# HELP! Wont eat, white string...?



## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

Housing 
What size is your tank?-*2 gal.
*What temperature is your tank?*-TOO COLD! maybe 55ish...I know..*
Does your tank have a filter? *No*
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?*Air stone*
Is your tank heated? *NOOO
*What tank mates does your betta fish live with?* None*

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? *Pellets
*How often do you feed your betta fish? *Twice a day, 3 and 4 pellets*

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? *maybe a month,* *It was a while but still clear*
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? *100*
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? *Solution made for Bettas on Tap Water*

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? *No N/A*

My betta fish will not eat. I came back from a trip and my mom was feeding my fish but apparently it just stopped eating. She said nothing but i noticed there were several swollen pellets in the tank. It has a whiteish grayish strand by it butt and I *THINK* it's poop? I only feed it pellets and have had it for about a year. It just seems to be swimming slow and sitting at the bottom of the tank. Is The water being cold makeing it not eat?

PLEASE HELP:-(
Thanks,
Stan


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

your water's WAY too cold for him! and, the white string could be a sign of parasites. :< you're also not changing the water enough. for my 2 gallons, i change the water every three days. :/ i suggest getting a heater.
also, can anyone confirm the white poops mean parasites?


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

You've got a few problems with your setup that's probably causing your problems.

1. From what I've seen, Bettas only eat a few pellets a day, so him refusing food might be a sign that you're feeding him too much, which can cause bloat which can kill him.

2. Your water is MUCH too cold. Bettas are tropical fish and should be kept in water at least 78*F. Pet stores carry adjustable filters--I also have a 2gal tank and I have a nice adjustable heater that I got from PetSmart for less than $15. It keeps Fidget's tank nice and warm, and he's so much happier!

3. With a 2gal unfiltered tank, you should be changing your fish's water 100% at least once a week. Dangerous chemicals build up in the tank water if you don't change it, and those can kill your Betta as well. 

Also, from what I've heard some Betta don't like air stones--that's probably not your problem in this case and I'm not entirely sure about it as I'm bit of a newbie myself, but perhaps something to look into.

Good luck with your fish!


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

re: white poop = parasite? 

Fidget had that problem earlier today and the PetSmart employee (fairly knowledgable, has several Bettas herself and considers 2gal to be 'small' for a tank) said that it could be indicative of parasites, yeah. 

You might want to try and add a bit of aquarium salt, which should sort the parasites out okay.


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

How long would i have between changes if it's filtered?

He's lived happily on his food amount for almost a year but yes i should limit that, Could he be constipated?


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

I've never heard of a filtered 2gal, I think that they're usually a bit bigger when they have a filter (someone else have a better answer on that?).

Yes, it is possible that he's constipated or bloated. Try him a few days without food and see? Also, uneaten food should be removed from his tank instead of allowed to float about (this will also help with your chemical levels).


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

cycled, you mean? it's hard to cycle a small tank like a 2 gallon. o.0 even then, i'm not sure how long between water changes that would be. 

you should get him some parasite meds. that'll clear the parasites up faster. 

it's POSSIBLE that he's constipated, but the white poop is more a sign of parasites.


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

I just wasnt home. Two days is really not very much time between water changes, Can i get around this at all?
How would he get parasites? No live food and no tank mate....


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

I've been told that a change every 3 days or so should do it--50% and then 100%. It's a bit of work, but I think the only way to really get around it and have a properly healthy fish not at risk of any nasty diseases is to just get a bigger tank. Dirty water can cause a LOT of problems. :-\


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

So a filter would not help anything?
I am such a noob i have no clue. what problems can occur? and how could he get a parasite? Tap water possibly?


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i'm not entirely sure. it's possible that it could be from your tap water. :/

the only way to get around doing tons of water changes, is to get him a bigger tank, like 5 gallons, and cycle it. but, that alone could take a month or longer.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Not tap water, if you got him from a LFS, chances are he already had it. You can get around water changes with bigger tanks. The larger the tank, the more diluted the ammonia is, the easier it is to cycle, etc.


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

What kind of meds does he need?
what does cycling the water do for the ammonia? and are you saying i could hold off on changes for a month or longer ? @LUIMERIL =)


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

I don't fully understand what cycling is myself yet, but as I have a 2gal (which apparently can't be cycled) I haven't bothered learning about it totally.

Aquarium salts can sort out parasites pretty well.

Basically what we're saying is that your choice is basically a bigger tank, more frequent water changes, or a less healthy fish. There's not really another way to get around the changes. :-/


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

I get it but was wondering how much difference would be had with a 5gal cycled. I love animals and didnt feel i was neglecting my fish until now=( hes so cool he comes to the front when i enter the room...


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

If you had a filtered, cycled 5 gallon, you'd still have to do a once weekly water change but it would only have to be 25-50 percent of the water and you could leave your fish in there while you did it.

Basically, your fish goes to the bathroom and this creates ammonia. When your cycling your tank, you're growing two types of bacteria in your filter that convert poisonous ammonia into nitrite and then poisonous nitrite into nitrate. Nitrate at low levels is okay and won't harm your fish. But at higher levels it too can slowly kill them, which is why we still have to do water changes.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

if you can get some, many swear on Jungle Parasite Cure tablets. of course, ya gotta cut them up for a 2 gallon. i don't know how well they work, since none of my bettas have had parasites. :<


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## UhOh (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks For all the posts guys and gals I just got to ride with it and learn along the way=/ 
Well THANK YOU=) 
we'll see how this thing goes.


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## BettaCavy (Jan 1, 2011)

I'm treating my Betta right now for parasites and popeye, he's in a 2gal so what I did was I took the 10gal dose, dissolved it in 5tsp water, and just administer 1tsp/24hrs. I hope your fish ends up okay!


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