Sad Betta

[lukestanislaus]

Hi I got a Betta and had him in my new (1 week stocked) tank with 1 small blue gouami (female) 2 small angelfish 4 yoy loaches and some very small rosy barbs

the fish shop guy said it should be ok, and he was for a few days but today he seems very sad, hiding and not being anywehre near as actve as he was before.
his fins arent ripped, maybe some very slight tattiness at the fringes but no major damage, the only fish that seems to show an interest in nipping is the blue gourami. has lost some colour from his body too (was very rich red, now a little brown) and is generally much less active. what could be the problem? perhaps a water problem or is it more likely he is being bullied? Perhaps he is tired out from having to run away from potencial fin nippers?

jsut wondering what the best course of action would be, i already took him out and put him in a bucket (heated) with some gravel as a temporary solution.
i have a small 5g tank which im thinking on permanently housing him in, but i would like to have a tankmate or 2

or i could put him in a smaller container, but then i wouldnt be able to heat it. i live in melbourne, australia which has a reasonably mild climate but nowhre near tropical. will the betta survive in an unheated tank?

should i completely give up on having him in the mixed tank? and if so which fish should i think about mxing him with in the 5g tank? how long can i afford to leave him in the bucket (maybe 1 gallon (~4L))?

or i could buy a small plastic box thing that hangs in the existing tank, would this be a bad idea? seems a little cruel becuase he would be able to see the plants etc but not be able to swim around which he seemed to enjoy doing before today

any advice would be great

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Bettas and gouramis aren't a very good combination. And bettas aren't good community fish, they prefer to be alone. I suggestyou put him in the five gallon tank.

 

[heatmisr]

I agree. The LFS gave bad advice as to acceptable tank mates. If you put him in a 5g, heated, filtered tank, you could put 2 otos in with him. Bettas aren't community fish, but they do fine with otos.

 

[Monty2451]

Mixed tank with a gourami is a bad idea as they are related species, plus barbs tend to be fin nippers as well. The five gallon tank is a great idea but any real tank mates aren't advised as bettas are very solitary, mabey a small cory or two, or otos, thats about it. As to as smaller tank, you could but dont go less than 2.5 gal. if you can and certainly no less than 1 gal, but only go with this if necessary. As to heating, it isn't always necessary, as long as the water stays at a constant temp somewhere in the range of 76*F and 82*F then all should be well. There can be some slight variation in a 24 hour period, between night and day, as this is what occurs in the wild anyway, but nothing to drastic, 2*-3* at most and don't let the temp go below 74* (and that is the very lowest), if it does you will need a heater. So all in all, if you go with the five gal. tank, get a heater, if you go smaller, keep him in a warm room and be mindful of the temp. Don't keep him in direct sunlight however, thats a no-no for almost any tank. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

 

[zoekin8yg]

Like its been said the naughty lfs told you the wrong info! A 5g would be great for him ottos also as said will do great.

 

[fiki]

also... bettas aren't necessarily NOT community fish... they are ok w/ peaceful fish - guppies, mollies, and others are ok...

BUT

the best thing you should do is to take out the betta and put him by himself... Ilike said before gourami's and bettas aren't compatible) or if you have a tank with guppies or something ... try him in there...

 

[Monty2451]

I disagree with the guppies, as I said Guppies can be fin nippers and bettas will kill the males as they are flashy and seen as rivials and thus a threat and will be dealt with accordingly. NO GUPPIES!

 

[stang1]

I agree with Monty, Guppies are one of the worst tankmates for a Betta!
He'll be fine in a 5G tank, should be a lot happier and more active.

 

[lisie]

Bettas are not community fish. They are a solitary species and prefer to be kept on their own, but they sometimes will put up with dull-colored peaceful fish.

Also, how big is the tank?

 

[crimsonxflamex3]

I disagree with Guppys. I was stupid and tried that once... It didn't turn out well for my guppys.. But, I have heard that Otos, Corys, and Ghost Shrimp make compatable tank mates! I would say put him in the 5 gal. and Try some otos or corys. And if that doesn't work out, you can always put him by himself in a 2.5gal. Thats what My boy is in. Good Luck!

 

[Jozlyn]

I don't know if you have PetStock in Melbourne, we have them out here in the country, but at the moment they have a 10lt tank with heater, filter, gravel, goldfish food, water conditioner and some really dopey looking Christmas ornaments on sale for $22. They're left over from Christmas and are perfect for a Betta, I have one myself and I'm planning on buying a couple more so that I can get a couple more Bettas.


You'll need to get some extra gravel, cause there's only just enough to cover the bottom and some fake and/or real plants and decorations. There's a very dodgy background in their, which I didn't use, I just have a piece of black card behind mine.

Failing that you could get a small tank for him and put him on top of the fridge or the TV, something that gives off heat over winter.

Please don't get a Betta tank for him, they're too small and the plastic prisons that you hang on the side of your main tank are too small too.

I'm fairly certain there's a PetStock store in Ballarat, which is only about 1 1/2 hour drive from the CBD, straight down the Western Highway.

Good luck

 

[TribeOfShroom]

Hmm I just thought I'd add my little part. I have a 120litre med-heavily planted tank, with a variety of fish including a male betta that I've had now for a year. Now considering all of the advice given on this page I'm quite surprised, as the other tanks mates include:

Pearl Gourami X2
Golden Gourami X2
Three spot Gourami X2
Corydoras X6
Black Widow tetra X2
Cardinal tetra X4
Penguin tetra
Bristlenose plec
Algae eating loach
Khuli loches X6
Golden Panchax X2
Bolivian Rams X2

None of my fish are stressed and as for my male betta, he is more than happy in the tank and is frequently seen swimming about and even swmming into the main flow of water, now considering the tank has 2 filters meant for 30-60litre tanks and bettas are suppose to be stressed by strong currents, I think is quite impressive. He even has a regular habit of building bubble nests where some of my hornwort has reached the water surface. Maybe my fish is a part of a small percentage of bettas that do not conform to popular belief of what these fish are capable of, but I do belief that these fish are a lot hardier than we are commonly led to believe.

Just a thought