# Depressed Betta



## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

My Betta, Oddie, seems depressed. I want to get him some new decor! And I was also thinking. What about sand instead of pebbles? Would sand be better or worse? 

Back to the decor. Oddie loves to swim under his bridge so I was thinking maybe I could get him something bigger he can swim and hid under ^^ What do you guys suggest?

I just read a post on here about floating logs! I might also get that for him. 

What do you guys suggest though?


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Is your tank heated? How frequently are you doing water changes? Are you using dechlorinator? While sometimes bettas do get depressed, it is more likely a water quality problem or a lack of heat. 

Otherwise, bettas like a variety of plants and other items, but all items should be tested for sharpness so that his fins won't get caught and torn on the items.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

I don't have dechlorinator because I dont know what it is and I just found out there is such a thing today o.o . We have salt in my tap water and I'm out of stress coat so I can't do water changes right now. And finally my heater was defective and turned on and off throughout the night so we had to take it out. But do have a thermometer and the water temp. is in the "green" level.


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## Artist with a betta (Nov 26, 2012)

Eveh said:


> I don't have dechlorinator because I dont know what it is and I just found out there is such a thing today o.o . We have salt in my tap water and I'm out of stress coat so I can't do water changes right now. And finally my heater was defective and turned on and off throughout the night so we had to take it out. But do have a thermometer and the water temp. is in the "green" level.


He is probably stressed out because of all this. You can buy bettasafe (water conditioner) very cheap at Walmart and you should get a very reliable heater.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

Ok I think were going to a pet store soon ^^


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Agree, sounds like you need to make some tank improvements. Get a new heater and a thermometer that will tell you the actual temp. Use a water conditioner and stress coat. Make sure he has plenty of silk plants and a cave to hide in, then give him a week. He should be back to normal soon! 

What size is his tank? We might be able to give you some heater options.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

My thermometer is fine I think but the size of the tank is 1.5 gallons. I never used the heater I had because the temp was always above or in the green zone o.o


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

What temp is the "green zone" What about at night? Does it get cooler then? A temp that fluxuates very little is best. And his levels? Amonia and the lot? How are they?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Artist with a betta (Nov 26, 2012)

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Heaters are supposed to turn on and off, unless you had a thermometer and saw major temp fluctuations.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

what brand is the thermometer? It is hard to say if the "green zone" is actually the temperature you want as this might be a very wide range of 70-80, with 70 being far too cold for a betta.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

True. I have two different thermometers. Ones green zone goes from 70-80 and one from 72-82... But if its over the green zone (80-82) that's a little too warm.


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

The betta log is a good idea because it doesn't have sharp edges. Plus, my little guy loved his.


This is the water conditioner I use http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stress-Coat-Water-Conditioner-Fish-Aquatic-Pets/3635497. I just had to do about a 95% water change and this seemed to work really well


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Stress coat is good. It's what i use but any water conditioner will do. 
How often do you change the water? For a 1.5 you should do 2 a week. One 100% with cleaning the substrate to remove excess food and poop and one 50% where you just change the water. This should keep him happy and healthy


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

the green zone temp is 70F-80F. over night the temp stays about the same without a heater or a light. Right now it's like 75F and I just turned on the light. With the light on it raises a little. I asked my parents if I can go to the pet store today or next weekend. Moneys tight so we don't have many options.

For water changes I've said this before. I'm out of stress coat and I have salt in my tap water. So it's ether I get like 3 gallons of already "cleaned" each week or he has to live with the tap water and stress coat/dechlorinator.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm also thinking of a undergravel filter? Can someone tell me what it is ^^ Ok so this is what I plan to pick up at the pet store. 

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3956162&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
Floating Log

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752217&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
A hide out ^^

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752208&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
Dechlorinator

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754036&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
Stress coat.

And also some filters. 

I always get that stress coat and I'll never get a different one ^^


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you need a dechlorinator and stress coat, now that I look at both products. Stress coat is a water conditioner, same as the dechlorinator. Quote from the stress coat description


> Works to remove chlorine and chloramines and neutralize heavy metals found in tap water for a healthy aquarium environment


Personally, if money is tight I'd go with the log OR the hide out. Whatever is cheaper in store. You can also look around for clearance items in store. 

I'm not sure what you can do about the salt, as a water conditioner will remove chlorine and heavy metals, but as far as I know, not salt? Maybe you could do a 50/50 mix of bottled water and tap water?

EDIT: undergravel filters usually don't have good reviews, I would stay away. 

and PLEASE PICK UP A HEATER.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I guess it depends on the salt concentration.
Stress Coat is a dechlorinator. You don't need both.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

Ok so what heater do you suggest. My dad said we could be going to the pet store today or tomorrow night.


