Something is wrong with my betta PLEASE HELP!!!

jamill02

I just got my betta not even a week ago and he seems to be acting weird. I have noticed that lately he stays at the top of the tank and makes a lot of bubbles at the top. He does not respond to his food like he did at first..he is not eating correctly....Do you think he is about to die? Please Help

Lupin

What do you usually feed it? Was there any change in diet? What are your water parameters? Your betta sounds like it's healthy to me if it was making plenty of bubbles?

jamill02

Well i feed him the nutrafin max betta food....they are flakes....The tank that i have him in is a 1/2 gallon tank the one that comes with the betta kit...there is no change in diet since i just got him unless i am probably feeding him something different than the pet store was...well there sure are bubbles all around the tank at the top where he stays now...when i come up to the tank he does begin to swin around...also the water seems to look cloudy but i thought you are only to change his water once a week and that is not until friday so and he has a white string or something on his fins on the top what is that...please let me know whats going on.Thanks

It'sJames

A 2.5 gallon tank is the minimum to keep your betta happy. A 5 gallon is even better. Who said not to change the water more than once a week? In a 1/2 gallon tank, I'd change the water every other day, if not every day. The more water changes the better in a small container like that. Does he have a heater? Bettas need 78 - 80* water. During the summer my betta tanks don't need heaters, but if your water is less than 78* it would be best to buy a heater.

The bubbles he's making (a bubble nest) are a good sign. Don't be worried about those.

Cody

Cloudy water is an indactaiton that your tank is going through an Ammonia bloom. This is poisonious to the fish. Also, you should be do daily water changes in that tank to keep the ammonia down, and since it is only 1/2 gallon. You are going through a cycle right now, and daily WC's of 50-90% are needed, if not 100%. I'm not sure a still water 1/2 tank will even go through a cycle, though.

The white string may be a sign of fin rot, which is a sign that the water quality is bad.

And, try to get your betta on pellets. Flakes dont have the whole nutrional value that pellets can offer. Dont feed him anything but the pellets untill he accepts it, and then you can vary his diet, but staying on the pellet as a staple.

bettaboy

Bettas like freeze-dried bloodworms (mosquito larvae)... a whole lot.

But ive found that Brine shrimp are the favorite food.

Cody

But, those are treats. If fed all the time, it is like us eating donuts 24/7. Tasty, but unfilling and not healthy. A staple diet of pellets is best for the health of a betta. The freezedriedand frozen food should be offered one-two times a week.

jamill02

So if he stays at the top of the tank alot is that a bad thing?

bettaboy

Actually, brine shrimp are extremely nutritious.

Feeding pellets is like having a TV dinner for dinner every night. Convenient, but ewww.

Also, most bettas do not like pellets or flakes. They are carnivorous and no meat in their diet is very badbadbadbad.

JMeenen

I am also a bit confused regarding the different types of Betta food.. Mine don't like pellets but they do like Flakes and as for once a week treats they get eigther: Egg white,Pea,Frozen Bloodworm or Beefheart or Brineshrimp..I am wondering however , in thier natural habitat what would they eat? Probebly live food such as small worms,maybe other fish fry and possible some alge or other plant scources...so is the pellet and flake food a better food source for Bettas than the fresh frozen meat foods such as worms , brine shrimp etc ..and why..