Question for those who know about Beta fish

[vald1977]

We got ds a beta on Saturday along with a little beta tank. We filled the tank with room temp. bottled water and have been feeding him twice a day per the food container's instructions. It seems that "Fishy" only wants to hang out at the top of the tank playing dead. If you gently tap the tank or move it slightly he swims a bit but settles back at the top. I keep thinking he's dead.

Is this normal behavior for these fish or is something wrong with Fishy? Any ideas on how we can help him out? Thanks for any help .

 

[pumba]

just put some regular tap water uncovered for 24 hours and then put the fish in that....so I always have a jug sitting around.......ours is 3 and a half years old.....and I think that when they first come they have to get used to your tank and your surroundings.....we put a mirror next to his tank and he is happy as a lark.......mine is a nut case though and sometimes he jumps out of the tank.....hope this helps....but they are really easy to care for ......as long as you DON"T COOK YOURS LIKE I DID........Mr. Feeney lasted three days with us.....but otis is still going strong.....

 

[vald1977]

Thanks, Pumba. I'll have to just use tap water next time. Think I'll set some out for him now and change him over tomorrow. How did you cook your other beta?

 

[powellrj]

our beta fish gave me the creeps, he would just sorta hang in the water and stare. It was the strangest feeling, like he was watching you... I made ds keep it in his room and it lived for about a year. DS had to get a pet for science last month and beta fish were one of the ones on the list. I said no way and we went with hermit crab!!!

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

DD got a beta last August and "Titan" is still going strong.

He doesn't hang out at the top of the bowl, he hangs out at the bottom.

I can relate to powellrj when they said

he would just sorta hang in the water and stare. It was the strangest feeling, like he was watching you...

DD's beta does the same thing . . .

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I use to collect beta fish. My husband and I were determined to get them to breed. We even bought several books on breeding fish with no success. I still bought alot of them because I got so addicted to the different colors you could get them in. I think the most I had at one time was like 20 males and 6 or 7 females. Now, keep in mind you can't put them together so I had some in little fish bowls, some in mason jars, and one in each one of my fish tanks.
Some like to hang out at the top of the bowl and just float there, some of mine looked like they were laying at the bottom of the bowl, then some would actually swim around the bowl.
I actually still have a facination for them, but right now I only have 2. I have one in my fish tank (you can put them in with hot or cold water fish, just not other betas) and the other in a fish bowl in my bedroom. They are not very active fish but they are very beautiful.
Now I'm in the mood to go get another one, guess I'll have to run to Walmart now!

 

[pumba]

I went and got him an expensive corner tank with airater and filter ....the whole nine yards....well I washed the tank out with hot water and filled it with hot water......oh well.....then plugged it in....and then in one hour put mr. Feeney in there.......in another half hour he was floating up side down......put my finger in it to get him to bite my finger and he was dead on touch......I felt bad.....the water was still boiling hot...so I said I cooked Mr. Feeney........
OTIS is mr. personality....he is super friendly and gets all excited when someone walks by the kitchen sideboard......he sometimes gets so excited he jumps out....had to scoop him back a few times......
ding dong fish!!

 

[Melora]

Dont use tap water unless you condition it with some sort of water conditioner. Most tap water has heavy minerals and chemicals that will kill fish very quickly. Not all cities have the same type of water which is why some people can just put in tap water with out conditioner. Don't use bottled either because it is too pure. Some cites only have light cholorine added into the water but most municipalities these days have cholormines as well that will not break down for as much as 14 days and that will leave behind ammonia which is toxic.

Also make sure when you change the water that the water is within a dgree or two of the old water as betas especially are sensitive to water temp change. It can kill them or strees them out very badly.

I filled up my gold fish tank once and forgot to put in the conditioner (we had just moved and I was distracted) 2 of my favorite fish died within 2 days).

Bettas are normally very slow, "not do a whole lot" fish especially when they are put into a small enviroment. Most people do not know that Betas make very nice community tank fish and get along nicely with everyone but their own kind.

 

[peg2001]

The floating betta doesn't sound healthy. Keep an eye on him.

We have a betta in a 5-gallon filtered tank. He really likes the clump of java moss that we have in there with him. He "cuddles" and gets cozy on the moss as his favored resting place.

Letting tap water set overnight will bring it to room temperature and allow the chlorine to gas out. However, if you tap water has chloramines in it, you need to get some drops to neutralize it. I recommend AmQuel.

Hope this helps.
Peggy

 

[4greatboys]

We use distilled spring water or drinking water with ours. You can get it at Wal-mart for .50 or .60 cents a gallon. We had a fish that slept upside down in the rocks. His head was stuck down in the them and his tail was kind of hanging over. He looked dead but if you tapped the tank he would wake up and get excited thinking it was time to eat.

 

[Lorix2]

Here in NH we've had great luck with Beta's lasting over a year or more. The one we have now actually likes to lay on the bottom on the colored stones until he smells the food and comes up right away. He's blue and his name is Nemo.

