Maybe bettas are just not my thing.

[Elmware]

I just bought a betta tank on Friday. I rinsed it out, and added some gravel (I washed the gravel as well), then filled it up with water. I added the water conditioner and used the same bakingsoda and water solution I have been using for my other fish tanks to bring the pH level up.

Sunday, I'm heading out the door to go buy the betta, but first I check the pH level before I go, and the result was yellow(medium low), so I add the bakingsoda and water solution, but overshot, so the test goes blue(too high). I add some acid solution, and finally get the test result to go green, which is where it should be.

I get the fish, and add it to the tank. I open the bag and let it sit in the tank for a few minutes, then I gradually put some water in the bag, but the fish was so eager to get out that he started swimming out on his own. I've had a few fish do that, and they were ok.

So he was swimming around the bowl and every once in awhile, I see him start to sit there with his head pointing upwards, and sometimes completely vertical. Then later he's laying on his side, and gets up every once in awhile to swim around.

so now it's sunday night, and he's laying motionless on the bottom of the tank. I don't even see his gills moving.

This is the first time getting a betta. Why did this happen?

The tank is 3.5 liter with an optional divider which I left out of the tank so the one fish could have the whole tank to himself.

 

[greenmaji]

ACK!.. PH is not important.. and messing with it will get you warn out of this hobby really fast.. the fluctuations in the PH kill fish..

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I'd nix the whole baking soda thing. Your Betta can adapt to different pH levels, don't worry about altering it. I'd rinse out your bowl, clean everything with hot water, then fill it back up with dechlorinated water, then get yourself a new Betta. This time don't mess with the pH. There's no need. Unless your pH is undetectible, don't worry about it.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Greenmaji, I don't think the fish was in the tank during all the pH flucuations.

I agree however, leave the pH alone....unless its in the extreme acid or extreme basic readings, its fine. Test your water for other things as well...ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. And give us the readings.

 

[gardentoad]

Greenmaji, I don't think the fish was in the tank during all the pH flucuations.

The fluctuation was the difference between the water in the bag and the new tank water.

Most pet stores sell fish living in local water. They loose some right off when they release them, but they loose more money when people bring dead fish back.

Ph will not stay up unless the water is hard.
Ph will not stay lowered unless the water is soft.

Perhaps I'm wrong here, but I think bettas are from soft acidic water originally.

They adapt well to either.

 

[Meredith]

Definitely quit messing with the water. acclimate your betta to your water slowly and he should be fine. Here is a good profile on bettas..
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=4317

 

[Elmware]

Thanx for the input and link to info.

I assumed that teh pH level should be 7.5. It usually comes out of the tap at about 6.

I don't have kits for testing everything else, but the other fish seem to do fine with the weekly water changes. Even the baby frys (other fish) I have are growing quickly.

BTW: The fish wasn't even in the water when I was trying to adjust the pH level.

 

[Elmware]

Well, I bought another betta from, but this time from PetsMart. I suppose I could have brought it back to the pet store where I got it from, but I am trying to get these guys to buy my baby Marigold Swordtails.

I've been reading around, and found somewhere that I should take a lot more time putting the fish into the tank so he doesn't succomb to the shock.

Hopefully things will go smoother this time. Plus the fish from PetsMart look way better than the one from the other store. The one which died had slightly tattored fins, which could have had something to do with it dying. Maybe fin rot.

It takes more than one fish to make me give up, but if it keeps happening, then I will throw in the towl on bettas.

 

[Guest]

also,if your going to put a betta in an unclyced tank, you will want to change the water 100% every other day, becuase although they can survive the ammonia, that in combination with the pH swings.. could be deadly.

 

[tkos]

100%? A 50% water change every day should suffice.

 

[malkore]

50% wc should suffice. don't overfeed. bettas are relatively clean fish, so they shouldn't make the water too nasty too quickly, but you will need to test the water daily and do 50% changes as needed.

However, what I don't like is that this is 3.5litres...just under 1 US gallon. That's not a fish tank...not even a betta tank. That's a puddle of water. Minimum tank size I recommend for any single fish is 5 gallons, or around 20litres (I think).

