been doing that, I'm very surprised that the fish is still alive.

 

[greenmumma141]

I agree that you should take the cory back. They are often sold as "clean up fish" but really need so much more than left over flake or betta pellet food to be healthy. Not only are they a very social fish, but I wouldn't recommend they be kept in a 10 gallon (except for dwarf species) let alone a 10 liter. 

 

[Noahsfish]

Just as a heads up, if you could be arrested for fish cruelty, you'd be in prison right now..