Betta sick?!?

[Bearchumjs]

First my gourami, now the betta. I've had the betta fish since before Christmas. He's in a bowl. I feed him every other day because if I feed everyday he seems uninterested in the food. Today I came to feed him and he is floating at the top of the bowl on his side and he is very bloated. When he saw my face get real close to the bowl he swam away but then floated to the top on his side again. What on earth is going on with him?? My 5yr old fed him the other day and put in waaaay too much food so I had to clean his bowl to remove it all. He was fine for a couple of days, swimming around happily and now this.

Ps- he eats the betta pellets that float for a few seconds and then sink. I've been thinking about switching to something else.

 

[Hholly]

Sorry about your Betta. It's really hard to keep a bowl clean enough for a Betta to remain healthy for very long. Ammonia builds up quickly and poisons them, shortening their lives. They also need a heater to keep them around 80 degrees. Your Betta may be just bloated from over feeding. But chances are the water quality is a big factor. If you can tempt him to eat a blanched, deshelled pea it may help. But he sounds pretty far gone. You hinted that you also had a gourami die on you. Please read this article. It's hard to be a successful fish keeper based on advice given at pet stores, unfortunately. There is a lot of misinformation out there. This forum is a great place to learn and ask questions. Good luck!

Article: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html

 

[Bearchumjs]

Thank you. My gourami hasn't died but he isn't happy about being in his new tank yet. Im working on making him happy. Pet stores have the worst advice ever!! Hopefully king Neptune (betta) will be ok. I don't want him to die.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hi! Sorry to hear about your Betta. As said a bowl isn't be best place for him. They need the same care as any other tropical fish. A cycled tank is a must IMO. So is a heater. You could move your Betta to your 5 gallon tank when you get your dwarf gourami in a larger tank.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Hi! Sorry to hear about your Betta. As said a bowl isn't be best place for him. They need the same care as any other tropical fish. A cycled tank is a must IMO. So is a heater. You could move your Betta to your 5 gallon tank when you get your dwarf gourami in a larger tank.

I just don't know when I'm going to get a bigger tank. I'm keeping an eye on Craigslist. I should have moved the betta into the 5gal before I bought the gourami but if you look in the pet stores in the betta fish section all they have are tiny tanks with no heaters for them. Maybe I can find a good deal on a 10 gal. setup if King Neptune doesn't die first. Poor King Neptune!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Keep his water as clean as you can. Daily partial water changes will help. Make sure to dechlorinate the water. Betta bowls are like goldfish bowls. They shouldn't even exist.

Also did I read you have guppies in a vase? That's not a good situation either. They can share the tank with your gourami.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Keep his water as clean as you can. Daily partial water changes will help. Make sure to dechlorinate the water. Betta bowls are like goldfish bowls. They shouldn't even exist.

Also did I read you have guppies in a vase? That's not a good situation either. They can share the tank with your gourami.

Yes. Guppies in a vase. Holy cow! Putting the guppy water in the gourami tank would be perfect for the beneficial bacteria issue I have since the tank was not properly cycled, right? Tonight I will add some guppy water to the gourami tank and some of the gourami water to the guppy vase. Since the water in the gourami tank is heated and the guppies are room temp I should float them in a bag in the gourami tank before I pour them in, right?

Good golly I'm a terrible fish owner! Poor things. My ignorance is not bliss for them.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Keep his water as clean as you can. Daily partial water changes will help. Make sure to dechlorinate the water. Betta bowls are like goldfish bowls. They shouldn't even exist.

Also did I read you have guppies in a vase? That's not a good situation either. They can share the tank with your gourami.

(we have well water so chlorine has never been an issue thank God!)