 

[jcarlilesiu]

you wouldn't put one single tetra in a tank under 5 gallons?

 

[Guest]

well, 50% a day or 100% every other day is about the same... If you keep a betta in at least a 5 gallon, you can do it even less often, but those little tiny tanks that are like 1 gallon or less, well, the ammonia can shoot up really quick.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I wouldn't put 1 Tetra in a 1 gal tank. 1) The tank doesn't provide much swimming space 2) Tetra's prefer to be in schools and there's no way I would put 6 Tetra's in a 1 gal tank and 3) the water changes too quickly in the smaller tanks. The tank will practically never cycle.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

wait im confused... tank cycling isn't based on the size of tank? Any amount of water can cycle. The bioload on one tetra in a 1 gallon bowl can be equvilant to some of the very highly stocked 20 gallon tanks i see on here. Don't get me wrong, I can see your point about the quick water changes due to the low capacity of the water, and myself I would not keep any fish in a tank that big. I guess I just feel like on here, I keep seeing people basically say anything smaller than a 20 gallon can't really house anything, and that is totally untrue. My point is, in your personal opinon you shouldn't keep one tetra in a 1 gallon tank, but nothing says that the fish won't be just as happy as your tetras in a 30 gal. Maintaining that bowl can ensure just as good water quality as a big tank. I guess I just don't feel like tank size is as big of an issue as alot of people on here make it out to be, ALL of these aquarium fish are kept in captivity... if the tanks are maintained the same and the quality of water and life is the same, don't act like you are doing any favors to the animals because you have a larger tank.. they are still captive. Oh well, if nobody agrees thats how I feel.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I have seen varying opinions on the cycle of smaller tanks. Some say that the small tanks will never cycle but some insist that they do. I'm borderline. In my opinion, a 1 gal tank is only big enough for some snails. The size of the tank is a BIG issue. Think of it this way. If you put a drop of red food coloring into an 8 oz cup of water. The water will turn pinkish or red. If you put that same drop into a 55 gal tank, it won't be visible. That's where the difference comes in. There is more water to work with. Even though you may keep more fish in the 55 gal tank, there is still more water to work with. I can manage my 150, 55, and 29 gal tanks better in regards to water quality than the 10 gal tank. The 10 gal has only 5 inches of fish in it whereas the 150 gal tank is overstocked at 160. The Nitrates in the 150 are normally around 10 to 20. The Nitrates in the 10 gal tend to be higher than that. Even with weekly water changes. Tank size makes a big difference.

The Tetra is not going to be happy in the 1 gal tank. He/She won't have any other fish to school with, it's too small to swim freely, and the water may not ever cycle.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I understand that in smaller tanks there is still a greater margin for error, and problematic conditions running a faster curve to devastation.. my point is that your 150 gallon can have the same type of situation. I don't know, I just think small tanks are made out to be very wrong by some of the bigger tank people on here... maintained correctly, many fish options are available just as with the larger tanks

 

[Elmware]

Why has this topic suddenly gone into Tetras?

You can't schoole Bettas like you can with Tetras. It just doesn't happen.

I still think the 1 gal is much better than the 0.5 gal tank, or having the divider in for two Bettas. And yes I also agree that a bigger tank (like 5+ gal.) would also be better, plus a 5 gal can at least be heated and fitted with a filter to help keep the tank clean.

 

[severum mama]

I would recommend the 5 gallon Eclipse hex tank for a betta. The Biowheel filter and lighting are both in the hood, and you can change the incandescent bulb to a 10 watt CF bulb (I got my bulb at Wal Mart, they are cheap) which gives you 2 wpg to grow plants. You can create a very pretty, low maintenance tank this way. My betta is really doing well in my Eclipse tank. I know you probably don't want to spend the money, but it is a much better home for a betta (trust me, I kept one in a 1 gallon tank when I first started keeping fish, there is such a difference in how happy they are). My Eclipse was around $35. JMO and good luck!!!

 

[Elmware]

Is this the one?

Looks like a nice small tank. Can a heater be fitted inside with acrylic?