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Tank size?


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

The length is 11 inch and the width (from bottom to rim) is 9.5 inches. The tank can hold 1.5 gallons


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Hmm, that is pretty small. Normally I would recommend 25 watt, but idk if that will be too big for a tank that size. 25 watts should be ok for your tank as long as you watch it carefully. I like Hydor Theo heaters.


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

ok and back to pebbles. Instead of pebbles would sand be ok to get for my betta? He links to rest under his bridge and I think sand might be more comfortable ^^ I'm looking up the heater you recomned right now!


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Sand is fine but it will probably make 100% water changes harder to do.


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Heater Link


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

Well I'm going to petsmart xD

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12315584&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4134008&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

Is what I found


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## inuudo (Aug 21, 2012)

I use the Stresscoat that you linked to in my betta tank; as others have pointed out, you don't need both. I was looking at that rocky cave decor yesterday, and I think it will probably be too big for a 1.5 gallon tank. (I was considering it for a 5.5 gallon.) The floating log should fit in your tank; I have one in mine (5.5 gal) and that tank is also 9.5 inches tall.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I have sand in one of my kritter keepers which gets a 100% water change. If you don't put in too much sand, it's not really a problem. You just have to be a little more gentle when you dump out the water. I use my hand to swich the sand around a bit to get the debris to float then slowly tip the tank to get the water and debris out. 

A filter isn't needed for a small tank that you will be doing the 100% changes on but if you want to have one - maybe one of these?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752355&lmdn=Size&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

Ok now I have a HUGE problem. I tried to move him from his dirty water and he turned GRAY. What should I do? I put him back in his original water.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He's stressed. You need to acclimate him. How did you move him?


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## Eveh (Jun 23, 2012)

Very gently with a cup then he didn't want to move out of the cup I don't have any stress coat so I couldn't help him.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

How dirty is the water he's in currently?

When acclimating with a cup, you'll want to float the cup in the tank you are moving him to. Float it for awhile if the temp in the new tank is different than the temp in the old one so his water in his cup will adjust. Periodically add a small amount of water to the cup. If say for the first hour floating him, add a spoonful of new tank water to the cup every fifteen minutes. For the second hour, add every ten minutes, and for the third hour or half hour, add every five minutes. You could slowly increase the size of the spoonfuls each hour as well. Check the temp in the cup with a thermometer and the temp in the tank to be sure its the same.

Some bettas will get stressed from being cupped. Mine got stress stripes when I cupped him and moved him for treatment. If the water in his current tank is dirty and hasn't been changed in a while, the pH might be lower than the pH in the new tank and he will need to be adjusted slowly. Moving him quickly back and forth between tanks will stress him more.

Sometimes a little stress is unavoidable. After you finish acclimation and release him into the new tank, give him some space and darkness for awhile so he can adjust. Instead of dumping him into the new tank, just hold the cup sideways into the tank and eventually he should get curious and swim out of it on his own. I would wait for him to regain color before trying to acclimate him again.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Also, what size is the old tank and what size is the new tank and how much decor do you have in the new tank? How long has it been since the last water change in the old tank? Are you using a different water source and conditioner? You need some type of conditioner. What is the exact temp of both tanks?


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## LugiaChan (Mar 8, 2012)

Sand is very dirty and some sand takes a couple of days just to settle. I love it the most, but because it's so dirty- I use marbles now. It was very hard to keep clean and my fish got sand in his gills with crazy clouding.

I suggest having a 5 gallon tank the most might help your fish and the heater stay more temperature consistent as soon as you have the money.

A really nice product is Indian Almond Leaves. Be sure to have your water checked by a pet store that does water testing for free, i'm curious if your water has something bad in it because grey is quite a rare color for a betta fish.... It's worrisome.


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## prettykitty123 (Jan 8, 2013)

Artist with a betta said:


> He is probably stressed out because of all this. You can buy bettasafe (water conditioner) very cheap at Walmart and you should get a very reliable heater.


I agree with getting the water conditioner at WalMart. I got some that was just for Betta fish for only 2 dollars.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

The grey may just be from stress of the change as someone else said. I have a dark blue CT and everytime I change the water, weather I cup him or not - his fins will turn a greyish color. I also have a red female that turns almost white when stressed


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## LugiaChan (Mar 8, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> The grey may just be from stress of the change as someone else said. I have a dark blue CT and everytime I change the water, weather I cup him or not - his fins will turn a greyish color. I also have a red female that turns almost white when stressed


That is crazy weird! :0 lol


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