# Sitting on the bottom of the tank?



## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

My new betta i got three days ago, is acting different than the first day i got him. The first day he was so energetic. Second day he was really skittish, now he kinda swim/scoots along the bottom and only goes up for food and air. Once in a while he'll swim for like 3 seconds then he'll float back down. Is the just getting used to his environment? He live in 3gal, with a filter, but no heater. Do i need to buy a heater? I keep my room at 76-78F plus he has a LED light. Im starting to wonder if it's the light he doesn't like...


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

He needs a heater. Is the filter strong? Maybe he's not used to the current.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

He may need a heater unless your room stays at that temperature all year round. (His water will still be at around 74 which isn't really bad, since water stays cooler than the surrounding air)
Are there any other symptoms? Is he pale, breathing heavily, bloated? Anything at all.. What kind of decor does he have?


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

[email protected] The filter isn't the problem i dont think, because he likes to go over and stare at it (lol) But the current could be affecting him a bit.

[email protected] Hmmm okay, today im going to my local pet store so i'll pick up a thermometer! Well i wouldn't really be able to tell if he was pale, being that he's all white, He breathes a little heavily i guess. I was looking at him for a little bit and it was a little fast... He's not bloated, but he does eat like a piglet! Im at school right now so i'll post some pictures after! He has all live plants, black gravel, and a big rock-ish cave thingy )) PICS LATER


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

No problem..


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

In my experience, bettas need a bit of time to get used to a lot of newly aquired swimming space. Assuming he was kept in a tiny plastic tub at the petstore, he now has 2.8 more gallons of swimming space to get used to! It can take a week for him to get comfortable and feel safe. Moving is stressful on fish. When I moved one of my girls from the petstore bowl to a 5 gallon, she freaked out for a week!

Is your tank HEAVILY planted? Bettas don't really like open swimming space. In order to feel safe, he needs to feel like he's not in constant view. Floating plants will be a help with this, as coming to the surface exposes him. Get some fake plants if your plants are still small. 

Additionally, bettas don't really need or like heavy lighting. Obviously your plants need it, which is another argument for floating plants to give the tank some shaded areas. 

And, as the others said, get a thermometer for your tank, probably followed by a heater. Ideal temps for bettas are about 78-80, and you might be surprised as how much cooler the tank water is than the air.


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

[email protected] He's perked up a bit more! Yea, the tank's pretty planted. Alot of possible hiding places! pics in 5 seconds....


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

The tank's a lot bigger than it looks... It was kinda at an awkward angle.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

You have a beautiful tank.  If he is his usual perky self now, I wouldn't worry but I would keep a close eye for any abnormal symptoms or behaviors.


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

Tank looks great! He was probably just nervous about the move, and now that he knows he's safe in his new home he's more active.


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## betaguy (Sep 15, 2011)

literally, obsessed with your tank.


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Yup he's as perky as normal! But now that i added a loach he's all "Rawr i must find and eat the loach!" The loach hides under the cave thing and when ever he sticks his head out, Eclipse comes up and nips at him.... So how do i feed the loach??


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Uhh, don't reply to my last question. I figured it out  I just have to dunk flakes in and he noms them all up! Eclipse doesn't want to eat him anymore  They're buds now! i have PROOF! Drama Queen (My Loach) was swishing around and landed on Eclipse and all he did was stare and swim away lol. The loach is tiny and super cute! I also added a tiny sucker fish, named nugget! Pics tomorrow!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Don't you have a 3 gallon? A loach isn't the best roommate for a betta in a 3 gallon. Its too small a tank. May be you can try some ghost shrimp? They're low bioload and clean up the tank.


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Well they were having a sale on kuhli loaches and there was only one left when i got there so they gave him to me for free (I go their every week lol). The algae eater right now in only half and inch long and he hides so he doesn't count haha. I have a question about drama queen though. Are they supposed to be fish that hide alot or fish that are active and swim like crazy? Because dq is very spazzy and crazy if you ask me :/ she's only and inch and a half long


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

Please stop taking free fish from the petstore without doing research first. Unless your plans include buying a 30 gallon tank in the future, you need to take BOTH of them back to the petstore. 

Kuhli loaches are hiders, they are expert hiders. They are also shoaling fish, which means they do best in groups of 5 or 6. If you keep a single one, you are doing no favors to that fish. Also, it will get to be 5 inches long. A 3 gallon tank is unacceptable for a kuhli loach. The people at the petstore should have checked with you about tank size before giving it to you, and you've now learned your lesson that pet stores are notoriously uninformed about their "product" (and don't be fooled, fish are products to sell for them). 

