Dying Beta Fish

Question
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Followup To
Question -
My daughter received a beta fish as a birthday gift two days ago.  I am afraid it is going to die very soon.  It has not come out from under the plant that is living in the vase for almost the entire time.  It seems very lethargic and isn't eating anything.  We live in CT and I read that Beta fish need warm water.  I would like to change the water asap but I don't know if it is safe to heat (slightly) the bottled water I have purchased?  Please help....I don't want the fish to die!
Answer -
Hi Cyndi;

He needs a warmer environment. If you can put a lamp close to his vase or a heating pad laying next to it that would work. Changing the water with warmer fresh water will only shock him and won't stay warm anyway. He needs 78 to 80 all the time. You can get night bulbs for reptiles that the fish will not know is on so he can have darkness at night too. The kind of lamps I like to use are the desk lamps with long necks so it can be directed right at the tank. Use a regular bulb during the day and a nightlight reptile bulb at night.

It is also important to be sure he can get to the top of the water and gulp air. I personally don't care for the vases for that reason. It is too easy for the plants roots to crowd out the betta and for the water level to be where he can't get to the top. He would be much better off in a little tank of 3 to 5 gallons with a thermostatically controlled 25 watt heater. You might check your local fish store or local department store for them. I can get them at WalMart and KMart here in California. Check and see if they are available in your area too if you are interested.

Hope he feels better soon......

Followups Welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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My member name is ChrisR62. See You There!

Dear Chris,

Thank you so much for your helpful information.  The fish is doing better and I have moved him to a larger bowl and put a desk lamp over it to heat the water.  I appreciate your timely response...it saved his life.

Quick question....I have a 5 gallon tank that I haven't used in a while and I would be happy to move my beta fish into it.  Do I have to use bottled water though?  We have well water and it isn't great so we don't drink it at home.  If I change the water once a week it is going to get expensive with bottled water.  Any suggestions on what I should do?  Are the items like marbles etc good to have in the tank?  Do the fish enjoy them or are they just there for our enjoyment on the outside?  

I have been feeding the fish betta min, tropical medley?  Is there some kind of food that the fish might enjoy more and help him to live longer?

Thanks again for your help.

Warm regards,

Cyndi  

Answer
Hi Cyndi;

I'm so glad he is doing better!

Sorry it took me so long to respond this time. I typed out an answer to you yesterday and then closed the wrong browser window and lost all of it! (Grrr!) I didn't have time to re-type it all until now.  

The 5 gallon would be great to use. Get a 25 or 50 watt heater and you will be set to go! If it has a little filter in it you will only need to make water changes of 25% twice a week until it breaks in (6 to 8 weeks) and then 25% once a week after that. If you have some clean empty jugs, get some water from a friend that has decent drinkable water. Use a water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine and helps with stress and that will be the only real expense for you on water.

The marbles are just for our benefit. Bettas don't really care. Some fish such as goldfish, cichlids, catfish and loaches like to move it around, forage in it or bury themselves in it. Not bettas though. Bare tanks are easier to care for anyway if you don't want marbles or gravel.

The betta min is a fine food to use. It is a balanced diet and is really all he needs. If you want to give him a treat once in awhile, freeze dried tubifex worms or brine shrimp are nice a couple of times a week. They like tiny live bugs too, if you're into that. ;-) That's more of a summer thing though. It's kinda weird I know, but I had an angel fish that loved to eat dead flies we would swat around the house in summer. Bugs are what they eat in nature. The other fish in my 55 gallon liked them too, but the angel wouldn't let them have any! (She was a pig).

Followups Welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins