# Stressed Betta?



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Hi,

For Christmas, my daughters each got a Betta Fish from Santa Claus and 5 gal. Tanks. My wife liked the fish so much that she got one too along with another 5 gal. tank. While I have been cycling the tanks (fishless method) we have been keeping the Bettas in bowls. So now I was suddenly the care taker of 3 Betta fish. 

We change the water every day. Treat the water the day before and let it sit overnight near the bowls so the temperature is the same and then do the water change with that water the next day. For now we are keeping the Bettas in a room that we have a heater set for 75deg. (The 5 gal tanks all have heaters set at 82 when they get there)


The day before yesterday, while changing the water, my wife's fish got spastic and had what looked like a seizure.... then he swam lopsided and was not swiming well.... from what we could read it sounded like swim bladder dissorder so we started down the diagnosis and treatment path of fasting and trying to serve him a piece of cooked pea should he be constipated but he saddly died yesterday. I have no idea what I did wrong and was sure I was taking care of him better than if he had been left in the cold pet store with infrequent water changes but now I am very frustrated that somehow my lack of experience killed this poor fish.

It's worse.... last night while changing the water with one of our two remaining Bettas one of them freaked out when I put the net in the water and before I could even get him into his new water he also did a crazy swim and then acted like he also might die from a siezure ..... eventually he calmed down and made it thru the night. Today when my wife tried to interact with him he also went crazy... almost jumping out of the bowl and then appeared to die..... my wife called me in tears thinking he was actually dead and then called back to say that he had revived and was upright again and breathing but we don't think he is doing well and I don't know why

There are no signs if ick or any ailments of the fins or skin visable.... but he goes to the bottom.... could he just be stressed from the water changes? What else could this be? I have to change the water but when I do it feels like something is going wrong.... I have been doing this for weeks now and all was good up until the last couple of days and I can't think of anything I am doing differently.

Please help me before my ignorance kills another fish! 

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum. Are you remembering to use water conditioner in your water when you do water changes?


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Yes - I have always used the conditioner to remove any chlorine.... I do that when I set up the water for the next days change and then I let it sit overnight to make sure the water is the same temp as what they are currently in.....


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Since you haven't had him for very long, it may be that he's still adjusting to his new home and will, hopefully settle down soon.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Is it possible that this siezure like behavior and near death experience is just stress? Or am I overlooking something else? What concerns me is that it was not stressful up until a couple of days ago..... we had a couple of weeks of everything being fine so if it was an adjustment to the new home it would seem like it would show up right at the start


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

What is the best method for complete water changes? Is a net OK to use?


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

What size are the bowls? They may be cold, since the room temp is set to 75, the water is always going to be a couple degrees cooler. The seizuring, spazzing behavior is what I would expect from a fish living in poor quality water. But it sounds like your doing well. Maybe they are stressed from the constant daily water changes.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

I moved them out of the "margarine tubs" they came in but they are still in small bowls of about 48 oz until the tanks are ready. THey had been in even colder temps until we got a space heater to run in one room. In the pet store it was definately under 70 degrees air temp so if anything I thought I had at least improved living conditions until the tanks are finished cycling. Ironically I am getting close on the tanks as both the Ammonia and Nitrites are dropping now but need to keep them alive until I can get them in the new homes


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

Ok, so I honestly think that the combination of being in a small space, mixed with the cold water and constant water changes is what is freaking them out. Is there any way they can go in the 5 gallons now even though they're not completely cycled? I think a big heated tank is what they need now.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

I have even tested the water in the little bowls and found traces of ammonia after a day so that is why I do daily changes.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

The tanks are not cycled enough... the ammonia and nitrite levels are still lethal

So this is my first owner experience with Bettas.... do they become stressed easily? How do they sit in the pet store for months in little containers if I can't keep them for a few more weeks that way? Or.... is the pet store mortality rate high?


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Some stress out pretty easily and others don't.


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

The petstore mortality rate is extremely high. They get in new shipments of bettas every week to replace the ones that have been sold, and the ones that have passed on. Most people think that bettas are extremely hearty because of what they go through in stores, and based on all of the stories of them "being able to live forever in a cup because they live in puddles in the wild" Which we all know is totally false. The truth of the matter is they need proper care like any other fish or they will stress out and probably die. Stress kills. If you put a platy or an oscar or a gourami in a cold bowl and constantly gave them new water to get used to they would likely stress out and die in a few days. Bettas are hearty, yours have lasted weeks, but eventually the stress will catch up with them.

I'm not saying anything bad about you  I think you have done everything you thought you should do, and I am so happy that your boys will be living in 5 gallon heated tanks, the majority of bettas don't get that luxury. 

