# This might not be the right thread, but I need help!



## HappyAccident (Feb 2, 2014)

Fish people of the world, I need help! (Sorry if this is the wrong thread, I am posting this in as many as I think could possibly be relevant to have a better chance of catching the eye (and advice!) of an expert. I have a couple of questions that need answering…sorry in advance for the long post. I hope you will bear with me and read through the whole thing.

I am not a fish person, but I came across my male Betta fish, Sir Floatley Geoffers, a little over a month ago and fell completely in love with him. The tenant who moved out of the apartment I was moving into just left him there, poor thing, so I took him. He was in a tiny vase with dirty, smelly water, so I scrambled to get him a new home. I got him a 2 gallon bowl and a little heater, but the water was still under 70 degrees, so, after some research, I recently got him a 10-gallon tank. I decorated it with lots of plants as well as space and a couple of hiding spots. The two filters I tried had very strong currents, so he doesn't have a filter right now. I don't think the tank is cycled, but it is spacious and he is the only one in there. I am about to test the water. He was happy in his bowl and built a bubble nest before I moved him, but he hasn't built one in his new tank. He comes to the front of the tank when I am there, and he has done some circles of the tank, but most of the time I see him curled around the heater (or staring at it from close by) near the surface, which is set at about 78 degrees (it's hard to tell exactly on my heater). He also stares out the side while he is next to the heater…almost as if he's staring longingly at someone or something he loves. I tried turning the heater up, fearing he was cold, but his behavior didn't change, so I turned it back down because I don't want him to cook himself. I am pretty sure he's constipated, but I don't know if that has anything to do with it…he seems bloated and there is something poking out of his vent. I plan to get fibrous food for him tomorrow. I am concerned that this behavior is either a sign that he is sick or a sign that he does not like his new tank, which leads me to my next question…

Do Betta fish have any sensitivity to color, specifically red? I put a bunch of red plants (as well as green) in the tank so he would feel he had something to blend into (he's dark red and turquoise, simply gorgeous!), but he rarely goes into the little forest I made for him. Should I change the environment around? Is he unhappy, or is he still getting used to his surroundings? When I moved him from the vase to the 2g bowl, he instantly starred frolicking and swimming around. He still flares at me without a problem.

I also recently bought an under gravel filter and an air pump (I got one for a 5g tank so the current would be weaker) and I need to get it into the tank…I'm assuming I need to take him out completely, along with most of the other stuff, in order to set it up? Also, is the water dangerous if a new filter doesn't get a chance to run before you put the fish in? I bought some of the live bacteria solution and some stress coat, but I am nervous about changing the stuff in his water and accidentally making him sick or stressed.

I know I did all of this backwards, but I was so eager to make him happy and healthy and take care of him, which is the opposite of the way he was treated before. I wish I could actually speak to someone and have them talk me through all the technical stuff…

I got a glass cover for the tank the other day because I was worried about all the random bits of stuff that seemed to be floating into the water, and wondered if that might be what is creating the cloudy film at the surface. The condensation accumulated very quickly on the underside of the roof, and the drops now fall into the water. Will this cause him stress? It does seem to startle him sometimes. 

I hope I have not made some horrible, fatal blunder by doing all of this too quickly and without thinking ahead. Can anyone help me? I am used to dogs and birds, fish are new to me, but I am doing my very best to do right by my sweet little knight. I probably also forgot some of my questions. I've been doing lots and lots of research, but everyone's got a slightly different approach to Betta care, and I could really use some personalized advice.

Thank you so much for your help. I love my little fish so much, and I really want him to be happy and healthy. If anyone needs me to post pictures or video, I can do that. Just tell me what to show you.


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## bettacrazygirl86 (Jan 21, 2013)

It sounds to me like you've done a great job! I think it's so nice that you were so willing to take care of him, even though he wasn't yours and was kind of forced upon you.  I'm sure he'll be very happy.

