I have had my guy for almost 3 days now and I'm a little scared. Compared to when I moved him into the tank for the first time, he was swimming around a lot and ate after 8 hours when I tried feeding him.
Though since then he hasn't been swimming a lot and just sitting at the bottom or inside the decor which I have ( A sea shell and a rock) which i added today itself. Before that he was just sitting at the bottom of the tank or on top of the thermometer.
Is this normal? And since he has been acting like this, I'm holding on to the feeding since he still might be stressed. He does resurface every 20 minutes or so.
I have a 15l tank with a heater, filter, thermometer and light with hiding spots like a sea shell a rock and a fake plant right now.
https://i.redd.it/s5em5glcfoxf1.jpeg
Posted by PortableNugget
6 Comments
is you tank cycled? have you tested the water?
Well, heres some things ive found recommended to people over the years:
– brightly colored gravel and decor actually stress out bettas. They see the bright colors as a competing mate.
– Plastic plants (like the one in your background) are sharp and can actually tear betta’s fins! Recommend removing it and replacing it with Anubias or Java fern (low-light, low-needy, and can survive in gravel!)
– Did you *cycle* the tank? This doesnt mean letting a filter run for a couple hours; this is establishing a nitrogen cycle. If you did, great! If not, do research into what the nitrogen cycle is and how to in-fish cycle. Aquarium Co-op had good resources on this.
– *Do you use and did you replace the replaceable filter cartridges??* this is a SCAM, you should never throw away a filter cartridge! Look into cycling, and you’ll see why.
– Did you dechlorinate the water?
– Did you spray anything or use fragrances around the tank? (INCLUDING wall plugs, natural scents & febreeze)
Otherwise, if EVERYTHING else here is done, it could just be personality or him resting! c:
Can you answer all of the automod’s questions? A tank with just a seashell (not appropriate freshwater decor btw, will raise hardness/pH over time), rock, and a single plastic plant doesnt sound like an enriching environment worth swimming around and exploring.
https://preview.redd.it/9uch3xq4joxf1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c321628687702233f61f85e7efb15f8745c2822f
Pretty small tank. Have you done any water changes? There could be ammonia building up. If your tank isn’t cycled you’ll probably need to do daily 40% water changes. Get more plants and a bigger tank preferably
Whatever you replace, make sure it’s natural, nothing that has been dyed–all natural is the way to go. Betta fish love plants, the more the merrier. Helps them feel safe. Maybe get some stones for them to rest on and perhaps some wood. I would not recommend seashells because they contain lots of calcium