What do I do? urgent please look at this

[Cantra]

My betta just took a bite out of one of my other fish... I've taken the betta out and put him into the cup that I bought him in since I didn't have anything else but not sure what else I can do for the hurt fish. They've been sharing a one gallon (only because my father bought me the betta when I already had another fish in the tank and wouldn't let me buy a bigger tank) and everything was fine till tonight when I was trying to feed them. The little fish (a mesquito fish) got a piece of food that my betta wanted and he just grabbed my little fish on the stomache and just kept shaking him then he let him go and the little fish tried getting away but my betta grabbed him again and did the same thing I tried everything I could think of to get the betta to let him go but he wouldn't not until I got the net in the tank and tried catching him.
The little fish is bleeding and is very very sluggish and barely moving and breathing really really fast I'm scared he'll die during the night. What can I do to help his chances a little?

 

[Cantra]

does anyone know what to do?

 

[thatmagicguy]

The little fish is probably dead today. Unfortunately you learned a lesson the hard way. Bettas in one gallon tanks can be aggressive to tiny fish. Mosquito fish, whichever species you have, are small and one, just one, in with most any fish bigger than itself probably isn't going to fare well.

What I would do is put the betta back if the other fish has passed away and then make it a mission to start reading about fish and their care and then when it's time to make any decisions regarding new ones you will be a bit better educated and will not be put in that position again.

And for the record, we've all been there so don't fret too bad.

Bill

 

[HN1]

I'm afraid that bettas will be extra territorial kept in such a small environment. Despite the common misconceptions perpetuated by some stores and employees, they really need a larger (3G+ filtered / heated) tank. If the mosquito fish is as bad as it sounds, you may need to humanely euthanize it. Also the two fish have different temperature requirements. I wish you and your fish luck.

 

[WhiteDevil]

betta only if its under 10g.

I keep bettas in community tanks only for the last couple years since my kids have been born. I have yet to have a betta injure a fish, however I have gotten rid of 7 fish that were a roaming gang in the tank that either destroyed or damaged everything in the tank. I am treating the tank with melafix due to the massive fin injuries on my betta and angels and all seems to be going well since last week.

Im sure you can talk him into a 20H tank, its basically two 10 gallons stacked on top of eachother and make perfect dresser tanks if you got a sturdy enough dresser.

bettas need filters and heat and sufficient lighting to do well.

temp requirements are garbage for the most part, yes they are a nice guideline but starting in that range and going up or down from there is the best way to figure out what temp works for your tank.

 

[thatmagicguy]

In my store I always put bettas in my regular fish tanks. But the aggression in most cases was not a problem, alot of times due to the volume of fish in the tank. But even in a 10 gallon, you put one betta and one small minnow shaped fish like a neon or guppy there is a good likelihood they will meet up and there will be bloodshed. On the flipside I sold neons and glowlites in the same tank and nearly always had a betta displayed in the same tank and never can I remember there being a problem, but to be fair, I never counted how many neons were in the tank, it was heavily stocked. So if a betta grabbed one I wouldn't have known. Bill

 

[RWaltman]

betta's are bullies, its in there nature...can't get mad at em'

 

[WhiteDevil]

^^^ actually they are very docile fish in nature just extremely territorial over fish of the same look and size. I have had bettas in with neons many times, still do and not one single death has resulted or lets put it this way, the betta doesnt even notice the neons at all, he pays no mind to them.

Bettas dont eat the fish they just kill it, youd notice wounds on the dead fish that were consistent with an attack and not natural death.

 

[Cantra]

My fish lived the night... he seems better today maybe last night he was just in shock and thats what made it seem so bad but he's swimming around and acting about normal just a little slower... this morning i decided to give the little fish away and now he's in a 10 gallon tank and my betta is back in his one gallon. So far from what I've heard the little fish is very active not hiding in a corner like he was last night or this morning so I'm very hopeful that he's ok

 

[JustOneMore20]

A 1g aquarium isn't really big enough for anything. I would upgrade to atleast a 5g and give the Betta some swimming room. If you want to keep anything with him in the future, like said above, 10g and up would be for him and some friends.