What temperature is the tank? Do you have a thermometer? Bettas like temperatures 78 to 84. My betta personally likes the water to be at exactly 82, and if it's any higher or lower, he gets miserable. Little bugger. xD If he's hanging around the heater, he might be a little cold. Without a filter to circulate the water a little, it might be a little colder in other parts of the tank. The undergravel filter should do fine with that. The condensation won't be an issue, so you don't need to worry about that. If there does happen to still be a film on the surface of the water, it's natural and all of us have to deal with it.  So you don't have to worry.

If there is something wrong with him physically, we would need a picture to help us diagnose him.

What type of food are you feeding him? Brand and what not, I mean. Personally, I feed my betta Omega One Marine Pellets with Garlic. It's got a blue lid. It's actually meant for saltwater fish, but it has a lot of whole fish in the ingredients, so it's really healthy for him. Plus, the garlic helps fight off illness. Might be worth a try, if you can get some. I believe Petsmart has it, if you can find it. 

I don't think they're sensitive to certain colors. At least, none of my bettas have seemed to be. How long have you had him in the 10 gallon? He might just still be adjusting to the new surroundings and all the extra space. Some fish get a little freaked out when they go from such a small area to a much larger area, so it takes a while to adjust. He might just need time.


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## Nothingness (Oct 11, 2012)

You can put an air stone in the tank to cause agitation of the waters surface which will help get rid of the film on top. And i 2nd the thermometer if you don't have 1 as the heater settings are never exact to the temp of tthe wAter


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## HappyAccident (Feb 2, 2014)

Thank you for your responses. I am trying to take a picture of him, but the lighting is all wrong, and you can't really see him well. I didn't put a lighted hood over the aquarium because I didn't want to give him anything else new to stress about.

He has started to roam around the tank a bit more, much to my relief. However, I'm now noticing a slight size difference in his eyes, and I am worried that he has popeye (which I know is a symptom of many other things). It's barely noticeable, but I did notice it, so I am concerned.

I fasted him and fed him part of a cooked pea today, which he chased to the bottom of the tank and gobbled up like Cookie Monster. Hopefully he will be less bloated soon.

I do have an in-tank thermometer, and it's showing a lower temperature than the heater, so I turned up the heat. I noticed that his fins seem a little clamped at the ends, but I also don't recall him ever having them totally spread out since I found him. Though they do seem a little closer to him than usual. I will continue to try and capture some picture or video...is it okay to shine a light on him if he's not used to it?

Another thing...one of his small side fins is white-ish at the base. This has been the case since I found him, and it didn't change when I treated him for a fungal infection, so I'm wondering if it's from an injury or a previous, untreated illness? He has two pinholes in his fin that have also been there since I found him. I discovered that this meant he had fin rot, but they have not changed in size or shape since I adopted him, so I think it may have cleared itself up when I moved him to clean water. However, if the white base of his fin is a red flag, please let me know!

I might just be paranoid, but there is no way for me to tell exactly what horrors he's been through, and I want to eliminate all possibility of any enduring or approaching horror. He deserves a break, poor little thing! I am moving to a new apartment soon, where I will put him right in the middle so he'll never be alone. However, if he's sick or stressed, something tells me moving him might not be the best idea just yet.


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## HappyAccident (Feb 2, 2014)

Also, I forgot to mention that the pellets I feed him are Hikari Betta Bio-Gold. I also give him treats from a "dial-a-treat" and he prefers the MYSIS shrimp. I recently started soaking anything I fed him in tank water because I read that it's better for their tummies.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

You probably post this in Betta fish care or maybe fish emergencies to get the best response. If you go Jacks Pets they sell Seachem Stability which will help keep the water paremeters stable while your tank cycles. I have had great success with it. How lucky to move and make a friend right away. I am glad you found this website. When you move you can wrap towels around the container you put him him and in cooler to keep the temperature stable it's cold where you are get a heat pack too. If search the Betta care forum for moving you will find lots of advice.


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## Nothingness (Oct 11, 2012)

Peas are not a healthy food option for betta. Stick to pellets and supplement with occasional feedings of frozen bloodworms


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

That is true about the peas I didn't comment on it because you'd already done it. Unscented Epsom salts are the proper treatment for a betta that has swim bladder disease or constipation.


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