Anyone here own betta fish?

Dodgerchick · 12-17-2009, 11:17 AM

We've had Newberry for 5 months and for some reason he stopped eating. We've been feeding him Betta Bites fish food and he's eaten about a pellet in the past 3 days, but hasn't eaten well in a couple of weeks. I changed his water recently and no luck, he just sorta hangs out at the bottom of the fishbowl lethargic-like. Before this he always swam towards us and was always eager to eat but now it's like he doesn't care.

Poor guy, anyone have suggestions? He was given to us by a friend of ours so I don't know how old he is.

Thanks in advance.

chesapeake · 12-17-2009, 11:45 AM

I am hardly an expert, but I have kept freshwater fish for many years and might be able to give you some insights. Bettas live roughly 2 to 4 years, so age certainly could be a factor.

1) How big is the bowl? What is it like? How and how often do you cahnge the water?
2) Do you notice any other symptoms? Fins? Eyes? Is anything growing on him?

Dodgerchick · 12-17-2009, 11:53 AM

1) 1/2 gallon, looks sort of like this

. The water gets changed about every week or week and a half.

2) No symptoms he looks just like he did when we got him, vibrant colors, no discoloration, eyes look normal, I don't see anything growing on him.

Warhammer · 12-17-2009, 12:32 PM

Sorry, only fish I've got is a Babel fish.

boberot · 12-17-2009, 01:44 PM

I'm definitely not an expert, either, but have had freshwater fish for years.

Anything that might have shocked his system recently? Abrupt temperature change? Total water changes [partial water changes are much better for the fish]. Just throwing out some possibilities . . . .

chesapeake · 12-17-2009, 01:51 PM

Water quality is often the biggest problem with a small bowl. Very modest changes -- accumulating waste or uneaten food, for example -- can cause a spike in ammonia or nitrites that can be deadly.

That said, bettas are hardy fish and can handle relatively poor conditions, even if it is not best for them. Lethargy and poor appetite are definitely indicators of a problem, but I don't know of any way to specifically identify the problem without any other symptoms.

Doing a little browsing, I found this page that talks about a number of sicknesses that affect bettas: hxxp://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm. At least it will give you some idea of what to look for. I don't know anything about any of the products they suggest on the site, so I can't comment about those.

The best advice I can give you is to make the water conditions as good a possible so Newberry's immune system can have the best chance to help him. To do that, I would recommend a partial water change every couple of days -- about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the bowl. Changing out the full bowl at once can shock the fish's system and make him sicker. You want to make sure that you are cleaning out some of the waste in the gravel each time you clean to prevent a dangerous buildup of nitrates. Some waste is fine, as it is necessary to establish and maintain a bacterial colony on the gravel which helps to maintain water quality.

Fill a pitcher of water the day before and let it sit on your counter, covered, for a full day. This allows it to reach room temp and for the chemicals your water system may add to the water to break down.

Also, as a general rule, no food should reach the bottom of the bowl during feeding time. Uneaten food can cause big problems as it decomposes.

I hope some of this helps. Good luck!

-apoc- · 12-17-2009, 01:55 PM

Get a heater for the water and an antifungal treatment just to be safe. If you wait to see the fungus before you treat for it it will probably be too late. The water temp should be about 80 also.

boberot · 12-17-2009, 02:05 PM

Oh, yes, another possible factor -- overfeeding.

I think 90% of fish owners overfeed them.

I just took my 30-gallon down [thanks to our cat who wouldn't stop going after the fish], but when it was going, I would typically feed once per day, roughly two flakes per fish depending on their size.

dolfin · 12-17-2009, 02:14 PM

Overfeeding bettas is easy to do. They don't each much at all and its a good idea to not feed it every day.

Dodgerchick · 12-17-2009, 02:27 PM

Ahh yeah. I overfed him not that long ago and noticed some food particles at the bottom so I cleaned his bowl. I'll have to re-clean the rocks and make sure the little dragon ornament is thoroughly clean as well.

I stuck my pinky in his water and definitely doesn't feel like it's 80 degrees, so I'll have to look into getting a heater.

Thanks so much for the advice, it is much appreciated.

