Beta at the top of bowl

[flying_babyb]

My beta is hanging around the top of the bowl. I fed him and he's got a airator in the tank. Is this normal?

 

[PizzieDuster]

Maybe move him to a larger tank with a filter? I'm sorry. We have a gold fish who is as large as a dollar bill. Got him from the school carnival (7 years ago I think?) in a plastic bag. We kept moving him into larger bowls then a small tank with a filter. Good luck...we love our Goldie

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Yes it's normal. He's probably making a bubble nest. They do that for the females to lay their eggs in(on?).

 

[java]

Get the airator out of the tank. That's how we killed ours.

 

[aprilgail2]

Get the airator out of the tank. That's how we killed ours.

Betas do not need anything other than water, a bowl and food every 2-3 days!

 

[DizBelle]

Bettas are actually air breathers. They go to the surface to get air. That's why they are sold in those tiny cups.

The aerator may cause too much turbulence for the betta. They aren't used to swimming hard.

 

[mamacatnv]

I've had my Betta Louis for a year. As other have said, remove the airator.
Betta's also have the tendency to float on their sides when their swim bladders get out of whack, this is a common occurrence and is generally caused by being constipated (no joke, I googled it) the fix, feed them a couple of green peas. I now give Louie one green pea a week (thawed from frozen). Remove the outer skin, break it into tiny pieces and drop it in, do this in place of their food.

I clean his bowl and replace with fresh water once a week. Also, only use silk plants, the plastic plants tear their beautiful fins.

I feed Louis daily - a pellet in the morning and a pellet at night and no food over the weekend (he is at my office) On Mondays I give him one mid day pellet in addition.

 

[Disneylover99]

I've had my Betta Louis for a year. As other have said, remove the airator.
Betta's also have the tendency to float on their sides when their swim bladders get out of whack, this is a common occurrence and is generally caused by being constipated (no joke, I googled it) the fix, feed them a couple of green peas. I now give Louie one green pea a week (thawed from frozen). Remove the outer skin, break it into tiny pieces and drop it in, do this in place of their food.

I clean his bowl and replace with fresh water once a week. Also, only use silk plants, the plastic plants tear their beautiful fins.

I feed Louis daily - a pellet in the morning and a pellet at night and no food over the weekend (he is at my office) On Mondays I give him one mid day pellet in addition.

Great advice...thanks!

I have a question about leaving your beta overnight. Do you leave the light on for your Beta or do you turn it off? if we go away for a few days, I'm never quite sure if I should leave the tank light on or off.

Right now we turn on our Beta's light during the day, but we turn it off at bedtime.

 

[aprilgail2]

Great advice...thanks!

I have a question about leaving your beta overnight. Do you leave the light on for your Beta or do you turn it off? if we go away for a few days, I'm never quite sure if I should leave the tank light on or off.

Right now we turn on our Beta's light during the day, but we turn it off at bedtime.

Tank light??? Ive never seen a beta in a bowl that had a light on it.

 

[Liberty Belle]

We had our Betta (Rex) in the aquarium with other fish for about two years. He did fine. It does seem like he swam to the surface quite often.

 

[Disneylover99]

Tank light??? Ive never seen a beta in a bowl that had a light on it.

Really? Did I buy the wrong tank? I've never owned a pet in my entire life so does a Beta prefer the dark?

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Really? Did I buy the wrong tank? I've never owned a pet in my entire life so does a Beta prefer the dark?

No, it's fine. Most people just have the little bowls, but a lot of the little betta tanks have lights.

Most people don't know that they actually do fairly well in aquariums with other peaceful fish that won't nip their fins(they also have to be the only betta in the tank).

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Really? Did I buy the wrong tank? I've never owned a pet in my entire life so does a Beta prefer the dark?

If you leave it on too long/much you can get algae growth though. Annoying, but not dangerous.

 

[Disneylover99]

If you leave it on too long/much you can get algae growth though. Annoying, but not dangerous.

Thanks for the info!

 

[njmom47]

Aw, this makes me miss our Betta, Jelly.
He was kept in the kitchen and would greet me when I went near his fishbowl.

 

[Disneyluvr81]

Aw, this makes me miss our Betta, Jelly.
He was kept in the kitchen and would greet me when I went near his fishbowl.

My brother had a beta when he and I lived together a few years ago and its so funny to say but he was the friendliest little fish. He loved when people would come over to his bowl. It was a very sad day when he passed. He died of constipation...seriously never knew until we googled it. It happened so quickly (like he was okay when we left in the morning and swimming on his side by the afternoon) and we gave him peas as soon as we figured it out that afternoon but it didn't save him.

My brother has had a couple of betas since and none of them were people fish. Alphie (yes, Alphie Beta fish hehe) was a one in a million!

 

[mamacatnv]

Great advice...thanks!

I have a question about leaving your beta overnight. Do you leave the light on for your Beta or do you turn it off? if we go away for a few days, I'm never quite sure if I should leave the tank light on or off.

Right now we turn on our Beta's light during the day, but we turn it off at bedtime.

Louis hangs out in my office so his "lights" are the ceiling lights - I turn off at night and all weekend. I do have a small window that looks out to another window so not total darkness. I didn't buy him a tank, I went to World Market, got a glass vase and some small river rock to use as his habitat

My brother had a beta when he and I lived together a few years ago and its so funny to say but he was the friendliest little fish. He loved when people would come over to his bowl. It was a very sad day when he passed. He died of constipation...seriously never knew until we googled it. It happened so quickly (like he was okay when we left in the morning and swimming on his side by the afternoon) and we gave him peas as soon as we figured it out that afternoon but it didn't save him.

My brother has had a couple of betas since and none of them were people fish. Alphie (yes, Alphie Beta fish hehe) was a one in a million!

Just a warning - I have thought at least twice that Louis was dead - I have found him floating upside down on the top of the water and on his back on the bottom one morning when I came to work. The time he was on the bottom I was convinced I needed to flush him but a few hours later I caught the "body" out of the corner of my eye, swimming. Sometimes he will do the dead mans float if I have been neglectful of keeping his water changed.

I swear this fish knows how to push my buttons! He also comes right to the top of his bowl every morning when I walk into my office, he is ready for his breakfast

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We had our Betta (Rex) in the aquarium with other fish for about two years. He did fine. It does seem like he swam to the surface quite often.

My sister did that. After a while, she realized she was down to one fish - a very fat Beta

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My brother had a beta when he and I lived together a few years ago and its so funny to say but he was the friendliest little fish. He loved when people would come over to his bowl. It was a very sad day when he passed. He died of constipation...seriously never knew until we googled it. It happened so quickly (like he was okay when we left in the morning and swimming on his side by the afternoon) and we gave him peas as soon as we figured it out that afternoon but it didn't save him.

My brother has had a couple of betas since and none of them were people fish. Alphie (yes, Alphie Beta fish hehe) was a one in a million!

My daughter had two - Toodie definitely had more personality than Rocky