jc102
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hey guys,
I have a male betta who has started acting weird. I acquired him from a friend who bought him at a pet store and decided he didn't want it after a few days. He came to me in a 0.75 gallon tank that featured the gravel, one small plant, an ornament, an automatic heater, and a dim light.
He stayed with me like that for a day and I dug out an old 1 gallon tank that I had. This one at least has a small filter. I moved him over into the 1 gallon with the heater and I could tell he was acting a bit different. When he first arrived, I could open the top of the hood on his .75 gallon tank and he'd swim to the top to eat. He would swim around and seemed to be quite happy in his tiny home (as happy as can be).
Now that he is in my spare 1 gallon tank, he has started to rest at the bottom. I noticed that the filter often pushes his food away and he can't get it. Most of it ends up at the bottom of the tank. I checked the temperature with one of those strips that you stick on to the outside of the tank, and it read 86 degrees (which is the highest the readings go).
I thought this might be too hot for him, so I sampled the water. It was indeed quite warm, so I unplugged the heater and opened the lid for a few hours. Now the temperature is at 80 degrees and he is swimming around more.
I thought betta's liked temperatures in the mid 80's, but he seems to be reacting better to a cooler temp. He is scared of the water flowing back in from the filter, even though the water level is so high it hardly disturbs the surface.
Do you think the temperature could be the problem with his inactivity? I know he needs at least a 10 gallon tank to thrive, and that's the plan for this week, but until then I want to make sure he is comfortable. Comparing to his .75 gallon tank, he moves around a lot less in the 1 gallon. What are your thoughts?
I have a male betta who has started acting weird. I acquired him from a friend who bought him at a pet store and decided he didn't want it after a few days. He came to me in a 0.75 gallon tank that featured the gravel, one small plant, an ornament, an automatic heater, and a dim light.
He stayed with me like that for a day and I dug out an old 1 gallon tank that I had. This one at least has a small filter. I moved him over into the 1 gallon with the heater and I could tell he was acting a bit different. When he first arrived, I could open the top of the hood on his .75 gallon tank and he'd swim to the top to eat. He would swim around and seemed to be quite happy in his tiny home (as happy as can be).
Now that he is in my spare 1 gallon tank, he has started to rest at the bottom. I noticed that the filter often pushes his food away and he can't get it. Most of it ends up at the bottom of the tank. I checked the temperature with one of those strips that you stick on to the outside of the tank, and it read 86 degrees (which is the highest the readings go).
I thought this might be too hot for him, so I sampled the water. It was indeed quite warm, so I unplugged the heater and opened the lid for a few hours. Now the temperature is at 80 degrees and he is swimming around more.
I thought betta's liked temperatures in the mid 80's, but he seems to be reacting better to a cooler temp. He is scared of the water flowing back in from the filter, even though the water level is so high it hardly disturbs the surface.
Do you think the temperature could be the problem with his inactivity? I know he needs at least a 10 gallon tank to thrive, and that's the plan for this week, but until then I want to make sure he is comfortable. Comparing to his .75 gallon tank, he moves around a lot less in the 1 gallon. What are your thoughts?