Funny... I've never thought of keeping a fish in a small bowl/vase as wrong. But let me see someone with a bird in a small cage.... Finches are small birds and need big horizontal cages. Betta's are small fish but they need their space too. What would be an ideal tank size for a betta? And if I got a 10 gallon tank could I put the betta and gourami and guppies all together or would the betta and gourami fight?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Yes. Guppies in a vase. Holy cow! Putting the guppy water in the gourami tank would be perfect for the beneficial bacteria issue I have since the tank was not properly cycled, right? Tonight I will add some guppy water to the gourami tank and some of the gourami water to the guppy vase. Since the water in the gourami tank is heated and the guppies are room temp I should float them in a bag in the gourami tank before I pour them in, right?

Good golly I'm a terrible fish owner! Poor things. My ignorance is not bliss for them.

The amount of nitrifying bacteria in the water is minuscule so swapping water won't have any effect BUT if you have any substrate or decor or plants moving all of them to the gourami tank will be very beneficial. The bacteria fixes itself to things in the tank.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

(we have well water so chlorine has never been an issue thank God!)

Funny... I've never thought of keeping a fish in a small bowl/vase as wrong. But let me see someone with a bird in a small cage.... Finches are small birds and need big horizontal cages. Betta's are small fish but they need their space too. What would be an ideal tank size for a betta? And if I got a 10 gallon tank could I put the betta and gourami and guppies all together or would the betta and gourami fight?

A 5g is perfect for a Betta with no tank mates. Guppies and bettas don't mix because the Betta is threatened by the flowing tails. Gouramis and bettas are hit and miss. SO, my suggestion is moving the Betta to the 5g and the guppies and gourami to a 10g (or larger).

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Oh and it's probably still a good idea to use a product like Prime in your well water. It binds heavy metals.

 

[Hholly]

Prime also helps detoxify nitrates and ammonia for a while.

 

[Bearchumjs]

A 5g is perfect for a Betta with no tank mates. Guppies and bettas don't mix because the Betta is threatened by the flowing tails. Gouramis and bettas are hit and miss. SO, my suggestion is moving the Betta to the 5g and the guppies and gourami to a 10g (or larger).

I do have some gravel and 1 plant in the guppy vase. I'm so glad you said something because I would have washed the plant before I put it in the 5gal. tank and I think the gravel is ugly so I would have thrown it away.

So, about my guppies... They aren't fancy tailed ones you see at the pet store. My daughter brought them home from school last year when they did an organism unit in their class. They are just little pond guppies. Nothing fancy, no pretty colors, no pretty tails... Still though, I think keeping the betta alone would be best like you have suggested since it may not get along with the gourami.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Oh and it's probably still a good idea to use a product like Prime in your well water. It binds heavy metals.

Is it just called prime? I have some goldfish

 

[Bearchumjs]

Oh and it's probably still a good idea to use a product like Prime in your well water. It binds heavy metals.

Oops. I clicked send too soon. Anyway, I have some goldfish water conditioner. Would that do any good? I haven't used it because it's says it's for goldfish.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Yes don't rinse the gravel or plant. you can put some gravel in the filter (making sure it doesn't get caught in the impeller) and some near the filter intake.
What's the conditioner called? Goldfish don't need special conditioner. It would be just a cheap dechlorinator I'm guessing.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Is it just called prime? I have some goldfish

SeaChem Prime. It's a red bottle.

 

[Hholly]

Yes, Prime by Seachem. Where are you keeping goldfish? I hope it's a big tank. No one here is judging you. We're trying to help. I'm sure all this is overwhelming to hear that your fish all need bigger tanks. But they do. Please do some research on each species you have, and their requirements. Craigslist is a good source of larger setups for cheap. Please ask questions. We really want to help you help your fish.

 

[Hholly]

Oh, sorry no goldfish? Just saw that. Oops!

 

[Bearchumjs]

Oh, sorry no goldfish? Just saw that. Oops!

Lol! Yeah, no goldfish. I was fish-sitting for my mom in law and she left the goldfish water conditioner and I just havent given it back to her yet.

I know you guys are trying to help and I am so thankful! I have learned not to take the pet store's advice on birds (from past experience's...) and now fish. I feel bad for my poor fishies.