My husband brought a beta fish home that he found abandoned at work. I'm a fish...

B

brn_eid_grl

New member
...killer for some reason...? so I need some help. This little guys family moved out on him and he has been living one of the larger beta tanks (approx 6" x 4" x 2 1/2") with about 2 inches of water in it and very dirty. I ALWAYS managed to kill my kids fish when they were little whenever I changed the water. I would get some of the water out with the fish and put it in another container, clean the regular tank, fill it back up, put the right amount of water conditioner in it and then I would let it bubble (if it had air) for 48 hours even though I shouldn't have to wait that long. After killing so many fish I figured I would do that to give the fish an extra fighting chance. Couldn't hurt right? :) So after the 48 hours, I would pour the fish and his water into a sandwich baggy and let it float for an hour or so before dumping it into the new water. Needless to say, I haven't had a survivor yet! I have 3 questions:
1. What am I doing wrong? 2. When putting them into the new water, how long should I let them float to make sure the temp is right? and 3. Can beta fish live in an aquarium that has air pump making the bubbles in the water? (Because I know that they make their own bubbles to breathe, wasn't sure if there is such a thing as too much air in the water) :)
 
A

Abilifys

New member
Well with the Beta it will be different than with most other fish.

First go to your local pet store and get some water conditioner. It should say on it that it makes tap water safe for your fish. OR Go to a grocery store and get filtered or spring water.

Take your Beta out of the tank it is in and put it in a container with some of the clean water and make sure it can not jump out.

Clean your Beta's tank very well. This type of cleaning will basically be just a first as a restart to your Beta's tank. To clean again when there is noticeable algae or other growth on the tank walls just use a tank brush or a NON CHEMICALLY TREATED sponge on the walls when needed.

After your tank is clean rinse some gravel off for the tank and put about 1 inch of gravel on the bottom. I recommend gravel made for fish because it has been "smoothed" and will be better for your fish to not get scratched on it and invite disease or infection if they play in or against the gravel.

Make sure you have a heater for the tank and put it in the tank but do not turn it on yet. You need to keep your Beta's water about 78 degrees for your Beta.

Add your water now then turn on your heater. Beta's are a very resilient fish and hardy so as long as the water is close to the same temp (room temp now that both have been sitting) then you can add your fish to the newly cleaned tank. Normally when adding a fish you would put it in a bag and let it float for about 15 min to get the temp of the water the same in the bag as in the tank to prevent the fish going into shock when introduced into a very different water suddenly.

With almost every fish or aquatic animal out there you will need a good filter. But with the Beta you do not. So no worries about that here.

Your tank should be good to go now. Just keep the temp stable and change about 25% of the water once weekly in your Beta's tank with the filtered and/or treated water and keep the walls of the tank clean as well and if needed when the gravel gets to horrible you can either do a siphon type gravel vacuum or with a Beta just change the water and rinse off the gravel. But if it were any other type of fish you would not want to change all the water at once ever. at the most 50% of the water at a time.

Hope this helps and good luck to you,
Rusty aka Abilifys
 
D

DarkRyok

Member
It would have been nice if you would have spaced things out so it didnt hurt so much. But oh well. Ill try.

My betta tanks are 2.5 gallons. I think they are 12" x 6" x 4". Not sure on that one though. Bettas do best in at LEAST 2.5 gallons of water. They need a filter and a heater. Most pet shops give wrong information out about these fish and they die constantly because of it. Most people actually recommend a 5 gallon tank for them.

Heres a big thing. You need to actually research fish care. You never change 100% of the water in a tank. You say you would clean the tank, and I hope you werent using any cleaners at all. Well regardless, you shouldnt have changed all the water at once anyways. If you have a proper tank, you should only change 15-20% of the water once a week.

Another thing. When you do water changes with water conditioner, you shouldnt take the fish out and make him wait to go in his tank because of the conditioner. You should get the water ready for him days before. Take out some of the water, and replace it with the conditioned water.

When letting fish float, temperature is usually the most important thing, but if you take them out of one type of water, and completely change everything all of a sudden, its going to shock them. I let my bettas float for 15-30 minutes when I first get them. But after that, they are in the tank to stay, so they dont need to float again.

Bottom line: Never take the fish out of his tank. Never put a betta in a tank smaller than 2.5 gallons. Bettas need filters and heaters. Research proper fish care and proper betta care.

Bettas should be living in aquariums. Theres no other place for them to live when in our care. And if someone thinks of something, its the wrong answer. I have 8 female bettas in a 29 gallon tank. My male bettas are in separate 2.5 gallon tanks.

(And bettas dont make bubbles to breathe. They do however make bubblenests that used so the female lays eggs, he places the eggs in the nest so he can care for them. Healthy bettas randomly create bubblenests. Two of mine currently have a bubblenest thats either finished, or they are working on.)
 
J

JoyceC

New member
im always killing betas too, not on purpose but not sure what i am doing wrong either but i would think you have to let the beta stay in the bag that long, put some of the water from your tank into the bag wait about 15 min. then add it all to the tank that might help good luck.
 
J

jasonP

Member
Ok, first, the smaller the tank, the more difficult it's going to be to maintain water parameters. One of the best things to do if your fish are suffering due to water changes is get a bigger tank. The water in a bigger tank is far more stable.

Second, when doing water changes, you don't need to change all the water. This can shock fish. Try not to go over 50%.. and only do 50% when it's absolutely needed. The only time you should ever change more than half the water is in an emergency.

One thing you can do with a bigger tank is leave the fish in as you give them a water change. It's far less stressful. Just make sure the water temperature is as close as you can get it. Within 2 degrees.

If you still opt to remove them and float them, spending 48 hours in a small container causes problems. Small amounts of water build up toxins fast. The water could be toxic in under 48 hours. And never use a container that has been washed with any kind of soap.

Doubt you do this, but just to be sure, never clean the fish's tank with a cleaner... Soap is deadly to fish... as are things like windex.

Bettas can live with or without a bubble stone. Bubble stones don't add oxygen to the water from the bubbles, but more from the surface agitation they create. If you have another source of surface agitation, such as a filter, you don't need a bubble stone. However, if you like the look of them, they're fine. Just keep in mind, they do create some current and Bettas prefer low currents due to their long, flowing fins.

If you have any more questions, feel free to send me an email.
 
Top