Is there any way you can get them 1 gallon bowls? They have 1 gallon bowl kits at walmart for like $10 each. That way they will have more space and you will only need to give them partial (50%) water changes every other day, and you won't need to remove them from the bowls at all.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Given that I can't move them to the tanks yet.... is there anything I can do to de-stess them until the tanks are ready? Should I stop feeding them daily so they don't have to go thru as many water changes? Keep the area dark or covered?

Any thought about using aquarium salt? It claims to reduce stress

What about diet.... what do you feed your bettas? We have a variety of foods.... freeze dried blood worms is what the pet store recommened but we also have frozen brine shrimp, and I just purchased some Hikari betta pellets (higher fiber to make sure they are going to the bathroom OK) and some Betta flakes by Nutrafin. We feed a small amout once per day....knowing the stomach is the size of their eye and try to vary the diet

At this point I would gladly spend $10 for gallon bowls if you think that will help..... are those heated? I have spent many $hundreds so far on this project and really want to keep my two remaining beautiful boys alive. I would be crushed to loose another one and that is not even to mention my daughters for whom they were a Christmas gift.


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

They are not heated but you can buy small flat heaters that are perfect for bowls, let me see if I can find a picture of them online..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006JLPFE...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0006JLPFE

There you go, its called a hydro mini heater, I've used them, they're not very powerful and can't heat 5 gallons like it says they can. They are perfect for 1-2 gallons. They don't have a heat setting so just make sure you get a thermometer so you can make sure they're not eating the water too much. But I've used them in a 1 gallon and the temp was always a comfortable 78-80 degrees

You're diet sounds great. Freeze-dried foods should only be fed as a treat though, not a stable diet as they can cause severe constipation. In my opinion Hikari betta pellets are the best out there, I feed those mixed with Topfin color enhancing betta pellets twice a day and a snack of thawed bloodworms every other day.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks !

I will leave work early and get larger bowls and a heaters. How long to I need to let that tank set (I will treat the water first of course) before I dare move them into the new habitat from your experience?


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

Setup the bowls, add the heaters, when the water is at a good temp, begin acclimating the boys. Float them in a cup with a lid in the bowl for 15 minutes, then poor out a little water and add a little tank water, keep doing this every 15 minutes until their cup is filled with the tank water, then they can be released! I have to run to the barn now but please let me know how they do!


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks again - I will bounce back this weekend or by latest Monday with an update on how we are doing.


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Good luck!


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks...

Does aquarium salt help reduce the stress at all?


----------



## Betta Fish Bob (Dec 31, 2009)

Dad,

Stress is the number one cause of Betta Death. It lowers their immune systems, and then bacteria sneaks in and attacks!

I would be willing to bet you got all three of the fish at the same store.

Some bettas are shipped from Thailand clear across the thousands of miles to your fish store. I would call around and find out if you have any local breeders. Any fish bred in your area will not have nearly the levels of stress that imported fish will.
(A little trick I learned a while back!)

Also, fish that are bred by a local, smaller scale breeder generally grow up accustomed to each other and their families, and make better adjusted fish.

Sadly, the average life-span for betta fish is only 6 months to a year, because of the cruel way they are treated, shipped, mis-diagnosed and cared for.

This can be increased to as much as 5 years with the use of an exhaustive Betta Care Manual.

Hope this helps.

Beth C.


----------



## BettaDad (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

I went out Friday evening and purchased 2 - 2.5 Gallon tanks 2 - mini heaters and some small plants. The "aqua specialist" at the pet store even gave me some live plants free because she said her Betta loved to hide in this. With everything set up and stablized I floated the little bowl I had moved him into and then slowly introduced water over time.... after a long and careful transfer process I released him.... he did another spastic swim and then once again looked dead..... once again he revived and now is happily swimming around his larger warm temporary space until his 5 gallon home is cycled. At least with this 2.5 gal. tank I can do partial water changes so I don't have to net him and move him.

Thanks again for you help!


----------



## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

So glad he's doing better!!! Im really glad I could help!


----------



## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> Since you haven't had him for very long, it may be that he's still adjusting to his new home and will, hopefully settle down soon.


i agree. the poor fish live in those small cups at the store for so long i think its almost like a culture shock for them. i bought a new betta last night he was doing almost the same thing. 

i checked on him during lunch and hes more active and doing better. 

i normally use TetraAqua's Aqua Safe water conditioner. i have had no problems with that and will continue to use that when i get my tank this weekend. :-D

good luck with your betta. i thought i was at fault when my first betta died. but like you, im new to this also.


----------