We just use tap water and have never had a problem, like I said, they've lasted a long time.

I have question though....I know you can't put 2 beta's together because they'll fight or kill one another...but if this is true, how can they mate?

 

[Rajah]

How big of a bowl do you have him in? I've got 2 betta, one is at work in a 1/2 gallon bowl (because that's the largest I can bring in to work, otherwise I'd get him a 2-gallon), the other is at home in a 2-gallon filtered tank. My mom has one in a 3-gallon filtered tank.

Use the water conditioner on the water before putting it in the tank -- that's just safer and easier on the fish.

If you don't have a large enough bowl, they likely won't do much because there's no room to move. Azzie, my betta at work, will spend half the day swimming around and the other half resting on the silk plants or the gravel. If you do put plants in your bowl, it's better to use silk rather than plastic, that way you don't tear up your fish's fins.

It may also take a few days for your betta to adjust to the new home It took Bob (the betta at home) 2 or 3 days to eat anything, but now he's an excited happy fish who comes out to say hi to me every time I walk by.

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Lorix2
I have question though....I know you can't put 2 beta's together because they'll fight or kill one another...but if this is true, how can they mate?

That's not quite true.

You can't put two *male* betta in the same tank. But 2 females or a male and female will work together, at least for short periods to allow the male and female to mate.

You also want to be careful with a betta in with any other fish that has long fins, and even some that don't. My parents had a cute...oh, now I forget what type he was but he was a little bottom feeder who moved really fast for a while. But one day he got a little sick, slowed down, and their betta ate all the fins off the little feeder. The feeder died a few days later. And this wasn't a long-finned fish. So you have to be careful about who you keep the betta in with. Just like all animals, betta have personalities of their own and some make great community fish (as long as they're the only long-finned fish and all the others in the tank share similar water requirements) and others can't get along with anyone.

 

[always quiet]

We have had ours for about a year or so. Stunt is doing fine, I assume...he doesn't do much. He doesn't even respond to a mirror!! Anyone else have the male make bubble nests?? That was the freakiest thing! He, for awhile last summer, would make this bubbly thing that would float on the top of the tank. He had an open gold fish type bowl then. The bubble nest, which the males make to get ready for the ladies, STINKS to high heaven!!! After 2 days, the tank would spell like an outdoor porta-potty in the middle of summer!!!! It was horrible!!! We actually bought one of the small tanks with a lid and an aerator. Really made the difference. I haven't noticed any bubble nests anymore....maybe he gave up!!

 

[Melora]

Its the male fish that fight with each other.... not the males and the females even though they might fight after the mating process is over with. Its true that some betta are fin nippers and will go after other fish with long fins. I always had bettas in my community tanks and never had one that nipped at anybody, but then I had other very mellow fish that wanted to fight when they shouldn't have.. go figure!

Remember that not all cities have tap water that will sit and be OK overnight. Always better to use a conditioner (like Amquel) just to be sure.

Jeff used to own and operate a fish tank business so he knows just about eveyrthing in the fish department. He quit the business after the 1994 earthquake here in LA when most of his clients lost their tanks and decided not to get new ones....

 

[phillybeth]

The reason your betta is hanging at the top of his tank is simple- there is not enough oxygen in his water. Bettas have a membrane in the tops of their heads that can absorb oxygen from the air if there is not enough in the water. He either needs a bowl with a larger surface area to get more oxygen in the water, or you need to get an air pump and aerator, probably less than $10 at a pet store. That will bubble air into the water to make sure there is enough oxygen.

 

[JoNo]

I like Betas, but I'm more keen to Cichlids. They're very pretty but a pain in the but to work with sometimes... they need warmer water, can't use distilled water, special certain food, blah blah blah... That's why I only have a cat & dog for now

 

[vald1977]

Thanks for all of your replies . I changed Fishy's water today (using tap water and a conditioner tab) and also took his little tree out. It seemed like it would hurt to rub against and it also took up a lot of room in the little tank.

He was very spunky when I was trying to catch him to change the water so I don't think he is sick. The tank is really small (probably holds 20 oz. of water) and has a cover with air slats in it. He's still hanging at the top but has been moving around a little more. I think I'll look into getting him a bigger tank with an air pump if he starts to look half - dead again.

Oh yes, he liked the mirror too .

 

[mommytotwo]

Also, try checking his water temperature, sometimes it may be too cold for him.

 

[pumba]

in small containers so dont' get something to big for him....if he is all alone......they are used to being in a puddle of water in their natural habitat.......the little home for Otis is a small plastic one that I got in walmart........he is more contented in that then he was in the bigger bowl........also I use a ladle......I just sort of sweep him up and put my hand over it and put him in another clean holder.......also in between cleanings.....I use a turkey (no I do not use it for real turkey) baster and suck up the poooooops......