12-17-2009, 11:53 AM	#3
Dodgerchick College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Austin, TX	1) 1/2 gallon, looks sort of like this . The water gets changed about every week or week and a half. 2) No symptoms he looks just like he did when we got him, vibrant colors, no discoloration, eyes look normal, I don't see anything growing on him. __________________ DON'T ITCH THAT NOSE! A Meditation Dynasty

12-17-2009, 01:51 PM	#6
chesapeake College Starter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Arlington, VA	Water quality is often the biggest problem with a small bowl. Very modest changes -- accumulating waste or uneaten food, for example -- can cause a spike in ammonia or nitrites that can be deadly. That said, bettas are hardy fish and can handle relatively poor conditions, even if it is not best for them. Lethargy and poor appetite are definitely indicators of a problem, but I don't know of any way to specifically identify the problem without any other symptoms. Doing a little browsing, I found this page that talks about a number of sicknesses that affect bettas: hxxp://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm. At least it will give you some idea of what to look for. I don't know anything about any of the products they suggest on the site, so I can't comment about those. The best advice I can give you is to make the water conditions as good a possible so Newberry's immune system can have the best chance to help him. To do that, I would recommend a partial water change every couple of days -- about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the bowl. Changing out the full bowl at once can shock the fish's system and make him sicker. You want to make sure that you are cleaning out some of the waste in the gravel each time you clean to prevent a dangerous buildup of nitrates. Some waste is fine, as it is necessary to establish and maintain a bacterial colony on the gravel which helps to maintain water quality. Fill a pitcher of water the day before and let it sit on your counter, covered, for a full day. This allows it to reach room temp and for the chemicals your water system may add to the water to break down. Also, as a general rule, no food should reach the bottom of the bowl during feeding time. Uneaten food can cause big problems as it decomposes. I hope some of this helps. Good luck! Last edited by chesapeake : 12-17-2009 at 01:53 PM.

12-17-2009, 01:55 PM	#7
-apoc- H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Satellite Beach, FL	Get a heater for the water and an antifungal treatment just to be safe. If you wait to see the fungus before you treat for it it will probably be too late. The water temp should be about 80 also. __________________ Share and enjoy

12-17-2009, 02:05 PM	#8
boberot High School Varsity Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Western NY	Oh, yes, another possible factor -- overfeeding. I think 90% of fish owners overfeed them. I just took my 30-gallon down [thanks to our cat who wouldn't stop going after the fish], but when it was going, I would typically feed once per day, roughly two flakes per fish depending on their size. Last edited by boberot : 12-17-2009 at 02:06 PM.

12-17-2009, 02:27 PM	#10
Dodgerchick College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Austin, TX	Ahh yeah. I overfed him not that long ago and noticed some food particles at the bottom so I cleaned his bowl. I'll have to re-clean the rocks and make sure the little dragon ornament is thoroughly clean as well. I stuck my pinky in his water and definitely doesn't feel like it's 80 degrees, so I'll have to look into getting a heater. Thanks so much for the advice, it is much appreciated. __________________ DON'T ITCH THAT NOSE! A Meditation Dynasty

12-17-2009, 11:45 AM	#2
chesapeake College Starter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Arlington, VA	I am hardly an expert, but I have kept freshwater fish for many years and might be able to give you some insights. Bettas live roughly 2 to 4 years, so age certainly could be a factor. 1) How big is the bowl? What is it like? How and how often do you cahnge the water? 2) Do you notice any other symptoms? Fins? Eyes? Is anything growing on him?

12-17-2009, 12:32 PM	#4
Warhammer Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dayton, OH	Sorry, only fish I've got is a Babel fish.

12-17-2009, 01:44 PM	#5
boberot High School Varsity Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Western NY	I'm definitely not an expert, either, but have had freshwater fish for years. Anything that might have shocked his system recently? Abrupt temperature change? Total water changes [partial water changes are much better for the fish]. Just throwing out some possibilities . . . .

12-17-2009, 02:14 PM	#9
dolfin High School JV Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Texas	Overfeeding bettas is easy to do. They don't each much at all and its a good idea to not feed it every day.

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