As for the algae eater, there are 2 types - chinese and siamese. If it has a thick, solid black horizontal stripe it is a siamese algae eater. These are peaceful community fish that work well with bettas and loaches. If it has a dotted line down the center, it is a chinese algae eater. If it's chinese, remove it from your tank immediately. They are NOT peaceful fish, they are aggressive and will target bottom flat fish like loaches (they will often suck the mucus layer right off other fish, which will kill them). 

THe bad news about the algae eater? At 1/2 inch, it DOES count. It still contributes a bio load, and your tank is simply not big enough for 3 fish of those sizes. And they'll only get bigger. Algae eaters are recommended to go in tanks with a minimum size of 48" long. Now go measure your 3 gallon. More bad news? Both types of algae eaters are shoaling fish, which again means they only do well in groups of 5 or more. 

Take those fish back. Your petstore did you no favors. THey will get bigger, I promise you that much, and a 3 gallon tank is unfortunately only big enough for a single betta, with maybe a snail or some shrimp. But everything that you put in that tank does "count."


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I agree with tf..
That is too much bioload on a 3 gallon.  They may seem small now but they will get bigger... And for the future, quarantine all fish/snails/shrimp/plants in a different tank than your main one for at least 1-2 weeks. They can carry disease and parasites that you wouldn't want harming your current fish. One sick fish or contaminated plant can cause a lot of problems..


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

Sorry pinkcupid, I know I sound like a mean lady who is just yelling at you, but there is so much misinformation out there. Imagine keeping 3 puppies in a regular sized dog crate. It works for this moment, but puppies grow fast. You shouldn't have added those 2 other fish. Your betta won't like you for it, and the other 2 fish will probably just die. I know you think your betta and the loach are pals, but the truth is that bettas are looking for pals, they're solitary. You're the one who thinks he needs pals.


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Okay! I understand! I'll, from now on, promise to do my research before i get any new animals! I'll take them back today  I was just really consumed in the moment when they said i could have him for free. Thats all. Thanks for giving me advice! 

I'd really like to have a sorority for my birthday. Am i not ready for that? Advice?

And it's OK! Ya'll weren't being mean!


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## tf1265 (Jul 26, 2011)

Haha. Right now I would say no, you're not ready. That doesn't mean you won't be by your birthday. Here are the basics for a sorority:

1) At least a 10 gallon tank
2) At least 5 female bettas
3) Heater, filter, LOTS of plants and hiding places (at least 1 for each fish)
4) All the fish have to be introduced to the tank and each other at the same time. If you give any of them a chance to be territorial, game over. 

Female bettas are aggressive in a hierarchy. One of them will establish herself as the dominant betta, and will bully the rest. The more bettas you have, the less each fish will get bullied.

There are still a lot of factors you won't be able to control. Sometimes you will have 2 fish that both see themselves as dominant, and they will continue to fight each other. Sometimes you will end up with a fish that just cannot get along with other bettas. Sororities are very risky. You need to make sure that you have a back up plan if it doesn't work (ie 5 individual tanks). 

Another option if you want more bettas is to divide a 10 gallon tank. You could put in 2 dividers and keep 3 fish separately in a 10 gallon tank. They would each have as much space to themselves as your betta has now. Divided tanks can sometimes have their own sets of risks, but in general is far less risky than a sorority. 

But: read up, ask questions, have a backup plan (which could include dividing the larger tank), and give it a go.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I understand, I would have jumped too at FREE lol! But yeah, next time take a deep breath and think about it. ;-)
Srorities can be difficult.. The females basically have to learn to live together and tolerate each other. If you do get a sorority going, make sure you have extra tanks for girls that just wont get along. Also get a breeder net to time out ones that are getting picked on or are picking on the others... If you get sisters that would be best because they're more tolerant of each other... I have a sorority with 5 girls and 4 platies (I call them the intervention fish) in a 20 gallon. Sometimes if two girls bicker and a platy passes by they stop to look and forget what they were doing lol! If you need any help we're always here! And good to hear that you're gonna research and not jump into it like a lot of people.


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Haha! You're probably right! I'll do my homework! My birthday isn't till' December anyways! I might just end up getting one male from thailand. I really don't know. I'll get my mom to take me back to the petstore to return the fish after school ))


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

If you think about it in December and you feel you can handle a sorority you should go ahead but otherwise a male from Thailand sounds dreamy! 

That didn't sound right did it? Lol!


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Haha! Okie Dokie i just returned them! And now that i think about it i wont even have to buy a tank for the sorority, if i get one! I have a big phat 30-40 gallon in the attic from when my dad had salt water fish  yay!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Oh wow! Lucky you!! My uncle had 3, 30 gallon tanks that he gave away! He didn't even tell me about them! D: I was so angry!


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

Awww! That would've been awesome if he had told you! You'd have, like, a hundred fishies though! haha!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Yup I totally would XD It would have helped me with my breeding project.  He had an awesome wooden stand too!


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