# Lethargic betta and staying near the top



## placido (Sep 28, 2011)

So I haven't seen my betta intwo weeks.. I moved out of my old place and into a new one and someone was watching my betta for me... well she didn't clean the tank at alllll. I was so mad... her reasoning was she didnt have anything to put him in...
Well I finally got him and his disgusting tank today and I immediatley cleaned it... I think it might have sent him in to shock though... he is staying in the same spot and not really moving... one of his side fins seems clamped/almost non existent and he is just really unactive.
My friend was like hes just been kinda hanging around the bottom of the tank and I was like maybe because his tank is dirty.
I think when I put him in the new water it was a bt warmer than his water was before (I washed it with hot water and I think the gravel retained some of the heat making it heat up the tank more than desired).
I don't have a thermometer or a heater but I do have a light which produces heat.
I have to leave to go home (I'm in college) tonight so I can make it to my doctors appointment tomorrow.... I honestly don't think he'll make it through the weekend.
What can I do? I am limited on resources...


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

You should get a thermometer for the tank so you can keep track of the temperature. Fluctuations can be hard on fish, and heat lamps actually make it worse a lot of the time - you'd have to leave the lamp on 24 hours a day to keep it heated, and you have no way of controlling the temperature or even knowing what it is. Leaving a lamp on all the time isn't good for your fish either. 

Why was his tank disgusting after 2 weeks? What size, and what else is in there? Honestly, 2 weeks isn't really long enough to do irreparable damage IF he is in a large enough tank. More information would be helpful (about your set up and normal tank care and maintenance routine) so we can help you figure out what is wrong.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

More information would be helpful.

Do you notice anything physically different on him, like white fuzzy growths or anything?

Do you use water conditioner?


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

It sounds as if you may not of acclimated him to his tank properly, since you said the temp may of been different.

When putting a fish back into their tank for cleaning, you should always float their cup/bag in the tank for 20-30 minutes, and during that time, every so often take out some of the water from the cup and add in tank water. That way they will acclimate both to temp and chemistry. Especially since he had gotten used to the chemistry he was in while you were away. (Even though it wasn't healthy, he still had adjusted to it.)

You also don't want to use a light that produces heat, as it can warm it up during the day when it's on, but then the temp will go down at night and cause them to get too cold. Fluxes in temps is not a good thing for any fish. You can get a mini heater for $12, and a thermometer for less then $3. And you can't keep the light on 24 hrs with them simply because it will cause too much stress. They need the night/day differences just like us to rest.

At this point, unsure what you can do as there are no other signs of illness, just stress. Keep his light off for a day or two, if you have Stress Coat use it.. you can put in a few drops along with your regular water conditioner. It will help soothe him. Wish you the best.


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